The use of forensic science has drastically altered the world of criminal investigations. Since the discovery of fingerprinting, arguably the first step in forensics, the science is becoming ever more refined and accurate. Minute details from the scene of the crime are more and more relied upon to build up cases against perpetrators. Bodies of Evidence looks at this essential development in detection and shows how forensics are currently employed by investigative agencies to help solve crime.

The introduction defines the term `forensic' and describes how the different aspects of the science developed from the 1930s to become an important part of investigation today. The main text starts by discussing evidence collection and goes on to look at the different branches of forensics such as toxicology, anthropology, odontology, psychology, and criminalistics. Each chapter has at least one case study that describes a criminal trial in which evidence was based on the forensic procedure being discussed in that section.

Scott Christianson is a leading authority on prison history, an investigative reporter and former New York State criminal justice official. He is the author of 'With Liberty for Some: 500 Years of Imprisonment in America' (1998), winner of the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award), 'Innocent: Inside Wrongful Conviction Cases' (2004) and 'Notorious Prisons' (2004).