Listening to the Dead - Forensics uncovered

By Lynda La Plante and Cass Sutherland

If you want to know what criminal investigation is like in real life, then get ready for a podcast that puts YOU at the crime scene.

This series will look at the latest developments, the f

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The podcast currently has 29 episodes available.

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Number 1: S4 Ep6: Body Farms – Part 2
This is the second in a two-part mini series on forensic taphonomy centres or body farms. This week Lynda and Cass are meeting Dr Anna Williams, Professor of Forensic Science at the University of Central Lancashire. At present there are only a dozen body farms established around the world and none in the UK, but Anna has been advocating for establishing one in the UK for over a decade. In this episode we look at the reasons why Anna has found it so challenging to establish a UK body farm and what value it might bring to our forensic sciences. Forensic taphonomy is the study of what happens to a body between death and discovery. It’s one of the oldest forensic disciplines and one of the most controversial. Why? Because to properly study forensic taphonomy you need bodies. The Victorians took them from graveyards, these days we have body farms. Body farms have proved to be a vital resource for forensic scientists to learn more about how and why bodies decompose in certain conditions. It’s a hugely complex subject which brings in factors like climate, soil, insects, scavengers, diet and many more. To learn more about Anna’s work on Forensic Taphonomy in the UK, visit: https://htf4uk.blogspot.com and http://www.forensicanna.com —— Lynda La Plante's new book The Scene of the Crime, featuring a team of forensic scientists, is out on the 31st July 2025 in all formats. To find out more about upcoming episodes of Listening to the Dead and Lynda's other books, visit www.lyndalaplante.com Credits: This podcast was made by Bonnier Books UK Hosts: Lynda La Plante, Cass Sutherland and Jon Watt Director: Jon Watt Producer: Laura Makela Theme Music: Game Over by Magic in the Other
August 12, 202540min
Number 2: S4 Ep5: Body Farms - Part 1
Forensic taphonomy is the study of what happens to a body between death and discovery. It’s one of the oldest forensic disciplines and one of the most controversial. Why? Because to properly study forensic taphonomy you need bodies. The Victorians took them from graveyards, these days we have Body Farms. Body Farms have proved to be a vital resource for forensic scientists to learn more about how and why bodies decompose in certain conditions. It’s a hugely complex subject which brings in factors like climate, soil, insects, scavengers, diet among other things. This week Lynda and Cass meet Dr Daniel J. Wescott, Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State University. The Texas Body Farm where Danny works is largest in the world and has helped to further the knowledge of scientists and law enforcement around the world. This is the first in a two-part mini series on Body Farms. Next week we’re looking at the picture in the UK. To learn more about the Texas Forensic Anthropology Center visit: https://www.txst.edu/anthropology/facts.html IG: @factxstate FB: @forensicanthcenterTXST ------------ Lynda La Plante's new book The Scene of the Crime, featuring a team of forensic scientists, is out on the 31st July 2025 in all formats. To find out more about upcoming episodes of Listening to the Dead and Lynda's other books, visit www.lyndalaplante.com Credits: This podcast was made by Bonnier Books UK Hosts: Lynda La Plante, Cass Sutherland and Jon Watt Director: Jon Watt Producer: Laura Makela Theme Music: Game Over by Magic in the Other
August 05, 20251h 2min
Number 3: S4 Ep4: Forensic Geology – Part 2
This is the second of a two-part mini series discussing the extraordinary science of Forensic Geology with leading expert Dr Laurance Donnelly. Forensic geology is the application of geology to aid the investigation of crime – and it's arguably the broadest of all the forensic sciences, covering everything from crime scene examination and searches for burials, to investigating art fraud and the smuggling of precious metals and gems. Geology has been used by police and law enforcement since the middle part of the 19th century, however it's only recently that it's become more widely used across the world - and Laurance Donnelly has been at the forefront of that evolution. In this mini series, Laurance takes Lynda on journey around the world as he explains his extraordinarily varied career and the cases he has worked on. ------ Lynda La Plante's new book The Scene of the Crime, featuring a team of forensic scientists, is out on the 31st July 2025 in all formats. To find out more about upcoming episodes of Listening to the Dead and Lynda's other books, visit www.lyndalaplante.com Credits: This podcast was made by Bonnier Books UK Hosts: Lynda La Plante, Cass Sutherland and Jon Watt Director: Jon Watt Producer: Laura Makela Theme Music: Game Over by Magic in the Other
July 29, 202524min
Number 4: S4 Ep3: Forensic Geology – Part 1
This is the first of a two-part mini series discussing the extraordinary science of Forensic Geology with leading expert Dr Laurance Donnelly. Forensic geology is the application of geology to aid the investigation of crime – and it's arguably the broadest of all the forensic sciences, covering everything from crime scene examination and searches for burials, to investigating art fraud and the smuggling of precious metals and gems. Geology has been used by police and law enforcement since the middle part of the 19th century, however it's only recently that it's become more widely used across the world - and Laurance Donnelly has been at the forefront of that evolution. In this mini series, Laurance takes Lynda on journey around the world as he explains his extraordinarily varied career and the cases he has worked on. ------ Lynda La Plante's new book The Scene of the Crime, featuring a team of forensic scientists, is out on the 31st July 2025 in all formats. To find out more about upcoming episodes of Listening to the Dead and Lynda's other books, visit www.lyndalaplante.com Credits: This podcast was made by Bonnier Books UK Hosts: Lynda La Plante, Cass Sutherland and Jon Watt Director: Jon Watt Producer: Laura Makela Theme Music: Game Over by Magic in the Other
July 22, 202534min
Number 5: S4 Ep2: Fraud Forensics with Tony Sales
For twenty years, Tony Sales was Britain's biggest fraudster. From cloning credit cards and identities to emptying cash machines and being a confidence trickster, Tony knew how to make money. In this first episode of the new series of Listening to the Dead, Lynda and Cass are joined by Tony and his colleague, former Head of the Fraud Squad Andy McDonald about fraud, to discuss fraud: how investigating it has evolved, the current threats, the impact on victims and the devastating iSpoof case of 2023. As a fraudster, Sales could make people believe whatever he wanted them to. As analogue crime turned digital, Sales adapted his skills and became a prolific online fraudster, quickly identifying and exploiting loopholes and weaknesses in the system. And so he continued until one day a mistake on a job in Sheffield saw him arrested. While serving time, Sales decided to turn his life around. As Frank Abagnale Jr. had done in the US, Sales went from poacher to game-keeper and set up We Fight Fraud, a company dedicated to helping governments and financial institutions to prevent fraud. And it was well timed. Fraud has become bigger than ever in the UK. Scammers were responsible for nearly 1.4m cases of fraud in the UK during the first half of 2023. Overall, criminals stole £580m in the first six months of the year, suggesting households are likely to have lost more than £1bn to fraudsters in the year. How do we stop fraudsters? What investigative and forensic tools do the police have? Join Lynda and Cass as they explore the most prolific crime in the world. Lynda La Plante's final Jane Tennison thriller Whole Life Sentence is available to pre-order now in all formats. To find out more about upcoming episodes of Listening to the Dead and Lynda's other books, visit www.lyndalaplante.com Tony Sales’ memoir The Big Con is out now in audiobook. Credits: This podcast was made by Bonnier Books UK Hosts: Lynda La Plante, Cass Sutherland and Jon Watt Director: Jon Watt Producer: Laura Makela Theme Music: Game Over by Magic in the Other
March 18, 202449min