Forensics For Dummies

479 Pages·2011·6.66 MB·English

by  Douglas P. Lyle

®
Forensics For Dummies

by D. P. Lyle, M. D.
Author of Murder and Mayhem: A Doctor Answers Medical and
Forensic Questions for Mystery Writers
Forensics For Dummies®
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Copyright © 2004 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2004102439
ISBN: 978-0-7645-5580-0
Manufactured in the United States of America
Manufactured in the United States of America
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About the Author
Douglas Lyle was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, where his
childhood interests revolved around football, baseball, and building rockets in
his backyard. The latter pursuit was common in Huntsville during the 1950s
and ’60s because of the nearby NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center.
After leaving Huntsville, he attended college, medical school, and served an
internship at the University of Alabama, which was followed by a residency
in internal medicine at the University of Texas at Houston, and a fellowship
in cardiology at The Texas Heart Institute, also in Houston. During the past
25 years, he has practiced cardiology in Orange County, California.
Dr. Lyle currently is working on his fourth novel and writes “The Doctor Is
In,” a monthly medical and forensic Q & A column that appears in the
newsletters of several regional chapters of Mystery Writers of America.
His book Murder and Mayhem: A Doctor Answers Medical and Forensic
Questions for Mystery Writers is a compilation of the most interesting
questions he’s received through the years. His two thrillers Devil’s
Playground and Double Blind were released in 2003.
Through his Web site The Writers’ Medical and Forensics Lab
(www.dplylemd.com), he works with writers to enrich their understanding of
complex medical and forensic issues in the stories they create. He also has
worked with many published authors and with the writers and producers of
several popular television shows, including Law and Order, Diagnosis
Murder, Monk, Judging Amy, Peacemakers, 1-800-Missing, and CSI: Miami.
In addition to reading and writing, his current interests include blues guitar,
golf, travel, and collecting vintage guitars. He shares his life with Nan and
three cats: Missy (a.k.a. Miss Priss), a gray Abyssinian; Ozzie (a.k.a. Peanut),
an Ocicat who fancies himself a member of the Raptor family; and Bennie
(a.k.a. The Bean), a Bengal who is nocturnal to a fault.
(a.k.a. The Bean), a Bengal who is nocturnal to a fault.
Dedication
I dedicate this book to all who are driven by curiosity and a need to know
more. My sincerest hope is that this work both scratches and stimulates that
itch.
Author’s Acknowledgments
This book would not have been possible without the help of many people. To
each I give my sincerest thanks.
My agent and friend, Kimberley Cameron with Reece Halsey North. From
Wiley Publishing, Inc., my very patient editors, Traci Cumbay and Kathy
Cox, who worked diligently to bring this project to fruition. Their
professionalism, guidance, and enthusiasm have proven invaluable.
My parents, Victor and Elaine, who not only gave a lifetime of guidance and
support but also paid for my education. My sisters, Vicki, a talented and
professional teacher, and Melinda, an artist in a wide variety of areas.
Nan, my better half, who gave me support and allowed me the freedom to
pursue the madness of writing and who provided the illustrations for this
book. Our feline children, Missy, Peanut, and Bennie, who always make me
laugh.