For every reader . . . or for every mystery/thriller writer . . . who has ever wondered how long someone might survive in a cave with no food or water or if there is a drug that could cause amnesia or how long a corpse might bleed after death or if a recent blood transfusion might confuse DNA analysis, this book is for you. In the pages of this book, readers will find the answers to these [and many more] questions that address basic medical and forensic questions.

Among the topics discussed are Traumatic Injuries, Illnesses, Death, and Hospitals; Poisons, Toxins, Medications, and Drugs; The Police, the Crime Scene, and the Crime Lab; The Coroner, the Body, and the Autopsy; and Odds and Ends – Mostly Odds.

Presented in a straightforward question-and-answer format, some answers are simple; others are complex while others are downright peculiar. But readers who find themselves wondering about the basic forensics as they apply to victims, crime scenes, and investigations are sure to find much to appreciate in this fascinating book.

Highly recommended. ( )

I expected more of this books. I was very disappointed . ( )

Fantastic resource for crime writers, or, it should be said, the criminal element. All sorts of easy to understand and fun explanations of how to kill off characters, how to conceal bodies, about decay and forensics of all sorts. Written in a chatty question and answer format, I can't recommend this book highly enough, whether you kill people in fiction or you just want to talk about it at family dinner parties. ( )