The dead can tell us all about themselves: where they came from, how they lived, how they died, and, of course, who killed them. Forensic scientists can unlock the mysteries of the past and help serve justice using the messages left by a corpse, a crime scene, or the faintest of human traces. This book draws on interviews with some of these top-level professionals, ground-breaking research, and McDermid's own original interviews and firsthand experience...

"As a forensic genealogist, Willow Anderson is following in her late grandfather's footsteps in her quest for answers about a baby abducted from the hospital more than twenty years ago. The case may be cold, but things are about to heat up when someone makes an attempt on her life to keep her from discovering the truth. Ex-FBI agent--and Willow's ex-flame--Austin McKade readily offers his help to protect the woman he never should have let get away....

Explores the many different methods used to solves crimes, covering such topics as criminal, detectives, and forensics.

"Midsummer's Eve. Bonfires dot the English countryside and flicker in the ancient Forest of Dean as revelers in costume dance and drink the night away. But when the sun rises, a local girl, Maddie Friar, has vanished, last seen heading to a party in a forest commune called "The Clearing." Her sister Adele reports her missing but the local police say Maddie was a known party girl and probably ran off with some boy, or maybe the "Cinderman" got her,...

"Rita Todacheene is a forensic photographer working for the Albuquerque police force. Her excellent photography skills have cracked many cases--she is almost supernaturally good at capturing details. In fact, Rita has been hiding a secret: she sees the ghosts of crime victims who point her toward the clues that other investigators overlook. As a lone portal back to the living for traumatized spirits, Rita is terrorized by nagging ghosts who won't...

Describes the use of handwriting analysis in solving crimes.