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The forensic thriller genre has soared to fame in the US TV series CSI: Las Vegas, which premiered on CBS on 6 October 2000. The series followed Las Vegas crime scene investigators as they used physical evidence to solve grisly murders. This unusually graphic crime drama inspired a host of other cop-show 'procedurals.' An immediate ratings smash for CBS, the series mixes deduction, gritty subject matter and popular characters. The network quickly capitalized on its hit with spin-offs CSI: Miami and CSI: NY. Forensic thrillers have often been penned by authors such as Patricia Cornwell or Kathy Reichs who had personal experience as medical examiner, crime scene investigator or police detective. The genre typically focuses on the process of gathering evidence at the crime scene - taking photos, gathering physical evidence, dusting for finger prints, collecting hair and fiber samples, taking dental charts, identifying firearm trajectories, or collecting DNA evidence. Scientific advancements in recent decades have allowed crime fiction writers to incorporate high-tech elements into their plot, sometimes boring the reader with technical details. Forensic thrillers are at their best, when they succeed to combine rich character development with a background of up-to-date forensic technology. |
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Copyright © 2012 by Claudia Heilig-Staindl. All Rights Reserved. |
