Bunny Suits of Death: Tales of a Csi

by Laura A. Merz

As the newest Crime Scene Investigator for the Wichita Police Department, East Coast transplant Laura Merz finds herself out of her comfort zone and completely unprepared for the human dramas and comedies she encounters with each shift she works. She quickly learns that real life CSI work is nothing like what they show on television or what she studied in graduate school.
She dusts for fingerprints, photographs bloody Klingon weapons, and desperately tries not to fall off the chair in her first court appearance. Merz also grows to understand the dangers of empathy and why police officers often have a tough exterior. Along the way, she cobbles together a quirky group of friends to help her cope with the daily dose of human failings she witnesses each time she puts on her uniform.
From her first crime scene where she is forced to confront the death of a young gang member to scenes where burglars are reported to leave sex toys behind as parting gifts, Merz discovers hilarity and heartbreak are often intertwined. Bunny Suits provides a much needed bridge between dramatic crime novels and purely scientific texts.

Genres: Memoir, True Crime

158 pages, Paperback

First published May 14, 2012

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

True confessions -- the author is my sister. But even if she weren't, this is a really good book. :) Fascinating to see inside her job as a CSI, the highs and lows, the humor and heartbreak -- and I also enjoyed the fish-out-of-water aspect where she had to learn how to live and find friends in a part of the US that's VERY different from where we come from. She's always been incredible at meeting people and turning strangers into friends, and you can see the evidence in her stories.

[Shawna Ralls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny view that most people don’t get to see. Nice to see her have a good outlook in such a dark profession!

[Amanda Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura's wit and humor are a gift to humanity. This book is very well-written and so thoughtful and real you will be laughing hysterically one minute and crying the next. It's a wonderful, quick read that will delight you. One of my favorite books of all time. I'm greatly looking forward to her next book.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains the often wild, occasionally hilarious, all true stories of a self-proclaimed East Coast nerd who, through "incredibly ridiculous circumstances involving a guy who broke his leg, sparrows, and Columbia University not honoring AP math credits" becomes a CSI in Wichita, Kansas. Merz is a very capable writer, describing the ups and downs of crime scene work with considerable wit. Unfortunately, Merz and her literary agent withstood "years of rejections" and ultimately went the independent publishing route. This is a real shame, because there is potential for an extraordinary book here, if it had gotten into the hands of the right editor. There are moments when the melodrama gets to be a bit much, and the book ends too quickly - I got the sense that the events Merz was describing in the final chapters were too painful for her to really explore, though it would have been to the benefit of the story.

Despite these flaws, the book is excellent overall and eminently readable. And did I mention that it was funny? One chapter in particular, "The Heat of the Night," actually had me laughing so hard that I was crying. (It involves the robbery of a religious woman who feels the need to explain the sex toys in her house to CSI Merz. Enough said.) While many books have been written explaining how CSI work is nothing like what they show on television, there is something so charming about the way Merz tells her story that it feels original.

Highly recommended. Pick up a copy on Amazon, or, if you know me in real life, ask to borrow my copy.

(Disclosure: Laura Merz was a theater student of mine in the late 1990s.)

[Vxx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great first novel from an author I'd like to read more of. Written in a very honest style, very funny but also parts will have your eyes welling up. Laura takes her readers through a series of episodes in her life as a CSI and you watch as she grows and develops onto the role. Well worth a read and I look forward to her next offering!

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this collection of tales by a friend's sister about real CSI work, just as CSI became the stuff of pop culture. Glad I was often reading while alone, because my gasps, groans and guffaws might have alarmed others. Not sure I will ever get over "gloving," and I will never look at a dachshund the same way again.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed book very much, it was both very informative and humorous, despite the serious issues involved. Looking forward to the next one!