Genre: Forensic science, fiction.
Rating: ***/*****
Latest in a series of novels by Patricia Cornwell, PREDATOR ties in 2 stories. A secret project called ‘predator’ (which analyses the MRI images of serial killers to see what emotions they respond to ie. what stimulates them to kill repeatedly), as well as a series of missing women across the other side of the nation. There is also further character developement in this series and a rather astonishing twist right at the end of the story. *hint* D.I.D. (can chk your DSM-IV) In fact, the twist was so sudden and so ‘gorifying’ that for the first time, I felt sick in the stomach. *bleah*, or maybe I just overate.
Anyway, just wanted to bring up two interesting facts from the book.
1. The prints of prepubescent children only last for a few days, then they fade out. This is unlike that of adults, which can last for pretty long eh? Anyway, I suppose it must be the composition of the sebum we secrete. Probably the surge of androgens/estrogens at puberty changes the chemical composition. Heh. So, well, next time you wanna commit some sort of crime, enlist a kid eh?
2. How would you tell if a person suffered an injury before or after death?
You do a skin biopsy of the area of injury and look out for the histology. For example, if there’s no acute reaction, then the injury is most likely sustained after death. If let’s say there’s polymorphonuclear infiltrate, the injury is probably 4-6 hours old, and for brownish-reddish scabs to develop, the injury should be at least 8 hours old. Cool right?
