Promotional Information

"No mere true-crime tome, Mark Benecke's Murderous Methods artfully blends history and cutting-edge science with a conscience-provoking exploration of the cultural mores and psychological demons that drive both homicide and the ways we punish it. Disturbing but compelling reading for forensic experts and buffs alike." -- Jessica Snyder Sachs, author of The Encyclopedia of Inventions "This book makes you want to murder someone, in really strange circumstances, just to see what Dr. Benecke might make of it." -- Marc Abrahams, author of The Ig Nobel Prizes: The Annals of Improbable Research " Murderous Methods does not rest with assembling expert analysis of a vast range of complex crimes and investigations from around the world -- Mark Benecke also manages to create a level of suspense and charm in his narrative worthy of a great novel. Benecke, one of the world's leading forensic experts, proves himself one of the most insightful and important commentators on the evolving interaction between crime and public culture." -- Matthew Pearl, author of The Dante Club "This is a must read for anybody interested in murder mysteries and who is, at the same time, looking for insight into what is in the mind of a serial killer and what triggers crimes to be committed in the first place." -- Lawrence Kobilinsky, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, coauthor of DNA: Forensic and Legal Applications

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. Honor and Redbeard 12 3. Lenins Corpse 26 4. The Case of the Wholesale Market 43 5. Justice Versus Truth 95 6. FATAL CRIMES SOMETIMES FATAL PUNISHMENTS 101 7. WITNESSES PUBLICITY AND DEAD SILENCE 179 8. EPILOGUE 225 9. INDEX 235

About the Author

Mark Benecke is an internationally known forensic scientist and the author of Medical Detectives and The Dream of Eternal Life: Biomedicine, Aging, and Immortality, as well as numerous other books published in China, Korea, Germany, Denmark, and the Ukraine. His prolific papers on DNA, forensic entomology, and blood splatter analysis have been published in a variety of scientific journals, and he has hosted shows on forensic science for the National Geographic Channel. A complete guide to Benecke's life and work can be found at http://www.benecke.com.

Reviews

"Truth is indeed stranger than fiction." -- Kirkus Reviews "The book...reads like true-crime literature." -- Library Journal "Compelling, absorbing from start to finish... a must buy, must have for anyone with an interest in murder most foul." -- Christopher Berry-Dee, New Criminologist " Murderous Methods is the perfect bridge between the solved-in-an-hour world of TV crime and the dense academic journals." -- Jenna Schnuer, Pages "Contains much that will morbidly fascinate aficionados." -- Peter Skinner, Foreword "A disturbing and riveting read." -- The Australian