Shallow Graves: My Life as a Forensic Scientist on Britain's Biggest Cases

by Ray Fysh

The murder of Sarah Payne, Adam the Thames Torso, the London bombings, the Night Stalker and the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko... The solving of all these cases can be linked to one man: Ray Fysh, a Charlton Athletic fan from Woolwich, a natural raconteur and also one of the finest forensic detectives the country has ever seen.

Ray began work for the Met Police in the 1970s when forensic investigation was seen as little more than a geeky side show, only in existence to confirm or eliminate evidence. But by the mid 90s Ray and his team had made huge progress in their field, contributing to the UK becoming a world-leading innovator in forensic techniques, with Ray himself being named as Special Adviser to the Forensic Science Service. As the SA, Ray worked alongside Senior Investigating Officers from day one of a case, directing his team to identify forensic opportunities and harvest case-cracking clues.

As Ray looks back over his career at the cases he worked on, the reader is given unparalleled insight into the highs and lows of an astonishing career, the historic classist snobbery of the Met and the stunning realities of crime and forensics

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Audiobook, Crime, Science, Memoir, Biography

329 pages, Audiobook

First published September 1, 2022

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick review: informative, quick read. It was interesting to see cases from the forensics side, and how certain cases have helped shape and evolve forensic science. It's often painstakingly slow and methodical work for a single piece of evidence that can crack a case wide open. I'll admit I was less fond of the chapters on terrorism and poisoning, but that's a personal preference.

[Sophy H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing.

I haven't been so captivated or spellbound by a book in a long while.

Ray Fysh's stories of his career and the cases he has been involved in are truly fascinating whilst being horrifying and repulsive at the same time. I remember the majority of the cases he was involved in and it is mad to read of how painstaking the process is to gather evidence and check, check, double and triple check to ensure rigorous standards and procedure are followed, and nothing is left open to interpretation by an unscrupulous defense lawyer.

The cases that upset me the most were "Adam"- the torso in the Thames, and Billie Jo Jenkins. Adam- imagine being a young child that disappears from the face from the Earth in horrific circumstances and no grieving parents are looking for you, no one is making a fuss and your brutal murder goes unpunished. Fysh and his many colleagues did so much to trace the history of this young boy. Their work is so admirable - "we'll be his family now" one colleague had commented- how caring. And Billie Jo Jenkins, heinously murdered by her domestically abusive foster father, who after serving some of his sentence got to walk free! What a complete miscarriage of justice for that young girl. I remember being incensed when I heard that he had been freed.

Fysh's book highlights just how cruel and evil humans can be to each other, but also how diligence and determination goes a long way towards catching these evil bastards. His work is commendable and it's amazing to have been allowed an insight into it.

Highly recommended.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting look at the career of one of the countries leading forensic scientists, who has worked on some of the most high profile criminal cases across the decades. The author looks at cases individually to save confusion; which is welcomed as he does discuss some very complex scientific aspects of his work. He also does an excellent job at breaking down these complexities, making it easier for someone with a non-scientific background to grasp.

A must read for those intrigued by crime, criminal profiling and the endlessly growing world of forensic science, an art in its own right.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down, it was basically a 9 hour long true crime podcast. Made me want to look into how I could get into forensic anthropology after my degree, loved how problem solving was such a key element and thinking outside the box caught killers. Then I heard all the politics and how there's such a difference between how much COULD be done and how much WOULD be done on account of how much it would cost, the amount of serial killers/ abusers that get away every year due to budgets is horrifying. My love of Science and the truth couldn't survive in that environment.

[Chloe Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this as an audiobook and it really felt like sometimes I was just listening to a really good true crime podcast. A fascinating and insightful read into one of the lead forensic scientists on some of the most high profile crimes in the UK.

[Caitlin Fong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never write reviews so that’s how you know it’s good.

Ray Fysh delves into the enhancement of forensic analysis within the last 4 decades with such passion you can literally feel it as you read. I never thought I could actually enjoy reading about science so much. His take on the evidence of ratios of radioactive isotopes in uncovering the time of death and racial profile of individuals truly showed the breadth of the information available to us and the brilliance of the minds devoted to it.

[Cara Press · Rating 2 out of 5]

The tone of this book is so weird. The utter distain he has for many of the scientists he worked didn’t endear me to him. Maybe calling the people you manage boffins/anoraks constantly doesn’t go down well idk? Particularly when he’d have nothing to bring to the police if it weren’t for those actually generating the results in the lab… Also it’s not actually clear what his role really is - part police liaison, part manager maybe. I don’t doubt he played an important role in the cases but seems like quite a miscellaneous role.
Overall the tone switches a lot, suddenly singing the praises of certain people, which in some cases reads like an editors addition rather than his actual opinions.

Basically there’s some interesting cases discussed, but Ray lacks the humility that made similar memoirs like Dr Richard Sheppard’s a hit.

[Millie Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating

[Jill Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I spent more time on Google than I did reading the book. ☺️

[Martin Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book.

[Eloise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the cases and the science very interesting but the tone of the author is slightly unbearable. he comes across like he has a massive ego and he is oddly dismissive and judgemental of other people working in the field, which made the book harder to enjoy

[Emily Carter-Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional memoir.

[Suzanne Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book really interesting, it’s well worth a read!

[Lainy122 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting insight into the development of forensics we now take for granted, and the cases that spawned their necessity.

[Nik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great to read about the science behind some high profile cases.

[Simplymegy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for my next non fiction read, and so I found this on Bookbeat without previously having heard of it. Nevertheless, this has been the most riveting memoir I’ve read so far.

Fysh shared his experience of working as a forensic scientist from 1971 til his retirement in 2012. He desrcibes in detail six high profile cases in the UK in which forensic evidence has proved vital to catching the culprit.

It was like watching several episodes of CSI in your head- but it feels more harrowing because you know it really happened. Fysh breaks down the science behind how these criminals were caught, from the weapons they used to the forensic techniques that nailed them. I suddenly found myself learning about bombs made from household appliances and poisons. There’s this one case that I just couldn’t wrap my head around how someone could do such a thing- and the intricacies in its investigation was truly quite fascinating.

In addition, Fysh writes this book in such a human way that even though most of these cases were distressing, he still manages to make some funny remarks here and there. At the gist of it, you can really feel how passionate he is about his job.

Anyway, I’m feeling inspired now to read a thriller and critique the evidence presented. 😜

[Megan Shanahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting insight into on of the SA’s to Major Investigations from a Forensic point of view.

There was some really interesting cases put forward, which I had never heard about before. Ray gave a really good overview and simplistic version of how forensics are used to solve cases and many different examples of the breakthroughs too.

Overall, really interesting audio book. Very well written and narrated. 3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

[Alma (retirement at last) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read and interesting in how forensics emerged and advanced over the decades.
Subject matter not easy to read about especially as it relates to true crimes.

[Niamh :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so good !!! It is long winded and very sciencey but good

[Shayne Kidd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting non-fiction about forensics to fuel my true crime obsession

I knew about most of these cases already (woops) but it was still interesting to hear the forensics side !🕵🏼‍♀️

[kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fascinating book!

[Chantelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite honestly a fascinating and compelling read and a real insight into forensic work in previous high profile cases and how it actually works (vs how it appears to be so cut and dry in TV dramas). Also a very accessible read despite all the complicated science that was explained in a manner that even I could understand. 4 stars 🌟

[kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed it, but something about it just doesn't sit right with me. Here are a few examples of things I just can't let go of:

- What exactly is his job? It kind of felt like a figure head meets scientist manager meets concierge? Like he has some scientific background, but doesn't do the actual science, and instead finds scientists and tells them what to do. While also going back and forth between saying they're amazing... but also not highly motivated and arrogant.
- The entire book is about seeking justice for victims of crimes, but there's a part where he admits that the police followed, shot, and killed a man just because he happened to live in the same building as their suspect and carry a backpack. He called it a deadly blunder and quickly moved on. That's it? That's all that innocent guy gets?
- The entire vibe felt similar to "pull yourself up by you bootstraps." Like yes, you guys did good work but you don't have to trash others to feel accomplished - those that don't want to work 24/7, academics, etc.

[Karen Shimmin-Munk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into the backgrounds and investigations of some of the biggest cases in the UK in recent years. From the body of the little boy in the Thames, to Billie-Jo Jenkins and the 7\7 bombings in London there is lots of forensic detail of how the answers to some of the questions were found.

Not everything ended up with a solution, but life is not always that neat.

A great book for those interested in true crime.

[Rosie Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and engaging- the gov should have had to read this before getting rid of the FSS! (I know the dates don’t line up) I was not expecting there to be so many cases on rape for which maybe there should maybe be a warning? Having said that I probably would not have read the book if it had the warning in place but I am very glad that I did read it

[S. A. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Comes off as very arrogant, to be honest. And when he claimed to have been brought into a case from Bradford by South Yorkshire Police, I really wanted to bail out. Urgh.

[Liralen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two and a half stars. I picked this up because I enjoy forensic science memoirs—my brain processes them, for reasons unknown, as relaxing reading—and was looking for something straightforward after a couple of less plot-forward pieces of literary fiction. Fysh worked as a forensic scientist in the UK, and in Shallow Graves he details some of the cases he worked on while serving as specialist advisor for major crime, a role created to ease some of the friction between scientists and police.

But if that job description isn't entirely clear to you: It isn't entirely clear to me, either. I'm sure the work Fysh did was important, but I never quite worked out what it involved, beyond setting up meetings and making scathing comments about underpaid lab techs who didn't want to work weekends. And that's okay—the cases are usually the more interesting part anyway—but I tired of the same phrasing over and over (breakthrough, groundbreaking, little did I know), and of people being named and getting disappointed-dad face and finger-wagging when they made decisions other than the ones Fysh would have liked to see. But one person couldn't wait that long before spouting off to the media[...] Not for the first time, the ego and vanity of an academic floored me (233).

There's one moment that I wish had been discussed in more detail—Fysh describes a case that stretched on for almost two decades in which about all the forensic evidence the police had to go on was some DNA...which only solves the case if you can find a match. In this case, they narrowed the DNA profile down to 'Black Caribbean man' but couldn't get all that much further, so they sought to take 'voluntary' (my ass) DNA tests from 1,000 or so Black men in the area.

For obvious reasons, this concerned people. When it emerged that five of the men who'd refused to provide a sample had been arrested, civil rights group Liberty took up the cause (263). But...that's where Fysh leaves it. It feels really odd—he refers to other people's 'initial misgivings about the highly sensitive nature of racial profiling' (262), observes that oh yes! some Black men were arrested for being Black!, and then...moves on. No discussion to the lines of 'I also had ethical concerns' or 'my only problem with this was that it didn't work' or even resolution for the arrested men. It's really odd and leaves me thinking that Fysh's concern was more that the racial profiling hadn't produced the results they'd wanted.

Ultimately just not the book I'd hoped for. I'm clearly in the minority, so I'm sure this will be a better fit for other readers.

[Donna Morfett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having a huge interest in forensics, when I saw this I knew I had to read it. I didn't expect to be quite so blown away and gripped by the stories within.
Ray Fysh was one of the leading Forensic Scientists in the UK, and was given a unique job at the now defunct Forensic Science Services (FSS)
He details how he came to get this job and how it developed and evolved, via a series of very high profile cases and the incredible intense work involved.
We all know of Sarah Payne, and the arrest of Roy Whiting. It was interesting and reassuring to see how definite the evidence against him was, and how hard they had to work to get there.
One of the best stories is that of 'Adam' a headless, limbless torso of a young boy found in the River Thames. This poor child is still unnamed, unclaimed by any family. However, due to the work undertaken by the FSS, incredible advancements with DNA profiling, the use of plants and isotopes led to many discoveries about where this young boy was from and likely what happened to him.
The hard work involved as the result of the 7/7 and 21/7 failed bombings features, as does the Litvinenko poisoning, and M25 rapist.
I already knew that criminal cases can rest on a knife edge, and a lot of hard work goes into it, I didn't fully realise that techniques were developed throughout cases to help solve them.
If you're interested in true crime, and forensics, this is a must read. Its not told in an overly scientific or academic manner, its easy to follow and a relatively quick read.

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhh this book was brilliant and completely immersing. Can’t believe I hadn’t read this sooner as I committed the cardinal sin of buying it and then staring at it for a good solid few months on my shelf (okay year) before deciding to delve in. It was a fantastic read.

And so much respect for the author and a greatly written book shining a light on his work and that of the FSS and all those involved in both ground breaking research and difficult crime cases. The focus on each case made for such compelling reading and it’s an all encompassing read that has you hanging off every page and development.

His work as an SA was both vital and groundbreaking in what he managed to bring to the role. It was super interesting to see how he navigated the cases and his experiences from murders, to cases of rape, terrorism and poisonings to name a few. There’s plenty of cases here that the common watcher of news will remember and to see from this perspective was real eye opening.

I couldn’t give this less than 5 stars if I tried. It’s worthy of every single star and more and now I need another book of this like to read because I could have kept reading! The insights are astonishing and truly makes you appreciate and realise all that goes into providing justice for some of the most awful crimes that could be committed. Well done Ray Fysh and kudos on such a trailblazing career!

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

For true crime enthusiasts interested in the meticulous work of forensic science, Shallow Graves offers a behind-the-scenes look at some of England’s most infamous cases. Ray Fysh takes us through the scientific processes involved in solving crimes - DNA analysis/post-mortem examinations - detailing how evidence is gathered/interpreted.

The book had good insight into forensic techniques—how science is crucial in bringing justice. It’s fascinating to read about the precision behind crime scene investigations.

While the expertise is undeniable, the tone felt too technical, making parts of the book a bit dense for me. Additionally, his enthusiasm for his work sometimes came across as unsettling; he was too excited and clinical in places where a more measured/compassionate approach would have been appropriate.

Another drawback was the pacing—some cases were explored in exhaustive detail, which slowed the momentum. A broader selection of cases with less intricate forensic breakdowns might have made for a more gripping read.

Overall, an informative read but sometimes too much of an overwhelming dive into forensic science. If you enjoy the scientific side of crime investigation and don’t mind a somewhat detached tone, this one is for you. However, if you prefer true crime narratives that balance science with storytelling and emotional depth, this one may not be for you.