Based on a scrapbook collected by a homicide detective with the LAPD from the 1930s to the 1950s, this work recalls film noir-era crimes such as the "Black Dahlia Mystery" and the "Lipstick Murder", as well as on-site forensic photos, mug shots, and previously unreleased photos from such sensational cases as the Lindbergh baby kidnapping and the Valentine's Day massacre.

The strange and gruesome crime-scene snapshot collection of LAPD detective Jack Huddleston spans Southern California in its noir heyday. Death Scenes is the noted forerunner of several copycat titles.