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Most people who work as actual crime scene investigators will tell you two Television doesn't always show the truth...and science never lies. But how do DNA experts, trace analysts, medical examiners, forensic pathologists, and cold case detectives work together to produce evidence and solve a case—beyond the shadow of a doubt?

In this fascinating, true-life account, America's leading crime experts share their personal, unforgettable stories. From powder burn to fiber analysis, blood spatter to skeletal remains, New York Times bestselling author Connie Fletcher takes you into a world of crime-solving that's even grittier, more bizarre, and more shocking than any TV show. It's a thrilling ride into the dead center of a crime scene .

Hardcover

First published October 1, 2007

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Profile Image for Fishface.
3,273 reviews238 followers
January 16, 2016
All superlatives! If this had been longer than a Stephen King epic I would still have felt that it was too short. One intriguing story after another about how a small scrap of evidence -- often microscopic -- turned a case around, either exonerating the wrong suspect or focusing detectives on the right one -- sometimes both at once. The oral history in this book makes clear all over again that people need to stop believing everything they see on TV!!!
Profile Image for Eva.
573 reviews16 followers
May 31, 2024
Interesting and Broad
The author interviewed a lot of crime scene investigators, print analysts, morticians, and forensic scientists (and more!) for this. Although it was published in 2006 and some of the information on strategy and science has been updated, the information from certain cases is the same. It was really neat to hear from multiple sources how the whole picture of a crime fits together. I read through it quickly and felt like I was left hanging at the end. DNA was a special highlight, as it was still new. Im glad we have that at our disposal. Now I'm curious to read more about unsolved, "cold cases." 🥶 I'm getting more and more hooked on true crime...it's so odd. I never would have ventured here when I was younger. I didn't even dare.

3.5/5
Left Me Wanting More.
Profile Image for Jan Norton.
1,819 reviews3 followers
June 29, 2025
I've read a lot of true-crime/forensic-science books, and this one's the first I've encountered in this format: grouped by concepts such as "crime scene processing," "trace evidence," "cold cases" etc., it consists of snippets from a number of different experts, from very short paragraphs to multiple-page entries, but with most of the contributions less than a page long. Described by the author as an oral history of personal experience, anecdotes about specific cases, commentary on how technology has changed, and so forth.
Profile Image for Adriano Barone.
Author 37 books38 followers
January 7, 2021
Ottimo, anche se ormai probabilmente datato (il libro è del 2006, l'edizione italiana del 2010).
Interessantissimo, anche per le inesattezze e gli equivoci che ha creato CSI, probabilmente la serie più odiata dagli addetti alla polizia scientifica.
Profile Image for Manu Ribxs.
278 reviews
May 5, 2025
I learned so much through this book, but it did get repetitive in the end!
Profile Image for Isabella.
Author 5 books67 followers
September 20, 2024
Crime Scene: Inside the World of the Real CSIs is a gritty, realistic view into the lives of investigators.

I was really pleased with the level of detail and research in this book, but what struck me most was its shocking (and sometimes funny) true stories and interview snippets. It’s a fantastic tool for researching crime scene investigation and the many tasks that come with the job.
Profile Image for Pat.
426 reviews4 followers
August 14, 2012
I very much enjoyed these real life vignettes of CSI as it works in the real world and not on TV.
The chapters are a collection of short(~100 words) to several pages of direct quotes from people working in the Crime Scene Investigation field, and shed many insights not only into human behaviors that we will all recognize, but some amazing stories where fate simply solved the crime.
High recomend it.
Profile Image for Kathy .
1,172 reviews6 followers
February 27, 2013
I am not a big fan of reading oral interviews nor of collected letters but as a faithful watcher of many [too many] TV crime shows, I feel obliged to educate myself a bit about the real thing. Fletcher's collection of quotes from various crime fighting personnel has many interesting passages and quite a few that I could have skipped. Thus, a mere two stars but not an addition to the Unfinished pile.
Profile Image for Kathy-Diane.
Author 3 books34 followers
February 25, 2009
If you want to know what investigating crime scenes is really like, as opposed to the dramatized version in TV and film, this is a must read. In these pages, life is more fascinating than fiction.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews

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