Comprehensive, practical, and well-balanced, this text is designed to help students discover both the art and science of criminal investigation— without resorting to technical minutia. It focuses on the legal significance of evidence in the field as it outlines the fundamentals of inquiry and then carefully details each element of investigation—from the preliminaries to case preparation for prosecutor review. Reflecting the most recent changes in techniques and their application to various crimes, it features real-life case studies to help students develop their ability to analyze, evaluate, and reason.