Absolutely love murder stories, this one was the same for me. Interesting, kept me intrigued and wanted to keep reading.

a perfect encounter of the human desire to uncover the truth and all the efforts and pseudoscience that went into the creation of the "lie detectors". though the machine is still detecting emotions and their bodily manifestations, it is still pushed to the public is being lie detectors.
amazing read for lovers of true crime and lovers of the history of inventions.

This book originally grabbed me with its basic premise - the birth of the polygraph and how it has been used (and abused) since. I was fascinated by the story of the three men credited with the invention, and how it affected their lives and also the lives of some of those who were convicted or freed based on the lie detector machine.

The book opened with Henry Wilkens and the murder of his wife. Did he orchestrate it? Or was it just a tragically random attack? Several other high profile cases of the time are mentioned, and I found the whole book well researched and very interesting. I also appreciated the postscripts which tied up some of the loose ends, including what happened to each of the three men who helped create the polygraph.

This book will be of interest to people who enjoy true crime, and who have in interest in the history of investigative techniques.

I thought this was a very interesting book about polygraph/ lie detector machines. I am glad I had a chance to read this.

This was such an informative and interesting look at the history of polygraphs and lie detectors. It was so fascinating to hear the origins of the technology and the science it was based on. The book also focuses on a number of cases which highlighted the emerging issues with the technology which could and did lead to miscarriages of justice.

The book is a work of narrative nonfiction devoted to the history of polygraph. It portraits three men, a legendary Berkeley chief of police, who implemented the use of polygraph in police work, John Larson, a researcher and Vollmer’s colleague, who with Vollmer’s encouragement invented the polygraph, and Leonarde Keeler, polygraph co-inventor, who was instrumental in building the machine and making it wildly used in detective work. Katwala talks about two crimes where the lie detector, in his opinion, contributed to miscarriage of justice. In the case of its inventors, the lie detector altered their lives as well. While the book is based on research and historical sources, the author's very scenic writing reanimates the story. The book reads like a police procedural but it is also very informative: you learn about police methods, ‘the third degree’, the science behind the lie detector, polygraph’s use ups and downs. Katwala is ending the book with a coda in which he talks about contemporary developments in lie detection techniques: brain fingerprinting, AI-enabled detection of micro-gestures in the face and head, the eye-tracking. The author is questioning the viability of polygraph as a reliable truth detection tool. Katwala explains that the biggest problem with these magic boxes is that, “all too often”, he says, “lie detectors get aimed at the most vulnerable in society— women in the 1920s, suspected dissidents and homosexuals in the 1960s, benefit claimants in the 2000s, asylum seekers and migrants today.” The book is a good read for true crime aficionados as well as popular science fans.

A fascinating and detailed account which raises as many questions as it answers. This book makes you question what is presented as science while also highlighting the importance of lie detectors in the criminal justice system.

You've probably seen a lie detector in a movie or TV show, its stylus scratching an ink line across a scrolling page and jumping when the subject lies. Sometimes the polygraph is presented as infallible; sometimes its scrutiny can be evaded. In a spy thriller, the hero might put a pin in his shoe: Stepping down on a sharp point, the theory goes, will cause sufficient stress to spike his blood pressure, disguising false statements. In other tales, talented operatives can simply meditate their way down to a state of calmness and therefore appear not to be lying.....

full review at Reason.com

Thank you to the author, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fascinating, albeit at times a bit too exhaustive, account of the development of what is commonly referred to a a "lie detector". The idea that guilt can be shown/proven using technical equipment is beguiling, but ultimately false. The author follows the history of the polygraph using narrative non-fiction of several real-life cases, and exposing the infighting between key people involved in the development of the machine and its promotion. He also follows the evolution of police departments into what they are today. A great read for anyone interested in the American criminal justice system!

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of Tremors in the Blood by Amit Katwala. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.

I enjoyed the crimes mentioned in this book a lot. They were deeply researched and connected to the development of the Polygraph machine. That said, I thought the crimes were more interesting than the part about the device. The Henry Wilkens case especially was really detailed and I was gripped and wanted to see justice served. I give this book a solid 4/5 stars.

I enjoyed learning the history of the development of the polygraph as far as this book went. I had hoped that there would be more than there was. Even so, the personal histories of the developers along with the various true crimes given as examples kept me engaged and I came away with lots to ponder about the way our legal system embraces it and why it shouldn't. Considering that true crime isn't a genre that I often read, I'm glad I gave this book a try.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, this was an extremely interesting story, especially the epilogue and the "coda" sections. The history of the lie detector is chalk full of dark twists and shameful details. This one was ultimately a deep dive into how we arrived at our current state of lie detecting and portions of the criminal justice system. Ultimately, this story is heartbreaking and, in some ways, very angering.
My one complaint is that at some points, the descriptors felt very long-winded and overly details. Sometimes, I had a hard time focusing because of the extreme and specific details. At the end of the book, I did realize the importance of some of these details, but sometimes they just seemed to slow the flow of the story. I liked the pacing of the last half of the book more then at the beginning. Would definitely recommend, but would also suggest some more content/flow editing.

Oh the polygraph! Katwala does a good of exploring the history and use of this device which has been abused and abhorred since it was invented. There's a lot of myth surrounding it, which he peels away, and he demystifies the process. There's good insight as well into the practitioners. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

In the summer of 1922, Henry Wilkens burst through the doors of the emergency room covered in his wife’s blood. As the investigation proceeds, is the husband grieving or guilty?
To find out, the San Francisco police turned to technology and a new machine that had just been invented in Berkeley by John Larson, Gus Vollmer, and Leonarde Keeler
They hoped the lie detector would make the justice system fairer, but the flawed device soon grew too powerful and we are still dealing with the consequences today.
I never knew the history of how the polygraph came to be used in law enforcement. I found myself drawn in and devouring every word right to the end.

The story of the development of the polygraph test. I thought the basic premise of the story was interesting, but at times the sequencing of story felt weird to me.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

this was a collection of fascinating stories that went out to prove that the lie detector isn't any use and the results can be used in court! i can see a lot of research went ion to this book and i do love a true story but the most of this was written around so many facts and figures i got a bit lost sorry

As an avid watcher of true crime YouTube content and documentaries, I decided I would switch it up and delve into a book of the same topic.
“Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession and the Birth of the Lie Detector” by Amit Katwala caught my eye because I knew it would dig into the history of a device that has impacted the justice system whether it be positive or negative.
It begins with a quote from Daniel Defoe to explain the title and subject matter of the book. Defoe says “guilt carries fear always about with it; there is a tremor in the blood of a thief.” It helps to explain the logic behind the birth of the polygraph machine detailed in the book.
The book takes place in the 1920s and Katwala immediately describes the events that led to the death of Anna Wilkes who was killed in a supposed drive-by shooting with her husband driving and children sitting in the backseat. Henry was later on trial for her death and underwent a polygraph test.
The next section focuses on August Vollmer, the Berkeley, Calif., chief of police who championed the idea of the polygraph test. Katwala describes Vollmer’s background and describes some of his law enforcement ideals; to get away from “third degree” questioning and police brutality.
John Larson joins the scene next and becomes a colleague of Vollmer and another part of the team to create the test. Larson becomes the main person to administer the tests.
Seventeen-year-old Leonarde Keeler joined the duo and quickly became enamored with the polygraph and spent many later years marketing the test.
When Katwala talks about these men, he focuses more on their lives and less about the invention of the test. I had zero interest in their life events and details about their personalities, later squabbles and frustrations. Katwala spent too much time providing unnecessary information that didn’t go with the overall goal of the novel: the history of the polygraph and how/why it was formed.
The most interesting part of the book was toward the end where the polygraph comes into play during a murder trial involving a death-row inmate.
The few cases Katwala describes and the role the polygraph played were fascinating and gave the reader the opportunity to decide for themselves whether or not the test was accurate.
In the epilogue, Katwala outlines his own thoughts on the polygraph and essentially says it doesn’t work and gives results that could easily be misinterpreted. Three people could have three different opinions on the results of the test.
Reading this really confirmed my suspicion that polygraph tests don’t really work and probably shouldn’t be used in a court of law or as means of evidence to prove someone either guilty or innocent. In this book and these cases, I thought the test got it wrong and the convictions that resulted should have been overturned.
Katwala helped me form a clear opinion, which I appreciate, and taught me a lot about the evolution of law enforcement of the justice system, something I’m always anxious to learn.
If he had focused more on the cases and tests and less on the people who created them, the book would have been more successful.
About one-third of the book could have been edited out for a more concise look at this part of history but I certainly don’t regret reading.
Candice Black can be reached at cblack@newsandsentinel.com.

This was an interesting read. I have always been interested in how today's crime fighting capabilities came to be. This book definitely touched on a lot of history but in a novel form.

Anyone who knows me knows I love all things true crime from books, documentaries, podcasts the whole work. So when I saw this one, I knew I would love it! I have yet to hear much about this, which was very interesting. The whole book was quite brilliant!
So Katwala starts with a pretty taboo story of Henry Wilkins. Now, Henry's story was his wife was gunned down by a thief in a devastating accident but is that all to the story? Well, she was gunned down by a thief, but many of the extras did not appear to be all the ins and outs of the story. Katwala goes into the development of the polygraph and the person who helped sponsor it, August Vollmer. Now August Vollmer was very active in developing the modern policing we know today. So these both go hand in hand. This book is full of exciting people and their stories, highlighting the difficulties the police were having in a time of almost constant change. I enjoyed the different cases that Katwala discusses and how he discusses them. While this was not really a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, it provides enlightening and enjoyable entertainment! I want to express my gratitude to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this enriching and enticing read!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the advance reader copy.

I thought this book was really interesting and took a unique approach by telling the history of the polygraph through a novel versus a non-fiction approach. Definitely worth checking out!