A master of forensic genealogist genre
344172
Nathan Dylan Goodwin has proven himself to be a master of the forensic genealogist genre.  In "The Lost Ancestor" he has, once again, put Morton Farrier into a situation that will require all of his research expertise along with his forensic understanding.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the field of genealogy and the puzzles and secrets it can uncover.
28681
This book provided a well written account of how to take a "new look", using scientific methods, to analyse genealogically relevant materials, such as: old photographs; area, or event, specific statistics; and DNA.  It provides detailed information, and indepth studies, on how to analyse old photographs for clues which are not obviously apparent.  It reveals ways one can use statistical analysis on data provided by old directories, logs, DNA, and indexes to glean new insights and information on the lives of our ancestors.  The book provided some wonderful new ways to study information.
1498395
This is a great book for people that are interested in the everyday application vs. the technical details of forensic science.
Each chapter tells the story of a forensic case. Mr. Miller provides the background of  all characters involved so you can get a feel for the circumstances  surrounding the death. He also gives you a lot of good, basic information  about the way the body responds when death has occured in different ways,  as well as how the scientists use various methods to discover what really  happened and who is at fault for the death.
This book is great- it is  easy to read and is very explanatory as far as the details of this work  goes- enough for any reader to understand. It is organized into chapters  with each chapter a different case. It really reads like 16 mini-Agatha  Christie short shories. Each will confound and astound. I thoroughly  enjoyed this book.
3673870
You get a taste of many different murderers and methods; things are arranged easily to use the book as a reference.  The authors do not restrict their coverage to just recent or American killers.  I would have liked more in-depth information in most of the biographies, though.  Overall, I really liked the book.
3513335
Morton Farrier is a forensic genealogist who is presented a painting of a woman, Eliza Lovekin, where he needs to find her history. The story is set in the America Ground Hastings, Sussex England during the 18th -19th century and present day. I like the way Nathan would go back and forth between each time period showing the reader how Morton seeks his information and then showing what happened in the past. The plot provides murder, romance and intrigue keeping you guessing till the end. To me its nice to learn something when you read other than just experiencing a great story. Nathan Goodwin gives this to the reader. I feel like I know a little more about the time period and the location. This is one of the best mysteries I have read.
3764261
The only drawback to this book is that you don't want to put it down. The ideas presented by Ms. Fitzgerald present a new approach to looking at old photographs, thinking outside the box to solve some of those genealogy mysteries! Using DNA is probably the only way we will ever determine some of our ancestors. This book provides a clear understanding of this process. This book should be on the shelf of anyone who is researching family history,whether they do it as a hobby or profession. Ms. Fitzpatrick has given clear and concise information which will surely aid anyone who is currently "stuck" working through their genealogical research.
2666142
The clever title provides a clue to the purpose of these volumes.  Often, trying to trace a British army ancestor's movements through time and geography can be a "Forlorn Hope" - much as the original  "Forlorn Hope" of near-suicidal storming parties in the British  army were given little chance of success.
The first volume is prefaced  with information on the history of the British army, a discussion of  records of genealogical value, solving the first hurdle of determining a  man's regiment, and case studies in tracing British army ancestors.
The  bulk of the volumes is concerned with giving locations for each regiment in  all time periods covered.  Knowing where the regiments were and when is key  to following a soldier's career.  Indispensible for the genealogists with  British army ancestry.  Very useful as well to the local historian and  military history buff.
91265
I have been interested in forensics before the advent of all of the tv shows dealing with it. I have also been interested in the psychopathy of serial killers because the nature of their crimes is anathema to me.

This well-researched and written book manages to combine both into one heck of a ride for those of us who are interested,if not obsessed,with the beginnings of forensic science,and we get a terrible serial-killer to boot.

I do not mean to sound gleeful when writing about the horrible depravity of the murderer,but the book and his story are fascinating.

If you are interested in either of the two topics,by all means,get this book. It is not a dry,dull discussion of a facet of medicine/science,but rather a comprehensive,exciting  work that will make you keep reading until the end.

I have learned a lot about forensics,and one horrible human-being ,the murderer Vacher. Forensics won out,and because of the work and studies of the good doctor Lacassagne,many more vile creatures were apprehended and made to pay for their crimes.

This book is ,in my opinion,every bit as exciting as any good murder-mystery I have read. The fact that it is non-fiction,makes it all the more interesting.
442054
I wanted to read this book because I'm a writer and in one of the books that I'm working on the plot involves a bit of forensic probing into a computer. Rather than simply sound like a TV detective using cliche terms, I thought it would be useful and interesting to know how such work is really done and just how complex (and reliable) this type of forensic investigation can be. I can't say that I sat down and read the book cover to cover (though if you were a lawyer or someone studying criminology you would certainly get a lot out of reading it), but I've read the chapters that are pertinent to my story and I have to say I've found the writing interesting, entertaining and extremely useful. I think this is a book most lawyers (including prosecutors) should have on their shelf and if you happen to be a fiction writer or a crime writer, I think you'll find this book well worth the cover price.

The book goes well beyond the scope that I was expecting, too. It includes information on how digital forensics can be used with social media, finding files and photos files on computers that have been erased, how to hire the right expert to do the work for you (if you're an attorney, those pages alone are worth owning the book) and then takes you through preserving evidence, presenting it to get warrants, using the evidence in court, etc. It really is a fascinating book and I'm sure every writer in Hollywood will be buying a copy. It is an excellent writer's reference tool--and the only one like it that I could find.

A good read on a somewhat obscure subject and I'm sure it's destined to be the classic text on the subject. I just hope the publisher is willing to have it updated every few years--it's certainly worth the effort.
2151118
I must admit that some parts of this book are "over my head". However, this book packs quite a punch with much insight into forensics and explanations that are detailed and accompanied by MANY practical examples. The authors do a fine job of making this book interesting and they actually keep it rather short (believe me, most books on the subject are). One possible flaw is that I'd probably prefer for it to have a bit more theory and a bit less practical examples.
4629801
We have just added this 10th edition to the Genealogy Collection at our library, and I know it will be a patron favorite.  The 9th edition was 386 pages;  the new 10th is 880.  There are chapters on the United States, each individual state, and 19 foreign countries. The maps included are clear, gorgeous and in color. The individual chapters contain excellent lists of sources including published material and repositories.  Information is given on dates of county formation, parent counties, and record holdings.  Both mailing addresses and URLS are given.  The only drawback I found is that no listings are given for U.S. affiliates such as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories like Guam.  In the past, I have always steered patrons to ANCESTRY'S RED BOOK;  now I will be referring them to the 10th edition of THE HANDYBOOK FOR GENEALOGISTS.
Linda Pazics Kleback, Genealogy Specialist, Bay County Public Library, Panama City, FL
3619344
I've been a fan of Michael Slade's since a friend lent me a copy of "Ghoul" several years ago. What elevates Slade above the dross one generally finds within this genre is the amount of historical fact that provides the backdrop to the action. Slade excels in this respect. With "Ripper" the fictional crimes are inspired by the activities of a true-life  Jack The Ripper suspect in the person of Roslyn D'Onston Stephenson (the favoured suspect in the opinion of at least one author, Melvyn Harris, whose "The True Face of Jack the Ripper" is heavily referenced by Slade in his book). If you're looking for a highly entertaining, if bloodthirsty, read, then this is the book for you. If you're an amateur Ripperologist, Ripper will send you scurrying back to Amazon.com to order some of the books Slade used to research his novel.
639148
Goodwin has a lively, appealing style. He knows his way around genealogy research, so it's fun to see a mystery series built around this special interest of mine. His characters have a lot of dimension, which also adds to the compelling story line.
703487
Just about everything you need for genealogy research in one small book.
4088091
This was a good read on several levels.  It was a mystery with interesting sidelines such as about the South African War and early British rail travel and life in early 20th century England.  There were many characters whose stories all came together satisfyingly.  And of course there was  the main character's quest to find out about the Marriage certificate he had found - all in a race against time with a firm of heir-hunters (unbeknownst to him.).
As a genealogist, I could appreciate the steps he took and they were all accurately explained without being tedious.  I wish I had the money to buy the number of certificates he did! I knew what he was doing but still found the story intriguing enough to keep reading.

You will enjoy it and will feel encouraged to have a go if you've ever wondered what the thrill is about genealogy!
61215
Wonderful writer. Keep an eye on him. He is terrific at digging up historical crimes that are unheard of. Not the ones you always hear about, but they are just as, or even more fascinating. Follow his website, 'Historical Crime Detective'. He never disappoints. You'll wonder why you've never heard of these old crimes.  This book covers one of those history mysteries. After reading, you'll be shocked that you've never heard of it. Leave it to this author to dig it up. FIVE STARS , ALL THE WAY!
812557
I really enjoyed this book. I'm an avid genealogist and it's unusual to see the mystery combined in this way. I like this series and I'm glad I stumbled onto the author.  A goo and interesting read,