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American Sherlock

By: Kate Winkler Dawson
Narrated by: Kate Winkler Dawson
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Summary

From the acclaimed author of Death in the Air comes the riveting story of the birth of criminal investigation in the 20th century.

Berkeley, California, 1933. In a lab filled with curiosities - beakers, microscopes, Bunsen burners, and hundreds upon hundreds of books - sat an investigator who would go on to crack at least 2,000 cases in his 40-year career. Known as the "American Sherlock Holmes", Edward Oscar Heinrich was one of America's greatest - and first - forensic scientists, with an uncanny knack for finding clues, establishing evidence, and deducing answers with a skill that seemed almost supernatural.

Heinrich was one of the nation's first expert witnesses, working in a time when the turmoil of Prohibition led to sensationalized crime reporting and only a small, systematic study of evidence. However, with his brilliance and commanding presence in both the courtroom and at crime scenes, Heinrich spearheaded the invention of a myriad of new forensic tools that police still use today, including blood spatter analysis, ballistics, lie-detector tests, and the use of fingerprints as courtroom evidence. His work, though not without its serious - some would say fatal - flaws, changed the course of American criminal investigation.

Based on years of research and thousands of never-before-published primary source materials, American Sherlock captures the life of the man who pioneered the science our legal system now relies upon - as well as the limits of those techniques and the very human experts who wield them.

©2020 Kate Winkler Dawson (P)2020 Penguin Audio
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Critic reviews

One of CrimeReads' Most Anticipated Books of 2020

“Dawson balances the two sides of her book deftly, moving nimbly between dramatic renditions of the mysteries Heinrich helped solve, or sometimes didn’t, and reflections on his scientific analyses and personal struggles…As thought-provoking as it is thrilling.” (Columbus Dispatch)

"Edward Oscar Heinrich was one of America's earliest criminologists. He was also a meticulous record keeper, allowing Dawson to recreate his fascinating life story.... Those interested in the development of modern forensics will be enthralled." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

What listeners say about American Sherlock

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Kept me engaged

There are few books that keep me fully engaged all the way through, and this one did.

Although the narration is somewhat lacklustre the weaving of topic, history and story was excellent.

Well worth a listen.

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Enthralling

Was an absolutely incredible book about the man who helped shape forensic science and the struggles he faced in his personal life. Truly insightful.

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