Professor Patricia Wiltshire is a forensic ecologist, botanist, and palynologist, and also has a background in environmental archaeology. She has worked with every police force in the United Kingdom, and on many high-profile cases. She regularly lectures at conferences and scientific meetings all over the world, and is active in research and publishing, as well as university teaching. Wiltshire is an experienced expert witness for both the prosecution and defense, and is a registered expert with the National Crime Agency. She is a fellow of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences, the Royal Society of Biology, and the Linnean Society.
A New York Times Book Review New & Noteworthy Pick
One of Science News' Favorite Science Books of the 2019
"The Nature of Life and Death is one of those extraordinary books
that will appeal to almost everyone. If you're a Mary Roach fan,
fascinated by the macabre and grotesque, you'll get to follow
Wiltshire into mortuaries and watch her pick apart cadavers. If
you're a Lab Girl fan, inspired by stories of women blazing
new trails in science, that's Wiltshire's entire career. If you're
a gardener, you will love knowing how often botany has saved the
day. And if you're a crime fiction fan—well, you've found your new
favorite sleuth." —The Washington Post
"Crabby, brilliant and brittle, but also quite tender when it comes
to the loss and pain of grieving families, Ms. Wiltshire seems to
come straight out of a British detective series. She's an eccentric
who, after proving guilt in an Albanian gang murder, goes home,
puts on her sweat pants, makes herself a dinner of beans and toast
and cuddles with her cat. With a lead character like this, the
science and crimes, while highly readable, are mainly stages and
props for this engaging and enlightening one-woman show." —The
Wall Street Journal
“A British forensic ecologist, Wiltshire studies the natural world
for clues to criminal activity: part Discovery Channel, part
“C.S.I.” Her autobiography will change the way you view your
environment.”—The New York Times Book Review
"Weaving science writing with true crime stories, The Nature of
Life and Death is a must-read for true crime fans who feel burned
out on the genre." —Bustle
"Enjoy this book. It will leave its trace on you." —Science
Magazine
"Fascinating through and through, the tales Wiltshire shares are
worthy of any true-crime novel or TV drama such as
NCIS." —Science News
"Wiltshire writes like the scientist she is...the subject matter is
fascinating, and Wiltshire makes a good case for curiousity as she
steps through the process of tracking details and solving
mysteries." —Outside Magazine
"How this mild-mannered but fiercely dedicated academician came to
muck around in woodlands, bogs, and parks searching for clues that
would otherwise escape the less botanically astute makes for a
fiendishly good memoir. Though many scenes are not for the
fainthearted, Wiltshire's truthful and candid attitude provides a
stellar glimpse into this fascinating field of criminal
investigation." —Booklist
“[The Nature of Life and Death] is reminiscent at times of Mary
Roach’s Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and also the
television show Bones….Fascinating for readers who enjoy science,
including ecology and botany, and who aren’t too
squeamish.” —Library Journal
“An autobiography well supplied with personal opinions along with
entertaining if sometimes squirm-inducing triumps of criminal
investigation.” —Kirkus Reviews
"What is forensice ecology? Wiltshire...answers that question in
her gracefully written first book for a general audience....CSI
fans will be enthralled." —Publishers Weekly
"Worthy of any true-crime novel or TV show, this type of clue
hunting can be very integral in the field of
forensics." —Medical Daily
"This is a deep book, in some respects, but it's also engaging and
delightfully nerdy. No true crime fan should be without it. Science
lovers will relish it. The Nature of Life and Death should not be
left behind." —"Bookworm Sez"
“The Nature of Life and Death draws the reader into the invisible
world of a forensic ecologist who utilizes state-of-the-art science
to solve grisly crimes that would have otherwise been unsolvable.
Fans of true crime such as CSI and Forensic Files will be in for a
treat as Pat gives you a personal glimpse into her world and
philosophy of life.” —Steffanie Strathdee, PhD, and Thomas
Patterson, PhD, coauthors of The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's
Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug
“Capturing and studying the almost-invisible clues that nature
leaves on victim and suspect alike, Wiltshire uses her deep
knowledge of botany and palynology to recreate crime scenes and
establish the guilt—and sometimes innocence—of the accused. The
Nature of Life and Death is a compelling mystery, an ode to the
natural world, and an engrossing account of a female scientist
whose passion, expertise, and deep curiousity created an entirely
new branch of crime solving.” —Cat Warren, author of the New
York Times bestseller What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the
Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World
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