From one of the hosts of the podcast, The Fall Line, comes a look into the world of forensics with regard to unidentified bodies. I thought a lot of the info here was really interesting. However, I do feel like it could’ve been organized better. It might have also just been the writing style that felt a little rambling.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very, very interesting. Even though parts are slow I couldn't put it down. Lots of details, lots of explanations. Not a white knuckle ride. It's not that kind of book. It's about what happens in the lab AFTER the white knuckle ride. If you are intrigued by forensics as I am you will appreciate this book.

Lay Them To Rest by Laurah Norton is a highly informative non fiction work perfect for fans of the true crime looking for a book more focused on the victims and granting an identity back to those it has been stolen from.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: October 17, 2023
Laurah Norton is an author, researcher, podcaster and true crime fanatic. Her novel, “Lay Them to Rest: On the Road with Cold Case Investigators Who Identify the Nameless” is a non-fiction, scientific deep dive into the very exhaustive, very comprehensive world of forensic anthropology. Don’t expect anything like Kathy Reich’s Temperance Brennan though, as “Rest” is definitely written for informative, not entertainment, purposes.
In 1993, a severed head was found in the woods of Illinois by two young girls. The head, at first glance, appeared to belong to a redheaded female, but further investigation would be needed to identify the head, and to finally uncover the person behind it. That’s where Laurah and her team come in. In each chapter, Laurah exhaustively details the minutiae that takes place to identify the thirty-year-old skull. Her team includes forensic anthropologists, genetic specialists, artists and scientists from all walks of life, all of them playing a specific role in identification. Laurah brings her recording technology along for the ride, and shares the journey with readers.
I was fascinated from the get-go in the identification of the unknown, and Norton presented many organizations (government, paid and volunteer) that exist solely to “name the nameless”, delving into cold cases and bodily remains that have been unidentified for years and decades. I had no idea that so many organizations like this existed, let alone that many of them actually played important roles in discovering the truth behind actual missing person’s cases.
Norton’s writing is very scientific and very detailed. Readers can expect to get pages and pages of detail on DNA sequencing, bone, skin and tissue analysis procedures, technology usage, among other things so anyone expecting a quick dead-body to case-solved story should stick to television. Norton, however, does eventually find out the identity of the person behind the missing head, and I was grateful for that fact.
“Rest” will appeal to fans of “Bones” and “CSI”, but Norton’s novel focuses more on the scientific methods and technology used to uncover the identity of the deceased than Hollywood provides. Although the body in Norton’s case is identified, the mystery surrounding what happened to her remains, and there are numerous other unidentified corpses nationwide that are equally shrouded in mystery. “Rest” is definitely unique, as Norton uses her writing skills to translate the details given to her from the scientific community.

How does one go from the skeletonized remains of a dismembered head to a mother, sister and wife who loved animals and had bad teeth? That is the path that this book follows. The rise of the internet has made identification of Jane and John Does, people unknown in death, if not easier at least more public. The author has a podcast herself, and she brings that expertise to this book. Since Norton is not a scientist, she had to partner with forensic and genetic experts and, as is obvious in this volume, they are a good fit together. The advances in the technical field of genetics have also helped, but someone still needs to do the work, make the calls and analyze the data. I’m not a fan of true crime, and I’ve never listened to Norton’s podcast, but I was interested in this book because of the science. What is possible to learn from bones and how the forensic anthropologists like Doctor Brennan work in real life. I was not disappointed, it is amazing how much work goes into identifying these remains, and how involved the people behind it are. What I didn’t love was all the details about the author’s life, which made it a little too long and cause me to lose focus. This may be a true crime feature and genre readers may not mind. I was also disappointed at the lack of progress, even if it’s understandable that’s how these people work, which makes it more commendable that they keep trying.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Hachette Books!

This was a really interesting book. With my nursing background and interest in true crime, I found myself drawn to the premise of this book. The book is broken down in to multiple chapters, each one focusing on a different aspect of body identification. There were definitely times throughout the book that I got overwhelmed with all of the information and terminology, but overall it is fairly easy to follow and understand. I especially enjoyed the chapters about the development and use of dental records and forensic art. It’s amazing how far technology has come, especially in relation to DNA.

Overall, a fascinating book that I would recommend to readers who enjoy medical nonfiction and true crime.

Well researched and respectful. As someone who spends a ton of time researching true crime, I found this to be incredibly fascinating. There were a few instants when the science felt a bit confusing, but I think Laurah explained it as best as she could.

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH.

I am so thankful to Hachette Books, Novel Suspects, and Laura Norton for granting me advanced physical access to Lay Them To Rest before this gem hits shelves on October 17, 2023. I am such a fan of true crime warriors such as Sarah Turney, Payne Lindsey, Paul Holes, and so many other advocates who've gone above and beyond to lay cold cases to rest, secure justice and answers, and provide a resolution to decades-old queries.

From the advancement of scientific measures and other methodologies to the intellectual progression in law enforcement departments, and even looking at cases from a different perspective, with an emphasis on handling evidence more securely, it's magnificent how far we've come, but also sad that our system had the bar set so low.

I can't wait to see what else comes out of this project and can't wait to see what my pals think of this collection.

Fans of true crime will find this book interesting. Lay Them To Rest primarily focuses on forensic science and how it is being used to help identify John & Jane Does. While I learned a lot about the identification methods being used to solve cold cases, I found some of the chapters to be extremely difficult to get through. Norton uses very technical language while trying to explain complex forensic processes. There were certain chapters that I wish were “dumbed down” a little more as I had a difficult time getting through them.

I am a lover of true crime and have been watching shows like Dateline since I was a child. I even went to school to major in Forensic Science, so when I came across this book on NetGalley... I knew it was my cup of tea.

Lay Them to Rest was a thrilling story of science and perseverance to try to uncover the identity of a woman from a cold case from 1993. The author, Laurah Norton, explains through science and available resources the complexities of identifying unknown persons. While I found this to be exciting, informative, and intriguing... I will say that at times, that because of the complexities of the science and resources used it became a bit confusing and I would often have to go back to relearn what certain things were or reread entire pages. Being a lover of science and crime, this wasn't a deal breaker for me, but for those who are not... they might have a hard time following along.

Overall, I really enjoyed the journey that Laurah and her team went through and the dedication and compassion they put into trying to solve this cold case was truly endearing. I would recommend this to anyone who loves forensic science and can't wait for this to be published to add it to my library. Very well done.

Thank you Hachette Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Nice peek into the world of forensics. Would highly recommend to anyone interested in true crime, forensics, or mysteries.

A fall read for true crime lovers, podcaster Laura Norton teams up with forensic anthropologist Dr. Amy Work to identify a Jane Doe who’s identity has gone unknown since 1993.

I like true crime with a strong call to action, and this book fit the bill to me. It focused on solving an unsolved crime alongside giving a history and practical application for the forensics used

I love true crime and the science behind it; thus, this book appealed to me right away. The subject of the missing and what we do to find them is very interesting; however, this book is not. It is really bogged down in so many details and scientific jargon that it gets boring and hard to keep straight fast. This in turn made my mind drift off and I found myself reading the same page several times. This book could have been a good book, if the author had remembered most of the readers had not been working to help solve these cases for years.

Wow! What an incredible book! This book was written about a case of "Ina Jane Doe" which is in my local area. The case had always fascinated me because it was local and the clay bust reconstruction made quite an impression on my 17 year-old self. This was a deep dive into the case itself, as well as a thorough, well-researched explanation into genetic genealogy. I found it difficult to put down. I could not wait to find out all the details of her identity. I will definitely be buying this book when it comes out and recommending to my fellow true crime reading friends!

If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I absolutely would.

Lay Them to Rest by Laurah Norton is a beautiful book and one of the most respectful books in the genre of True Crime I've ever read. I wasn't a listener of The Fall Line, Laurah Norton's podcast, before I read this, but I will be from now on. Her respect and care for the victims, especially Jane and John Does, really shows through and you can tell that she puts her heart and soul into her work for them and their families.

The scientific side was extremely interesting to read. I've always been an avid reader of forensics and the technical side of it so I knew a lot already, but I think even someone who knows nothing about forensics would still understand and enjoy these parts of the book; and the explanations you're given for how everything is done.

It does a great job of blending the smaller stories of cases that Laurah has covered and been involved in, and the overall discovery and identification of Ina Jane Doe. It made me cry all throughout and I think that's a testament to the emotion that Laurah put into the book that you can feel coming off of the page.

I can't say enough good things about this book, honestly. It's so refreshing to read a book by an author that remembers 'true crime' should be about the victims and their families, whether it be solving their deaths or putting together their identity completely. Do yourself a favor and read Lay Them to Rest!

A well written and fascinating behind the scenes look at forensic science and the individuals tasked with identifying victims of crime. This is a must read for those interesting in forensic science and true crime.

"Take a fascinating deep dive into the dark world of forensic science as experts team up to solve the identity of an unknown woman by exploring the rapidly evolving techniques being used to break the most notorious cold cases.

Fans of true crime shows like CSI, NCIS, Criminal Minds, and Law and Order know that when it comes to "getting the bad guy" behind bars, your best chance of success boils down to the strength of your evidence - and the forensic science used to obtain it. Beyond the silver screen, forensic science has been used for decades to help solve even the most tough-to-crack cases. In 2018, the accused Golden State Killer, Joseph DeAngelo, was finally apprehended after a decades-long investigation thanks to a very recent technique called forensic genealogy, which has since led to the closure of hundreds of cold cases, bringing long-awaited justice to victims and families alike. But when it comes to solving these incredibly difficult cases, forensic genealogy is just the tip of the iceberg - and many readers have no idea just how far down that iceberg goes.

For Laurah Norton, forensic science was always more of a passion than anything else. But after learning about a mishandled 1990s cold case involving missing twins, she was spurred to action, eventually creating a massively popular podcast and building a platform that helped bring widespread attention and resources to the case. Lay Them to Rest builds on Laurah's fascination with these investigations, introducing readers to the history and evolution of forensic science, from the death masks used in Ancient Rome to the 3-D facial reconstruction technology used today. Incorporating the stories of real-life John and Jane Does from around the world, Laurah also examines how changing identification methods have helped solve the most iconic cold cases. Along the way readers will also get to see Laurah solve a case in real time with forensic anthropologist Dr. Amy Michael, as they try to determine the identity of "Ina" Jane Doe, a woman whose head was found in a brush in an Illinois park in 1993.

More than just a chronicle of the history of forensics, Lay Them to Rest is also a celebration of the growing field of experts, forensic artists, and anthropologists (many of whom Laurah talks to in the book), who work tirelessly to bring closure to these unsolved cases. And of course, this book asks why some cases go unsolved, highlighting the "missing missing," the sex workers, undocumented, the cases that so desperately need our attention, but so rarely get it.

Engrossing, informative, heartbreaking, and hopeful, Lay Them to Rest is a deep dive into the world of forensic science, showing readers how far we've come in cracking cases and catching killers, and illuminating just how far we have yet to go."

Because I am forensic and cold case obsessed.

This is a super interesting read for anyone interested in true crime. I appreciated the author's thorough explanation of identifying unidentified remains. It's truly important work.

This was the first book I have read by this author. I really enjoyed this book and I felt like it was informative on the forensics and naming the nameless. I will be reading all of her books. I would definitely recommend this book!

True crime podcast host Laurah and forensic anthropologist Dr. Amy work to uncover the identity of the Ina County Jane Doe, who has been unidentified since her partial remains were found in 1993.

Though I enjoy the true crime genre, I generally avoid stories which don’t have conclusive endings – I’ve always found mysteries frustrating. Unfortunately, there are many unsolved cold cases in the United States, and the coldest of the cold are often those in which the victim is unidentified, which makes them even harder to investigate.

In this book Norton discusses the history and use of various techniques used in forensic science to solve crimes, showing how they are applied in the eventually successful investigation to uncover Ina Jane Doe’s identity. It’s a particularly effective way to illustrate often complicated science to the reader in an easy-to-grasp manner. Norton’s passion about the case comes across clearly, and I enjoyed her sometimes humorous, always interesting descriptions of the places the investigation takes her and the people she works with.

I did find myself in the weeds at some points regarding the science though, no matter how Norton tried to explain it, and I wondered if some of those sections were overly technical. There’s also some discussion of other unidentified decedents that she and Dr. Amy looked into that we don’t get later updates on, for example not mentioning the results of testing conducted that occurs on page, and without an explanation for the omissions I found myself frustrated.

To read more about Susan Hope Lund, the former Ina County Jane Doe, click here.