In the wake of the phenomenal success of such shows as CSI, forensic science has never been so popular. The obsessive attention to detail that Grissom and his crew afford seemingly insignificant details, such as particles of dirt in a bullet wound and the presence of pollen in tyre tracks, have had audiences eager to know more. Siegel's study follows the course of evidence all the way from the crime scene right through to the court judgement, investigating the many types of evidence, how they occur in crimes, how they are collected and analyzed by scientists, and how the results are presented in court. Packed with real examples, the book covers all the major areas of forensic science including drugs, trace evidence, pathology, entomology, odontology, anthropology, crime scene investigation, and law.

`Easy to understand yet rigorous. His discussion of bias is outstanding and should be read by everyone with any interest in forensic science.' -- Chris Tindall - Professor of Chemistry and Director of Criminalistics, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Jay Siegel is Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and Director of the Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program, at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Fellow award from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.