Books in Crime Scene Investigation series

Crime solving is painstaking, but modern methods and technological advances have significantly changed the field of criminal investigation. Clues to crimes both spectacular and ordinary can now be found in the tiniest bits of evidence thanks to cutting-edge forensic techniques. Crime Scene Investigations examines the fascinating world of the criminal investigator and other professionals who are on the front line of solving today's (and some of yesterday's) most notorious crimes. All books feature crime statistics, career information, explanations of crime-solving techniques, and crimebusting facts. In addition, bibliographies for further research, full-color photographs, charts, and a detailed index are also included.

All over the world, there are tales of giant creatures that hide from human contact. Giant Anaconda and Other Cryptids: Fact or Fiction? presents evidence for the existence of several of these amazing animals, including the Sucuriju, a 50-foot-long snake from South America; the bloodthirsty Chupacabras, or Goat Sucker, from Puerto Rico; the fierce lizard Megalania, Australia's gigantic cousin of the Komodo dragon; the thylacine, a carnivorous marsupial from Tasmania; the Thunderbird, a monstrous, child-snatching bird of prey from the United States; the Kongamato and Ropen, prehistoric flying reptiles from Africa and New Guinea; and the Ri, a mermaid-like creature inhabiting the waters of a tropical island paradise in the Pacific Ocean. The book allows readers to draw their own conclusions about the existence of these hidden creatures.

Bones are a powerful tool for forensic anthropologists. They can indicate age and gender, and a set of teeth or a fragment of bone can even show when a person died, as well as how long the body has been decomposing. Did the person die from natural causes or was it foul play? With the help of authorities, including the FBI and CIA, forensic anthropologists can find out the answers with a few small clues. Readers will be captivated by ancient and modern real-life cases. A chapter on careers allows students to dig deeper and find out what it takes to work in this fascinating field.

Fingerprints are completely unique to each individual. Not even identical twins have the same fingerprints. So it's no surprise that law enforcement uses fingerprint evidence to catch criminals. With engaging text and eye-catching visuals, this book examines all aspects of fingerprints and their use in forensic analysis. Real-world cases illustrate how criminals attempt to mask their fingerprints and the potential pitfalls of the fingerprinting system. Sidebars explore the science behind fingerprinting, such as the many methods of locating prints, including dusting powder and lasers to evaporated superglue. Plus, an annotated list of fingerprint-related jobs encourages students to imagine a future in STEM.

According to local legend, a modern-day African dinosaur called Mokele-mbembe lurks in the murky waters of the Congo Basin rainforest. This elephant-sized version of Diplodocus kills hippos, elephants, and humans that invade its territory in Lake Tele and vine-choked Likouala Swamp. Many cryptozoological expeditions have been conducted in this inhospitable jungle with the sole purpose of finding a living, breathing specimen of a type of animal that should have gone extinct 65 million years ago. In Mokele-mbembe: Fact or Fiction?, take a look at the evidence dinosaur hunters have collected, and decide whether Mokele-mbembe is a real animal or just a figment of the imagination.

People swimming and surfing along warm oceanfront beaches can rest easy because the Megalodon, the gigantic cousin of the great white shark, is extinct—or is it? Follow the fossil trail as scientists are able to determine what this monstrous shark looked like, what it ate, and even how it hunted its prey from as little evidence as a single hand-sized fossil tooth. In Megalodon: Fact or Fiction?, readers will be swept along with this investigative journey as cryptozoologists try to determine whether this terror of the deep still lingers in the hidden depths of the ocean.

Numerous legends say that a prehistoric plesiosaur inhabits Loch Ness, a deep, murky lake in Scotland. In Loch Ness Monster: Fact or Fiction?, follow cryptozoologists as they study the scientific evidence for and against the existence of Nessie and her relatives around the world, including Champ in Vermont's Lake Champlain and Canada's Ogopogo in British Columbia. Learn about the many realistic explanations--such as wave patterns, tree trunks, otters, water birds, and hoaxes--for the majority of eyewitness accounts that have surfaced over the years to decide whether Nessie lurks in Scotland's most famous lake.