Murder Most Florid by Mark Spencer

Murder Most Florid by Mark Spencer

The subtitle to this book is Inside the Mind of a Forensic Botanist.

Mark is a passionate plantsman, a champion of plants and the study of Botany.

Mark is also passionate about connecting people with the natural world.

Creating a niche for himself, Mark is a consultant botanist who specializes in Forensic Botany and the history of botany.

Murder Most Florid is a book where Mark shows us how plants and the environment can help investigators solve crimes.

Mark didn't train to become a forensic botanist. He became one through an accidental event in his life. It started with the phone call asking for help with a murder.

Forensic Botany goes back to the early part of the 20th century and was memorably used to convict the kidnapper of the Lindbergh baby.

“Murder Most Florid is an enthralling, first-person account that follows Mark's unconventional and unique career, one that takes him to woodlands, wasteland, and roadsides, as well as police labs, to examine the botanical evidence of serious crimes.

From unearthing a decomposing victim from brambles to dissecting the vegetation of a shallow grave, Mark's botanical knowledge can be crucial to securing a conviction.

More widely, this gripping book challenges our attitude to death and response to crime. It picks holes in the sensationalized depictions of policing we see on TV and asks pertinent questions about public sector funding in the face of rising crime.

Most importantly, Mark's book shows us how the ancient lessons of botanical science can still be front and center in our modern, DNA-obsessed world.”

And before I forget, let me just tell you that there is a fantastic video podcast of Mark presenting to the Linnaean Society, where he's been a fellow for over twenty years.

Mark is an honorary curator at the Linnaeus Society’s herbarium. He has worked at the Natural History Museum in London for over a decade.

In this presentation, Mark talks about the book and his work. I thought it was fascinating. If you get a chance to watch it, you really should.

You can get a used copy of Murder Most Florid by Mark Spencer and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $12.