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Rex Ferguson, Melissa M. Littlefield, and James Purdon, editors, The Art of Identification: Forensics, Surveillance, Identity

Rex Ferguson, Melissa M. Littlefield, and James Purdon, editors, The Art of Identification:... Book Reviews statistics that allow not only testing against available data but also predictions about unknown offenders. The heavy use of statistical methods entails a certain technicality and requires commitment; the density of citation is impressive, sometimes overwhelming; language and style are clinical and at times repetitive, which might alienate casual readers. This, however, is the sign of a methodical process and certainly helps to manage the statistical data which often deals with variations of the same or similar sounding properties and populations. In this respect, it seems slightly unfortunate that the tables presenting the data in a visual format are located almost exclusively in the third section. While they are most beneficial here, cross-reference from where the populations are discussed individually during the preceding chapters would have been of help to the statistically challenged reader. Those readers will be pleased, however, that despite not itself relying on individual case studies, the book nevertheless features a welcome set of fourteen illustrative examples scattered throughout, well balanced between infamous and lesser-known offenders. In conclusion, precisely because it explores the multidimensionality of murder, Serial and Mass Murder offers detailed and above all differentiated insights into a still not fully understood phenomenon http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Crime Fiction Studies Edinburgh University Press

Rex Ferguson, Melissa M. Littlefield, and James Purdon, editors, The Art of Identification: Forensics, Surveillance, Identity

Farmer, Emily
Crime Fiction Studies , Volume 3 (1): 4 – Mar 1, 2022
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Publisher
Edinburgh University Press
Copyright
Copyright © Edinburgh University Press
ISSN
2517-7982
eISSN
2517-7990
DOI
10.3366/cfs.2022.0062
Publisher site
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Abstract

Book Reviews statistics that allow not only testing against available data but also predictions about unknown offenders. The heavy use of statistical methods entails a certain technicality and requires commitment; the density of citation is impressive, sometimes overwhelming; language and style are clinical and at times repetitive, which might alienate casual readers. This, however, is the sign of a methodical process and certainly helps to manage the statistical data which often deals with variations of the same or similar sounding properties and populations. In this respect, it seems slightly unfortunate that the tables presenting the data in a visual format are located almost exclusively in the third section. While they are most beneficial here, cross-reference from where the populations are discussed individually during the preceding chapters would have been of help to the statistically challenged reader. Those readers will be pleased, however, that despite not itself relying on individual case studies, the book nevertheless features a welcome set of fourteen illustrative examples scattered throughout, well balanced between infamous and lesser-known offenders. In conclusion, precisely because it explores the multidimensionality of murder, Serial and Mass Murder offers detailed and above all differentiated insights into a still not fully understood phenomenon

Journal

Crime Fiction Studies – Edinburgh University Press

Published: Mar 1, 2022

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