SCENE OF THE CRIME

Designed as fodder for young CSI fans, this procedural account of a fictional murder investigation features an allusive diary, a matter-of-fact narrative report with quiz questions and answers in a “Crime File”—all presented in a split-page format and with appropriately wooden illustrations. A body found in a disused railyard storeroom sets off a full, if much simplified, enquiry that includes an autopsy, a meticulous “fingertip” sweep of the trash-strewn scene, interviews with several teenaged suspects, DNA testing, lots of convenient security-camera footage and, ultimately, a confession. The broad look at the many kinds of evidence that detectives can gather, from tiny fibers to cell-phone records, almost compensates for the rudimentary plot and near total lack of complications or equivocal information gathered by the police. Still, it’s a popular topic, and kids will undoubtedly find it cool enough for one reading. (Fiction. 10-12)