Ann Darby

"Ever wonder what it's like to walk into a real crime scene? Inside The Dollhouse Murders lies a strange world of razon-sharp stories that show exactly how serious crimes are investigated. Walk through these miniature rooms with the Detective, who thinks instincts just get you into trouble, and his younger partner, who seems to have them all the time, to witness the state of the art in modern forensic techniques and the simple genius of an effective investigation.


"Twelve years ago, preeminent expert on crime scene forensics Thomas Mauriello built six dioramas to help him teach his crime lab students how to "peel" a crime scene. He invented scenarios and then meticulously fabricated the clues and their setting. Over the years these bizarre dioramas have been featured in men's magazines, a medical institute bulletin, a miniature-collector magazine, and an array of popular science media. But now, in collaboration with the brilliant novelist and science writer, Ann Darby, Thomas Mauriello has produced the stories that go with his dioramas and thus made his science more accessible than ever before. Together with over 40 of John Consoli's ingenious full-color photographs, this is a unique window into the gritty, imperfect world of solving crimes." — from Pi Press