A very interesting book I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fascinating and gripping. The only downside is that she could not remeber the outcome of some of the cases which I found quite odd, she obviously could not be bothered to look it up for her book.

Angela Gallop's memoir is as meticulous in detail as her approach to her day job has to be. At times I felt that the minute details were a little repetitive, but I understand why this was necessary to convey the true nature of forensic science. I felt she was even-handed in describing how in court cases both prosecutors and defence need to trust that the evidence being presented has, to the best of everyone's knowledge, been tested numerous times to eliminate all alternative explanations. The history of forensic science, the ongoing developments, and the dedication of scientists to explore all possibilities (rather than accepting a preferred hypothesis) was fascinating. Highly recommended.

Professor Angela Gallop was one fo the first female forensic scientists to make an impact and after working for the forensic science service she set up a couple of large and well-regarded private companies working for both the police and for the defence teams. In this book she takes the reader through many high profile and recognisable cases including details of the techniques and breakthroughs which are fascinating to someone with a science background like myself. Less satisfying were the sections of political conjecture and personal detail as I felt they jarred with the rest.

This is an intriguing read for both aspiring crime writers and those interested in the forensics associated with solving crime. I found it packed with great, fascinating information, and I was loathe to put it down once I began. As a law graduate, I know how much the criminal justice system now depends on hard evidence of the forensic sort, and Ms Gallop has dedicated her life to ensuring those who need to be incarcerated were. However, not only is this filled with truly interesting insight into the life of a forensic scientist it also is written in a highly engaging and readable way. The author indeed knows how to capture a readers attention.

It charts the developments and leaps forward made in this sphere over the years and applies the science to the evidence to show how conclusions are drawn. Gallop has been part of putting away some notorious criminals, and it's exciting to hear her perspective on the cases she has been involved in. I definitely feel this is written for the layperson and those who know nothing of the measures involved in such a job as it was written in an understandable, accessible fashion. This is the memoir of a real-life CSI analyst and it is nothing short of riveting.

Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC.

This was such a fascinating and enthralling read. I love learning about elements of true crime and it was interesting to hear about the forensic science side of it. Gallop is an engaging writer and I was hooked on this book and really struggled to put it down.

An absolutely fascinating memoir, where the author describes many of the criminal cases she's been involved in, some of which are hugely recognisable and the science behind the forensic evidence that appears in court cases.

The author is extremely good at describing the way it all works in an accessible and very interesting way then showing how she applied the science to draw conclusions. I found the interpretation of evidence highly intriguing and after reading this I understand a lot more how you can have opposing forensic specialists.

Overall this is an excellent, educational read for anyone interested in the realities behind the fiction we all know such as CSI and crime fiction novels. 

Very much recommended- although I feel I will read all that crime fiction with a much more focused eye.

When the Dogs Don’t Bark follows forensic scientist Angela Gallop as she discusses her 40 year career within the profession. What follows is an outline of a number of her most memorable cases interspersed with the history and development of forensic sciences within the UK and it’s importance in the conviction, and defense, of individuals accused of a variety of crimes.

What immediately comes across while reading this is just how complicated and varied forensic science is. Far from standing in ditches collecting evidence from a crime scene, forensic scientists are wide reaching and branch into different specialties, from chemical, entomology, and one of the fastest growing - digital forensics. Often they must possess a thought process a little ‘outside the box’ too by taking the extra step of recreating scenarios in labs to determine the most probably outcome and unlock the truth about what happened at the crime scene. Two instances that stand out are when she mentions recreating the action of pushing a mop around a kitchen floor to exonerate a man accused of murder, and shooting a suspended pig carcass with a shotgun to discover where a specific shot went.

Other than a few glimmers of interesting cases and scenarios, this was a rather dry book to get through unfortunately. A lot of time is spent describing the different kinds of forensic scientists there are, and the various techniques which are used. It’s very science based, and talks in great detail about methodologies. There’s also a lot of detail regarding Gallop’s professional career and various businesses, however I found this could have been condensed, as it really took away from the more interesting cases. I think the book was approached very much like a scientific report, using cases to back up Gallop’s explanations of various techniques instead of letting the cases speak for themselves. It feels almost clinical at times, and there’s just no heart to the stories. A lot of the cases she mentions, she states she doesn’t know the outcome, and this got very frustrating at times as it came across as feeling unfinished and a little emotionless. Perhaps some more of her own personal background may have helped here, as we learnt a lot about her professional life but hardly anything personal.

I do find the synopsis a little misleading, as there’s no real depth to any of the memorable cases, sometimes they consisting of only a few paragraphs, and they are rather few and far between. The bulk of the book is centred around Gallop’s career and her explanations of what forensic scientists do. In this regard it’s meticulous in its presentation, but it wasn’t what I was expecting at all.

Interesting if you want to expand your knowledge of what forensic science is, but don’t go into it expecting lots of true crime stories or cases.