The Word as Evidence features 23 real-life cases from Jon Olsson, the world's most famous forensic linguist, including murder, sexual assault, mysterious death, blackmail, arson, and even participation in genocide. Olsson describes what textual evidence he was able to gather in each of these cases and what exactly allowed him to establish the guilt of the suspect. The author, whose style is distinguished by accessibility and clarity of presentation, tells how the achievements of linguistics can be successfully used in such an unexpected field of practical application as law enforcement. Olsson’s book is a fascinating read for anyone interested in linguistics and the popular genre of true crime - genuine crime histories.