Crime Files: Four-Minute Forensic Mysteries: Body of Evidence

Crime Files: Four-Minute Forensic Mysteries #1

by Jeremy Brown

An updated version of Donold Sobol's TWO-MINUTE MYSTERIES, investigated by a CSI using modern forensic techniques rather than old-fashioned sleuthing.

Four-minute forensic mysteries are solved by a cast of quirky but lovable characters. Their wisecracking leader is CSI Wes Burton who carries his evidence-gathering tools with him to each crime scene and loves his work solving problems. Crime scenes include everything from exploding flour in a restaurant kitchen, to a boy who lies about eating a piece of cake, to a man who dies accidentally while tanning himself. Burton and his coworkers use science to prove that strangulation with a towel leaves unique imprints, that antique flowers are deadly, and that insects can tell a good story.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Chapter Books, Middle Grade, Childrens, Young Adult, Short Stories

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2006

About the author

Having a great book to read makes me happy, and I try to provide that for you.

I have written ten books across multiple genres, and my day job is writing lore and story arcs for a very popular video game. I used to write technical validation documents in the basement of a pharmaceutical company--novels and video games are much more fun.

My wife and I have a rescue dog who collects mud and two cats who aren't impressed by anything we do. We bought a lawn tractor last year and took turns posing with it. That was a great day.

If you'd like to contact me, please visit jeremywbrown.com.

Reviews

[ashes ➷]

Okay. I admit it. I read copaganda.

That's why I'm not rating this-- it would feel dishonest for me to see a book, know it is copaganda, read it for the trashy factor, and then still rate it down for copaganda. Or would it be? Hopefully this stands on its own without a rating.

I really like these sorts of books. I was obsessed with my American Girl mystery books-- anyone remember the ones with the little flaps in the back to reveal the answers?-- as a kid, and when I saw this lying in a little free library I thought... you know what, why not. Let's dive headfirst into military and police propaganda.

The book itself, ignoring the copaganda complaint for a moment, is fun to read! The mysteries are very cute, if a little technical-- often I'd have no idea what the answer was because, well, I don't know the ingredients of sunscreen. That is not a made-up example, by the way. I imagine as a child I would have been very irritated by this... but is this book for people who couldn't care less about the ingredients of sunscreen? Again, I couldn't say I'm the real audience; it's possible the target audience is kids who are super into all this sciencey stuff and know the answers to everything.

Sometimes the mysteries are very very short. And, well, they are four-minute mysteries. But it can get a touch unsatisfying to do a hundred of these at a time because you don't really get to know any of the suspects. In a crime show (from my limited experience), part of the point is that you're really getting invested and you don't want this character to be the culprit because (exasperated sigh) you just LOVE her! And you don't get that here. Imagine me taking a step closer to the part of the review that says 'copaganda' on it.

Of course, you're not supposed to get close to any of the suspects or even see them as people. The point is that they are only suspects, and you want to nail them. You want to catch these people in a lie; you want to prove that this shivering young woman did it. And that is eerily similar to real police mentalities in cases-- further, it's eerie that some people would be very happy about that. On some level, that choice is intentional. No case is solved for the greater good of a community, at the end of the day-- you're punishing people, not helping them. And it's all laid out as a game-- you vs. the suspect.

To this end, suspects are never innocent after suspected guilty by the team. This was a glaring hole for me-- sometimes one member would disagree with another, or not understand something the other was laying out, but never were the members of the team wrong for suspecting someone. And that is worrisome, because it is, again, part of a real-life police mindset. It also meant that, rather than figuring out who did it, I was figuring out how we can prove that this person in specific did it. Again, a mirror to real police mindsets... that lead to real framings.

And of course no social justice critique can stand on its own-- this is partially just due to the book being what it is. In four minutes you can't do much of anything; you certainly can't introduce more than two suspects. Things have to be simplified; there's no time to get into the complexities of the criminal injustice system. So the book is what it is, and it's a book for children, and I'll leave it to someone more reasonable to give the book the rating it deserves. It was a fun read while it lasted.

(Take a Google to understand why copaganda is a problem in fiction, particularly childrens' fiction; I spent 15 minutes on this review for some reason and am not going to spend more time explaining it.)

[Christian Singer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeremy Brown's mini stories are a fun read. Anyone who watches CSI (Las Vegas) might see the something I saw. Burton reminded me of Gil Grissom, Gibson reminded me of Jim Brass, and Trellis reminded me of David Hodges. What killed the guy in the Dental Breakdown story surprised me and gave me pause, just something to keep in mind. My favorite was The Corporate Corpse. There were a few details that left me wondering who's really doing their research. How many shows have people crawling through air ducts? Can air ducts really hold human body weight? On one of my favorite tv shows they couldn't figure out which twin committed the murder because their fingerprints supposedly are identical. Jeremy Brown says that's not true.

These stories are a good start for curious kids. They might learn something, enjoy what they're reading, and even gain an interest in science. Maybe some kids who read this book and others like it will become police or crime scene investigators.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a forensics nut, and when my friend gave this to me I started in on the first case at once. Some of the cases were more difficult to figure out, but I was always able to figure out how the answer came about in the end, even if I had to go to the answers and then look back at the case. The characters also reminded me strongly of characters from the first few seasons of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, especially the woman on the front. (She looks so much like Catherine Willows! I couldn't believe it!)

[JalapenoSoup · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating of this book is biased (I suppose all ratings are), but I have read this book more times than I can remember. It was an essential in my library when I went through a period in my young adult life absolutely obsessed with forensic science. I laughed, I learned, I wanted more. I'm disappointed Mr. Brown never wrote a third in the series. I love the characters, their snark, and the science-based mysteries. I used to fantasize about what color the cover of the next book would be. I settled on purple. Alas, this dream has not (yet!) been realized.
2021 is proving to be a difficult year for me in terms of reading. I used to put away an average of a book every one and a half weeks. Up until today, I hadn't completed a single book this year. Brown's quick, to-the-punch writing (and the book's short length) is what made this my first book of the year. It's already been a stressful 2021, I was glad for a book to chill out to.
If you are looking for mysteries that you can actually solve on your own, this is probably not the book for you, and if "Marvel-esque" pithy one-liners and snark annoy you, you should definitely give this a pass. But if you like character-driven mysteries told in digestible increments, and if you like learning a little about science and the way the world works, and if you're looking for something in the vein of Encyclopedia Brown but a smidge more grown up and (a little) less silly, this may just be the book for you. I know it was the book for me.

[Maurice Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful and very lightly entertaining book. It follows the form of many adolescent brainteaser books, in that it give one a number of short mysteries, each of a few pages duration, with all the clues needed to solve them contained therein. After reading the mystery, you then give yourself a period of time to solve it, this book recommends four minutes, before you look to the back of the book to find the answer and see just how good detective you are. One significant difference in this book, however, is that unlike many solve-the-mystery books of this sort, where logic and a good general knowledge of thing will allow you to solve most of the cases presented to you, for this one you actually have to have a small amount of knowledge of the forensic sciences. But, don’t worry. They don’t make things too hard, expertly walking a line between where you’ll feel smart if you solve them but not dumb if you don’t, not an easy line to walk.

Containing 51 mysteries and probably aimed primarily at young adults, this book can also be enjoyable for adults as well. Whatever your age, you can exercise your brain a bit with it and see just how good a forensic scientist you might make.
12/2/24

[Zach Strassburger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Designed for kids, like a modern encyclopedia brown, but not great for anyone. These are vaguely interesting if you are just reading along and not trying to solve them, but so short that it’s obvious that the few included details are only there because they are important to the science. The science just is too obscure/specific for any kid or most adults to know. I think I figured out 2 of the stories on my own, out of 30 or so.

[Tim Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, but some of the causes of death are highly doubtful.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like Encyclopedia Brown, only a lot gorier.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for short interactive read alouds or time fillers at the middle level. Students can take turns trying to unravel the details of a crime. Answers are at the end of each mystery.

[Megan]

This is exactly the sort of trash I've been reading recently, since plowing through all 27 Encyclopedia Brown books at the end of July.

[Hana Jane (stardewhana) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**3.5 stars

[Kim Hampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun way to test your crime solving skills. Would be great for fans of CSI.

[Samantha Streck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Wish there were more books in the series though.

[Afia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Hubert Su9 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains 51 short mysteries, the answer to the mystery at the end of every story (by the way, this is a forensic mystery book) so those who hate bllod and all the other gross stuff ----KEEP OUT---

Characters:

CSI Wes Burton:
Burton is a witty,intelligent investigator who loves the ploberm-solving nature of crime scene investigation.His signature fly fisherman's vest,bristling with evidence-gathering tools, is a welcome sight at any crime scene.

Detective Erin Radley:
At six-foot-one, Radley can be an intimidating woman.Her motto,"Covict them with kindness," seems in conflict with her physical appearance, but it is that contradiction that keep suspects off balance and talking to her.

Detective Frank Gibson:
Gibson is what he would call"old school," using intimidation and a loud voice to get a confession rather than patience and by-the-book techniques,but for the most part Burton and his team do not appreciate Gibson's presence at a crime scene as Gibson and Burton constantly clash with each other.

Mike Trellis:
Trellis is Burton's CSI technician assistant.He specializes in trace analysis,arson,and horrible jokes,such as commenting that a shooting victim died from "Too much lead in his diet." It doesn't help that he follows every joke with "Get it".

Lauren Crown:
Dr. Crown is a shy,almost reclusive forensic pathologist.A genuis in her field,she is nearly incapble of having a normal conversation.However,she is quick to recite the qualifications of a forensci pathologist should anyone refer to her as a medical examiner, or worse,a coroner.She can determine a corpse's time of death within ten minutes just by looking at it.

Ed:
Ed,short for Exhibit D,is a search-and-rescue border collie.She was adopted and trained by Burton after being admitted as evidence in a case against her owner.

[Savannah Stull · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is fun, plain and simple.

When I don't have the time or the patience to sit down and read a full length novel I break out this dandy little book. These four minute mysteries keep me really entertained and the characters, despite the short length of the chapters, are well written and have their own defined parameters for their personalities.

One of my favorite chapters in this book is actually the first chapter. We're introduced to CSI Wes Burton, a walking crime scene kit, and Detective Erin Radley who's a psychoanalyst in her spare time. In less than five minutes Burton had gruffly cleared out the crime scene, examined the body, exchanged snippy comments with Radley, and concluded as to who the killer was based off of the entry angle of the bullet.

Another thing I like about these series of short stories is the science and forensics behind each of them. Each story focuses on a different branch of forensic science ranging from fingerprints left by gloves, GSR (gunshot residue), homemade explosives, poisonous mushrooms, and blood spatter patterns.

Anybody who likes fast paced, quirky mysteries will like this book.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this book at all. This book had a lot of mystery in it but it was a lot of small mysteries dumb ones. The worst part about the book is they knew the answer right away and would make snappy jokes to tell the person that he or she is going to jail. I did not keep reading it I stopped half way through because I could not handle what it was like i didn't like it. This book was not gory did not have any real mystery because the people that did the crime would stay there and make up some completely dumb story and try to get away with it. They couldn't is what was the worst part at least try running or something. But they don't I mean if you can kill someone why not run seems like something they could do. Crime files is not a good book it doesn't have enough mystery or goriness. It was do easy to come up with the answer some guy got pushed of a sky lift and feel like 5 stores and landed on a metal beam and they did not describe it. Most kids now and days want to hear about what the body looks like we want to hear of the blood and guts everywhere. I did not like this book and i do not recommend it to anyone.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book in the fifth grade book fair. I have always been interested in murder and this helped plunge me further into the subject. Since I have become a nut for Law and Order, Ncis, Csi, Alfred Hitchcock, and documentaries on the subject. This is a clever little book which is really fun because you have to try and peace the puzzle together by yourself.

[Delan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good crime book. The author has a sharp insight of crime investigations. This book is not really like any other books. It's not like a story. It shows what the crime is then it shows how the detective solves it. The only bad thing about it that the author could add a little more details to how he solved it.

[Mike Hector · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are great stories for young readers! The characters are quirky and interesting and the solutions are surprising. Kids will love the ease of reading and grown ups can see the added value of cross curriculum information. Science, vocabulary, literature and critical thinking make this book a treasure trove.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

My nephew brought me this book as a gift because I told him before that I didn't like fake science shows. He assured me that this book is full of "real science" =) and so far I'm inclined to agree. It's a little bit of a brain tease, and I'm enjoying it.

[Madeleine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very interesting.I would recomend it to people who like crime books.I would also recomend it to people who dont want to read a long,drawn out process to get to the good part of the story.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this to read something sort of like CSI. from what I remember, it was a blatant rip-off. it would be better to read one of the CSI books. however, if this is for your kid, they will enjoy it.

[Johnny Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The only real downside was that a book about the reader resolving murders needs to be factually accurate. There were a few stories that weren't quite researched enough. Still the stories were fun and enjoyable.

[Jocelyn Renaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Wes Burton and how he solves crimes with his forensic friends. One story is a mother told her daughter to hide in the woods so they could fake a kidnapping. How was she caught? No concerned mother calls the media before the police.

[Kaito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made my brain tingle and think. Everytime it ended a mystery, i had to stop, think, go back over the story, and try to find out what happened. I won half the time though. :)

[Karyn The Pirate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative.

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son brought this home and I picked it up out of curiosity and couldn't put it down. It's a more scientific Encyclopedia Brown, for an older age group.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martin picked this out for a road trip. Reminded me of Sobol's Two Minute Mysteries that I loved so much. We both enjoyed trying to figure out whodunnit & how.

[Hippo · Rating 1 out of 5]

kinda gross if you look at the cover....interesting though.....