A Katherine Ramsland Two for One

In this review we are going to look at two Katherine Ramsland titles: "The CSI Effect" and "The Human Predator". These are two very different works, one is well worth your money, the other not so much.

"The CSI Effect" is labeled as a follow up to "The Forensic Science of CSI", which I have to admit I've never looked at. Perhaps she covered all of the interesting material in the first book, as this one is lacking. From the title one might expect some case examples of the so called "CSI Effect", but the book consists of twelve chapters each dedicated to a different type of evidence- or procedure, as one chapter deals police procedure and admissibility issues. The topics are: Computers, Forensic Art, Poison, Procedure/Admissibility, Psychology, Deviant Psychology, Sub-cultures, Accident Investigation, "Psychological Autopsy", Exhumations, Forensic Techniques that Don't Exist, and "Unique Applications" in which she covers counterfeiting, mass disaster response and crime scene clean up. The CSI Effect is described only in the Introduction. My real problem with the book is its layout. Each chapter is repeatedly broken up by large inset passages with case examples or extra information. While sometimes interesting, they break the flow of the text, and make it difficult to read. Strangely, some cases are presented simply as part of the main text, rather than being broken out into an insert.

"The Human Predator" on the other hand is an excellent read. It's not the most in-depth or scholarly text around, but that's ok. The information is presented in an easily readable format, and the book simply flows very well. This is a presentation of the history of serial crime from the beginnings of recorded history to the present day, with social and scientific hallmarks of each period presented to provide context. It's an interesting way to look at a subject about which much has been written. While case examples from each period are presented, this is not a "serial killer encyclopedia". The book does not confine itself to the United States, and presents cases from around the globe. I really enjoyed this book, and found it to be very informative. If you are interested in profiling and/or serial crime I highly recommend it.