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Shallow Graves: My life as a Forensic Scientist on Britain's Biggest Cases
Shortlisted for the True Crime Awards 2023 Best New True Crime Author The murder of Sarah Payne, Adam the Thames Torso, the London bombings, the Night Stalker and the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko... The solving of all these cases can be linked to one Ray Fysh, a beer-swigging Charlton Athletic fan from Woolwich, a natural raconteur and also one of the finest forensic detectives the country has ever seen.Ray began work for the Met Police in the 1970s when forensic investigation was seen as little more than a geeky side show, only in existence to confirm or eliminate evidence. But by the mid 90s Ray and his team had made huge progress in their field, contributing to the UK becoming a world-leading innovator in forensic techniques, with Ray himself being named as Special Adviser to the Forensic Science Service. As the SA, Ray worked alongside Senior Investigating Officers from day one of a case, directing his team to identify forensic opportunities and harvest case-cracking clues.As Ray looks back over his career at the cases he worked on, the reader is given unparalleled insight into the highs and lows of an astonishing career, the historic classist snobbery of the Met and the stunning realities of crime and forensics
329 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
November 12, 2023
Quick review: informative, quick read. It was interesting to see cases from the forensics side, and how certain cases have helped shape and evolve forensic science. It's often painstakingly slow and methodical work for a single piece of evidence that can crack a case wide open. I'll admit I was less fond of the chapters on terrorism and poisoning, but that's a personal preference.
February 11, 2023
A really interesting look at the career of one of the countries leading forensic scientists, who has worked on some of the most high profile criminal cases across the decades. The author looks at cases individually to save confusion; which is welcomed as he does discuss some very complex scientific aspects of his work. He also does an excellent job at breaking down these complexities, making it easier for someone with a non-scientific background to grasp.
A must read for those intrigued by crime, criminal profiling and the endlessly growing world of forensic science, an art in its own right.
A must read for those intrigued by crime, criminal profiling and the endlessly growing world of forensic science, an art in its own right.
September 30, 2023
This book is amazing.
I haven't been so captivated or spellbound by a book in a long while.
Ray Fysh's stories of his career and the cases he has been involved in are truly fascinating whilst being horrifying and repulsive at the same time. I remember the majority of the cases he was involved in and it is mad to read of how painstaking the process is to gather evidence and check, check, double and triple check to ensure rigorous standards and procedure are followed, and nothing is left open to interpretation by an unscrupulous defense lawyer.
The cases that upset me the most were "Adam"- the torso in the Thames, and Billie Jo Jenkins. Adam- imagine being a young child that disappears from the face from the Earth in horrific circumstances and no grieving parents are looking for you, no one is making a fuss and your brutal murder goes unpunished. Fysh and his many colleagues did so much to trace the history of this young boy. Their work is so admirable - "we'll be his family now" one colleague had commented- how caring. And Billie Jo Jenkins, heinously murdered by her domestically abusive foster father, who after serving some of his sentence got to walk free! What a complete miscarriage of justice for that young girl. I remember being incensed when I heard that he had been freed.
Fysh's book highlights just how cruel and evil humans can be to each other, but also how diligence and determination goes a long way towards catching these evil bastards. His work is commendable and it's amazing to have been allowed an insight into it.
Highly recommended.
I haven't been so captivated or spellbound by a book in a long while.
Ray Fysh's stories of his career and the cases he has been involved in are truly fascinating whilst being horrifying and repulsive at the same time. I remember the majority of the cases he was involved in and it is mad to read of how painstaking the process is to gather evidence and check, check, double and triple check to ensure rigorous standards and procedure are followed, and nothing is left open to interpretation by an unscrupulous defense lawyer.
The cases that upset me the most were "Adam"- the torso in the Thames, and Billie Jo Jenkins. Adam- imagine being a young child that disappears from the face from the Earth in horrific circumstances and no grieving parents are looking for you, no one is making a fuss and your brutal murder goes unpunished. Fysh and his many colleagues did so much to trace the history of this young boy. Their work is so admirable - "we'll be his family now" one colleague had commented- how caring. And Billie Jo Jenkins, heinously murdered by her domestically abusive foster father, who after serving some of his sentence got to walk free! What a complete miscarriage of justice for that young girl. I remember being incensed when I heard that he had been freed.
Fysh's book highlights just how cruel and evil humans can be to each other, but also how diligence and determination goes a long way towards catching these evil bastards. His work is commendable and it's amazing to have been allowed an insight into it.
Highly recommended.
April 7, 2023
Couldn't put it down, it was basically a 9 hour long true crime podcast. Made me want to look into how I could get into forensic anthropology after my degree, loved how problem solving was such a key element and thinking outside the box caught killers. Then I heard all the politics and how there's such a difference between how much COULD be done and how much WOULD be done on account of how much it would cost, the amount of serial killers/ abusers that get away every year due to budgets is horrifying. My love of Science and the truth couldn't survive in that environment.
August 14, 2023
I never write reviews so that’s how you know it’s good.
Ray Fysh delves into the enhancement of forensic analysis within the last 4 decades with such passion you can literally feel it as you read. I never thought I could actually enjoy reading about science so much. His take on the evidence of ratios of radioactive isotopes in uncovering the time of death and racial profile of individuals truly showed the breadth of the information available to us and the brilliance of the minds devoted to it.
Ray Fysh delves into the enhancement of forensic analysis within the last 4 decades with such passion you can literally feel it as you read. I never thought I could actually enjoy reading about science so much. His take on the evidence of ratios of radioactive isotopes in uncovering the time of death and racial profile of individuals truly showed the breadth of the information available to us and the brilliance of the minds devoted to it.
October 14, 2023
Enjoyed this book.
August 11, 2023
An exceptional memoir.
November 6, 2022
I found this book really interesting, it’s well worth a read!
April 27, 2023
Interesting insight into the development of forensics we now take for granted, and the cases that spawned their necessity.
July 21, 2023
Great to read about the science behind some high profile cases.
September 4, 2023
Easy to read and interesting in how forensics emerged and advanced over the decades.
Subject matter not easy to read about especially as it relates to true crimes.
Subject matter not easy to read about especially as it relates to true crimes.
December 31, 2023
Quite honestly a fascinating and compelling read and a real insight into forensic work in previous high profile cases and how it actually works (vs how it appears to be so cut and dry in TV dramas). Also a very accessible read despite all the complicated science that was explained in a manner that even I could understand. 4 stars 🌟
July 23, 2023
A fascinating insight into the backgrounds and investigations of some of the biggest cases in the UK in recent years. From the body of the little boy in the Thames, to Billie-Jo Jenkins and the 7\7 bombings in London there is lots of forensic detail of how the answers to some of the questions were found.
Not everything ended up with a solution, but life is not always that neat.
A great book for those interested in true crime.
Not everything ended up with a solution, but life is not always that neat.
A great book for those interested in true crime.
May 21, 2023
Comes off as very arrogant, to be honest. And when he claimed to have been brought into a case from Bradford by South Yorkshire Police, I really wanted to bail out. Urgh.
June 10, 2023
Two and a half stars. I picked this up because I enjoy forensic science memoirs—my brain processes them, for reasons unknown, as relaxing reading—and was looking for something straightforward after a couple of less plot-forward pieces of literary fiction. Fysh worked as a forensic scientist in the UK, and in Shallow Graves he details some of the cases he worked on while serving as specialist advisor for major crime, a role created to ease some of the friction between scientists and police.
But if that job description isn't entirely clear to you: It isn't entirely clear to me, either. I'm sure the work Fysh did was important, but I never quite worked out what it involved, beyond setting up meetings and making scathing comments about underpaid lab techs who didn't want to work weekends. And that's okay—the cases are usually the more interesting part anyway—but I tired of the same phrasing over and over (breakthrough, groundbreaking, little did I know), and of people being named and getting disappointed-dad face and finger-wagging when they made decisions other than the ones Fysh would have liked to see. But one person couldn't wait that long before spouting off to the media[...] Not for the first time, the ego and vanity of an academic floored me (233).
There's one moment that I wish had been discussed in more detail—Fysh describes a case that stretched on for almost two decades in which about all the forensic evidence the police had to go on was some DNA...which only solves the case if you can find a match. In this case, they narrowed the DNA profile down to 'Black Caribbean man' but couldn't get all that much further, so they sought to take 'voluntary' (my ass) DNA tests from 1,000 or so Black men in the area.
For obvious reasons, this concerned people. When it emerged that five of the men who'd refused to provide a sample had been arrested, civil rights group Liberty took up the cause (263). But...that's where Fysh leaves it. It feels really odd—he refers to other people's 'initial misgivings about the highly sensitive nature of racial profiling' (262), observes that oh yes! some Black men were arrested for being Black!, and then...moves on. No discussion to the lines of 'I also had ethical concerns' or 'my only problem with this was that it didn't work' or even resolution for the arrested men. It's really odd and leaves me thinking that Fysh's concern was more that the racial profiling hadn't produced the results they'd wanted.
Ultimately just not the book I'd hoped for. I'm clearly in the minority, so I'm sure this will be a better fit for other readers.
But if that job description isn't entirely clear to you: It isn't entirely clear to me, either. I'm sure the work Fysh did was important, but I never quite worked out what it involved, beyond setting up meetings and making scathing comments about underpaid lab techs who didn't want to work weekends. And that's okay—the cases are usually the more interesting part anyway—but I tired of the same phrasing over and over (breakthrough, groundbreaking, little did I know), and of people being named and getting disappointed-dad face and finger-wagging when they made decisions other than the ones Fysh would have liked to see. But one person couldn't wait that long before spouting off to the media[...] Not for the first time, the ego and vanity of an academic floored me (233).
There's one moment that I wish had been discussed in more detail—Fysh describes a case that stretched on for almost two decades in which about all the forensic evidence the police had to go on was some DNA...which only solves the case if you can find a match. In this case, they narrowed the DNA profile down to 'Black Caribbean man' but couldn't get all that much further, so they sought to take 'voluntary' (my ass) DNA tests from 1,000 or so Black men in the area.
For obvious reasons, this concerned people. When it emerged that five of the men who'd refused to provide a sample had been arrested, civil rights group Liberty took up the cause (263). But...that's where Fysh leaves it. It feels really odd—he refers to other people's 'initial misgivings about the highly sensitive nature of racial profiling' (262), observes that oh yes! some Black men were arrested for being Black!, and then...moves on. No discussion to the lines of 'I also had ethical concerns' or 'my only problem with this was that it didn't work' or even resolution for the arrested men. It's really odd and leaves me thinking that Fysh's concern was more that the racial profiling hadn't produced the results they'd wanted.
Ultimately just not the book I'd hoped for. I'm clearly in the minority, so I'm sure this will be a better fit for other readers.
November 24, 2023
Having a huge interest in forensics, when I saw this I knew I had to read it. I didn't expect to be quite so blown away and gripped by the stories within.
Ray Fysh was one of the leading Forensic Scientists in the UK, and was given a unique job at the now defunct Forensic Science Services (FSS)
He details how he came to get this job and how it developed and evolved, via a series of very high profile cases and the incredible intense work involved.
We all know of Sarah Payne, and the arrest of Roy Whiting. It was interesting and reassuring to see how definite the evidence against him was, and how hard they had to work to get there.
One of the best stories is that of 'Adam' a headless, limbless torso of a young boy found in the River Thames. This poor child is still unnamed, unclaimed by any family. However, due to the work undertaken by the FSS, incredible advancements with DNA profiling, the use of plants and isotopes led to many discoveries about where this young boy was from and likely what happened to him.
The hard work involved as the result of the 7/7 and 21/7 failed bombings features, as does the Litvinenko poisoning, and M25 rapist.
I already knew that criminal cases can rest on a knife edge, and a lot of hard work goes into it, I didn't fully realise that techniques were developed throughout cases to help solve them.
If you're interested in true crime, and forensics, this is a must read. Its not told in an overly scientific or academic manner, its easy to follow and a relatively quick read.
Ray Fysh was one of the leading Forensic Scientists in the UK, and was given a unique job at the now defunct Forensic Science Services (FSS)
He details how he came to get this job and how it developed and evolved, via a series of very high profile cases and the incredible intense work involved.
We all know of Sarah Payne, and the arrest of Roy Whiting. It was interesting and reassuring to see how definite the evidence against him was, and how hard they had to work to get there.
One of the best stories is that of 'Adam' a headless, limbless torso of a young boy found in the River Thames. This poor child is still unnamed, unclaimed by any family. However, due to the work undertaken by the FSS, incredible advancements with DNA profiling, the use of plants and isotopes led to many discoveries about where this young boy was from and likely what happened to him.
The hard work involved as the result of the 7/7 and 21/7 failed bombings features, as does the Litvinenko poisoning, and M25 rapist.
I already knew that criminal cases can rest on a knife edge, and a lot of hard work goes into it, I didn't fully realise that techniques were developed throughout cases to help solve them.
If you're interested in true crime, and forensics, this is a must read. Its not told in an overly scientific or academic manner, its easy to follow and a relatively quick read.
January 20, 2024
Ohhh this book was brilliant and completely immersing. Can’t believe I hadn’t read this sooner as I committed the cardinal sin of buying it and then staring at it for a good solid few months on my shelf (okay year) before deciding to delve in. It was a fantastic read.
And so much respect for the author and a greatly written book shining a light on his work and that of the FSS and all those involved in both ground breaking research and difficult crime cases. The focus on each case made for such compelling reading and it’s an all encompassing read that has you hanging off every page and development.
His work as an SA was both vital and groundbreaking in what he managed to bring to the role. It was super interesting to see how he navigated the cases and his experiences from murders, to cases of rape, terrorism and poisonings to name a few. There’s plenty of cases here that the common watcher of news will remember and to see from this perspective was real eye opening.
I couldn’t give this less than 5 stars if I tried. It’s worthy of every single star and more and now I need another book of this like to read because I could have kept reading! The insights are astonishing and truly makes you appreciate and realise all that goes into providing justice for some of the most awful crimes that could be committed. Well done Ray Fysh and kudos on such a trailblazing career!
And so much respect for the author and a greatly written book shining a light on his work and that of the FSS and all those involved in both ground breaking research and difficult crime cases. The focus on each case made for such compelling reading and it’s an all encompassing read that has you hanging off every page and development.
His work as an SA was both vital and groundbreaking in what he managed to bring to the role. It was super interesting to see how he navigated the cases and his experiences from murders, to cases of rape, terrorism and poisonings to name a few. There’s plenty of cases here that the common watcher of news will remember and to see from this perspective was real eye opening.
I couldn’t give this less than 5 stars if I tried. It’s worthy of every single star and more and now I need another book of this like to read because I could have kept reading! The insights are astonishing and truly makes you appreciate and realise all that goes into providing justice for some of the most awful crimes that could be committed. Well done Ray Fysh and kudos on such a trailblazing career!
July 10, 2023
Overall I enjoyed it, but something about it just doesn't sit right with me. Here are a few examples of things I just can't let go of:
- What exactly is his job? It kind of felt like a figure head meets scientist manager meets concierge? Like he has some scientific background, but doesn't do the actual science, and instead finds scientists and tells them what to do. While also going back and forth between saying they're amazing... but also not highly motivated and arrogant.
- The entire book is about seeking justice for victims of crimes, but there's a part where he admits that the police followed, shot, and killed a man just because he happened to live in the same building as their suspect and carry a backpack. He called it a deadly blunder and quickly moved on. That's it? That's all that innocent guy gets?
- The entire vibe felt similar to "pull yourself up by you bootstraps." Like yes, you guys did good work but you don't have to trash others to feel accomplished - those that don't want to work 24/7, academics, etc.
- What exactly is his job? It kind of felt like a figure head meets scientist manager meets concierge? Like he has some scientific background, but doesn't do the actual science, and instead finds scientists and tells them what to do. While also going back and forth between saying they're amazing... but also not highly motivated and arrogant.
- The entire book is about seeking justice for victims of crimes, but there's a part where he admits that the police followed, shot, and killed a man just because he happened to live in the same building as their suspect and carry a backpack. He called it a deadly blunder and quickly moved on. That's it? That's all that innocent guy gets?
- The entire vibe felt similar to "pull yourself up by you bootstraps." Like yes, you guys did good work but you don't have to trash others to feel accomplished - those that don't want to work 24/7, academics, etc.
February 25, 2023
Terrific book that unlike many books on forensic science, is written in an engaging fashion. Lots of characters. The recounting of a research expedition throughout Nigeria would make a book in itself.
Ray doesn't pull his punches though. He is scathing about the Tories deliberate destruction of the Forensic Science Service which continues to place all British citizens at the risk of killers and rapists not being caught. Under his watch the 'civil service' attitude of the FSS changed, ensuring it was available 24x7x365 rather than the 9-5 job that some of its staff thought entailed. Perhaps his greatest contribution was in recognising that there were skills and abilities in amongst the academics across the country that hadn't been exploited for criminal forensic science purposes. Engaging with this community hugely expanded the range of techniques, particularly in the sphere of DNA analysis.
Ray doesn't pull his punches though. He is scathing about the Tories deliberate destruction of the Forensic Science Service which continues to place all British citizens at the risk of killers and rapists not being caught. Under his watch the 'civil service' attitude of the FSS changed, ensuring it was available 24x7x365 rather than the 9-5 job that some of its staff thought entailed. Perhaps his greatest contribution was in recognising that there were skills and abilities in amongst the academics across the country that hadn't been exploited for criminal forensic science purposes. Engaging with this community hugely expanded the range of techniques, particularly in the sphere of DNA analysis.
May 7, 2023
Fysh's account of his time working as a top forensic scientist and special advisor to the Met is well written, with no hint of sensationalism. The subject matter is grimly fascinating and gives a real insight into how forensics are used to uncover the identity of culprits and all crucial evidence. Explanations of forensic analysis and details are presented clearly, but without feeling patronising or dumbed down.
Fysh is an expert in his field, but appears to have remained humble, sincere and unpretentious. His empathy for the victims of crimes and dedication to exploring every possible lead is clear.
Michael Chance is a superb narrator, leading me to search in vain for more audiobooks read by him. Chance's narration is so good that it initially lead me to check if it was read by the author, as the tone was spot on.
Fysh is an expert in his field, but appears to have remained humble, sincere and unpretentious. His empathy for the victims of crimes and dedication to exploring every possible lead is clear.
Michael Chance is a superb narrator, leading me to search in vain for more audiobooks read by him. Chance's narration is so good that it initially lead me to check if it was read by the author, as the tone was spot on.
June 27, 2023
I had seen this book recommended in a magazine and thought I would listen to the audiobook. I tend to enjoy books in this genre.
Ray Fysh is an experienced Forensic Detective and he writes about his career and some of the cases he’s worked on. He covers quite a lot of cases, some are very well known and some I was less familiar with.
I found the book really interesting and it shows the hard work that the Forensic teams do and how instrumental they can be in bringing people to justice.
Although I enjoy books in this genre, I’m not from a scientific background. I found the book easy to understand and I thought terminology was explained in a non patronising way.
The narration was excellent and easy to listen to. The book isn’t narrated by the author but I don’t think it was a bad thing.
If you’re interested in true crime and forensics I definitely recommend this book.
Ray Fysh is an experienced Forensic Detective and he writes about his career and some of the cases he’s worked on. He covers quite a lot of cases, some are very well known and some I was less familiar with.
I found the book really interesting and it shows the hard work that the Forensic teams do and how instrumental they can be in bringing people to justice.
Although I enjoy books in this genre, I’m not from a scientific background. I found the book easy to understand and I thought terminology was explained in a non patronising way.
The narration was excellent and easy to listen to. The book isn’t narrated by the author but I don’t think it was a bad thing.
If you’re interested in true crime and forensics I definitely recommend this book.
July 19, 2023
CAWPILE 9.29
I'm not a huge non-fiction reader and picked this up solely on a whim that I might read a chapter or two before bed as an ongoing read but this book was incredible. I finished it within 3 days of starting and wished it was 200+ pages longer- I devoured this book. You're reading subject matter which can be distressing but it's written in a way that I found profoundly easy and I never felt stupid even when Ray went into scientific detail- that kind of skill of levelling a subject for every reader to understand fully makes nonfiction so much more enjoyable and easy to read.
I know Mr Fysh will probably never see this but thank you sir for your dedication and your service to science, to helping get justice for those who have been harmed and wronged and for the answers you gave families who were left behind with nothing.
I'm not a huge non-fiction reader and picked this up solely on a whim that I might read a chapter or two before bed as an ongoing read but this book was incredible. I finished it within 3 days of starting and wished it was 200+ pages longer- I devoured this book. You're reading subject matter which can be distressing but it's written in a way that I found profoundly easy and I never felt stupid even when Ray went into scientific detail- that kind of skill of levelling a subject for every reader to understand fully makes nonfiction so much more enjoyable and easy to read.
I know Mr Fysh will probably never see this but thank you sir for your dedication and your service to science, to helping get justice for those who have been harmed and wronged and for the answers you gave families who were left behind with nothing.
October 20, 2023
The tone of this book is so weird. The utter distain he has for many of the scientists he worked didn’t endear me to him. Maybe calling the people you manage boffins/anoraks constantly doesn’t go down well idk? Particularly when he’d have nothing to bring to the police if it weren’t for those actually generating the results in the lab… Also it’s not actually clear what his role really is - part police liaison, part manager maybe. I don’t doubt he played an important role in the cases but seems like quite a miscellaneous role.
Overall the tone switches a lot, suddenly singing the praises of certain people, which in some cases reads like an editors addition rather than his actual opinions.
Basically there’s some interesting cases discussed, but Ray lacks the humility that made similar memoirs like Dr Richard Sheppard’s a hit.
Overall the tone switches a lot, suddenly singing the praises of certain people, which in some cases reads like an editors addition rather than his actual opinions.
Basically there’s some interesting cases discussed, but Ray lacks the humility that made similar memoirs like Dr Richard Sheppard’s a hit.
February 12, 2023
Wowowow. I loved every bit of this book, the detail that Ray has gone into and the discussions of all new developments are fascinating. I can get on board with his frustrations with the government closure of the FSS, the closure of the FSS allowed the private forensic company in which I currently work for come to life, but due to difficulties we are now being closed. It’s a very volatile market, governments do not recognise the absolute importance of forensic evidence in the criminal justice system!
I highly recommend this book to anyone, not just those of a forensic/scientific discipline, it’s eye-opening and just purely fascinating. Ray’s ability to explain things in an easy to understand manner is great.
I highly recommend this book to anyone, not just those of a forensic/scientific discipline, it’s eye-opening and just purely fascinating. Ray’s ability to explain things in an easy to understand manner is great.
February 12, 2023
Listened too / Read in one sitting it was so gripping.
This is the first time I’ve read a forensic investigator account and what a listen it was, gripped from the beginning. The cases range from Billie-Jo Jenkins, Sara Payne to the Suicide Bombers of July 2005 with incredible detail on how they got caught and the process of items left at the scenes of crimes.
The only other thing I’ll say is that the government shouldn’t have done what they did in 2011, stupid decision and a costly mistake !
The narrator done an excellent job so much so it seemed like Ray Fysh was telling you this stuff over a pint or two..highly recommended.
Ray I tip my hat at you and your colleagues who worked tirelessly to catch people responsible for the atrocities committed within the pages
This is the first time I’ve read a forensic investigator account and what a listen it was, gripped from the beginning. The cases range from Billie-Jo Jenkins, Sara Payne to the Suicide Bombers of July 2005 with incredible detail on how they got caught and the process of items left at the scenes of crimes.
The only other thing I’ll say is that the government shouldn’t have done what they did in 2011, stupid decision and a costly mistake !
The narrator done an excellent job so much so it seemed like Ray Fysh was telling you this stuff over a pint or two..highly recommended.
Ray I tip my hat at you and your colleagues who worked tirelessly to catch people responsible for the atrocities committed within the pages
August 10, 2023
Such an interesting and gripping read. I loved the level of scientific information, it really made me feel like I learnt something. The way they catch some of these criminals is so fascinating, and something I would never think of. On the same note, the cases themselves were harrowing and detailed. It took me a while to read as I kept having to take a break from the level of information. I’m a seasoned true crimer and even for me the level of detail was sometimes too much, so defo only read this if you can handle cases about children and detailed descriptions of some really harrowing stuff. Overall a really interesting read and would definitely recommend if you are interested in the nuances of forensic science.
November 4, 2023
This is an excellent book and a must read for anyone interested in UK crime. It includes many high profile cases that anyone that took note of UK news will have heard of, e.g. Billy-Jo Jenkins, the thames torso "Adam", Alexander Litvinenko assignation, the London bombings 7/7 and 21/7. It charts Ray's beginning in forensics, to the creation of the world renowned Forensic Science Service. From when forensic science went from proving solved cases, to when it was used to solve cases too. It end with the Tory led goverment decision to close the FSS in 2011 and move to using private companies instead. Reports later in 2019 conclude that UK forensics are much poorer now than when the FSS was around.
December 30, 2023
More interesting than engrossing.
I found it remarkable how small a part forensic science had in solving crime in the 1990’s when the author first took up a senior position coordinating the available skills and techniques to aid ongoing investigations. Prior to that science was simply used to corroborate police findings rather than for discovering evidence.
Much of the book is about how forensic science expanded until it became a mainstay of police work. Often new techniques were specifically developed to help solve notorious crimes and then became established as a new weapon going forward.
There is very little of Mr Fysh’s personal journey which left the book a little dry on occasion, particularly when discussing crimes that didn’t grab my attention.
I found it remarkable how small a part forensic science had in solving crime in the 1990’s when the author first took up a senior position coordinating the available skills and techniques to aid ongoing investigations. Prior to that science was simply used to corroborate police findings rather than for discovering evidence.
Much of the book is about how forensic science expanded until it became a mainstay of police work. Often new techniques were specifically developed to help solve notorious crimes and then became established as a new weapon going forward.
There is very little of Mr Fysh’s personal journey which left the book a little dry on occasion, particularly when discussing crimes that didn’t grab my attention.
May 9, 2024
This was really interesting, looking at the evolution of forensics in the UK, and their relationship with the police, as well as the cases Fysh worked on. It's clear so much good came out of it so I can't say I'm totally shocked the government decided to close the team down in 2012 - Fysh says it himself, they know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
The science is explained in words so that non-science folk like myself can grasp it without breaking out the dictionary. I also appreciated that in between the "big" cases (Sarah Payne, 7/7 etc) there were other less famous ones (but just as important to the victims)
my only criticism would be, don't take a shot every time Fysh says "little did I know..." because you will end up with alcohol poisoning.
The science is explained in words so that non-science folk like myself can grasp it without breaking out the dictionary. I also appreciated that in between the "big" cases (Sarah Payne, 7/7 etc) there were other less famous ones (but just as important to the victims)
my only criticism would be, don't take a shot every time Fysh says "little did I know..." because you will end up with alcohol poisoning.
July 2, 2024
The word “revolutionary” is thrown about too often today, but the work done by the UK’s Forensic Science Service, under Ray Fysh’s leadership, really does seem significant. I liken Shallow Graves to Douglas and Olshaker’s Mindhunter, though the former deals with forensic science as opposed to criminal profiling and is less laborious to read than the latter, focusing primarily on the cases Fysh was involved in and became synonymous with. The biggest compliment I can give is the authors’ ability to explain, in layman’s terms, otherwise complex theories. My only criticism, and it’s something Fysh alludes to a few times throughout, is his giddy enthusiasm which, in relation to what are really horrific crimes, seems a bit insensitive at times.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews