Forensics and Fiction

by: D.P. Lyle, M.D.

Published by: St. Martin's Minotaur

Reviewed by Andrea Sisco

Forensics and Fiction is fascinating! Dr. D.P. Lyle has taken a simple idea and made it into a fun, fact-filled book of interest to mystery and crime writers as well as the general public.

It never occurred to me that if I wanted to write a mystery and kill someone in an odd or unusual way, there was someone ‘in the know’ that I could call upon to answer my question about how to ‘do it.’

The questions in Dr. Lyle’s book were submitted by authors and aspiring authors. It’s a must-have resource if you’re going to write a crime novel. The sometimes complex questions are answered in a simple and straightforward manner.

Questions asked involve amnesia, memory loss, survival in the desert following an auto accident, gunshot treatment for a hand wound, ruptured brain aneurysm, merciful way to kill someone with a knife, folk remedies to control bleeding, smallpox outbreaks on a sailing ship—and so much more. You really have to read it to believe it. And once you open the pages, you’ll be hooked. Even if you never write a thriller, you’ll have so much interesting medical trivia at your disposal, you’ll be able to entertain everyone at parties.

Armchair Interviews says: Everyone will enjoy Forensics and Fiction, but writers will love it!

Author’s Web site: http://www.dplylemd.com