WRITTEN ON THE SKIN An Australian Forensic Casebook

Elizabeth Kaye narrates this Australian forensic casebook with vitality and intelligence. As she presents the particulars of selected cases solved by forensics--the 2002 Bali bombing, a fatal hit-and-run in Victoria, the Lindy Chamberlain case--listeners grow to understand that crime technicians don't have the glamour jobs seen on the popular C.S.I. shows that pepper the TV airwaves. Each of the 10 chapters deals with one special area used to solve cases, including "Reading the Blood," "Reading the Bones," and "Reading the Crime Scene." Porter's writing style mixes science with storytelling, and Kaye's reading is as exciting as the scientific study of decomposition can be, taking listeners through labor-intensive tests of bugs, bones, blood, and DNA. Well-organized research and a solid reading make this gripping listening. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 08]