This is the Guardian. Every Christmas I have a tradition. I read a festive murder mystery.

There is nothing better than settling down on the sofa with a box of chocolates

and attempting to unpick a devious and grisly death alongside a witty

maverick detective. So if you're anything like me, you'll enjoy this year's Royal Institution Christmas lectures by forensic anthropologist, Professor

Dame Sue Black.

In her talks, she'll be delving into the scientific detective process used to identify the living and the dead.

What are the secret clues hidden within our bodies that could help to solve even the most surprising crimes?

What's it actually like to be a forensic scientist?

And, should you ever throw away someone else's finger?

From the Guardian I'm Madeline Finley and this is Science Weekly.

Just before we get started, I wanted to flag that in this episode we hear about having to identify children's bodies from their remains.

So please do take care when listening.

Nicola Davis, you're a guardian science correspondent and earlier this year you sat down with Professor Dame or Dame Professor Dame,

I'm not sure which way round those two should go.

Sue Black, a forensic anthropologist who's giving this year's Royal Institution Christmas

lectures. But for those who don't know who she is, who's Sue Black?

She is a bit of a legend to be honest and great fun to talk to as well.

She's a leading anatomist and forensic anthropologist and so she's done some amazing work on identifying victims of disasters and also in the world of crime so looking at

identifying how your body can be used to tell one person apart from another person and of course that has

an awful lot of implications in the nefarious world of murder and other nasty crimes that go on.

Nicola, aside from giving lectures and and other nasty crimes that go on.

Nicola, aside from giving lectures and writing books,

...