Like most people who would pick up this book, I am an avid reader of detective fiction and non fiction, with a special interest in what forensics can do for crime fighting.
So, it was with a lot of interest and curiosity that i started reading this book. At 336 pages, one might say that the book should be a breeze for a reader. But it is not. Because, unless you are made of a solid iron heart, this book cannot be read at one go.
One difference, and a crucial one at that, is that we are always acutely aware of the difference between crime fiction and non fiction. The fact that you are reading about real people here, is fairly unsettling. Even though one reads about crime non fiction in monthlies, most of those crimes are, perhaps to pander to the tastes of the readers, crimes of passion. So, our awareness of other types of murders is fairly limited.
Also, those monthlies do not tell us the gruesome details of putrid odour, bulging eyes, decayed skin, et al. The book is graphic. Very graphic. So, it is not for the faint hearted.
The book leaves us to deal with the aftermath of the crime - what happens to survivors before the guilty party is caught.
Some of the cases are more unsettling than others. Some remain with you a long time.
Some of the content helps you understand how various parts of the government machinery have to sync their actions to catch the culprits, and what a high level of trust and co-operation that requires.
The content is engaging to say the least. Even with the graphic details, one could not put the book down.
There must be some reason that the author tells us where his various friends from the police force have retired, but I could not quite understand that reason.
All in all, one of a kind book. Well recommended for the library of the crime enthusiast.
