Hidden Evidence 40 True Crimes and How Forensic Science Helped Solve Them Book

The reason I chose this book is that it was one of the STEM books on my summer reading list that I didn't have a chance to read. Forensic science is very interesting to me and I have always wanted to learn more about. “Hidden Evidence” was the perfect book for me because it included in-depth descriptions of the technology used to solve crimes and the history of several significant investigations. The book taught me information that would not be taught in an average curriculum class or a fictional crime television show.
“Hidden Evidence” by David Owen included 40 true crimes and the important role of forensic science throughout history. In the first part of the book, Owen describes what to do at a crime scene and the early history of forensic medicine, science, and criminal investigation. Owen then goes on to the second section called the weapons of a criminal. This section describes the different ways a murderer preforms a homicide. Forensic scientists can dissect a crime scene and body to find clues related to the method and instrument. For example, a series of murders by Caroline Grills were solved due to heavy forensic analysis. Grill conducted several homicides that seemed to be normal deaths due to the systems and age of victims. After several tests, forensic scientist found thallium, a heavy metal, in all of the victim's tea. Grills was “aiding” all of the victims with tea during their deteriorated health. The third part of the book was more focused on finding the culprit through DNA, fingerprint, and other tests. One test that was very interesting was the examination of writing to prove forgery and fraud. The Hitler Diaries was a case that tried to proved the authenticity of handwriting but failed. Forensic specialists discovered the ink used in the diaries was created after Hitler's life.
I really enjoyed the structure of my book. At the beginning of each chapter, the author would explain a forensic science technique in great detail. My favorite technique to learn about was how they used dental records to identify bodies and to track perpetrators. The author would then summarize a real-life investigation that applies the techniques, for example, the dental records of Ted Bundy. I found it very interesting how the book explained that a little piece of evidence could lead to the solving of a murder/crime. The book also showed how forensic scientists could use advanced technology to solve crimes from decades ago like The Tsar Nicholas III story. The book clearly shows the problem solving and deconstructing necessary for investigation. A very depressing story that represents impressive investigating and deductive reasoning was The Lindbergh Kidnapping. I found the story very interesting and want to know more about it.
I would not recommend this book for high schoolers. The book was very similar to a textbook and it often got boring and tedious because of all the sophisticated information at once. I think the book was meant for a person studying forensic science. Even though it was a tough read for me, I thoroughly enjoyed how the book comingled several investigations stories in one place. I wished the book focussed on the stories more than the information. The descriptions of the true crimes were too brief and not satisfying. I would have preferred more specific details on how they figured out the crimes and how they tracked down the culprit.