If you have a kid who likes forensic science, this is the perfect book! It contains 40 fascinating, sometimes shocking and kinda gruesome, case files, but mostly engrossing stuff that will satisfy any youngster who likes to solve a good mystery.

The book is divided into four sections: Identify, Prove, Explain and Resolve, which are the goals of scientific detection. I not only learned a lot by reading this book, but I grew to have much respect and appreciation for scientists in all areas of expertise, such as entomologists (bug experts), geologists (soil and rock experts), archeologists (artifact experts) or forensic anthropologists (bone specialists). Scientific technology together with these brilliant men and women in their fields of science have solved some of the most perplexing and impossible (with almost no evidence) case files, even hundreds of years after the act.

Some of the stories I found particularly interesting were: the case of the buried skeleton in a carpet (who was the person?) the case of the discovery of Hitler's diaries (were they really authentic?), the case of Beethoven's death (what killed the famous composer?) and the case of Steven Truscott who claimed he was innocent of killing a twelve-year old girl and was finally acquitted almost fifty years after the crime because science was able to prove him innocent.

The book includes a nifty glossary in the back as well as an index for easy searching. The case stories are well-written, not dry and certainly not boring even if some of the forensic talk is detailed and a little complex. It is well explained and easily understood. This is the second book I read from author Larry Verstraete, and I think he has quite a knack for making non-fiction literature for children...cool and awesome.

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