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999 CSI: Blood, Threats and Fears
Machine guns, safe-blowers, sadomasochists, pythons and flesh-eating viruses, all in a day’s work for Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO) Larry Henderson.Larry, whose career with London’s Metropolitan Police started in 1971, a time when police officers were more than a little sceptical of science, soon proved his worth and attended every kind of crime scene, from terrorism to rape and from blackmail to murder - before he became the head of the Flying Squad’s forensic team during the busiest and most dangerous period of the legendary outfit’s existence. Soon, Larry was caught up in shoot-outs, pavement ambushes, record-breaking drug deals and tiger kidnappings, confronting some of the UK’s most terrifying villains along the way. Larry’s ground-breaking work features some of the UK’s most notorious crimes - a key piece of forensic evidence from one of Larry’s murder cases is displayed at Scotland Yard’s infamous Crime Museum. At turns breath-taking, fascinating, hilarious and tragic, 999 Blood, Threats and Fears opens up a truly astonishing world that most people never get to see, a world filled with cruelty, matched only by the courage of those who work tirelessly for justice.Larry Henderson joined the police in 1971 as a civilian Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO). He retired in 1994 due to injury, aged just 49. At the time of his retirement, he was considered the most experienced SOCO in the country, having worked with just about every police department in every field, from terrorism to armed robbery and from blackmail to murder, and was at that time the head of The Flying Squad’s forensic team.Kris Hollington is a bestselling author of over twenty books, several of which have been adapted for TV documentaries and dramas.
373 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 12, 2017
999 CSI: Blood, Threats and Fears
By:Larry Henderson
Non-Fiction
Rating:5 starts
What's it's about:
Machine guns, safe-blowers, sadomasochists, pythons and flesh-eating viruses, all in a day’s work for Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO) Larry Henderson who, in 999 CSI provides an unforgettable insight into a life dedicated to forensics.
Larry, whose career with London’s Metropolitan Police started in 1971, a time when police officers were more than a little sceptical of science, soon proved his worth and attended every kind of crime scene, from terrorism to rape and from blackmail to murder - before he became the head of the Flying Squad’s forensic team during the busiest and most dangerous period of the legendary outfit’s existence. Soon, Larry was caught up in shoot-outs, pavement ambushes, record-breaking drug deals and tiger kidnappings, confronting some of the UK’s most terrifying villains along the way.
Larry’s groundbreaking work features some of the UK’s most notorious crimes - a key piece of forensic evidence from one of Larry’s murder cases is displayed at Scotland Yard’s infamous Crime Museum. At turns breathtaking, fascinating, hilarious and tragic, 999 CSI opens up a truly astonishing world that most people never get to see, a world filled with cruelty, matched only by the courage of those who work tirelessly for justice
My thoughts:
This book definitely deserves the five stars I give it, because it shows what the author himself went through and how he wasn't afraid of going out and helping his fellow police officers , it shows how hard not just the CSI's work but the police as well, while there was a serious touch to the book there was also so some cases that made me laugh. I can definitely see Larry Henderson on a TV channel like Descovery Id talking about his cases, and the groundbreaking work he and his fellow offers did.other thing I love about this book is how the different chapters are broken down by the years the cases took place.With that said I would love to say thinks to NetGalley for giving me a chance at reading what turned out to be a really great book.
August 14, 2017
This is the sort of book I love, the day to day of a SOCO and the trials and tribulations they face as they do their jobs.
There's not much more for me to say about this as the blurb pretty much says it all.
It's an enjoyable, informative and eye opening read and it's funny too. I really loved it.
*Huge thanks to Larry Henderson, Kris Hollington, Thistle Publishing and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
There's not much more for me to say about this as the blurb pretty much says it all.
It's an enjoyable, informative and eye opening read and it's funny too. I really loved it.
*Huge thanks to Larry Henderson, Kris Hollington, Thistle Publishing and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
September 10, 2023
For those intrigued by the true crime world, this is a detailed look at the work of a crime scene officer dating back to the days before DNA became mainstream. I enjoyed reading about the logistics of how the authors work was carried out, although as I read on I did find much of the book to be rather repetitive.
There is a lot of discussion about the good old days and how things used to be, many many trips to the local pub after shifts and plenty of times the author concludes ‘alas, the culprits were never identified.’ Moreover, there are several times the author hints at processes that can’t be fully divulged in the interests of public safety - understandable, but frustrating!
Overall, worth a read, but I can’t say reading this excites me too much.
There is a lot of discussion about the good old days and how things used to be, many many trips to the local pub after shifts and plenty of times the author concludes ‘alas, the culprits were never identified.’ Moreover, there are several times the author hints at processes that can’t be fully divulged in the interests of public safety - understandable, but frustrating!
Overall, worth a read, but I can’t say reading this excites me too much.
April 24, 2025
THE LIFE AND TIME OF A REAL SOCO ENGLISH VERSION OF OUR CSI. AMAZING HOW IMPORTANT HIS JOB IS AND HOW MUCH HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR. I WONDERED HOW ANY CASES GET SOLVED WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IS UNBELIEVABLE. VERY INTERESTING BUT A LITTLE TOO LONG. ;D
September 26, 2017
We dive first hand into the world of Larry, a Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) with the Met police force in London, joining him from the very beginning of his training course following him to the end of his career as a SOCO. We explore a multitude of locations around London as Larry transfer between different stations working with a range of people.
The book is engaging from the very first page, with short chapters that are easy to read allowing you to dip in and out whenever you should wish to but making you want to come back for more or read ‘just one more’ (it’s never just one more you get so lost in the world of crime scenes), we see a wide range of exciting, unusual and scary cases. The tone of the book really appeals to me, it allows learning without being strict.
The development of the industry was touched upon as well as the politics within the policing world, such as an odd competition between the SOCO’s and the fingerprinting section. We are shown how much Larry really cares deeply about what he was doing as well as the teams he was working within. We get a sprinkling of Larry’s home life but just a tiny sprinkle, we see how some of the crimes Larry witnesses affects his protectiveness of his children and family.
Laughs were found in unexpected places within the book, I hope Larry writes another book. There seem to be so many other stories that Larry could tell, I’ll be certainly looking out for another book. I picked this up from my local library and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to any with an interest in true crime!
The book is engaging from the very first page, with short chapters that are easy to read allowing you to dip in and out whenever you should wish to but making you want to come back for more or read ‘just one more’ (it’s never just one more you get so lost in the world of crime scenes), we see a wide range of exciting, unusual and scary cases. The tone of the book really appeals to me, it allows learning without being strict.
The development of the industry was touched upon as well as the politics within the policing world, such as an odd competition between the SOCO’s and the fingerprinting section. We are shown how much Larry really cares deeply about what he was doing as well as the teams he was working within. We get a sprinkling of Larry’s home life but just a tiny sprinkle, we see how some of the crimes Larry witnesses affects his protectiveness of his children and family.
Laughs were found in unexpected places within the book, I hope Larry writes another book. There seem to be so many other stories that Larry could tell, I’ll be certainly looking out for another book. I picked this up from my local library and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to any with an interest in true crime!
April 22, 2019
Fans of Silent Witness will love this. I did feel it dragged a little in the 'past' parts, like when the author had started as a SOCO and the science of forensics and CSI wasn't really what it is now back then. Still, it is an engaging and pulse-pounding read into this world which very rarely gets coverage and attention, yet is one of the most vital for crime solving and apprehending criminals.
June 13, 2021
A mite pedestrian.
It was an interesting read but written in a rather plodding style. There is p doubt that .Mr Henderson did some amazing work and introduced a lot of good practices.
I admire the police tremendously for the way they lit themselves out there for us. Mr Henderson was not a policeman but he might just as well have been. An admirable person.
It was an interesting read but written in a rather plodding style. There is p doubt that .Mr Henderson did some amazing work and introduced a lot of good practices.
I admire the police tremendously for the way they lit themselves out there for us. Mr Henderson was not a policeman but he might just as well have been. An admirable person.
August 31, 2017
The title explains exactly what the book is about. A very well written account of the author's experiences as a Scenes of Crime officer in London. It makes for good reading and I would recommend this book. Thank you Net Galley for my copy.
December 30, 2017
Stunning read
A look inside a part of the police most people will (hopefully) never see - Crime Scene Investigation.
Larry Henderson writes brilliantly on a rollercoaster ride of internal politics, shootings, armed robberies, murders, var chases and more.
A look inside a part of the police most people will (hopefully) never see - Crime Scene Investigation.
Larry Henderson writes brilliantly on a rollercoaster ride of internal politics, shootings, armed robberies, murders, var chases and more.
September 17, 2023
Really good book, from a civilian POV of crime scenes etc, an example of how far technology as come, from the 1970s where each fingerprint had to be compared manually from an album, to now where it is all digital, good insight into crimes etc. Well worth a read
March 12, 2025
A good book, well written, but brief on all accounts and felt almost like the author chose cases to write about that he could tell you nothing about. However, fascinating and good insight into the life of the early SOCO teams.
January 14, 2021
Interesting
An interesting history of CSI in England. Anyone with a love of forensics will enjoy this book. I especially liked it because it is true.
An interesting history of CSI in England. Anyone with a love of forensics will enjoy this book. I especially liked it because it is true.
March 24, 2021
Great book for any want to be soco it tells you how hard the life is but also about the camaraderie of the force.
May 25, 2021
Good Read
Really good read. Thoroughly enjoyed the stories and finding out some of the processes in real life, not CSI mock ups
Really good read. Thoroughly enjoyed the stories and finding out some of the processes in real life, not CSI mock ups
June 14, 2022
Excellent
Easy to read and understand and informative. Interesting on the way SOCO used to work and hopefully the improvements that have been made.
Easy to read and understand and informative. Interesting on the way SOCO used to work and hopefully the improvements that have been made.
January 2, 2023
excellent
Well written and highly informative. Highly recommended. Things have clearly moved on but the explanation of techniques and procedures was excellent.
Well written and highly informative. Highly recommended. Things have clearly moved on but the explanation of techniques and procedures was excellent.
January 30, 2024
Interesting and well written
Really enjoyed reading this book. I felt the tension and the frustration as if I was there! Definitely worth a read,
Really enjoyed reading this book. I felt the tension and the frustration as if I was there! Definitely worth a read,
June 16, 2024
An excellent read. I really enjoyed reading it.
July 20, 2017
999 CSI" is a memoir about Larry Henderson's years working as a Scenes of Crime Officer in London. He worked as a SOCO from 1972 to 1994 in various districts (Sutton, Wimbleton, New Malden, BatterSea, Royal A District) plus the Metropolitan Police Forensic Science Laboratory and the Flying Squad. He talked about some of the cases he was involved in as a crime scene examiner (grouped by district) as well as the people he worked with and some of how the work affected his home life. He covered a great variety of cases: robbery, burglary, fatalities of various sorts, bomb threats, blackmail, rape, bestiality, drug raids, arson, kidnapping, protests, riots, and more.
For each case, he briefly described what he did at the scene and his interactions with the victim if he thought it was interesting. Since he didn't want to teach criminals how to get away with a crime, he didn't give much detail about the techniques used to catch them. Combine that with most of the cases being robberies and burglaries, and you don't need to worry about gory descriptions (though you get the feeling that it's there). He did detail his grievances with some of his bosses, though. This is the second British policing book that I've read, and both seem to feel that politics within the police/detective/forensics system is preventing that system from working well.
It was interesting to see how the scene examiners worked during those years and what the author contributed to how future generations will do that job. It was also interesting to see how a variety of crimes were handled. However, since we only get the evidence collection aspect of the job for much of the book, it did get a little repetitive. I found the Flying Squad part more interesting because he had to think about the bigger picture as he coordinated multiple people. Plus he was often on the scene when the action happened. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting memoir.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
For each case, he briefly described what he did at the scene and his interactions with the victim if he thought it was interesting. Since he didn't want to teach criminals how to get away with a crime, he didn't give much detail about the techniques used to catch them. Combine that with most of the cases being robberies and burglaries, and you don't need to worry about gory descriptions (though you get the feeling that it's there). He did detail his grievances with some of his bosses, though. This is the second British policing book that I've read, and both seem to feel that politics within the police/detective/forensics system is preventing that system from working well.
It was interesting to see how the scene examiners worked during those years and what the author contributed to how future generations will do that job. It was also interesting to see how a variety of crimes were handled. However, since we only get the evidence collection aspect of the job for much of the book, it did get a little repetitive. I found the Flying Squad part more interesting because he had to think about the bigger picture as he coordinated multiple people. Plus he was often on the scene when the action happened. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting memoir.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
May 5, 2016
This is a book written by a policeman about his life in the force. Working for numerous departments as a specialist in forensics, he recounts tales of the more interesting cases he worked on. The crimes are very varied – from domestic abuse to animal molestation to murder – and each case is treated as a separate story – you can pick the book up anywhere and be assured of another juicy tale on the page.
The book also shows the frustrations and the stress of police work. It seems that life as a policeman is a long career of being thwarted by one’s own colleagues and by the judicial system rather than by the criminals. It also shows how the strain put on a policeman’s home life by the irregular hours and the emergencies takes its toll.
It is clearly written but in a ‘journo’ manner, which makes it easy to read, but the style is jocular and often displays rather obvious humour. There are also a fair amount of incidents that are don’t get anywhere and seem to be put in just for the joke at the end, but that apart, the book gives you a very good insight into the life of a policeman.
The narrator himself is clearly a thoroughly decent man trying to do his best, and the book leaves you with a great admiration for those who, despite the continual frustrations, continue to devote themselves to keeping law and order in our streets.
The book also shows the frustrations and the stress of police work. It seems that life as a policeman is a long career of being thwarted by one’s own colleagues and by the judicial system rather than by the criminals. It also shows how the strain put on a policeman’s home life by the irregular hours and the emergencies takes its toll.
It is clearly written but in a ‘journo’ manner, which makes it easy to read, but the style is jocular and often displays rather obvious humour. There are also a fair amount of incidents that are don’t get anywhere and seem to be put in just for the joke at the end, but that apart, the book gives you a very good insight into the life of a policeman.
The narrator himself is clearly a thoroughly decent man trying to do his best, and the book leaves you with a great admiration for those who, despite the continual frustrations, continue to devote themselves to keeping law and order in our streets.
July 3, 2016
Henderson spent his career working as a SOCO (Scenes of Crime Officer), a civilian job within the police force. Here he recounts some of his more interesting experiences and cases. The text gets a bit rambly at times but mostly it's intriguing and entertaining. My enjoyment was slightly marred by the liberal littering of typos but all in all, it's a decent account of life as a civvie with the Met.
February 20, 2016
This was a very interesting read and I really hope there will be a second book by this author.
Not for the faint hearted! The author pulled no punches in some of his descriptions!
A really fascinating history of forensics and infamous cases over the years together with some teasing snippets of cases where no information could be revealed!!
Not for the faint hearted! The author pulled no punches in some of his descriptions!
A really fascinating history of forensics and infamous cases over the years together with some teasing snippets of cases where no information could be revealed!!
May 4, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. The tone was friendly, but clearly knowledgable. The anecdotes were short and very varied. I would have liked a bit more detail on the outcomes of the cases and whether the forensic evidence contributed to a conviction. I would recommend this to people interested in the area, however there are a few spelling and grammatical errors.
March 16, 2017
Cooperation and intense grudge rivalry
A very well written diary of the work life of a SOCO in the 70's, 80's, and 90's with the excitement of crime scene investigation, along with the intense rivalry between the uniformed police and the skilled civilians who worked along side them. Good reading with short chapters which keep things moving along.
A very well written diary of the work life of a SOCO in the 70's, 80's, and 90's with the excitement of crime scene investigation, along with the intense rivalry between the uniformed police and the skilled civilians who worked along side them. Good reading with short chapters which keep things moving along.
May 6, 2016
A gritty insight into the realities of police work. Forensics are a particular interest of mine, and this book doesn't disappoint, being full of fascinating details and packed with action.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews