"Anyone with the slightest interest in language will find this book fascinating" - David Crystal, Honorary Professor of Linguistics at Bangor University, UK

"Tell kids not to worry. sorting my life out. be in touch to get some things."

Instead of being a text message from one partner to another, this text message turns out to be crucial and chilling evidence in convicting the deceptive killer of a mother of two. Sent from her phone, after her death, a few tell tale signs give him away to a forensic linguist. Rarely is a crime committed without there being some evidence in the form of language.

The book includes the much-discussed dispute between the publishers of The Da Vinci Code and the author of Daughter of God where Dan Brown was accused of plagiarism and Olsson provided expert opinion. In another, a US businessman, falsely accused of defamation, is saved by Olsson’s biting analysis. There are a series of further chapters where gripping cases are described - involving murder, sexual assault, hate mail, suspicious death, code deciphering, arson and even genocide. Olsson describes the evidence he gave in each one and in approachable and clear prose details how forensic linguistics helps the law beat the criminals.

This is fascinating reading for anyone interested in language, the law, and true crime.