In this engaging and accessible book, Brookman draws upon several decades of her own research on homicide and violence, including ethnographic research on homicide investigation in the UK and USA and interviews with violent offenders, in order to unravel the characteristics and causes of homicide, how police and forensic scientists investigate it and how it can be prevented.
Synthesising bespoke new analysis of the Home Office Homicide Index with case studies of homicides and international debate and literature, this comprehensive textbook will be a valuable resource for students studying homicide, violence, its investigation and responses to it, as well as researchers and practitioners interested in homicide and violence.
"Criminal homicide has long been a topic of morbid fascination in the public imagination. With this book, Fiona Brookman has assembled a fascinating tour of all the key themes and topics needed to understand how, when and why fatal violence occurs, and what can be done about it."
Martin Innes
"Fiona Brookman is one of the world's leading experts on homicide. In this comprehensive but accessible book, she helps readers separate fact from fiction about homicide. This is a fascinating and invaluable book for anyone wanting to learn more about homicide."
Edward R. Maguire
"Understanding Homicide is a beautifully written and well-organized textbook for college students interested in murder; it is also an invaluable reference for scholars and practitioners who work in this area. Professor Brookman has done a masterful job discussing controversial issues related to homicide in a balanced way, synthesizing different theoretical approaches in explaining lethal violence,
