Hidden Evidence: 50 True Crimes and How Forensic Science Helped Solve Them by David Owen (Author), Thomas Noguchi (Preface), Kathy Reichs (Foreword) Format: Paperback

This revised and updated history of forensics is expanded to include eight recent high-profile cases. David Owen takes readers to the scenes of 50 infamous crimes and provides detailed accounts of the scientific procedures used to catch criminals.

The high-profile cases range from as early as 1775, when Paul Revere used dentures to identify a slain soldier, to as recent as the tragic disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Most cases will be familiar to readers, such as the Lindbergh kidnapping, the Kennedy investigation and Ted Bundy.

The book describes the established forensic methods — dental records, ballistics, toxicology, hair sampling and blood typing — and covers the latest technologies, including:

• Computerized fingerprinting and handwriting analysis
• Mass DNA testing and digital DNA analysis
• Familial searching and DNA screening
• Fiber and paint databases
• Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry
• Compound and electron microscopes.