Review Originally Posted At: FictionForesight

Rod Englert promised to deliver some great information about blood spatter and the developing field that he is an expert in, but failed to deliver. I had to bounce between 3 and 4 stars since the book itself was enjoyable, but just not what I was looking for based on the description.

I was disappointed to find that the information pertaining to blood spatter analysis is pretty basic. There were some details that could be learned in any introductory forensics class, with even less information than what I was taught in high school, peppered throughout a book of memoirs. Maybe I should have been prepared since the title says “chronicles” of the crime scene reconstructionist, but I had hoped for more information from someone touting so much expertise. That’s not to say the memoirs weren’t interesting, but frankly I didn’t pick this book up to learn that he fed tortillas to his cows at one point. I came here for blood spatter and I only got a drop.

When he talks about his work, there are some interesting cases that obviously related to blood spatter in some way. He starts out with background autobiography about how he began going into the police force and started his interest in blood spatter evidence, then begins fragmented descriptions of cases that I wish had been more fleshed out in detail. This is most evident when he reviews his efforts in the O.J. Simpson case, and pieces together references to it throughout the book instead of compiling it neatly in a singular location. His opinions on some elements of impartiality and remaining ambivalent to the outcome also seem to fade the longer he talks about the O.J. Simpson case. This was obviously a tough case for him, and his descriptions especially left me doubting his credibility on the topic

I had some issues with his closing opinions. Mainly, it was that an expert had pointed out that a toothbrush covered in blood could mimic the blood spatter pattern, but he felt it was an asinine argument. I think it’s actually a fair one, considering that there is a case for staged crime scenes, and that you cannot always rule out the zebra in a herd of horses.

Finally, he seems to feel that one cannot just enter the crime scene reconstruction field without immense experience as a police officer or other related jobs. Yet he cites countless times where students in High School or those not involved in those fields helped solve a case that he could not. It just seems a little egotistical to heft around his experience but then still admit to relying on the viewpoint of outsiders to solve the case because he could not see something in a way they could. A lot of blood spatter analysis is being able to look at the spatter and say “hey, this is x velocity and goes in y direction” and anything can be recreated in a lab setting, as he admits. I think it’s great that he values the opinions of others in work and it’s good that he’s humble enough to do that, but I feel that it disproves his idea of needing the years and years of experience when a High School student finds the solution to a case with no previous forensic training.

If you’re looking for interesting cases, and want a little information about blood spatter, then this is the book for you. It was enjoyable to read, plain and simple. Towards the end he does seem to ramble, but I wonder if he had a page goal to meet, because he goes onto a tangent about experiences in Russia and Bogata that don’t really deal with cases at all. I think it’s a good choice for the amateur sleuth or anyone looking to freak out their coworkers at lunch.

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This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.

This novel attempts to explain some background for blood splatter interpretations and the majority of the text is made up by anecdotes. There is also some very interesting background information about the author's youth, and his career progression.

This book is not in my usual genre, my partner recieved it as a Christmas gift at a family Boxing Day party, and I snaffled it ot read so I wouldn't have to do any awkward conversation. I was pleasantly surprised and found myself not wanting to put it down - I finished it in a day.

For me, each of the human interest stories which were logically set out were great. It's like crime short stories for me - yay, no waiting to find out who did it! I'm not patient enough to read a real 'crime' novel.

I didn't really appreciate the images of blood splatter that my partner will probably find the most interesting pages out of the whole book. The case studies were way more interesting - I guess it just reflects that I'm more of a fiction reader than a non-fiction one.

I did have one squeamish moment, but funnily enough it wasn't about the blood, it was a mention of someone's toenails being ripped off. Ouch! I feel kinda squeamish right now just thinking about it.

The author of this memoir is passionate about his topic and it shows throughout the text. His cowriter/editor combination pulls things into fascinating detail, and makes the whole lot work. I only wish that I can find something that I am so passionate about when it's time for me to enter the workforce proper.

I'm totally going to give this book 4 stars. I probably won't reread it, but I did find myself enjoying a genre that I don't usually read, and that makes a huge difference. Maybe there is hope for crime after all! ( )

So-so at best. ( )

A pretty decent combination career memoir/true crime book. The author tells the story of how he started off as a Texas farm boy and wound up becoming one of that world's premier blood spatter experts, and recounts some of the many memorable cases he's been involved in (among them the OJ Simpson trial). Englert strikes the right balance between being informative and being accessible; the reader learns about blood spatter evidence without being overwhelmed by technical details and jargon. People who are interested in CSI-type shows and books will enjoy this. Though seeing the word "blood" over and over, with descriptions of how it sprayed and splashed and dripped and dribbled, may turn a few stomachs.

(After I read this book, glancing through his notes, I discovered the author had cited my own website, a missing persons database called the Charley Project, as a reference for his discussion of the Rolf Neslund case. I am flattered. This has nothing to do with my praising his book but I thought the reader should know/wanted an opportunity to brag.) ( )