Today I finally finished reading Written in Blood: A History of Forensic Detection by Colin Wilson and Damon Wilson. It's nearly 700 pages long and incredibly fascinating, even more so than I thought when I checked it out. Each section focuses on the development of certain techniques of crime detection, usually centered on a weapon (poisons, ballistics) or other evidence (fingerprints, blood, identification of corpses). Because the book is a history of forensic science rather than a history of crime, the crimes described are chosen for their role in developing new techniques. Some of the most infamous murderers, for example Ed Gein, receive the merest mention, whereas the authors describe firsts
(for example, the first conviction based on fingerprint evidence) in great detail. For me it was a new way to look at a subject which has long inspired me with a sort of morbid fascination.
The Green River Killer gets a mention as a serial killer who, as of the first edition (1989), had not yet been caught. Gary Ridgway was only caught about a year and a half ago. That reminds me how much time has passed since Written in Blood was first, uh, written (though hopefully not in blood or any other body fluid). I wonder what else has changed since then?