Forensic psychologists can play an important role in the capture and conviction of criminals, and this title in the Odysseys in Crime Scene Science series investigates the many sides of this profession. Using evidence and research, a forensic psychologist can construct a profile for a criminal that reveals his or her motive, behavior, and likely geographic location. Such information greatly helps investigators refine their search and catch the perpetrator. Bodden methodically lays out her subject in precise, accessible writing that employs copious real-world examples, favoring cases of serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy. Inherently fascinating, these stories serve to clarify the main text, not to sensationalize it. Chapters delve into the criminal mind, inductive versus deductive reasoning, forensic psychology in court, and forensic science's depiction in fiction and pop culture.

Each volume covers practices and professions related to forensics. Step-by-step accounts explain how crime-scene investigators perform autopsies, process physical and computer evidence, analyze the materials they collect, and create psychological profiles. Thorough texts, placed in the center of pages surrounded by plenty of white space, are accompanied by large glossy photographs of investigators and criminals (both real and fictional). Websites. Bib., glos., ind.