Forensic files has been part of my life for years. My mom watched it constantly as I was growing up, and I shared her love of true crime. However, they could only cover so much information in an episode. And how did the cases end up??

Enter Rebecca Reisner, the author, as well as the blogger for "Forensic Files Now." She takes the true crime cases from Forensic Files and updates them! It's a very good premise, and I enjoyed the book. I will be checking out the blog as well!

Forensic Files is the show that first got me interested in true crime. The show is always good for a rewatch. While I did enjoy the updates on select cases featured on the show, I felt there wasn't quite as much information as I expected. Most of the information was facts that were gathered from simple Google searches. However, I still think fans of the show would enjoy this read.

I am a huge fan of Forensic Files so I was excited to get this ARC. Wow it did not disappoint!! Each chapter broke down previous episodes with updated information. Great read for any true fan

I loved this book! Yes, I also love the show Forensic Files, so having a book with updates is fantastic. The updates were well researched and done very well. The author recapped each episode quite well and added in the new information quite well. I loved the new information. I remembered most of the episodes, so I could picture what she was talking about, however, I am now going to go back and watch each episode with the new information in my head and know the new stuff. If you like Forensic Files, this is a must read! It is fabulous! One of my favorites!

Definitely worth reading if you are a Forensic Files fan! I appreciated the opportunity to review this book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

True crime is something I really got into reading in 2022 though I would watch it all the time. What I liked about this book was getting more information from the episodes I remembering watching. I was also picturing the episodes in my head as I read. I really want to read more from Rebecca Reisner and I really need more true crime in my life.

Thank you Netgalley, Edelweiss and Rowman & Littlefield for letting read and give my honest review.

This book provides updates and additional insights into previously released Forensic Files episodes. I think I would have enjoyed this much more if I was a big Forensic Files fan. The book did introduce me to numerous cases, but I felt a slight disconnect because I do not watch the show. However, I was intrigued enough by the cases to keep reading.

Rebecca Reisner’s new book, Forensic Files Now: Inside 40 Unforgettable True Crime Cases (Rowman & Littlefield 2022) is a hugely innovative and interesting text that will appeal to almost any true crime fan.

Reisner’s text focuses on the television show that, for many of us, foregrounded our interest in true crime programs. Since its premiere in 1996, Forensic Files has been a staple of true crime. As a show that explored some shocking and little-known cases and identified the way forensic science aided investigators in solving those cases. In just a half hour, each episode did so much, and often fans found themselves watching their favourite episodes again and again. Forensic Files Now is written for fans of the show, and it contains forty separate accounts of well-remembered episodes and expands on details not presented in the original show and performs a kind of ‘where are they now?’ with the key players in any given case. With a Foreword by Paul Dowling, the creator of Forensic Files, this book’s interesting premise is a very timely publication that appeals to fans of the original show.

This book is structured like a true crime anthology, with each chapter dealing with a difference episode of Forensic Files. The chapter begins with a recap of the case, using details from the episode and additional information if it is available. Finally, the chapters contain updates on key individuals related to the case: who is and is not in prison, how victims have moved on with their lives, and other details. Sometimes, chapters even have interviews with investigating detectives, prosecutors, or other officials connected with the case and who worked with Forensic Files during filming. Paul Dowling’s Foreword is insightful and reflective, and the chapters are thorough and well-written. Reisner has a colloquial, personal style that is articulate and familiar all at once.

Overall, this book is very neat. It has an interesting premise, and I was fascinated throughout. I will say that for the most part this book recapitulates episodes of the show and sometimes the additional information is very short. I don’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of Forensic Files, so a lot of these details were new to me, but perhaps chapters of this book might get tedious for someone who knows the episodes well. I did enjoy the book, but for that reason, the premise is a bit strange.

Please add Forensic Files Now to your Goodreads shelf.

Don’t forget to follow True Crime Index on Twitter and please visit our Goodreads for updates on what we’re reading! You can find Rachel on her personal @RachelMFriars or on Goodreads @Rachel Friars.

About the Writer:

Rachel M. Friars (she/her) is a PhD student in the Department of English Language and Literature at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She holds a BA and an MA in English Literature with a focus on neo-Victorianism and adaptations of Jane Eyre. Her current work centers on neo-Victorianism and nineteenth-century lesbian literature and history, with secondary research interests in life writing, historical fiction, true crime, popular culture, and the Gothic. Her academic writing has been published with Palgrave Macmillan and in The Journal of Neo-Victorian Studies. She is a reviewer for The Lesbrary, the co-creator of True Crime Index, and an Associate Editor and Social Media Coordinator for PopMeC Research Collective. Rachel is co-editor-in-chief of the international literary journal, The Lamp, and regularly publishes her own short fiction and poetry. Find her on Twitter and Goodreads.

This book was not what I was expecting. I thought it be almost a deep drive into the Forensic Files episodes. It was more of a summery of the episode with a quick update based on internet searches. I was slightly disappointed. That being said it was still interesting and gave me a nostalgic feel. Forensic Files was what introduced me to True Crime! I really wish I had taken longer to read the book. Maybe watched the episode first and then read the chapter.

An interesting set of updates on notable cases for fans of Forensic Files. The pace is snappy and the tone is conversational as each case is recapped and examined. Biographical information is provided about notable players and interviews with people involved (family, law enforcement, etc.) are included whenever possible. Each article includes an update on the case, explaining what happened to the perpetrators and those left behind, satisfying reader curiosity. This is a quick, engaging read and would be a good pick for anyone interested in true crime.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

As a long time fan of Forensic Files, I had to read this, and so glad I did. This book recounts 40 episodes and crimes that have aired on Forensic Files, with some new information on alot of them. I like the insight and found this fascinating. I would recommend this to anyone interested in true crime, psychology or just a good read.
R
Thanks to Netgalley for sending this e-book ARC for fair review

This book was incredibly interesting. I feel like a learned a lot even though I feel like this space in the book world can be pretty saturated. I loved it.

Having never watched the program Forensic Files, this was new to me. The short recaps of shows make these true crimes understandable. Not sure if I will try to view the show, but you never know.

This fascinating book recaps crimes that were depicted on the television show, Forensic Files and also tells what happened to the main players in the crimes. I was an avid Forensic Files viewer and remember all of the crimes recounted in this book. I have often wondered what happened to the primary people involved in the crimes, so I was glad that this book provided that information. I highly recommend this book to other true crime readers. This is a must read for both true crime readers as well as Forensic Files afficienados. I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley, and the opinion expressed is strictly my own.

Forensic File fans this book is for you, even if you've never watched the show you can read up on all the cases. I have watched the show for years and it has always been one of my favorite shows. The book is full of information and updates on the cases and I was surprised to see that I actually remembered all of them. To this day I still watch the reruns and I love the voice of Peter Thomas telling it. It's not an in depth version of the stories but a short updated summary.

Calling all Forensic Files fans! If you love the iconic tv show, this is a must read! In this book, author and ForensicFilesNow.com blogger, Rebecca Reisner, shares forty cases profiled on the show along with latest updates or information on the cases discussed in this book. I really loved the quick recap and the detailed updates on each cases. It was a well-written and well-structured book and I enjoyed this book thoroughly!

Pub. Date: 15th Oct, 2022

***Thank you Rowman & Littlefield, Prometheus and NetGalley for this gifted reading copy. All opinions expressed are my own.***

love true crime? then forensic files is for everyone who is a true crime fan! I was obsessed and the retelling of the cases are well done!

I love forensic files and anything true crime. If you're anything like me, this is the book for you! In Forensic Files Now, author Rebecca Reisner shares her own gripping retellings of 40 favorite cases profiled on the show along with fascinating updates adapted from her popular blog, ForensicFilesNow.com. Check out this site! It's very neat! Go and buy this book!

Forensic Files Now by Rebecca Reisner is a must read for true crime fans. Most true crime readers will be familiar with the long running TV show Forensic Files. This show covered all sorts of crime - murder, fraud, etc. Forensic Files Now, takes a number of cases and retells them and then provides updates. As a reader of true crime, I appreciate the updates. It is interesting to see where the perpetrators are now and how the victims and their families are doing. This book is a definite read for true crime fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to the advanced copy.

I'm a true crime junkie. I haven't had cable in over a decade. Have I seen this commercial? (Nope.) Heard about the terrible call in the game? (What game?) Have I watched this show? (Never even heard of it.) But I've seen every episode of Forensic Files at least three times and many of them I've searched the case and watched other documentaries about the same victim and/or killer. When I saw this book I was instantly intrigued.

Though I enjoyed the recaps (and remembered every episode), this book wasn't quite what I was hoping for. For one thing, each case was organized the same way. Teaser, statement that the episode will be recapped along with internet research (and possibly an interview), then the recap, then the internet research/interview. I think I would have found it more compelling if each story hadn't been organized in an identical fashion. In some cases there was very little update, one case it was just a mention that the person was paroled in some year and turned some age a few years later. Those cases where updated information wasn't available probably should have been left out (though it's still fun to read a recap of an episode I found interesting).

If you're a fan of the show, you'll enjoy the book. It's well-written and the stories are definitely very interesting. I do hope the author writes more books like this because I would love to learn about other cases but if she does I hope she limits to fewer cases and provides more information on each.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.