Forensics

A Guide for Writers

“What you will discover is that the real world of forensics is, perhaps, even more compelling than what we are seeing on television every week.” —Lee Goldberg, TV writer-producer

In Forensics, award-winning author and TV show consultant D.P. Lyle, M.D., takes each area of forensics—from fingerprint analysis to crime scene reconstruction—and discusses its development, how the science works, how it helps in crime solving, and how you as a writer might use this technique in crafting your plot. This comprehensive reference guide includes:

• Real-life case files and the role forensic evidence plays in solving the crimes

• A breakdown of the forensics system from its history and organization to standard evidence classification and collection methods

• Detailed information on what a dead body can reveal—including the cause, mechanism, and manner of death

• The actual steps taken to preserve a crime scene and the evidence that can be gathered there, such as bloodstains, documents, fingerprints, tire impressions, and more

Forensics is the ultimate resource for learning how to accurately imbue your stories with authentic details of untimely demises.

“I am finding Howdunit Forensics to be valuable, not just for checking the facts against what I have already written, but as a vast storehouse of ideas for my own writing that I never could have dreamed up with just a layman’s knowledge of the field.” —Writing As I Go