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The Natural History of Crime

Case Studies in Death and the Clues Nature Leaves Behind

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The Natural History of Crime

By: Patricia Wiltshire
Narrated by: Charlotte Strevens
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About this listen

AS SEEN IN THE SUNDAY TIMES, THE UK'S NO.1 FORENSIC ECOLOGIST LOOKS AT HER MOST HIGH-PROFILE AND INTERESTING CASES...

'I love puzzles, and finding answers is the only truly enjoyable part of what I do.'

Professor Patricia Wiltshire is a forensic ecologist, her days spent at crime scenes collecting samples, standing over dead bodies in a mortuary, or looking down her microscope for evidence.

Working at the interface of where the criminal and natural world interact, Patricia has been involved in some of the most high-profile murder cases. Now, through a study of her most infamous, and fascinating cases - including the murder of Sarah Payne, and the Soham murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman - Patricia will show us how she finds the answers to some of the worst crimes imaginable. Not only does she help the police solve crimes and give answers to the most bemusing circumstances, she can help to exonerate the innocent and enable confessions from the guilty.

In The Natural History of Crime we join Patricia in putting the puzzle together, teasing the evidence out of her cases and showing us all how life and death have always been, and always will be, intertwined. Nature has given us a messy, imperfect world, but her job is to help make sense of it when we need it to most.

©2024 Patricia Wiltshire (P)2024 Bonnier Books UK Murder Social Sciences True Crime Inspiring Forensics

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Pat Wiltshire is someone girls should be learning about at school, and women should be looking up to as an example of how your life and career can keep expanding as you age and grow.

I’m interested in the forensic and policing elements of Pat’s work, but there is so much more to this book that just a few high profile case and solved murders (although that is fascinating too).

The narrator is excellent - Pat is Welsh and her gorgeous voice is a joy to listen to (download her Desert Island Discs for the real thing) and the narrator captures her voice and her personality beautifully, in a way that is difficult to achieve for a book not read by the author.

I have bought copies of both Pat’s books to give to friends as they make excellent gifts for interested minds.

Brings a completely fresh take on the world around us

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A great book, full of interesting information about crimes even if you are not normally interested in plants and fauna. I didn’t realise how important these can be.
The narrater had a lovely welsh lilt which added to the pleasure of the book. The author came across as super intelligent and delightfully dotty!

A brilliant listen!

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Professor Wiltshire is fascinating and brilliant, and the narrator is wonderful! I learned so much! I had no idea botany could have such an impact on criminal investigation!

Fascinating

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I had such high hopes for this book, it's such an intriguing topic but unfortunately if you want to learn about forensic ecology this is not the right book for it. This book is roughly 20% discussion of the forensic methods, 20% half-explained example cases, and 60% complaining about her colleagues and "kids these days". The cases she does cover are presented as meandering, chopped-up segments interspersed with tangents. On multiple occasions she apologises for including "boring" science-y details, or makes vague allusions to crime scene details the she "may write about one day...". No, Patricia, those are the bits we WANT to hear, not another anecdote about your cat, or how a crime scene manager failed to realise that you were the most important expert.

I had hoped (especially given the book's title) for some background on the subject in general, the development of techniques and how it evolved out of earlier forensic techniques - but this is not a book about forensic palynology, it is a book about Patricia Wiltshire. I don't doubt she's excellent at what she does, I would absolutely want her in my corner at a court case: but I'd be happy to never read another book by her.

"Why everyone working in forensics is stupid except for me"

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For a very interesting book.
I am sorry that despite all vast knowledge and skills women like Patricia have still to prove their worth and be subjected to chauvinistic attitudes.
It is also upsetting that the system of police investigation and barristers work can not be trusted completely - because of the amount of mistakes, bad education, bias and simple laziness.
I hope the author has a school of forensic scientists or at least one pupil.
It s also vey touching how she loves her cat.

Thank you

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This is an interesting book but the author comes across as incredibly self important….. I always find this so disappointing….. to the point of almost being unlistenable to

Interesting

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Narrator’s voice is incredibly irritating unfortunately. The last book by this author was read by whom it was written. So much better.

Writer’s work is always compelling

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thoroughly enjoyed this book. fascinating how pollen, grains spores etc are used forensically to determine all sorts of things.

excellent listen.

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A brilliant and easy-to-understand account of forensic ecology. The author goes into some detail, using criminal cases she was involved in to underline the huge importance of her work. Loved every word. Loved understanding her process, her skills and knowledge, and sometimes her irritations at those blocking her way to achieving solid results. You don’t need an understanding of science or botany, or even of crime. The author guides you through all of this brilliantly. Fascinating.

Fascinating

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After I read Unnatural Causes by Dr Richard Shephard I had hoped this book with give me an insight into pathology from a different angle. It sounded fascinating. I found this book completely unlistenable. The author couldn’t finish a point without telling us some random fact about her life that seemed out of place. She has clearly had a rough time in the system and her places of work proving her worth but I found her repeatedly telling me that she was amazing and groundbreaking a bit dull. She explains that she used a stainless steel dish, then would go off on one about how the industry uses cardboard now. It didn’t have anything to do with the incredibly horrific story she was telling about a baby’s post mortem. After 3 hours she hadn’t helped solve a case, all I learnt is a bunch of Latin plant names that went in one ear and out the other, that she holds a pretty low regard for other professionals she has encountered, and that she has the world’s best husband.

DNF - Too Many Tangents!

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