How did a piece of wood lead investigators in the Lindbergh kidnapping case to Bruno Hauptmann? Who, besides O. J. Simpson, knows something about the death of his ex-wife? And just who was the "Vampire of Dusseldorf"? These are just some of the questions Mark Benecke explores in this compelling and surprising history of criminal investigative methods and techniques. Benecke, a leading forensic scientist who is frequently called upon to help solve crimes throughout the world, takes the reader through some of the most infamous and intriguing murder investigations in the United States, Germany, and Canada. In discussions of the cases against O. J. Simpson, and others, Benecke carefully explains the ways in which police and forensic scientists gather and analyze evidence. Going beyond the media frenzy that surrounded many of these investigations, Benecke considers how science, intuition, and an occasional lucky break can lead police to the guilty party. He describes the history of forensic technology as well as forensic scientists' tricks of the trade, including DNA fingerprinting, soil analysis, and the use of facial reconstruction and pollen analysis to learn more about unidentified corpses. Murderous Methods is peppered with other fascinating stories that bring the reader closer into the minds of criminals and the ways in which criminal investigators work. Benecke introduces readers to bizarre and horrifying criminals such as Peter Kurten, "The Vampire of Dusseldorf"; Karl Denke, a cannibal and one of the earliest known serial killers in modern history; and Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, a Canadian couple who committed a series of brutal rapes. Benecke shows that even as scientific scrutiny helps investigators to understand more about crimes and the criminals who commit them, whenever humans are involved events may go in unpredictable directions. In particular, he looks at how unreliable eyewitness accounts and public fears and prejudices have led investigators down the wrong path.

马克•贝内克（Mark Benecke），生于1970年，是一位世界著名的昆虫学家，拥有法医与生物学博士学位。他不仅在美国、英国、菲律宾、越南、哥伦比亚等国的数所大学担任客座讲师与教授，同时也经常在美国联邦调查局FBI培训学院与“尸体农场”实验室为警察讲课。他在刑侦科学领域的突出成绩已被多家国际性研究学院认可。

目前，贝内克已经获得了俄罗斯政府的批准，可以前往俄罗斯档案大楼，亲自验证存放在这里已逾半个世纪的希特勒头骨。他希望能够证实头骨是否属于希特勒本人，并解开他的死亡之谜。