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How to Solve a Crime: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Forensics
'Endlessly fascinating...meticulously written and thoroughly absorbing book' Financial Times
'Eye-opening' Daily Mail
Out The gripping new book by the UK's most eminent forensic scientists, Angela Gallop
__________
CRIME [Noun]: An action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law
Forensic science is one of the most important aspects of any criminal investigation.The impartial and objective evidence it provides can help convict the guilty. It enables courts to have the confidence in their decisions and to ensure that justice is done.
Professor Angela Gallop has been at the forefront of forensics for more than 45 years. During her remarkable career, she has established and run forensic science laboratories and has worked on thousands of cases in the UK and across the world. In How to Solve a Crime, she describes some of her own and her colleagues most intriguing cases and the wide range of skills and techniques used to solve them.
Whether it's looking at blood patterns and footwear marks at crime scenes to work out what happened, extracting data from suspects mobile phones to discover where they were at critical times, or analysing fragments of textiles fibers, glass or paint to determine where they might have come from, Gallop shows that every contact really does leave a trace and every trace can help to solve a crime.
With unparalleled access and insight across a wide range of specialisms, How to Solve a Crime is a fascinating definitive and authoritative account of real-life forensic science.
_________
Praise for WHEN THE DOGS DON'T BARK
'Fascinating' Guardian
'Offers a chilling glimpse into her life's work. . . fascinating stuff' Sunday Times
'Compelling' Daily Mirror
'A casebook that reads like The Encyclopaedia of Murder' Daily Express
'One of the professions leading lights' Woman & Home
'Eye-opening' Daily Mail
Out The gripping new book by the UK's most eminent forensic scientists, Angela Gallop
__________
CRIME [Noun]: An action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law
Forensic science is one of the most important aspects of any criminal investigation.The impartial and objective evidence it provides can help convict the guilty. It enables courts to have the confidence in their decisions and to ensure that justice is done.
Professor Angela Gallop has been at the forefront of forensics for more than 45 years. During her remarkable career, she has established and run forensic science laboratories and has worked on thousands of cases in the UK and across the world. In How to Solve a Crime, she describes some of her own and her colleagues most intriguing cases and the wide range of skills and techniques used to solve them.
Whether it's looking at blood patterns and footwear marks at crime scenes to work out what happened, extracting data from suspects mobile phones to discover where they were at critical times, or analysing fragments of textiles fibers, glass or paint to determine where they might have come from, Gallop shows that every contact really does leave a trace and every trace can help to solve a crime.
With unparalleled access and insight across a wide range of specialisms, How to Solve a Crime is a fascinating definitive and authoritative account of real-life forensic science.
_________
Praise for WHEN THE DOGS DON'T BARK
'Fascinating' Guardian
'Offers a chilling glimpse into her life's work. . . fascinating stuff' Sunday Times
'Compelling' Daily Mirror
'A casebook that reads like The Encyclopaedia of Murder' Daily Express
'One of the professions leading lights' Woman & Home
272 pages, Hardcover
Published July 5, 2022
60 people are currently reading
622 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 24, 2022
Update Something I wanted to add to the review. The book is very low key and with matter-of-fact writing so it doesn't have stars bursting in your head like a 10-star science book with aha moments. But the information, the detail, the discussion of cases as cases without making them into stories ie always staying relevant to the agenda adds up and chapter by chapter I realised that the other forensic books had covered so little compared to the details, procedures, advantages and issues of the methods covered. It's well worth a read if crime and/or forensics is an interest, as it is mine.
__________
Review A really great 10 star book - I learned so much. It's by far the most informative forensic book I have ever read. Many were just as enjoyable, but this is in a different league for informative. There are many cases, a lot of them well-known (at least if you are British) some with insights I didn't know.
Myra Hindley, may she rot in hell forever, murderous paedophile and partner of the even worse Ian Brady, died of a natural causes in 2002, but it was believed that she had actually died from an overdose of morphine, possibly given by the administration out of fear that her numerous appeals for release might be granted due to her ill health. The difficulty in finding this out forensically was in part because the tolerance for morphine can vary by as much as 'a factor of five'. (It turns out they didn't kill her).
This is why the book is so fantastic, each othe chapters is full of detail and illustrative cases, sometimes proving guilt, sometimes proving that the accused couldn't possibly have commited the crime and some righting terrible miscarriages of justice where someone had been in prison for many years and was innocent. You might think you know about the subjects if you have read a few forensic books, but you probably won't know in this detail and the problems with the methods. There are pictures too.
1. What insects can tell us about crime.
2. No body, no crime?
3. Blood patterns and trails.
4. Human prints and marks.
5. Other marks and trails.
6. DNA profiling.
7. Hair.
8. Cold cases.
9. The importance of independent checks.
10. Crimes against children.
11. Water.
12. Glass and paint.
13. Knives and firearms.
14. CCTV and other digital evidence.
15. Forgery and fraud.
16. Presenting evidence in court.
17. Knots, ropes and cordage.
18. Never assume.
19. Fetishes.
20. Poisoning and toxicology.
21. Quality control and contamination.
22. Returning to the scene of the crime.
23. Serial offenders.
24. Textile fibres.
25. Plant material.
26. Unsolved cases.
27. Worrying verdicts.
18. What's next?
__________
Reading notes A suspect refuses to give a DNA sample but is told it doesn't matter because the lab already has his DNA from another case. Shortly afterwards, there was a fire that damaged the lab to the tune of £75K. Holes had been drilled through the wooden window frames and doors of the lab, and petrol pumped through with hoses and garden sprayers, a firework thrown in to ignite the gas.
However, the fire brigade got there within three minutes and when it was safe to go in, the freezers which were only charred were emptied and the undamaged contents, including that of the suspect were taken to other labs :-) So his plan, carried out it is thought by paid associates, didn't work.
But who were the associates that they knew the layout of the building so well?
I'm enjoying this book :-)
__________
Review A really great 10 star book - I learned so much. It's by far the most informative forensic book I have ever read. Many were just as enjoyable, but this is in a different league for informative. There are many cases, a lot of them well-known (at least if you are British) some with insights I didn't know.
Myra Hindley, may she rot in hell forever, murderous paedophile and partner of the even worse Ian Brady, died of a natural causes in 2002, but it was believed that she had actually died from an overdose of morphine, possibly given by the administration out of fear that her numerous appeals for release might be granted due to her ill health. The difficulty in finding this out forensically was in part because the tolerance for morphine can vary by as much as 'a factor of five'. (It turns out they didn't kill her).
This is why the book is so fantastic, each othe chapters is full of detail and illustrative cases, sometimes proving guilt, sometimes proving that the accused couldn't possibly have commited the crime and some righting terrible miscarriages of justice where someone had been in prison for many years and was innocent. You might think you know about the subjects if you have read a few forensic books, but you probably won't know in this detail and the problems with the methods. There are pictures too.
1. What insects can tell us about crime.
2. No body, no crime?
3. Blood patterns and trails.
4. Human prints and marks.
5. Other marks and trails.
6. DNA profiling.
7. Hair.
8. Cold cases.
9. The importance of independent checks.
10. Crimes against children.
11. Water.
12. Glass and paint.
13. Knives and firearms.
14. CCTV and other digital evidence.
15. Forgery and fraud.
16. Presenting evidence in court.
17. Knots, ropes and cordage.
18. Never assume.
19. Fetishes.
20. Poisoning and toxicology.
21. Quality control and contamination.
22. Returning to the scene of the crime.
23. Serial offenders.
24. Textile fibres.
25. Plant material.
26. Unsolved cases.
27. Worrying verdicts.
18. What's next?
__________
Reading notes A suspect refuses to give a DNA sample but is told it doesn't matter because the lab already has his DNA from another case. Shortly afterwards, there was a fire that damaged the lab to the tune of £75K. Holes had been drilled through the wooden window frames and doors of the lab, and petrol pumped through with hoses and garden sprayers, a firework thrown in to ignite the gas.
However, the fire brigade got there within three minutes and when it was safe to go in, the freezers which were only charred were emptied and the undamaged contents, including that of the suspect were taken to other labs :-) So his plan, carried out it is thought by paid associates, didn't work.
But who were the associates that they knew the layout of the building so well?
I'm enjoying this book :-)
April 4, 2022
A fascinating read about the existing and advances in forensic science. The author a forensic scientist gives real examples of solving crimes using fingerprints, blood, DNA profiling, hair, water, glass, knives and firearms, knots, CCTV, plant material and textiles.
She also discusses how forensic advances have been used to solve unsolved cases as well as free innocent people from prison. I found the use of taping of a murder victim to gather evidence fascinating. Never seen that in a tv forensic programme.
It’s clear forensic science plays a key role in ensuring fairness and justice for victims and suspects.
She also discusses how forensic advances have been used to solve unsolved cases as well as free innocent people from prison. I found the use of taping of a murder victim to gather evidence fascinating. Never seen that in a tv forensic programme.
It’s clear forensic science plays a key role in ensuring fairness and justice for victims and suspects.
June 10, 2022
Disappointingly repetitive 😩
October 2, 2022
The subtitle of this book is ‘Real Cases from the Cutting Edge of Forensics’ – and while it does refer to actual crimes – and these were engrossing – I felt they were rather superficial and formed a minor part of the content. In the main, it is more of a loosely structured handbook of all the possible aspects of forensic science. As a result, I found myself sifting through the somewhat abstract filler in search of tangible nuggets. I was, however, fascinated to learn that microscopic algae called diatoms can reveal both whether a victim has drowned and where the event occurred.
May 27, 2022
A must for Crime writers and Crime readers. Dr Angela Gallop has been a forensic scientist if over 45 years and brings in clear, concise prose (without bogging the chapters down in detail) gives you the history of modern forensics.
She discusses a crime of every type that she has encountered and explains the processes involved.
She writes with clarity and honesty without resorting to drama and this is not just a science but a history of crime since the 1970s in the UK.
It's never leaving my desk.
She discusses a crime of every type that she has encountered and explains the processes involved.
She writes with clarity and honesty without resorting to drama and this is not just a science but a history of crime since the 1970s in the UK.
It's never leaving my desk.
October 10, 2022
Оказа се много добра идея да чета тази книга, докато слушах "Nothing but the Truth", тъй като чудесно се допълваха, поради директната връзка помежду им. Трябваше ми само някоя книга за полицията и щях да имам пълната картина на едно престъпление от начало до край. :Р
Авторката беше доста позитивна и си личи, че обожава работата си. Определено научих доста интересни неща. Най-вече, леле, отнема си време събирането и анализирането на каквито и да е доказателства. В книгата минава през всеки един тип доказателствени материали, които се използват в криминалистиката и ги обяснява. Определено някои неща ми дойдоха научно, по пак горе-долу ми стана ясно и не беше написано твърде сухо, че да ти се доспи.
Съгласна съм с нея, че с ресурси, пари и време, вероятно процентът на неразкритите престъпления, ще е нищожен, но след прочита на тази книга плюс каквото научих от The Secret Barrister стигам до мнение, че е напълно възможно да ти се размине ако убиеш някого просто защото няма пари и хора за осъществяване на разследване и анализ на доказателства. :)
Авторката беше доста позитивна и си личи, че обожава работата си. Определено научих доста интересни неща. Най-вече, леле, отнема си време събирането и анализирането на каквито и да е доказателства. В книгата минава през всеки един тип доказателствени материали, които се използват в криминалистиката и ги обяснява. Определено някои неща ми дойдоха научно, по пак горе-долу ми стана ясно и не беше написано твърде сухо, че да ти се доспи.
Съгласна съм с нея, че с ресурси, пари и време, вероятно процентът на неразкритите престъпления, ще е нищожен, но след прочита на тази книга плюс каквото научих от The Secret Barrister стигам до мнение, че е напълно възможно да ти се размине ако убиеш някого просто защото няма пари и хора за осъществяване на разследване и анализ на доказателства. :)
November 19, 2024
I had high hopes for this book. There was no continuity or flow to the chapters which I found jarring and caused a real lack of enthusiasm for me when it came to reading this book. Some of the chapters were drawn out and not engaging at all. I think that there is probably a more interesting order the chapters could have been put in to keep the reader interested. There are a few chapters that I found very interesting and really enjoyed. I have recommended this book and have leant it to a friend but I suggested picking and choosing which chapters they are interested in. The only reason I would read this book again is to get details to use in my own book.
August 21, 2024
Very informative, quite detailed in terms of describing and explaining forensic practices, with interesting, well thought-out examples to demonstrate those practices
June 6, 2023
Started off pretty interesting, would’ve liked to have read more about the piecing together of everything. A lot of references back to things mentioned before which is a bit annoying
May 22, 2022
I perserved for quite a while but unfortunately I didn't finish it as I didn't feel it offered anything not mention the first book. I highly recommend the first book though
July 4, 2022
Forensic Science is utterly fascinating. The book talks about where we are right now and where we can go in the future. It talks about how cold cases finally got solved due to the advances in forensic science.
I would reccomend it as an introduction to forensic science. It can be a bit repetitive if you've already read books about forensic science. So it didn't teach me as much as it would have done if I was a beginner. I do wish this was longer though.
I would reccomend it as an introduction to forensic science. It can be a bit repetitive if you've already read books about forensic science. So it didn't teach me as much as it would have done if I was a beginner. I do wish this was longer though.
November 25, 2022
I read the author’s first book, When the Dogs Don’t Bark, and was a bit disappointed with it. So, I was keen to read her second book in the hopes it focused more on cases and forensic science.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of repetition of cases and information from the first book which was a bit of a shame. There was a typo in the first chapter which makes me feel like the book has been rushed.
On the plus side, there are some cases mentioned which weren’t mentioned in the first book. There is more about digital forensics which I found very informative. The author’s business isn’t mentioned so much in this book and there’s more of a focus on forensic science.
The format of the book is similar to the first book in that it’s all over the place. A lot of cases are mentioned but none are spoken about in great detail. I wonder if it would have been better to focus on a smaller number of cases and speak about them in more detail.
Overall, this book felt like a rehash of the first book that had been rushed out to fulfil a book deal. If I had only read this book, I think I would have enjoyed it more as all the information would have been new.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of repetition of cases and information from the first book which was a bit of a shame. There was a typo in the first chapter which makes me feel like the book has been rushed.
On the plus side, there are some cases mentioned which weren’t mentioned in the first book. There is more about digital forensics which I found very informative. The author’s business isn’t mentioned so much in this book and there’s more of a focus on forensic science.
The format of the book is similar to the first book in that it’s all over the place. A lot of cases are mentioned but none are spoken about in great detail. I wonder if it would have been better to focus on a smaller number of cases and speak about them in more detail.
Overall, this book felt like a rehash of the first book that had been rushed out to fulfil a book deal. If I had only read this book, I think I would have enjoyed it more as all the information would have been new.
February 20, 2023
Having read Gallop's previous work, When the Dogs Don't Bark: A Forensic Scientist’s Search for the Truth, some of the cases referenced here are familiar. But whereas that book was a little more of a memoir, this is arranged in chapters pertaining to different aspects of forensic science, e.g. textiles, DNA, vegetation. There's inevitably some repetition between chapters, as a single case will often involve different forensic traces.
Anyone watching ITV's 2023 series [i]Cold Case Forensics[/i] featuring Gallop would enjoy this as an accompaniment.
Refreshingly, Gallop makes clear that although constantly evolving, forensic science only goes so far; results still require interpretation and a blinkered or biased approach by technicians, police or prosecutors will result in miscarriages of justice.
Anyone watching ITV's 2023 series [i]Cold Case Forensics[/i] featuring Gallop would enjoy this as an accompaniment.
Refreshingly, Gallop makes clear that although constantly evolving, forensic science only goes so far; results still require interpretation and a blinkered or biased approach by technicians, police or prosecutors will result in miscarriages of justice.
May 9, 2023
Well, this was a surprise. How can one make a book about forensic science boring? It’s simple — turn it into a textbook. This woman, a leading forensic scientist in the UK, goes into some detail about various aspects of her job, but her emphasis is on the science part rather than the stories. In fairness, she does illustrate her book with many stories about various strange crimes, but the whole thing is so clinical that it’s a real snooze. While listening to this book, my mind wandered (always a bad sign) and I seriously wondered why it was so dull … and that’s when I realized that I was listening to a textbook. Is it a good textbook? I am unqualified to answer, because this is nowhere near my field. But as a general listener, I recommend you find another book. This one is a snooze.
Grade: C
Grade: C
April 14, 2024
I have always been fascinated while watching crime thriller shows, especially at the end, to know who the criminal was and what all the evidence helped to find him. So when I came across this book, I was curious to know how the actual crime scene would be.
Dr. Angela Gallop explained different kinds of evidence, such as blood stains, body fluids, textile fibers, and many more, in individual chapters with unusual examples. Even though things were repetitive, it was clear how the forensic department operates at a crime scene.
It was heartbreaking to know that, in many cases, the suspect was proven guilty after so many years since the crime took place. On the other hand, the advancement of technology also helped in various cold cases to find the suspect. The writing would have been better. Too many technical details confuse me often.
Dr. Angela Gallop explained different kinds of evidence, such as blood stains, body fluids, textile fibers, and many more, in individual chapters with unusual examples. Even though things were repetitive, it was clear how the forensic department operates at a crime scene.
It was heartbreaking to know that, in many cases, the suspect was proven guilty after so many years since the crime took place. On the other hand, the advancement of technology also helped in various cold cases to find the suspect. The writing would have been better. Too many technical details confuse me often.
September 8, 2022
2 ☆
DID NOT FINISH … How to solve a crime: Real cases from the cutting edge of forensics / Dr Angela Gallop ... 07 September 2022
ISBN: 9781529331356 … 347 pp.
Too many books. Too little time.
I place book requests randomly with the library and they all turn up together in a deluge.
With too many books waiting to be collected, I stopped reading this ... not because it is bad - although the writing is pretty pedestrian and some cases are reported too anecdotally to be satisfying - but because others do it better.
I suggest that anyone contemplating this try instead Forensics: the Anatomy of Crime by Val McDermid and All that remains: A life in death by Sue Black
Borrowed from my local library.
February 17, 2023
I bought this book with great anticipation given how much j enjoyed the author’s previous book. I bought myself a copy and one for a family member so we could read them together.
Unfortunately, I was not very impressed with this book. It felt rushed, and very superficial in detail. The chapters were too short, and didn’t provide sufficient detail. I would have preferred fewer chapters with more detail as I didn’t really feel I learned much. Basic knowledge that fingerprints are unique etc was all that was conveyed. Definitely not the same level as the previous book.
Unfortunately, I was not very impressed with this book. It felt rushed, and very superficial in detail. The chapters were too short, and didn’t provide sufficient detail. I would have preferred fewer chapters with more detail as I didn’t really feel I learned much. Basic knowledge that fingerprints are unique etc was all that was conveyed. Definitely not the same level as the previous book.
May 22, 2023
A very interesting read explaining all about how to solve crimes from different aspects, DNA profiling, fingerprints, traces left behind.
I have read Angela's other book and loved it so I knew this would be the same. I have already read a lot of similar books on this subject so whilst I did know a lot of the details in this book about how things work, this didn't put me off and I still enjoyed it.
I've marked it down a star because I felt while there were some case stories in there, there weren't enough, and the cases that were given were quite short. I would have liked more detail about them as I think that makes the stories more interesting when we read about real life cases. It was very interesting though as a subject I really enjoy.
I have read Angela's other book and loved it so I knew this would be the same. I have already read a lot of similar books on this subject so whilst I did know a lot of the details in this book about how things work, this didn't put me off and I still enjoyed it.
I've marked it down a star because I felt while there were some case stories in there, there weren't enough, and the cases that were given were quite short. I would have liked more detail about them as I think that makes the stories more interesting when we read about real life cases. It was very interesting though as a subject I really enjoy.
August 15, 2023
Minder verhalend geschreven dan ik had gehoopt. Ik had gehoopt echt meegenomen te worden binnen het werk de forensische opsporing, maar het ging soms erg van de hak op de tak. Verder wel interessant om te lezen hoeveel forensisch bewijs er wordt achtergelaten en gebruikt kan worden bij de opsporing. Wel nieuwe dingen geleerd :)
October 4, 2022
This was a great read about the world of forensic science and how crime is solved. Certainly looks like a great varied career for the lucky few who do the work.
The book is probably quite basic but for me it was just right. Some great cases to review.
The book is probably quite basic but for me it was just right. Some great cases to review.
May 23, 2022
A good introduction at a very non-technical level to forensic science, from a practitioner with a life time of experience in the field.
July 5, 2022
Knew most of the stuff mentioned cause of uni but still interesting nonetheless!
November 13, 2022
This feels a bit chaotic both in structure and in themes - is it a memoir? A Forensics for dummies? who knows - but otherwise enjoyable.
June 3, 2023
Just a little bit boring really
January 31, 2024
Not as personal as Sue Black’s or Marie Cassid’s autobiographies. I would recommend it to people intereinterested in following this career (or wanting to commit a crime!)
February 12, 2024
Interesting forensic, but the way it's written made it boring, boring
June 3, 2025
interesting book with good examples. i like how every chapter has a summary paragraph
May 22, 2023
Technically it was good but it felt a lot like describing a scene over and over.
We found some fibre - we looked at it under a microscope - suspect had same jumper - boom we had a link - they went to jail forever.
Id like to also know the stories behind the crime. Why did they do it?
Still it was an interesting read.
We found some fibre - we looked at it under a microscope - suspect had same jumper - boom we had a link - they went to jail forever.
Id like to also know the stories behind the crime. Why did they do it?
Still it was an interesting read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews