His & Hearse Press<p><a href="https://c.im/tags/AmReading" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AmReading</span></a>: The Nature of Life and Death: Every Body Leaves a Trace by Patricia Wiltshire</p><p>“We all leave our marks on the environment, but the environment leaves its mark on us too…”</p><p>Turns out you’ll never get away with the perfect crime if this lady has anything to say about it. She’s a forensic ecologist, botanist, and archeological palynologist. </p><p>What does that even mean?!</p><p>Patricia Wiltshire is one of the leading experts in the study of plants, pollen, fungi, spores, and how they provide crucial evidence in criminal investigations. Her book weaves science lessons with personal anecdotes, explaining how these innocuous materials have determined the fates of many a court case. </p><p>I had absolutely no clue how specific the evidence could get. Locations can be pinpointed with unnerving accuracy. Witness accounts can be proven or disproven. Missing bodies can be found based off microscopic debris on the gas pedal of a car. </p><p>This is a great book for anyone who wants to get into the weeds (see what I did there?) of forensic and plant related minutiae. It’s VERY sciencey. Be prepared to read pages about the differences between types of pollen, but the overall picture is fascinating. The author also relays the events of her life that led her into such an unusual field (that’s another pun). Some of her stories are a bit gruesome, but if you’re reading forensic type books for fun, that’s probably what you expect. </p><p><a href="https://c.im/tags/HisAndHearsePress" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>HisAndHearsePress</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Bookstodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Bookstodon</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Bookwyrm" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Bookwyrm</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/BookRecommendations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>BookRecommendations</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/BookReader" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>BookReader</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Forensics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Forensics</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/CrimeSceneInvestigation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CrimeSceneInvestigation</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Palynology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Palynology</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Botany" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Botany</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/TrueCrime" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>TrueCrime</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/WomenInSTEM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WomenInSTEM</span></a></p>