If you’ve ever watched a character in a TV show reconstruct a skull and produce a near-instant match of a victim’s face before the credits roll at the end, you might be forgiven for thinking facial reconstruction is a quick, reliable way to identify missing persons and solve crimes. The reality, however, is quite different.
Realistically, forensic investigation extends far beyond the confines of a movie or a short television episode. It requires time, patience, and a dedication application of scientific knowledge and skills acquired through extensive study, collaboration, and hands-on practical experience. Practitioners rely on a wealth of detailed scientific and anatomical data to inform their work–work that may take weeks or months or years to resolve. One such resource is the text Craniofacial Anatomy and Forensic Identification by Gloria Nusse.
If you’re wondering why a blog like this would be talking about a resource published by an academic press and intended for students and scholars in forensic-focused career fields, it’s because there’s a connection between the worlds of science and mystery fiction.
Forensic fiction is an emerging subgenre of crime fiction that extends and reframes the boundaries of traditional mystery fiction through the inclusion of accurate scientific methods in data-driven plots. If you’re attracted to mysteries featuring protagonists who use their knowledge and skill in forensic science to solve the mystery, then you might be interested in fiction by Patricia Cornwell, Tess Gerritsen, Karin Slaughter, and Jonathan Kellerman, just to name a few.
Good writing demands authentic details. Writers of medical thrillers, police procedurals, legal drama, detective fiction, and even science fiction will find this text an invaluable reference for their work.
Readers recognize–and appreciate–realism and suspense in well-developed mystery fiction. Skim the reviews of bestselling crime fiction, and you’ll find comments proving readers appear increasingly knowledgeable of scientific procedures involved in solving crimes. And because they’re reading (as opposed to watching a short television episode) they have time to immerse themselves in the details. As writers, then, we build credibility through accuracy in details–and we get those details through works like those by Gloria Nusse.
Reading academic texts can be a daunting experience for many, particularly when the subject is highly technical or unfamiliar. The author acknowledges this and offers a straightforward suggestion in the preface that will be helpful to students, writers, and readers alike:
Anatomy has a language all its own. This language is very logical, and most of all, descriptive. I have attempted to present this language in the most available and accessible terms. Reading an anatomical text from beginning to end can be arduous at best and interminably confusing at worst. It is OK to skip around and look for what you desire to see.
Synopsis:
Our bodies record what happens to us physically throughout our lives. This is illustrated by the simple appearance of scars from injuries sustained years, and even decades ago. Evidence such as scars also tells us how we used our joints or may have injured them as children and adults. Our bodies conform to the environment in which we live, both outside and inside. By examining and observing these key clues, a forensic investigator can reveal the unique character that tells the story of a person’s life and death.
Craniofacial Anatomy and Forensic Identification is an atlas that covers all aspects of facial reconstruction and anatomy of the head and neck, such as facial expression and the anatomic basis for facial development, along with the effects of muscle movement. Written by a world-renowned forensic artist with decades of experience as a scientific illustrator as well as a portraitist, anthropologist, and lecturer in anatomy and biology, the author is as much a scientist as an artist.
- Comprehensively addresses the history of facial reconstruction, facial development, muscle movements, and bone physiology used by forensic artists and forensic anthropologists
- Demonstrates techniques in mold making and sculpting to bring the body to life
- Includes images from cadaver labs and recent case studies
- Provides detailed anatomy of vessels and nerves found in the face including the eyes
- Details the muscles, ligaments and tissues down to the skull
- Describes the changing face as it ages
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Genre: Non-Fiction, True Crime, Published by: Academic Press Publication Date: October 13, 2022 Number of Pages: 302 ISBN: 9780128092880 (ISBN10: 0128092882) Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | ThriftBooks | Goodreads | ScienceDirect | Walmart | Elsevier
About the author: Gloria Nusse is a forensic artist, anatomist and anthropologist. She has aided in identification of unidentified remains and return 14 plus persons to their families. As well she has recreated the faces of ancient peoples of the Middle East, as well as recreations of the crystal skull for National Geographic among others. Her work has been featured on 48 Hours, Forensic Files, Dateline, National Geographic specials, Unsolved History and others. She worked as a scientific artist for over 35 years and has taught human dissection and anatomy at San Francisco State University for 12 years (currently Emeritus).
She has authored and co-authored several journal articles and chapters for various publications. She was the invited speaker for the Chalmers Historical Address for the Association of Oral and Maxillary surgeons meeting in 2013. As well she has taught many workshops for professionals, including the FBI. You can catch up with Gloria Nusse on LinkedIn.
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Thank you so much for featuring Craniofacial Anatomy and Forensic Identification, Susan! I absolutely loved your take on how academic texts like this one support authentic, suspenseful mystery fiction. It’s exactly what writers need!
Gloria is offering a 1-hour class on this book later this month, we hope to see you there! 📖✨
The class sounds exciting–there’s so much to learn!
The text is a fascinating resource, isn’t it? I took Gloria’s advice and focused on specific sections that seemed most relevant to me. I recommend that approach to anyone interested in learning more. ~Susan
Wow, a great review. I am not a writer or in the medical field, and yet this book sounds so interesting, even to me.
Glad you liked the review, Wendy. I’ve never worked in a medical field, either, and this text inspired me to delve into learning about forensic studies. I hope others find it equally useful! ~Susan
Fascinating information!
Thanks for your comment. I found the case studies particularly fascinating, as well as the section about how grave goods and artifacts can help in identifying remains.
There’s a line in Chapter 7 that will likely stay with me as I write: “Identification is like a twisting algorithm that changes with each additional piece of information.”
~Susan
Fascinating!
Thanks for your comment, Jack.
I believe this text will be useful for people of many professions. For example, writers of any genre will appreciate the information about facial muscles, universal emotional expressions, and how those expressions typically appear. Very useful guide! ~Susan