Books in the Essentials of Forensic Science series

Provides an invaluable distillation of key topics in forensic medicine for undergraduate, masters, and postgraduate studentsEssential Forensic Medicine covers the broad area of the forensic medical sciences, delivering core knowledge in the biomedical sciences, and the law and ethics surrounding them. Concise, accessible chapters cover a wide range of topics from basic forensic identification and examination techniques to forensic toxicology and psychiatry.Written by internationally-recognized experts in the field, this authoritative guide offers complete chapter coverage of the legal system, courts, and witnesses; investigation of the deceased and their lawful disposal; and the duties of a registered medical practitioner and the General Medical Council. It instructs readers on the general principles of scene examination and the medico-legal autopsy including how to interpret the many kinds of injuries one can suffer--including those from blunt impact and sharp force, firearms and explosives, asphyxia and drowning. Further chapters cover sexual offences, child abuse, and using DNA in human identification, mental health, alcohol and drug abuse.* A fresh, accessible, up to date textbook on forensic medicine* Written by a well-known experts with decades of experience in the field* Includes numerous figures and tables, and detailed lists of key information* Features numerous case studies to reinforce key concepts and ideas explored within the book* Helps students to prepare for examinations and enables practitioners to broaden their understanding of the disciplinePart of the "Essential Forensic Science" series, Essential Forensic Medicine is a highly useful guide for advanced undergraduate students, master's students, and new practitioners to the field.

Greater in-depth coverage of kinship problems now covered in two separate chapters: one dealing with relationships between living individuals and the other covering identification of human remains. New chapter on non-human forensic genetics, including identification of bacteria and viruses, animals and plants.

Forensic document examination is a long established specialty and its practitioners have regularly been shown to have acquired skills that enable them to assist the judicial process.

Forensic Botany: A Practical Guide is an accessible introduction to the way in which botanical evidence is identified, collected and analysed in criminal cases. Increasingly this form of evidence is becoming more important in forensic investigation and yet there are few trained botanists able to assist in such cases.

The field of forensic archaeology has developed over recent years from being a branch of conventional archaeology into a well-established discipline in its own right.

This book is the first to approach the fast developing field of wildlife forensics with a focus on the application of DNA profiling and analysis. Case studies throughout link theory and practice and highlight the use of DNA testing in species testing.

Bringing together key techniques and developments within the field, The Forensic Examination and Interpretation of Tool Marks explores how these techniques are used within forensic investigation. This accessible text covers specialized examinations of specific tools in complex materials as well as the selection and preservation of material.