I can't tell you how much I loved this book. I'm a huge true crime/medical lover and this had a little bit of everything. I recently read Unnatural Causes and was desperate for another autopsy/ true crime esque book and this filled the void.

I really enjoyed this book, my only criticism was how much it kept talking about Pauline's work attire as it felt like it was just filling pages. Otherwise hugely recommend to any true crime lovers or anyone curious about Science!

Being a macabre little creature the subject matter was completely up my alley. And the glimpse behind the scenes at forensic science drawing on true crimes was genuinely fascinating. Not the best written book on the subject but interesting and engaging overall.

This was an absolutely fascinating read about the world of forensic science and a life as a forensic scientist. This is not a book for the faint-hearted as it has quite vivid description of some of the procedures completed to treat body parts to allow them to be better forensically examined. There were many interesting anecdotes which I wanted to share with others about known and unknown cases. The lifelong relationship between Derek and Pauline which blossomed into love was also lovely to read about and their journey from secretary and forensic scientist to a married couple running their own freelance buisness was fascinating. Perfect for fans of Natural Causes and Sue Black (who makes a cameo).

I loved this so much. It was absolutely fascinating and wonderfully written. I loved how it was split into different sections to make it much easier to read and I just really loved it so much.

I found this to a really interesting look at the lives of Derek and Pauline Tremain in the field of forensic science; but I do think the title is a little misleading. As a true crime buff, I was hoping this would focus more on the procedures involved in solving a crime. What it actually is, is very much a biography of Derek and Pauline focusing on their own roles within the forensic service. So yes, we do get information about the best way to get flesh off a corpse, but we also get anecdotes about staff parties and work restructuring, which I wasn't anticipating. Once I had re-adjusted my expectations, I did enjoy this book a lot - it just wasn't what I was anticipating going in.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’ve read a few books of a similar vein so was quite excited when I was approved to read this by netgalley. The first part of the book was more about Derek and Pauline but I really enjoyed reading about the cases Derek worked on and their experiences of working in forensics. Would recommend for anyone interested in how forensics or true crimes.

A very interesting book exploring different areas of forensic science. Not for the squeamish!

It might have been the Kindle copy I had, but I found it very hard to distinguish between which author was writing, and often I would think it was one, only for a few pages later to realise it was another. Not sure if the text or something is different in physical copies?

This is a memoir of the couple’s time working at the Department of Forensic Medicine at Guy’s Hospital in London and the work they have done since.

This was a fascinating look behind the scenes of forensic medicine and the methods employed to establish cause and time of death. The descriptions of the techniques and results were very easy to follow and thorough.

The book is written in a very engaging way however I did occasionally get confused between the two narratives as they were very similar in tone.

The book also touched on the human impact of seeing these scenes day in, day out which I appreciated.

I love books like this having studied in a similar area. This was a very engaging read and I really enjoyed it.

A fascinating book telling the working lives of the authors. They were responsible for some very innovative practices that are now standard in this line of work. Definitely recommended to those interested in forensic evidence

<b> Here's the bits I liked about this book: </b>
The middle 60% of this book was great.
There were chapters on dissolving body parts; how to identify drowning has occurred (not just water in the lungs it turns out!); how to identify a heart attack has occurred; medical experiments; skin pattern analysis for bruising; understanding the path of a bullet etc etc. These were brilliant insights into forensic pathology and I really enjoyed reading them. I actually learned quite a few things, and the process fascinated me in a number of ways.

<b> Bits I didn't like so much: </b>
The first 30% of the book. I found this boring, and wasn't really anything to do with solving murders or forensics. It felt very much like a biography and I'm not really into biographies even of famous people, but even more so of people I don't know. There were parts dedicated to how they got their jobs, (him and his wife) and whilst it was semi relevant for Derek, this was absolutely odd to read about his wife. This brings me on to my second niggle. The narrative switches every now and again from Derek (who we are to assume is the narrator after talking us through his joining the forensic team) to his (now) wife Pauline with absolutely no indication that this has happened. It happens mid chapter, mid paragraph in some instances without warning, introduction or any introduction whatsoever. It's absolutely confusing and it took me ages to realise it had happened I was just thoroughly confused. It then switches back again with no indication, no chapter headings to show who is speaking, no obvious switch and so on and so on, literally mid chapter and back and back again etc and I cannot work out why. I'll be honest, a couples biography felt a bit weird and the introduction to how Pauline got her job and her wearing short skirts and heels etc personally wasn't for me and didn't suit the topic of the book. If they really wanted to include these elements this should have been split into chapters with a clear indication at the top of the chapter whether Pauline or Derek recounting. This would have been less confusing to read.

The last 10% of the book felt like a hard sell for a product /service that the authors currently provide in their current real life. Whilst it began interesting, learning about image mapping and portrayal at court rooms etc, it got a bit tedious and felt like an advert when it went on and on. Too much of the book was devoted to this and whilst it's clear there are personal feelings involved in the subsequent copying of their services by other teams, this for me went into far too much nitty gritty and could have been discussed in a couple of pages.

3 acid bathed cadaver stars from me.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. My thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley.

I'm a fan of both 'professional confessionals' and true crime this book immediately leapt out to me as something I'd enjoy, and it didn't disappoint. Shocking, fascinating and incredibly graphic at times, this is a fascinating insight into pathology, the different ways that science can be used to solve crimes and the realities of working in an industry traditionally held as very morbid. The stories of camaraderie and levity between the staff in the forensics and pathology departments were great streaks of light amidst all of the darkness of the subject matter, and the authors journeys - both involved in some major cases and major developments in forensics - were also incredibly interesting. I did think some of the chapters on the detail of, for instance, body imaging were perhaps a little technical and less gripping, and didn't serve as quite the satisfying conclusion to the book that I'd hoped for, but all in all this was a great read I'd definitely recommend.

After reading Unnatural Causes by Dr Richard Shepherd, I was eager to read more tales of mortuary life and the effects of forensic medicine on crime. How To Solve a Murder filled that hole adequately.
There was enough detail without becoming morbid and scattered case studies throughout that I found fascinating. Some of the science went over my head but most of the processes were explained in enough layman's terms that I was able to piece together what was happening.
What confused me, however, was that there was no distinction (at least in the ebook) between when Derek was narrating and when it was Pauline and I'd be a few paragraphs in before I realised whose experiences we were taking about.
I also found that, unlike Dr Shepherd, there was a degree of arrogance in the text and a focus on the individual achievements of the authors rather than on the science. Each experience seemed to end with "and they never would have caught him without my expert advice'. While I'm sure that was true, it did put you off the narrators a little bit.
I enjoyed the case studies far more than the personal anecdotes.

With an interest in Forensic science, I was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately it failed to live up to expectations. Whilst it was good to read of things from a different perspective, too much time was given over to inane anecdotes, which whilst they may have been mildly amusing at the time, wardrobe malfunctions and the like did little to add to the mix and I found myself skipping over chunks of the book. There were lots of instances given over to name dropping but on the whole I found the whole book to be a missed opportunity.

Thanks to Net Galley for a free advance copy in return for an honest review

I love all things true crime and forensic, so I was extremely happy to be approved to read this title. It did not disappoint. I really enjoyed it and thought it was very engaging and it held my interest throughout. I really enjoyed how it was written and both authors inputs. I would definitely recommend this book to all my true crime loving friends out there.

I haven't finished reading the book, not because I wasn't enjoying, but for technical reasons (I explain at the end of the review).
My experience reading the part of the book I read (around 50%) was enjoyable. This is not a textbook offering an overview of the methods used by pathologist to solver murders, but rather the personal experiences of two people who worked in Guy's Hospital, in the pathology lab, in different capacities (one processing, preparing, and testing bodies, body parts, and/or various samples, and the other one of the PA/secretaries, who would accompany the experts to the sites and saw quite incredible things as a result). We learn how the two of them got interested and ended up working on the field, and they share stories and anecdotes about their time there.
Although I haven't worked as a doctor for a few years now, reading this book reminded me of the lesson in Forensic Science I received as a student, and also of the fact that I've long thought forensic doctors and pathologists told the best anecdotes in the profession. Be prepared for gross jokes, funny stories (dark humour, but it's to be expected and necessary, considering what they are faced with), but also a fabulous sense of camaraderie and teamwork.
Although I'm sure this is not a book for everyone, most readers interested in the topic, especially looking for a personal perspective, will be interested and will enjoy the reading experience. As I've said, this is not a textbook, so don't expect this to be the book to end up all research on the subject, but it does provide some fascinating details about the job, and also a great insight into the profession.

I realise that now the book has become available in a format compatible with Kindle, but at the time of my request that was not an option, and I ended up using the NetGalley reading App on my phone. Unfortunately, that gave me time-limited access, the reading experience wasn't ideal, and the content expired before I had time to read the whole book (I only accessed it when I travelled in public transport sometimes). I hope I'll get to read the rest of the book now, but I wanted to share what I thought of the book so far (at around the 50% mark). It would be useful to add a notification before requesting a book if it is not available in all formats, as I have requested other books in the past and never had a chance to review them because of similar issues, and I would have avoided doing that had I known in advance.

Wow, this book was astounding. I cannot believe some of the details explained in this. You don’t believe this actually work this way.

I could imagine what scenes actually looked like in my head. I loved this book! It was a heavy read but worth it. The details given are incredible and give a real understanding of the forensic life.

Would recommend to everyone!

What an incredibly informative book this is. If you have ever wondered what actually happens in a forensic lab this is a must read. Derek and Pauline have worked some of the most high profile cases in the UK and their innovative use of technology has transformed how cases are investigated and prosecuted. All this is told in painstaking detail but never in a way that confuses or bores the reader. Books of this nature can often read as very clinical but Derek and Pauline have a huge amount of respect for the people whose cases they assist and that is apparent in every chapter. A really wonderful, entertaining and very educational book.

Thank you for Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, Nonfiction, HarperElement for the arc of How to Solve a Murder by Derek Tremain and Pauline Tremain.

5 star read- this was an amazing interesting book by chief forensic medical scientist Derek and Forensic Secretary Pauline, the depths about their daily working day with dead bodies to their experiments they do. This is a really interesting read dealing with many high profile accidents and murders even and giving a very alternative insight into the world of forensics I love reading about what forensics do it is so interesting so i loved this book- highly recommend if your into this type of book!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Unfortunately I found the book to be lacking on its promise to share “how to solve a murder.” I expected some very interesting information and details on the many facets of Forensic Medicine. The last few chapters go into some detail but the majority of the book is just boring autobiographical information.

A very interesting book, looking into the development of forensic techniques used to help solve murders, in particular, the invention of a particular type of injury and body mapping technique, that the author and his wife developed. A very informative book.