I found the title very misleading. It’s more of a autobiographical account of their lives/careers, and not about ‘How to solve a murder’. I did enjoy the book, but not for the reasons I was hoping.

An interesting insight into the world of Derek and Pauline, but not pathology.
I find the title a little misleading. The book is very much focused on the life stories of Derek and Pauline. With some information to do with cases, it isn't really HOW to solve a murder, which is what I was looking for in this book. Left disappointed.

DNF 42%... Not for me sadly - the title is misleading, I felt there was far too much technical information, random tangents I'm not really interested in/definitely wasn't expecting & the pacing is odd.

This was one of the better books I have read or listened to of this genre as it gave quite a lot of the background of a pathologists work. I liked the fact it was written and narrated by two people. The only thing that got a bit annoying towards the end was there was too much technical information that went on and on a bit -other than that a great listen

"How To Solve A Murder" is a misleading title for what is, in many places, a self-indulgent memoir. As a rule, I don't like these behind-the-scenes, tell all accounts because they're invariably disrespectful to the clients (in this case, the dead - which is even worse) and they smack of self-satisfied superiority. Had I known that's what this was, I wouldn't have volunteered to read and review it.

I don't read books about Forensics to find out about fashion. I certainly don't want to hear Pauline banging on (repeatedly, and at length) about how "distracting" it was for the men that she wore short skirts and high heels to work. Ditto the wardrobe malfunction. It's vulgar, unnecessary and makes professional women sound like airheads. I found Derek's descriptions of forensic processes, and the impact of certain incidents on the emotions of the team, interesting and insightful. What a shame that it's mixed in with all the drivel.

went into listening to this with the expectation that the book would be an analytical account of their scientific techniques and findings in a case-study style. Instead it learns towards sharing work stories in a biographical way. Derek's accounts later on in the book are closer to what was expecting butI find both accounts to be slightly self-congratulatory biographical accounts with medical stories inbetween.

It will be strange to say that a book about forensic medicine was soothing to listen to. Even at 1.5x, the narrators sounded calm and methodical and set the tone for the narrative.
This is a story of two people in the forensic industry who have been worked with, been involved in, and even changed a few things about how crime scenes are analysed for decades. It was fascinating to hear about how both of them ended up working in forensic labs through different avenues. It was a throwback to another time and place. They discuss a few cases and their personal lives, but for the most part, the book is about the processes, the science and the smaller titbits that go with investigations. I enjoyed the beginning parts a lot, but my interest petered out towards the end because I saw the narrative coming to an end. I felt like I wanted 'more'. What part I wanted more of I cannot say exactly, but there was something.
The authors did a pretty good job in making their working lives and knowledge clear in the pages, and the narrators did an equally great job in conveying the information to me, the audience. If there was to be another book by the authors with further details and maybe more case histories, I would definitely pick it up.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own listening experience.

The title of this book had me SO excited to read this! I love anything to do with true crime, and especially those who have actually worked behind the scenes in this niche job as most people could never do this sort of job so it’s so intriguing to read about.

There all some real stand out parts of this book, some real interesting facts when doing post-mortems that are genuinely fascinating.

If your expecting lots of case by case stories like I was I think you will be disappointed unfortunately. The title of the book gave me the expectations that we would be following several cases, going really in depth alluding to the title. There is glimpses of this, however it’s overshadowed by random tangents.

“How to Solve a Murder” reads like two books in one. One half reads like fiction the other non-fiction. I think the execution would’ve been stronger if just one angle had been picked.

The book is all about Derek and Pauline’s careers, these sections read like fiction. It reads like the authors going off on a tangent at a dinner table after a few wines and everyone is lost and a little bored.

I did enjoy but I wish there was more actually real life experiences about “How to Solve a Murder”

Ever wondered what it would be like to work in forensics? Where post mortems, body parts, gruesome crime and the quest for justice are the orders of the day? ‘How to Solve a Murder’ is a perfect delve into this macabre world.

The field of forensic science is so interesting and this book definitely reflects and captures all the ups and downs and the ins and outs of the job.

It’s also wonderfully narrated and makes for very easy listening. It was one of those audiobooks that you can easily slide into, and it almost feels like a chat with a couple of forensic scientist friends who are telling you their stories and all about their lives.

It was a perfect mix between the authors own life experiences, to case studies to the science that aids them in their jobs. I love that it started with the very beginnings of their careers and how the spark for their current field grew into eventually, how they became experts in their areas. (Body-mapping - so interesting!!)

Constantly throughout the book there are snippets of forensic insights and practices as well as different cases. I absolutely loved hearing about their experiences and tales and I devoured this book with eager ears!

It was so funny in parts too, I was laughing out loud and loved hearing about some of the things they’ve gone through - both the good and the bad. It was especially nice hearing about the pranks and lighthearted banter they used to keep the morale up, and learn to cope in what can be a very harrowing and difficult workplace. That sort of insight into a tough job was a nice addition.

It was more of a personal account of the authors lives than a cut and dry explanation of what forensics can do and I really enjoyed it from this aspect. The whole thing was just so compelling (and they really didn’t shy away from the gory, so those who don’t want to hear about blood, guts and maggots - beware!). But it was written well and for the most part, I wasn’t put off my dinner!

All in all, a fab book. Hearing about the authors lives was so interesting and I thought it was brilliant.

This is a very particular type of book that will please fans of true crime books and podcasts. A non-fiction about forensic science told by a husband and wife team working in the UK. I like the narrator's voice and found this an easy audio-book to have playing in the background while I worked. Because of the subject matter this is unlikely to appear to everyone but a good example in its genre.

This was a really interesting read, and should I say it, fun. Told by husband and wife, as they began their careers , met and worked together, married and became experts in their field. I particularly enjoyed the two different views throughout the book, two points of view from two different aspects of forensic science. Non of this read felt too heavy and non of it too technical. Yes it was gorey but in a fun science lesson type of way. I read alot of Science based true crime books but the dual perspective of the husband and wife team sets this apart from the rest.

Overall, this was an enjoyable listen. I was expecting more about specific murder cases and how the forensic evidence was uncovered that then led to the solving of said murder. There was some of that and these were by far my favourite parts of the book. I felt there was a lot of information about the authors’ professional and personal backgrounds, which wasn’t what I was expecting from the book nor what I really wanted to know more about. This audiobook was read really well and definitely gave some
insight into the incredibly detailed profession of the authors. It was also interesting to hear how the profession has advanced in terms of 3D imaging used in court. One warning though: it is very very graphic in places so not for the squeamish!

"How to Solve a Murder" is an interesting set of anecdotes spanning several decades of the authors' work in the forensic science field (and associated areas). It includes their respective paths into these careers and their notable contributions to the subject such as diatoms, the National Injuries Database, and body mapping. Similarly to "Unnatural Causes" by Dr Richard Shephere (who, having worked with Derek Tremain, provided the foreword to this book), there are some personal anecdotes mixed within the professional; for instance, how the authors met and got married. Although I was primarily interested in this title for the science I did appreciate how these stories reflected the reality of life as a person working in forensics. I also found Pauline Tremain's perspective interesting - we often think of the people directly involved in the forensics, but I don't think many of us consider what it would be like to be the person taking notes and doing other administrative tasks!

The narration and sound quality of this audiobook were both good, making it easy to follow even without my full attention.

I do think the title of this book is a little misleading; although the techniques used to gather the evidence needed to support murder investigations is discussed, I think it's worth noting that the content isn't completely focused on murder, nor does it follow the process of a murder being committed to it being solved (and prosecuted) in full as the title may suggest. I also found some parts of the book repetitive or strangely paced.

That being said, I did think that this book was interesting and didn't have to force myself to keep listening. I would recommend that anyone with an interest in hearing a realistic first hand account of life in forensic science gives it a try.

Content warnings: death (including child death), murder, suicide, sexual assault (including CSA), descriptions of injuries, blood, graphic descriptions of autopsies and other postmortem investigations.

How to solve a murder is an interesting book - the title, however, is a little misleading, it's not exactly how to solve a murder, it's bits of what a secretary does and a forensic scientist but neither actually solve a murder. Now I like all things true crime, and particularly forensics work but this one didn't quite hit the mark.

The book features both Derek and Pauline Tremain. Pauline is a Forensic Secretary at the start of the book, while her work was interesting, some of the parts don't feel relevant. There was a lot about her dresses and fashion which I wasn't interested in.

Derek begin at 15 working in a medical museum and his work was certainly the more interesting of the two, drowning and pattern analysis were among the things he was working on. Overall the science in the book was interesting and Derek's work in body mapping was intriguing but no cases ever felt complete.

I don't know if the book felt as intriguing as some of the other forensic books I've read, there was something missing for me but I really struggle to pinpoint exactly what it was - maybe it was different from what I expected from the title. There weren't any famous cases in the book but that didn't bother me.

With thanks to the authors, publisher and NetGalley UK for the opportunity to read this in advance of publication.

Thank you for the opportunity to download this audiobook. I accessed it while testing a future update to the NetGalley Shelf app.

This audio book was something unusual, so I was very keen to listen to it. I would suggest that it wouldn't be appropriate to listen to in the presence of small children, or for those of a delicate disposition.

I enjoyed it. It was penned by a husband and wife team with considerable experience in the forensic field. We learn how they got into their careers, and what fascinated them about the subject.

I enjoyed learning about how things can be discovered in the event of a crime, and how science is growing and developing to help us learn more.

It is a really interesting subject, and there is humour in there too- not many people get to carry a leg on the tube!

All in all I thought this was a well narrated audiobook, which I loved, but it wouldn't be for everyone.

I enjoyed listening to how to solve a murder.

Learning about the lives of Derek and Pauline was very educational as well as interesting. There were some gruesome parts of the book which are to be expected with the subject matter but this did not detract from the enjoyment of this book.
It’s amazing what can be proven by forensic science and learning about its theory and application makes for an absorbing read.
There are some funny moments , which lighten the mood and I would imagine in this line of work the mood needs to be lightened at times.

A great personal insight to the world of forensic science . A great book!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Audio uk for this advance copy.

This is a fascinating look into the life of a forensic scientist. I have to say that I really admire Derek Tremain, who left school with no qualifications and yet has become on of the countries leading forensic scientists. His wife, Pauline, started as a secretary and is now a respected forensic graphic artist. Both have done amazing, groundbreaking work in their field.

I found the book interesting, especially the first part. It was informative, sometimes very gruesome, but with plenty of light hearted moments too. I do feel that the title is slightly misleading as I expected more about famous murder cases, but most of the cases mentioned were quite run of the mill. I guess that's true to life though. Most cases are run of the mill and the more spectacular serial killer cases only come around occasionally.

All in all a good listen, and I thought the narrators did a great job and helped me picture the two authors in their day to day lives.

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this!
I loved listening to the past experiences of both.
A few made me smile, especially the leg in the bag!
Lots made me wince, but most just stopped me in my tracks and listen and marvel at what our bodies can show.
Absolutely fascinating.

A chilling but creepily fascinating look into the world of a forensic scientist in one of the largest cities in the world, London. Fans of true crime books and podcasts will find much to like here