Strictly Murder! by Martin Roth

My friend the Lieutenant tells me that he detests Patricia Cornwell's books. "No M.E.," he says, "could possibly know the things that she does." Indeed. And while I agree with him, I'm still intrigued by every Cornwell book I pick up - because I learn something. Maybe I'll never need to match a torso to a head... but now I have an idea of how it's done.

So how do you find accurate information without hanging around a police station or the morgue? After all, who has time for that?

This is what Roth addresses with his book Strictly Murder! The chapters are short - some are only a couple of pages - and the reading is easy. Roth shows the difference between murder and homicide, talks about motives, profiling, and different types of murders: terrorist attacks, organized crime hits, cult killings, contract killers, serial killers. Guess what? Female serial killers prefer poison as their weapon of choice. But in domestic cases, guns and knives are used by most wives to bring their disputes to a conclusion.

Other chapters discuss the role of the medical examiner, how an autopsy is performed, what happens in the courtroom, how the death penalty is carried out, and what goes on in a crime lab. For example, dusting for prints isn't the only way to find them - super glue is used in the crime lab to find them as well. And handwriting experts see right through attempts to fool them by writing with one's off hand.

There are pictures, and they're graphic, so be warned. The front cover of Ann Rule's paperbacks shout "8 pages of shocking photos!!" Well, here are 5 pages of photos that you'll never see in one of those books.

One of the coolest parts of Roth's book, though, is section titled The Murder Book. He has compiled paperwork from an actual 1993-94 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department murder investigation, following the case from the initial murder report (the complaint) through the arrest of a suspect. Some of it is hard to read because these are photographs of the actual papers and while much of it is typed, some is also handwritten. The names of all of the people who were involved, including the medics and policemen are blacked out, making it a bit confusing to read, but you'll still be able to follow the investigation if you can get past that.

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