In this text, Heymer, a retired police officer, looks at spontaneous human combustion (SHC). He tells of how he once investigated a case of what he remains convinced was SHC and how this led to him delving into possible causes and the widespread silence or disbelief of the scientific community. He takes the view that those with intensive specialist training may have very rigid opinions and refuse to see something they do not wish to or which fails to accord with their theories.