I was mixed with excitement and trepidation about this one. It's a subject I am very fond of and passionate about learning more about but I'm also a big fiction reader and worried I would find it a little dull/dry at times... but NO, Massive kudos to Kate Winkler Dawson for a delivering an insightful and enjoyable book!

Chronicling the life of Edward Oscar Heinrich, who was dubbed the 'American Sherlock' through his work shaping American forensics, this book explores all the work he did and the methods in which he created to help solve crimes. If you're a fan of any procedural drama shows that highlight the work of forensics you will probably find this a very interesting and enjoyable read!!

Something I loved on a personal note, is that every chapter started with a quote from a Holmes novel, and being a big fan of the Arthur Conan Doyle series, I found this a very nice touch and tied together the book well.

Massive thanks to Netgalley and Icon Books for the ARC!!

A fascinating part of the history of forensic science in searching out the truth in crime. This book talks about the man, the era, and shows crime conviction in a very bad light before scientific evidence came on the scene.
There are a smattering of cases which all provide excellent examples which put forensic detection in prime position of protecting the innocent, although, due to various clashing of specialist opinions may not have done so initially.
Extremely interesting reading

This is an excellent story of one of America's most prominent forensic scientist of the 1920s - 1950s. Suffice to say this is definitely one for all those who love to read about the development of forensic science as applied to crime.

The author introduces us - albeit briefly - to a man who has been lauded as one of the greatest forensic scientists of his time. A man who in his forty year career pioneered many forensic techniques still in use today; who opened his own private lab at his own expense; who became one of the first expert witnesses to be called upon; who was a father, husband, teacher, friend, and at times, curmudgeonly, arrogant and obsessive.

Kate Winkler Dawson comments that the "... archaic methods of crime fighting in the 1920s, procedures depending on hunches and weak circumstantial evidence, were futile ..... police were outnumbered and many times outsmarted ...". Here this mostly self taught man came into his own, with his knowledge of many disciplines that could be applied to the analysis of a crime scene.

The author looks at eight particular crimes in which Heinrich developed new techniques for detection or improved upon older ones. Each chapter is entitled "the Case of ...." (a bit like an episode of Perry Mason) and includes one on Heinrich himself, wherein the author delves into his personal history. All of the cases are fairly well known and take place in the 1920 and 1930s - so no spoiler alerts required.

This fascinating read concludes with a follow up on the major players of the time; discusses the many methods developed by Oscar which are still used today, including his meticulous cataloguing of evidence; and gives us a brief run-down of his son's careers. Oscar was a rarity - in his own time and quite possibly even now. He was a mostly self taught man whose expertise encompassed many disciplines. I guess we must thank his life long confidant John Kaiser for ensuring materials of scientific interest were continually forwarded onto Oscar for use in the development of scientific methods.

This biography is presented in an easily read and understood manner - exploring all facets of the life of this unique man and also his methodologies. A highly recommended read for those with an interest in the development of forensic science and detecting techniques.

Story itself is kind of interesting, one of the forensic expertise pioneers in America showing off some skills, however there are many problems with this book in my opinion.It's very hectic, there's no proper structure or timeline in place, you do feel lost at times trying to understand what stage you're at. It was not very engaging, cases were dragging and it felt that there was a lot of irrelevant information in places.
I really didn't like the fact that the first case was split in two and we read beginning and then have to wait until the very end of the book to find out what happens, not going to lie details of the case fade by then.It amuses me (and not in a good way) how the author decides to call blood pattern analysis junk science, while lie detector looks like it's a very reliable technique. Where in fact it is other way round. She ended up slamming pretty much the whole forensics department in states, giving some examples of mistakes made in the past and calling the whole science pretty unreliable.And yes, Oscar Heinrich did bring a lot of techniques to the court and many of them are being used now, but his significance is in a way exaggerated. It is also said that you cannot be a jack of all trades, but need deeper knowledge of some particular field. Heinrich was a jack of all trades. It's just very inconsistent and when you read it, it doesn't feel like his story either..Overall it had much more potential if it was written and structured better.
Thank you #NetGalley for my free copy

#americansherlock #oscarheinrich #katewinklerdawson

'Experts today call Oscar “America’s greatest forensic scientist of the early twentieth century.”'

This book is a very in-depth look into the crimes of Edward Oscar Heinrich, and since it revolved around the man so much I expected him to feature more than he did. I would have loved to hear a little more about his life than just the odd comment about his obsessive journaling.

The chapters were good, interesting but seemed to drag on for a bit. Plus, I wasn't a fan of the first chapter being split up and not telling you what happened till the end. It didn't hold my attention, it just got on my nerves.

Not a bad book, just an okay and nice read.

I really enjoyed this insightful and enlightening read on Heinrich who was a fascinating figure. The book is very well thought out and researched. A must for lovers of true crime!

The original CSI

A really interesting, detailed account of an incredible man. As a huge fan of true crime, I was genuinely surprised to realise that I’d never heard of this man, and all that he contributed to modern detective work.

Some of the writing was a bit repetitive, particularly the details about his money troubles, but on the whole an engaging read.

This book could have been oh-so-good if it wasn’t for a couple of things - the timeline becomes quite disjointed a few chapters in and there isn’t enough focus on Heinrich himself. A good editor would fix this quickly. The amount of information saved by the Heinrich family and given over to the university is amazing and I’d love to see a collection of his letters in chronological order. Heinrich’s influence on modern policing and the mundane but methodical crime investigations would be immeasurable as many of his techniques and ideas are still in use today – however I don’t believe he is the pioneer or spearhead of lie-detection tests!

This book has its moment and ends up reaching its crescendo at the end. However, it truly needs a good editor to tighten the book and put a lot more focus on the first half. Stories going back and forth also took away focus at times from the protagonist, Oscar Heinrich.

What works in the book's favour though is that it is an extremely unique & fascinating subject and the book is written with thorough research! Kudos to the author for being detailed in her analysis of cases.