Blood, Bullets, and Bones: The Story of Forensic Science from Sherlock Holmes to DNA by Bridget Heos (review)

If the bag of sophisticated forensic tricks available to today’s detectives still cannot ensure that a perpetrator will be identified, charged, and convicted, it’s mind-boggling to consider the specious grounds on which suspects were formerly charged with crimes. Heos delivers an overview of how evidence analysis developed over centuries—long before the fictional Holmes era referenced in the subtitle. The progress of forensic science manifests in roughly chronological order here, with each landmark discovery or procedure receiving its own chapter. Heos covers the expected points, from fingerprint classification and ballistics evidence, to blood typing and blood splatter patterns, to criminal profiling and DNA analysis. Coverage is not limited to flashy lab work, though; it includes discussion of the limitations of each strategy, the pivotal court cases in which newfangled evidence analysis actually swayed a judge and jury, and the quirky procedures within the American adversarial judicial system that often prevent scientifically sound evidence from reaching a jury. For teens who haven’t ventured much beyond CSI, this will prove a solid and entertaining introduction to a compelling subject. Illustrations, glossary, and notes are included.