Forensics, Val McDermid
Forensics, Val McDermid
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Forensics
What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA, and More Tell Us About Crime

Author: Val McDermid

Narrator: Sarah Barron

Unabridged: 11 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/28/2026


Synopsis

In the now-classic Forensics, internationally bestselling and award-winning “queen of crime” (CrimeReads) Val McDermid picks up the scalpel to uncover the secrets of forensic science, from the crime scene to the courtroom

In the course of researching her best-selling books, McDermid has become familiar with many branches of forensics, and now she uncovers the history of this science and the people who make sure that for murderers, there is no hiding place. 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. Forensics goes behind the scenes with some of these top-level professionals and their groundbreaking research, drawing on original interviews and firsthand experience on scene with top forensic scientists. Along the way, we discover how maggots collected from a corpse can help determine time of death; how a DNA trace a millionth the size of a grain of salt can be used to convict a killer; and how a team of young Argentine scientists led by a maverick American anthropologist were able to uncover the victims of a genocide. The journey takes us to war zones, fire scenes, and autopsy suites, reveals both extraordinary bravery and true wickedness, as we trace the history of forensics from its earliest beginnings to the cutting-edge science of the modern day.

About Val McDermid

Val McDermid’s bestselling novels have won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller, and the Crime Writers’ Association’s Gold Dagger and Cartier Diamond Award for outstanding achievement. The Karen Pirie novels have been adapted into an Edgar Award–nominated ITV/BritBox show. She is also a five-time finalist for the Edgar Award, including Fact Crime nominee Forensics and most recently the Sue Grafton Memorial Award nominee Past Lying. She lives in Scotland.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mariah Roze on December 30, 2016

This book was fantastic! It really dove into my obsession with true crime and taught me all about the different types of forensics science, which is something I knew very little about. Also, it did it an enjoyable, not textbook, way. It was lead by constant examples and crimes that have happened to......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on September 26, 2025

Val McDermid In "Forensics" popular mystery writer Val McDermid outlines the development of modern forensics (scientific analysis of evidence) - a discipline that has literally made it much harder to 'get away with murder.' Rudimentary forensic investigations began long ago: a Chinese coroner's handb......more

Goodreads review by Jim on July 04, 2016

I've never read a mystery by McDermid, but am quite impressed by this nonfiction book. She did a great job putting forth the basics of each branch of forensics, its history, examples of cases in which it was used, & - perhaps best of all - why & when it isn't used due to cost. She also pointed out a......more

Goodreads review by David on December 13, 2016

I greatly enjoyed this book much more than I expected! I learned so much about the clues that forensic scientists use to unravel crimes. It covers so many subjects; fingerprinting, blood traces, DNA sampling, poisons, face reconstruction, digital forensics, and insects. Insects?? Yes, this is a very......more

Goodreads review by Raven on October 10, 2014

I confess to not being a huge fan of true crime accounts per se, but with the dual temptations of Val McDermid- one of the UK’s premier crime novelists- and a real behind the scenes look at the craft of forensic science, I couldn’t resist a look at this one. What unfolds is a fascinating and wonderf......more