Despite an intense fear of death, Ciaran Prior became a garda crime scene investigator, a job that exposed him to the very thing he had feared most as a child. In this remarkable and revealing memoir, Ciaran sensitively details his work on some of Ireland’s most shocking murders, giving the reader behind-the-scenes access to real crime scenes and a unique insight into the role of forensics in modern-day policing, as well as the impact that constant frontline encounters with death had on Ciaran’s health.

More than just a forensic police procedural, Traces of Truth is both a fascinating glimpse into crime scene investigation techniques, the character instinct and judgement required to see justice done, and a moving reflection on life, death and the traces that a career spent dealing with mortality leave on a man’s perception and psyche.