The Washing Away of Wrongs


Book Description

An English translation of the oldest extant book on forensic medicine in the world




The Washing Away of Wrongs


Book Description

In this new mystery for Max Tudor, he is forced to revisit the past to solve a very recent case of murder... Max Tudor thought he'd left the world of deceit when he resigned from MI5 to become an Anglican priest. Then his bishop asks him to return to his Oxford college, St Luke's, to investigate the death of its chaplain, and Max realizes there's no leaving the past behind. At first, Max agrees with the official police verdict of death by natural causes. The Rev. Ace Graybill was as harmless a man as ever lived. It's difficult to see how he managed to cross anyone capable of murder. And the suspects are all above reproach: the celebrated Principal, the cautious bursar, the wise librarian, and a raft of benign students and academics. But someone in the college wanted the kindly chaplain dead... and looks can be very deceiving. Praise for G M Malliet 'A superb novel, a wonderful read.' Louise Penny 'G M Malliet has brought the village cosy into the twenty first century... Wicked Autumn is a refreshing read for everyone who loves a really good murder.' Charles Todd 'There are certain things you want in a village mystery: a pretty setting, a tasteful murder, an appealing sleuth... Malliet delivers all that.' New York Times Book Review 'For readers who relish a traditional mystery with a satiric edge, perfect for a cozy fireside read' - The Boston Globe From the series named "Best Mystery of the Year" by Library Journal and The Boston Globe




Forensics


Book Description

Bestselling author of Broken Ground “offers fascinating glimpses” into the real world of criminal forensics from its beginnings to the modern day (The Boston Globe). The dead can tell us all about themselves: where they came from, how they lived, how they died, and, of course, who killed them. Using the messages left by a corpse, a crime scene, or the faintest of human traces, forensic scientists unlock the mysteries of the past and serve justice. In Forensics, international bestselling crime author Val McDermid guides readers through this field, drawing on interviews with top-level professionals, ground-breaking research, and her own experiences on the scene. Along the way, McDermid discovers how maggots collected from a corpse can help determine one’s time of death; how a DNA trace a millionth the size of a grain of salt can be used to convict a killer; and how a team of young Argentine scientists led by a maverick American anthropologist were able to uncover the victims of a genocide. Prepare to travel to war zones, fire scenes, and autopsy suites as McDermid comes into contact with both extraordinary bravery and wickedness, tracing the history of forensics from its earliest beginnings to the cutting-edge science of the modern day.




Death and the Lit Chick


Book Description

Book 2 in the Agatha Award-Winning Series Cold-blooded murder is, like, totally un-cool As the wildly successful darling of the publishing industry, chick lit mystery writer Kimberlee Kalder is the guest of honor at an exclusive writers' conference at Dalmorton Castle in Scotland. But jealousy and resentment are soon replaced with shock when Kimberlee is found dead at the bottom of the castle's bottle dungeon. Who didn't want to see prima donna Kimberlee brutally extinguished like one of her ill-fated characters? It's up to Detective Chief Inspector St. Just to track down the true killer in a castle full of cagey mystery connoisseurs who live and breathe malicious murder and artful alibis... Praise: Named a Best Book of 2009 by Deadly Pleasures "[In] her superior second cozy, Malliet's satirical take on the mystery scene is spot-on."—Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Malliet excels at stylish writing very reminiscent of the golden age of British mysteries. A real find for old-school mystery fans."—Booklist (starred review) "An absolutely delicious skewering of the world of mystery publishing and its none-too-savory denizens, Death and the Lit Chick is even wittier and more skillfully constructed than her Agatha Award-winning Death of a Cozy Writer."—Denver Post "Delicious. Malliet is laugh-out-loud funny in describing the cadre of crime writers encountered by the sometimes-flustered St. Just."—Mystery Scene "An entertaining diversion"—Kirkus Reviews "A good choice for readers who enjoy intelligent cozies and traditional mysteries."—Library Journal "Readers who enjoy all things British, as well as a good whodunit, will find these novels just the ticket."—Free Lance-Star "The writing is A+—smooth, clever (in the good sense) and a pleasure to read."—Cozy Library "Death and the Lit Chick shows why classics never go out of style...Malliet belongs on your bookshelf."—Reviewing the Evidence "Malliet's old-fashioned style is reminiscent of the traditional whodunits of the past... but with a distinctly humorous flair. The book is a clever mystery as well as a witty satire." —Vickie Britton at Suite 101




Death of a Cozy Writer


Book Description

Winner of the 2008 Agatha Award for Best First Novel From deep in the heart of his eighteenth century English manor, millionaire Sir Adrian Beauclerk-Fisk writes mystery novels and torments his four spoiled children with threats of disinheritance. Tiring of this device, the portly patriarch decides to weave a malicious twist into his well-worn plot. Gathering them all together for a family dinner, he announces his latest blow—a secret elopement with the beautiful Violet...who was once suspected of murdering her husband. Within hours, eldest son and appointed heir Ruthven is found cleaved to death by a medieval mace. Since Ruthven is generally hated, no one seems too surprised or upset—least of all his cold-blooded wife Lillian. When Detective Chief Inspector St. Just is brought in to investigate, he meets with a deadly calm that goes beyond the usual English reserve. And soon Sir Adrian himself is found slumped over his writing desk—an ornate knife thrust into his heart. Trapped amid leering gargoyles and stone walls, every member of the family is a likely suspect. Using a little Cornish brusqueness and brawn, can St. Just find the killer before the next-in-line to the family fortune ends up dead? Death of a Cozy Writer was chosen by Kirkus Reviews as a Best Book of 2008, nominated for a Left Coast Crime award (the Hawaii Five-O for best police procedural), short-listed for the Macavity Award for Best First Mystery, nominated for the Anthony Award for Best First Novel and was a finalist for the David G. Sasher, Sr. Award for Best Mystery Novel. Praise: "Fans of English detective work will welcome Malliet's droll debut, the first in a new series."—Publishers Weekly "Malliet's debut combines devices from Christie and Clue to keep you guessing until the dramatic denouement."—Kirkus Reviews "Malliet's skillful debut demonstrates the sophistication one would expect of a much more established writer. I'm looking forward to her next genre-bender, Death and the Lit Chick."—Mystery Scene "Almost every sentence is a polished, malicious gem, reminiscent of Robert Barnard...the book is perfect for the lover of the classical detective story or the fan of great sentences."—Deadly Pleasures "In her series debut, Malliet, who won a Malice Domestic Grant to write this novel, lays the foundation for an Agatha Christie—like murder mystery."—Library Journal "An affectionate homage to the Golden Age of British crime fiction by a skilled writer rapidly attracting attention."—The Sherbrook Record "This tale cleverly adds modern touches to an Agatha Christie style classic house mystery."—Mystery Women Magazine "Wicked, witty and full of treats!"—Peter Lovesey, recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Crime Writer's Association and Malice Domestic "The traditional British cozy is alive and well. Delicious. I was hooked from the first paragraph."—Rhys Bowen, award-winning author of Her Royal Spyness "Death of a Cozy Writer is a romp, a classic tale of family dysfunction in a moody and often humourous English country house setting."—Louise Penny, author of the award-winning Armand Gamache series of murder mysteries "The connections made by St. Just are nothing short of Sherlock Holmes at his most coherent. A most excellent first mystery!"—Midwest Book Review




Life Among the Piutes


Book Description




History of Forensic Medicine


Book Description

Forensic Medicine is an old medical discipline defined as “that science, which teaches the application of every branch of medical knowledge to the purpose of the law” (Alfred Swaine Taylor). Forensic Medicine deals with medical evidence not only in practice but also in research and furthermore all legal essentials in health care especially for doctors are part of teaching, training and research. Several steps in the development of Forensic Medicine can be distinguished: At first the use of medical knowledge for legal and public purposes.Secondly the compulsory medical testimony for the guidance of judges.Thirdly the professionalization as an own academic discipline. The development and existence of a speciality of Forensic Medicine depends essentially on two factors: on a sufficiently high development of the law and on a sufficiently high development of medicine. The period of professionalization of Forensic Medicine as an own academic discipline started in the 19th century, especially in Paris, Vienna, London, Edin­burgh, Berlin. Since than the world has changed dramatically and we are now witnesses of a rapid, deep-rooted social cultural, legal and technological trans­formation. Already 40 years ago Professor Bernhard Knight wrote in a survey on legal medicine in Europe: “In all aspects of life, the exchange of information on an inter­national level can do nothing but good and legal medicine is no exception.” This book on the History of Forensic Medicine is an approach in this direction. Forensic Medicine has a long and rich tradition since medical expertise has to face legal ques­tions and new questions and developments raised by the society. The aim of this book is to address the state of Forensic Medicine in different coun­tries worldwide. With contributions from Europe, China, Japan, the United States and the United Arabic Emirates.




Thinking with Cases


Book Description

Case studies fascinate because they link individual instances to general patterns and knowledge to action without denying the priority of individual situations over the generalizations derived from them. In this volume, an international group of senior scholars comes together to consider the use of cases to produce empirical knowledge in premodern China. They trace the process by which the project of thinking with cases acquired a systematic and public character in the ninth century CE and after. Premodern Chinese experts on medicine and law circulated printed case collections to demonstrate efficacy or claim validity for their judgments. They were joined by authors of religious and philosophical texts. The rhetorical strategies and forms of argument used by all of these writers were allied with historical narratives, exemplary biographies, and case examples composed as aids to imperial statecraft. The innovative and productive explorations gathered here present a coherent set of interlocking arguments that will be of interest to comparativists as well as specialists on premodern East Asia. For China scholars, they examine the interaction of different fields of learning in the late imperial period, the relationship of evidential reasoning and literary forms, and the philosophical frameworks that linked knowledge to experience and action. For comparativists, the essays bring China into a global conversation about the methodologies of the human sciences. Contributors: Chu Honglam, Charlotte Furth, Hsiung Ping-chen, Jiang Yonglin, Yasuhiko Karasawa, Robert Sharf, Pierre-Étienne Will, WuYanhong, Judith T. Zeitlin.




The Science of Sherlock Holmes


Book Description

Praise for The Science of Sherlock Holmes "Holmes is, first, a great detective, but he has also proven to be a great scientist, whether dabbling with poisons, tobacco ash, or tire marks. Wagner explores this fascinating aspect of his career by showing how his investigations were grounded in the cutting-edge science of his day, especially the emerging field of forensics.... Utterly compelling." —Otto Penzler, member of the Baker Street Irregulars and proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop "E. J. Wagner demonstrates that without the work of Sherlock Holmes and his contemporaries, the CSI teams would be twiddling their collective thumbs. Her accounts of Victorian crimes make Watson's tales pale! Highly recommended for students of the Master Detective." —Leslie S. Klinger, Editor, The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes "In this thrilling book, E. J. Wagner has combined her considerable strengths in three disciplines to produce a work as compelling and blood-curdling as the best commercial fiction. This is CSI in foggy old London Town. Chilling, grim fun." —John Westermann, author of Exit Wounds and Sweet Deal "I am recommending this delightful work to all of my fellow forensic scientists.... Bravo, Ms. Wagner!" —John Houde, author of Crime Lab: A Guide for Nonscientists "A fabulously interesting read. The book traces the birth of the forensic sciences to the ingenuity of Sherlock Holmes. A wonderful blend of history, mystery, and whodunit." —Andre Moenssens, Douglas Stripp Professor of Law Emeritus, University of Missouri at Kansas City, and coauthor of Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases




The Exact Nature of Our Wrongs


Book Description

Winner of the Library of Virginia's Emyl Jenkins Sexton Literary Award for Fiction! "A brilliantly moving and unforgettable novel." - Jill McCorkle, author of Life After Life Janet Peery’s first novel, The River Beyond the World, was a National Book Award finalist in 1996. Acclaimed for her gorgeous writing and clear-eyed gaze into the hearts of people, Peery now returns with her second novel, The Exact Nature of Our Wrongs. On a summer evening in the blue-collar town of Amicus, Kansas, the Campbell family gathers for a birthday dinner for their ailing patriarch, retired judge Abel Campbell, prepared and hosted by their still-hale mother Hattie. But when Billy, the youngest sibling—with a history of addiction, grand ideas, and misdemeanors—passes out in his devil’s food cake, the family takes up the unfinished business of Billy’s sobriety. Billy’s wayward adventures have too long consumed their lives, in particular Hattie’s, who has enabled his transgressions while trying to save him from Abel’s disappointment. As the older children—Doro, Jesse, ClairBell, and Gideon—contend with their own troubles, they compete for the approval of the elderly parents they adore, but can’t quite forgive. With knowing humor and sure-handed storytelling, Janet Peery reveals a family at its best and worst, with old wounds and new, its fractures and feuds, and yet its unbreakable bonds.