Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
While a University of Maryland criminology professor, Mauriello created six dioramas to help teach his students what it takes to investigate and solve crimes. In this volume, aided by novelist Darby (The Orphan Game), he has turned those classroom lessons into a fictionalized how-to manual of the whats, wheres, whys, whens and hows of detective, forensic and medical crime scene investigation. With the six crime scenes-a living room, garage, store, kitchen, dorm and hotel-already laid out in meticulous detail (and photographed by Consoli), Mauriello's writing mirrors the police examination as he works backward from the ending to the beginning. Complete with characters, dialogue and backstories, each diorama comes to life as clues are examined, leads tracked down and witnesses questioned. Given this book's educational foundation, the writing is decidedly no-nonsense and the story lines lean toward the everyday (i.e., these cases aren't quite the Lindbergh baby or O.J. Simpson investigations). Instead of taking away from the effectiveness of the book's message, its simplicity helps to outline the necessary steps of the investigation process that are routinely overlooked in the chaos usually associated with high-profile and intricate cases. For anyone who has been sucked into an episode of C.S.I. or The New Detectives, this book gives a glimpse at the unglamorous factors that go into solving crimes that TV shows often omit. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Former police officer and investigator Mauriello (criminology, Univ. of Maryland) teams up with novelist Darby (The Orphan Game) to present six examples of how forensic evidence solves crimes. In his classes, Mauriello uses one-inch-scaled dioramas ("dollhouses") to present the elements of a real-life crime scene. The students must sift through the evidence and determine how to conduct their own investigation of these "little crimes." This highly original book presents six dollhouses in lavish color photographs and describes how a fictional experienced detective and his young assistant, who relies more on instinct, investigate the crimes. Novelist Darby helps present the cases as real-time narratives with sharp dialog and description. The six settings are listed as the living room, the garage, the store, the kitchen, the dorm, and the hotel. Not every crime is solved in the text, which makes it realistic and believable. This well-written book shows how a methodical use of scientific evidence is a detective's ally. For all crime collections.-Harry Charles, St. Louis (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
