This is a place of mystery...a sanctuary. Every book, every volume you see here has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens.

Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Shadow of the Wind

Dear Reader

Welcome to BookCrossing if it is your first time here. I am really pleased that you found this book. It is a gift from me to you. If you wish you may hold on to it but I hope that you will pass it on, either to a friend or loved one, or by leaving it to be found again. That way our book will be on an adventurous journey which we can follow as it gets passed along.

In the meantime, did you read the book? What did you think of it? Also, what do you think of the idea of BookCrossing? Feel free to write any thoughts when you come back to make a release note for this book.

While you are here, why not take a look around our website? It is completely free to register and, if you do so, you will receive email alerts when this book is found again. I would be delighted if you wish to mention me, shelj7k, as the member who introduced you.

All best wishes

Step past the flashing police lights and enter the world of a real crime scene with this unflinching account of life as an American Crime Scene Investigator (CSI).

Whether talking about rigor mortis or the art of finger-printing a stiff corpse on the side of the road, Dana Kollman details her unvarnished experiences as a CSI for the Baltimore County Police Department. She recounts stories that the cops and the CSIs usually leave in the field, bringing the sights, smells and sounds of a crime scene alive as never before. Kollmann's gritty forensic facts explain what really goes on behind the scenes.

Never Suck a Dead Man's Hand takes you into the strange world on the other side of the crime scene tape and gives you an eye-opening and unforgettable perspective on the day-to-day life of a CSI.

Never Suck a Dead Man's Hand is off on a bookring.

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The usual bookring requests stand for this book.
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So please...

1. Make a journal entry when you receive the book
2. PM the next on the list to check their current address
3. Read it within 3-4 weeks
4. Let us all know your thoughts
5. ENJOY!!!

N/B This is not the final mailing order.

1. teenie-k (Canada) Mail US/Canada <---Done!
2. NMReader (USA) Mail US <--- Done!
3. mellion108 (USA) Mail Int'l <--- Done!
4. oldreader (USA) Mail US <--- Done!
5. innae (USA) Mail Int'l <--- Done!
6. wickedlazy (UK) <--- Done!
7. mafarrimond (UK) Mail Int'l <--- Done!
8. Icila (France) Mail Int'l <--- Done!
9. shelj7k (Ireland) Home

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:



The book begins its journey. I hope you all enjoy it!

Arrived safely in the mail today. I will try to get it read and moving on as quick as I can!

Thanks shelj7k!

A quirky interesting look at real world crime scene techs. Sometimes funny, sometimes morbid, and sometimes just plain gross. A good read.

I have PM'd NMReader for an address to move this ring along, and will try to post it soon after getting the address.

Thanks Shelj7k for the great bookring!

This book was posted today to NMReader.

Thanks sheljk for this interesting bookring!

Happy Reading!

book recieved. Looking forward to reading

Not totally what I expected.

I enjoyed the book but surprised but the authors attitude in places. I think it gives a much better view into the world of CSI labs.

Thanks for sharing

Thanks for sharing the book, shelj7k, and thanks to NMReader for sending it my way. The book is here safe and sound. I should be able to start reading it this week. I have oldreader's address and will mail the book as soon as I've finished. Thanks!

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Trade paperback, 297 pages

Loved it! This is a down-to-earth read, and I enjoy peeking in on Dana's experiences out in the field as a CSI. I was a social worker for years doing community-based work in people's homes, and I can relate to the dark humor that is necessary to remain sane in those types of jobs. I was both amused and saddened by the bit about "Frodo" and his imaginary wife.

I wonder how the neighbors feel about Dana's and Bob's experiments with buried stuff on the property?

Great, light read that avoids technical "serious" science. Thanks for the chance to read this!

I have oldreader's addy and my plan is to ship this book out during the coming week.

UPDATE: I mailed this today to oldreader. Delivery Conf. #0309 1830 0001 0655 1893

Enjoy!

arrived today thanks.Will start immediately.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Great read.Very entertaining and a bit educational.Think I will keep my present job,haha.

you have found a bookcrossing book.This is a free site that tracks the books as they travel.Please journal this when you find it and after reading.
You may remain anonymous.

on the way to innae.

The book has made it to Colorado, and as the book I am reading now is dull...I am going to start reading this one instead!! :-)

I have wickedlazy's address, but I am still reading. Just wanted to check in to say...I just purchased 2 copies of this book. One to pass around the lab (because it is just so true...I am finding myself saying YES to more than one comment -- although I personally have never (nor will I) suck a dead man's hand -- i did see it coming as I was reading the story. "huffing" does really work...though I have only used it on glass and the like), and one to keep for myself.

I have finished and will get this book headed out soon...

As already mentioned, I did enjoy the tales Dana had to share -- although many of them were her own dang fault (the cockroaches falling on her head is still creeping me out though) -- I marked a few things near the beginning with sticky notes, but quickly stopped, as I would have marked most of the book.

But, the things I did mark are:
on page xii - i didn't get very far before something struck me...

"the Fourth of July fireworks to take me back to the time when they misfired and landed in a crowd of spectators" -- she is talking about why she left, and what she will get back -- that fireworks will just be pretty...so, the fourth of July that strikes me is...i was working with my good friend Wendy J, and we got a call, just after we had watched the fireworks the city we work for so nicely send off every year -- I was headed to a local park where a shooting (and come to find out a death) had occurred -- while I was heading out in the crazy traffic around the department (lots of people come to watch the fireworks), she got the call to head over to where they had been shooting of the explosives, to photograph the injuries caused when one of the fireworks didn't go up, but out.

Second thing I marked...on page xv.. she is talking about her polygraph experience. I have had three (one for dispatch at the college police, one for dispatch at the city, and one for the lab at the city) -- and well, they aren't like they show on TV. Her story was good -- and my stolen things were grapes at the grocery store...and my polygrapher almost forgot to say "except what we have talked about", and I started to look at him (you aren't supposed to do that) -- and then he remembered. what fun they are...might be the reason I have stayed where I am for 11 years, I don't want to take another one :-).

The third thing I marked is on page 1, the first paragraph of her first chapter. NO -- no I don't watch CSI, no I can't get fingerprints off a rock, and no, I won't show you my gross pictures (that last one is mine...and it comes from a few close friends who really wanted to see my book -- I have collected some pictures and their stories for when I go and "teach" about what I do -- out of the three who wanted to see them, only one (an OR nurse) was able to handle them all -- trust me, you don't want to see them...:-)

Okay, that was all I marked, I would have kept on, but, as you can tell, I already have a few stories....so, to end this overly long journal entry, I thought I would tell my favorite story -- I call it "The Samurai brothers"

I got called to an apartment because there was a large amount of blood. The officers didn't think there was anything criminal, but --

now my thoughts are, a lot of blood...right. usually that means a few drops in several locations and the officers are screaming "there is blood everywhere" -- and while they may be accurate, it is not a lot of blood. Now this scene -- now that was a lot of blood. There was blood all over the linoleum in the kitchen, in the dining area, on the carpet...it really was everywhere and there was a lot of it. Looked like someone had been killed on the kitchen table.

Here is how it happened...two young men (in their 20's) were drinking and having a good time. They decided they would like to be blood brothers -- but they didn't want to just use a pocket knife....so they pulled out the Samurai sword on display in the living room. Boy #1 cuts his arm with the SHARP sword, and hands the knife to Boy #2. Boy #2 cuts his arm. Boy #1 says "Hey, you cut yourself deeper, give me the sword" and Boy #1 cuts himself again. Boy #2 says "Hey, you have two cuts, give me the sword" and cuts himself again. this goes back and forth for a bit before one of them decides there is too much blood and calls for an ambulance. Surprisingly, neither of these lovely young men would let me photograph them when I got to the hospital,in fact they were quite irate. sigh.

Anyway, I have added a few of my business cards in with the book, just because I have a ton of them, and the phone number is wrong (didn't notice that until recently...good thing CSI don't hand them out that often) -- I hope everyone else enjoys the book, it really is quite accurate :-)

Safely received last night and consumed in one sitting - I couldn't put it down! Dana is witty and writes clearly, and the subject matter is fascinating to me. If I'd had any idea of the world of forensic science when I was in school I would have gone down that route for a job. I don't think it was invented then though ;)

edited, innae I just read your JE, love it!! I wondered who the cards belonged to, I will keep one for a bookmark.

I also kind of work within the criminal justice sector, my company provides housing for people being released on bail and I risk assess the applications. Dana is right when she explains that eventually all the crime scenes meld into one - our "service users" all become one smack-using, alcoholic, wife beating shoplifter :( Luckily for me I dont have to meet any of them face to face, except one time when I was summond by a Judge to come to court and explain why I'd rejected someone's application. That was interesting!

PMing the next in line today.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

to be posted this morning.

The book has arrived safeluy. I will get to it as soon as I can.

Thanks mafarimond, the postwoman delivered me this morning along with "the Shortest distance between two men".

Very interesting !
You need nerves and humour to be a crime scene investigator.
Thanks for sharing.
The book w'll be back soon at home. ;)

On its way back to shelj7k.

The book has arrived home. Thanks to everybody who took part in this bookring. I only skimmed through the book myself before it went on its journey, so now I am looking forward to reading it thoroughly myself.

Just to let you know, I've never forgotten this book, I enjoyed it that much. So much so that earlier this year I bought my own copy to keep 😀