Hidden Evidence by David Owen

I give this book five stars!

David Owen takes an in-depth look at how forensic science has evolved from methods of investigation used in ancient China to today’s high-tech techniques. Each chapter features several case studies and Owen uses these to illustrate the many improvements and discoveries in the field of forensics. Every page features drawings, diagrams, or photographs, some in color and some not for the squeamish.

Starting with the T’ang Dynasty in China, Owen tracks the science of discovery through the ages. Early photography, for example, made possible the development of the Bertillon system for identifying criminals. Bertillon theorized that the “vital measurements” of a person were unique and he recorded and catalogued more than 1,500 criminals’ measurements. This was the precursor to today’s IndentiKit and PhotoFit systems of identification.

Anyone interested in forensics should pick this book up. The reading is fascinating and easy to understand, and the cases include the well-known stories of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, Pan Am Flight 103, the shooting of JFK, the Hitler diaries, the mystery of Tsar Nicholas II, and the World Trade Center bombing, as well as lesser-known cases like newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell’s suicide and rapist Malcolm “The Fox” Farley.

Owen covers everything: fingerprints, handwriting analysis, ballistics, blood typing, DNA testing, dental records, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, compound and electron microscopes, fraud, forgery, explosives and fire, poisons, and determining time of death.

David Owen was an engineer in the aerospace industry before he moved into scientific writing and journalism. His works include publications on military deception and air accident investigations.

Look for the foreword, written by Thomas T. Noguchi, M.D., Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner for the County of Los Angeles, and the introduction by mystery writer Kathy Reichs.

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