"He triumphed during the Great Depression of the early 1930s, when a hero was most needed by the people of Australia."--Museum Victoria Australia

The hero in question, a great athlete, died mysteriously in 1932 after winning a big race. The death sparked conspiracy theories; some speculated that gangsters were involved.

The athlete? A legendary Australian racehorse. Phar Lap won 37 out of the 51 races he ran in, with a streak of 14 straight victories and the Melbourne Cup among them. His last race was Mexico's Agua Caliente, the most lucrative horse race in North America--and he won.

While the exact circumstances of Phar Lap's death remain a mystery, the cause has finally been determined. Just last week, scientists announced that the horse died of arsenic poisoning. Forensic scientists were able to determine the cause by testing hairs from the horse's hide.

It's the ability of scientists to solve such intriguing mysteries that make TV shows like CSI such a big hit. If you've ever wondered whether those shows are really getting it right, here are a few books on the topic:

Crime scene chemistry for the armchair sleuth / Cathy Cobb, Monty L. Fetterolf, Jack Goldsmith

Forensic detective : how I cracked the world's toughest cases / Robert Mann and Miryam Ehrlich Williamson

Bodies we've buried : inside the National Forensic Academy, the world's top CSI training school / Jarrett Hallcox and Amy Welch ; foreword by Bill Bass.

The C.S.I. effect / Katherine Ramsland.