Crime in Fact and Fiction

Block, Brian P.

• Publisher: Waterside Press
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781909976221
• eBook ISBN: 9781906534356
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Criticism in Drama
• Index: Literature

This intriguing book highlights differences in how crime is portrayed in the arts compared to reality, focusing on the roles of the police, courts and forensic investigators. Of interest to criminologists, sociologists, lawyers and other criminal justice personnel, it will also appeal to anyone interested in crime and punishment. What we see or read in the media follows a formula inviting suspension of disbelief. It is a long way from what happens in real life and the book contains vivid examples, contrasts and comparisons. As the author points out, from Shakespeare to Harold Pinter, Dickens to P D James and as between authors, dramatists and filmmakers of all kinds the rules are frequently broken by dramatic licence, structural demands, the need for a good ending and entertainment. A book to read, enjoy and learn a great deal from: whether it is Agatha Christie Dixon of Dock Green, Patricia CornwellKavanagh QC, Kathy Reichs, Sherlock Holmes, Waking the Dead, García Márquez, A Touch of FrostEdgar Allan Poe, Heartbeat or lesser known writers, works or fictional creations. A closely observed account by someone who served at a senior level as a magistrate and scientist which highlights differences between real life and fiction concerning criminal processes. Contains instructive and entertaining examples making it readable, accessible and ideal for seasoned practitioners, students and beginners.

Index

A

accident 116

accuracy 78

accusatorial/adversarial system 18, 73, 105, 103–107

acquittal 20, 82, 83

action 29

alibi 39, 76, 77, 82, 90

Allingham, Margery 42

All My Sons 87

anatomy 112

anatomical pathology 115

anger 78

anthropology 119

anti-Semitism 94

archaeology 111

arsenic 115, 123

Arsenic and Old Lace 124

arson 99

Attorney General 98

Attwood, Margaret 85

Austin, Jane 85

autopsy 116, 118, 130, 141

Avery, MacLeod and McCarty 113

B

bacteria 113

Baker Street 36

barristers 67, 91, 99–107

barristers as actors 78

Belgium 38

Bell, Dr Joseph 35

Bennett, Arnold 39

Bertillon, Alphonse 112

Bidoo, Govard 112

Bill, The 55

biochemistry 114

biology 112, 114

blood

blood groups 111, 112, 125

blood pattern analysis 126

blood splatter 9, 115

Blue Lamp, The 53, 141

body 118

body parts 116

body temperature 111

Bologna 112

boredom 78

brain tissue 129

Bramah, Ernest 47

Brecht, Bertholt 97

Brennan, Temperance 120

bribery 55

Brides in the Bath murder 111

Broadchurch 60

brutality 119, 135

bullets 125, 131

plastic bullets 29

Bullingham, Mr Justice 80

burglary 76

C

Cambridge University 114

Campion, Al...

Table of contents

• Copyright and publication details
• About the author
• Dedication
• Introduction
• THE POLICE
• COURTS AND TRIALS
• FORENSIC SCIENCE
• A SUMMING UP
• Index