I belong to a book club where a member gets to pick a genre each month and we all read whatever books we want to from that genre. When I first saw the shelf for February was Science, I admit it, I groaned. Then I figured that I like thrillers, so a book on forensics might be pretty good. And I was right. Dr. Michael Baden is a forensic scientist, medical examiner, news consultant, and expert witness. He has been involved in many cases over his career, including many high profile cases. In addition, he has consulted on the forensics in such endeavors as the identification of the Romanov remains in Russia, TWA flight 800, the Thomas Jefferson paternity case, and many others. In his lectures and meetings he has come across some of the most well known people in the field of forensics including the man who teaches a class on blood spatter, the "forensic bug" guy, and Dr. Henry Lee. His chapter on Doctor Lee is especially fascinating.
Marion Roach is a contemporary non-fiction writer. In addition to this book, she has written a book about Alzheimers, and has been published in many of todays leading magazines. She is also the sister of author Margaret Roach. She has a wonderful writing style that is easy to read and really makes Micheal Baden's stories come alive. In addition, she attended many meeting with him and classes with the experts that they profile, bringing her first hand knowledge into the writing.
Between Marion Roach's writing style, and Michael Baden's experience in forensics, this book was a surprisingly easy read. Definitely a 4 star read and recommended for anyone who is interested in the science behind the thrillers that are so popular.
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