The Forensic Psychologist's Casebook: Psychological Profiling and Criminal Investigation

For a researcher the book provides an excellent look at the current and past research literature and for a clinical practitioner it also gives insight to these issues through several case examples. This is also one of the only books to advice a forensic psychologist on how to actually provide investigatory advice in terms of writing a report etc. Further, it discusses several important ethical issues with regard to working on this field and also highlights the controversial differences between psychology and law.

In the final chapter the author looks back on the last decade and underlines some future directions on how law and forensic psychology should continue on building up a mutual history. Overall, the content of the book is a fresh spring shower for everyone working on this difficult but interesting field of science and encourages us to continue.


A must-have item for serious forensic psychologists   June 24, 2005
13 out of 14 found this review helpful

This is a must-have for those who are interested in the forensic field, academics and practitioners alike. This book is a collection of contemporary issues in the forensic setting, ranging widely from profiling, suspect prioritization, crime analysis issues, police interviewing, to understand and prevent police corruption, working with courts, rhetorical shaping in undercover operation, issues about reliability of vulnerable witness, guidelines for profiler, stalking management program and much more K.

What I like most about this book is that it gives you the true reflection about the work of a forensic psychologist would involve and provides clear guidelines on how to deal with your cases in hand in a professional and ethical way. The chapter on Guideline for Profiler includes a sample profile report which is a very valuable and useful piece of information for students, practitioners as well as the police, to set up realistic expectation on profilers and clear up the myth about profiling. The concluding chapter from experienced forensic psychologists Adrian West and Laurence Alison includes the investigative credo which is a list of useful questions that any psychologist can ask him/herself before presenting their findings. This is absolutely precious to forensic psychologists who would like to produce decent work and maximize their contributions they can offer to the field.

The works from this book are based on systematic scientific researches instead of popular account approach. If you would like to conduct researches in the forensic field, I strongly recommend this book as the wild range of issues covered will sure inspire you to work out many interesting research ideas.