Murder and Matchmaking

Murder and Matchmaking
A novel mashup of Sherlock Holmes and Pride & Prejudice

Sunday, October 17, 2010

My First Forensic Alphabet

After witnessing my young son's worrying insistance on running off with my forensic textbooks, I decided to take matters in hand. I have no desire to curb his enthusiasm for learning about this fascinating field but thought perhaps it was best to create a book with text and pictures more appropriate for a two-year old budding investigator.

I've decided that every Monday I shall share our forensic fun with the blogosphere. Happily some of Dom's teddy bears have helped us stage pictorial illustrations to accompany some of the terms. Join us each week as we learn our ABC's of crime detection and analysis.

MY FIRST FORENSIC ALPHABET



A is for AUTOPSY

Examining bodies, also known as post mortems,
As murder speaks through our miraculous organs.



B is for BALLISTICS

When bullets are fired down the barrel of a gun,
Grooves called striations are etched in each one.


C is for CONTACT TRACES

As Locard said, ‘every contact leaves a trace’,
Like jam-sticky fingers smeared all over the place.


D is for DNA

Deoxyribonucleic Acid in a helix that’s double,
Leaving hair, blood or semen can get you in trouble.

11 comments:

Matt said...

If Dom developed a CSI level obsession with not leaving evidence of his adventures we'd have a much cleaner, though possibly bleach-stained, house :-)

Debbie Cowens said...

True. I wouldn't trust him with the bleach at the moment. Maybe they make toddler-sized latex gloves?

Giffy said...

So, so good.

JournoMich said...

This is wonderful! I wish I could hear some of the conversations you all have. He sounds like a really incredible kid.

Michele
SouthernCityMysteries

Debbie Cowens said...

Thanks for the comments Giffy and Michele! :-)

Unknown said...

As long as he doesn't start autopsying your pets, I think it's great.

CD

Debbie Cowens said...

Heh. I think the cat is safe for now. I do remember that as a child, my best friend and I went to a phrase of roaming around looking for dead animals and bugs to practise our dissection skills. I don't think her mum was thrilled when she discovered we were using her kitchen knives to hack up dead worms and things.

Debbie Cowens said...

I should also point out (just in case grandmothers start to worry that I'm warping my child with an unhealthy forensics obsession) that he is considerably more obsessed with cook books. If he spots any recipe book, he seize and carries it off to thoroughly scruntinise every page. I'm hoping this will lead to having an accomplished young chef in the house to cook delicious foods for me in the near future. :-)

Matt said...

I'm pretty sure his Science Teacher grandmother would heartily approve of any dissection of *already dead* bugs and animals.

I'd agree though that his obsession with cook books is far more promising :-)

macow said...

His Science teacher grandmother will be very amused when he combines the dissecting AND the cooking! worm meringues anyone? or mice pies?

Debbie Cowens said...

I sincerely hope that these two areas of interest will be kept separate, but I'll be checking any snacks he prepares for bugs and worms just in case.