Online information for crime fiction writers?

[Patricia Abbott]

Can anyone tell me if there is an online site that might tell me what bodies dying from various means would look like to the mortician? Or is there a book easily found that does this. I need to know what a drowned body would look like, a drug overdose, a death from smoke inhalation, etc. I have finally written myself into learning some forensic stuff as much as I tried to steer away from it. Thanks.

[Angie]

The Howdunit series has a book called CAUSE OF DEATH that as a fair amount of basic forensic info. Also, I understand there's going to be a forensics seminar coming up in St. Louis. Can't remember the details, but I think I read something about it on DL. I'm sure there's somebody else here with more info!

[Steve Allan]

I just bought Practical Homicide Investigation text book, which has some pretty gruesome pix. I mean very gruesome. But it has a hefty price tag.

[Lee Lofland]

Try Dr. D.P. Lyle's website. He's always happy to answer questions from writers.
www.dplylemd.com

Dr. Lyle and I both have books coming out in the Howdunit series. Doug's is Forensics for Writers and mine is Police Procedure and Investigation, A Guide For Writers. By the way, we are both presenting sessions for SinC's Forensic University.

[Patricia Abbott]

I just ordered a couple from Amazon. Thanks!

[I. J. Parker]

Congrats to both of you, our best sources for this information.  :)

[Tribe]

Patti, two books, but they are visually gruesome: Death Scenes: A Homicide Detective's Scrapbook and Evidence by Luc Sante. Like I said, gruesome...and that's putting it mildly. If you can't find copies, I can always lend you mine.

[Tribe]

Oh, and almost forgot....if you're willing to check something like this out...there's an anthology of shorts by experimental film maker Stan Brakhage...one of those films is titled The Act of Seeing with One’s Own Eyes...which is a short film of an autopsy. I'll betcha netflix has the anthology.

[Patricia Abbott]

Thanks for the recs. You are a compendium of knowledge.
Oh, we saw a good movie tonight. First Snow. Really worth seeing if you have it in you to drive to The Main. Great cast, atmosphere and filmed in New Mexico, which was a nice change.

[QualityBookReviews]

I found the following website pertaining to a death by drowning (forensics) that identifies what they look for to confirm the death was actually caused by drowning http://lifeloom.com/III1Aggrawal.htm
For smoke inhalation try this site www.firefighterclosecalls.com/downloads/eckstein-maniscalcoPDM.pdf see pg s53 of the document (this is a pdf downloadable doc) it tells the signs and symptoms from different types of smoke inhalation.

Terry

[Patricia Abbott]

Wow QualityBookReviews, you are aces. Thanks a million.

[Sylvia Hubbard]

Speaking of resource book, this might be way off but: I just picked up the Encyclopedia of Robberies and they also have Encyclopedia's on serial killing. These books give details about the cases and how it was planned or done.

[Patricia Abbott]

Apparently I have fewer books on technical information than anyone. Shame on me for bluffing my way along.