Customer Reviews

The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear, the Real Forensics Behind the Great Detective's Greatest Cases

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3 star:		(1)
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This short book is an interesting history of forensics.

Based upon the subtitle, I thought the author would spend more time applying forensic science to Sherlock Holmes' cases. Instead, Sherlock Holmes, and obviously Conan Doyle, are used in two peripheral ways. They are used to introduce a topic or, occasionally, and more interestingly, Ms Wagner would relate a true crime that occurred before a Holmes story was written, then show the parallels that indicate that Doyle based his story on that true crime.

So, if you pick this up because you are a big Sherlock fan expecting insight into those stories you will be disappointed. If, however, you find forensics at all interesting, you will enjoy this book.

Ms Wagner follows the developing science of criminal investigation from its infancy in the nineteenth century into the earliest twentieth century. Thus, true to the subtitle, she limits her history to around Doyle's time.

Ms Wagner included in the book many many examples of crime solving - or unsuccessful attempts at crime-solving. Her examples are, almost without fail, interesting and entertaining. Those examples keep the book moving and prevent it from being a mere recitation of developments in forensic science. Also included are interesting sidelights, such asthe fact that many autopsies were done on the dining room table of the house in which the murder was committed. These pearls also engage the reader.

As noted, this was a short book. I got to the end and wished there were more.

This book is a shining example of excellence, an A. Author E.J. Wagner's absolute command of the facts, crisp summaries of the most famous cases, her irony and subtle sarcasm -- I am very, very impressed. And in this genre, I am a hanging judge.

To be honest, I had reservations when I first heard about this book. Sure, there was plenty of excited murmuring among the die-hards in the Holmesian set. But many recent historic crime titles that took on topics of broad scope just absolutely flunked the quiz. As an attorney who has studied historic true crime for longer than I care to relay, I'm a very tough audience for an encyclopedic treatment of the subject. Check out my review of "Homicide: 100 years" and you'll see just one example of an author that butchered a promising premise.

But E.J. Wagner does not disappoint. If the Science of Sherlock Holmes contains any factual errors, I was hard-pressed to spot a one of them. In Wagners quite capable hands, the science, the real mysteries, and the fiction are woven together seamlessly. Wagner fills her early history of forensic science with larger-than-life characters and bizarre murder cases, from "the dark delights of the Borden mystery" to the famous Dreyfus affair, Charles Bravo case, Dr. Crippen, Hauptmann, Jack the Ripper, the Tichborne scandal, Constance Kent, and so on. Many of the interesting cases she mentions are new even to me. And she relays these stories in delightful prose -- I was often reminded of the crisp wit of my all-time favorite crime writer Edmund L. Pearson, and few other authors have ever so reminded me.

She also explains the earliest advances in forensic science -- but doesn't leave out such faux pas as phrenology. And there's Sherlock Holmes in large doses. It's no wonder the book has received glowing review after glowing review after glowing review.

A huge bibliography of Holmes titles and classic true crime books adds even more value to this book. I can't remember ever seeing such a comprehensive bibliography of the best historic crime titles. It would suffice as a "must get" list for a librarian looking to build a respectable collection of the all-time best in true crime. (I plan to photocopy it and give it to my husband in lieu of a Christmas list.)

Anyone with the remotest interest in Holmes, true crime, history, or science would enjoy The Science of Sherlock Holmes. Anyone who wants to write historical mysteries ought to memorize it before putting one word on paper. And anyone who finishes it may well be inspired to reread Conan Doyle with a whole new appreciation for the logician and his role in the development of the incredible systems of crime detection existing today.

The case could be made that the most famous character in fiction is the world's greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes. His adventures from over a hundred years ago still have many devoted readers, often within fan clubs, and sequels and movies seem as if they are never going to stop. We love Holmes because he was rationality triumphant, the cool thinker who could outwit the best brains that the underworld could produce. One of Holmes's attractive tributes was his reliance on scientific evaluation of the clues which he found; he not only used forensic science as it was then known, he originated aspects of it, at least in fiction. It is not surprising that his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, would have busied Holmes in forensics. Doyle, a physician, was tutored by Dr. Joseph Bell, whose incisive personality, keen observation, and powers of deduction made him a model for Holmes. In a time when there are big audiences following dramas based on forensic investigation of crime scenes, it is good to go back to the basics: _The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear, the Real Forensics Behind the Great Detective's Greatest Cases_ (Wiley) by E. J. Wagner not only shows the requisite admiration for the forensic skill of the master, but places such skill in context at a time when scientific detection was just getting started.

Before Holmes's time, people were just as fascinated as we by crime, and discussed physical evidence left by evil-doers, but the evidence was often evaluated with superstition or folklore. Holmes, of course, had to battle superstition repeatedly, showing, for instance, that the "enormous coal-black hound, but not such a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen" was no supernatural bringer of death to the Baskervilles, but a ruse that took advantage of superstition. On the other hand, dogs were beginning to be used in crime detection; Holmes did not employ dogs, but in "The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place", he uses the vital clue of the family dog's ability to tell mistress from stranger, and in "The Adventure of the Creeping Man" he announces, "I have serious thoughts of writing a small monograph on the uses of dogs in the work of the detective." Conan Doyle himself, though a doctor, enjoyed playing something more than an armchair detective. Wagner describes a case which Doyle found unfair, so he went to the crime scene, examined all the evidence in a Sherlockian fashion, and was able to help exonerated the convicted prisoner. Holmes was also explicitly familiar with the Bertillon system of measurements, a systematic way of taking identification measurements on criminals which was cutting edge in his time, but eventually replaced by fingerprints as the main method of identification.

Wagner is a crime historian, and her book uses the Holmes stories as a starting point to give histories of aspects of scientific detective-work. There are many famous cases that she includes, like those of Lizzie Borden or the Tichborne Claimant, which, if Holmes had been on the case, would have been solved sooner to everyone's satisfaction except that of the culprits. Wagner profiles many admirable and innovative detectives, and gives brief histories of technologies associated with blood typing, dust and fiber analysis, footprint identification, and ballistics, and she reports on research into efforts like handwriting identification. CSI fans as well as Holmes fans will find this a fascinating look at criminals and detectives in their respective efforts.

This book was very informative, if you are a fan of detection literature or TV. The author uses the stories of Conan Doyle as a jumping off point to get into the history of the science of detection.

The book is definitely for a novice or someone who does not have a background in forensic science. Everything is laid out very well and is easily understandable by a layman. Wagner does talk about the big crimes and discusses how emerging science either helped, or hindered, the detection process. Worthwhile if you enjoy criminal history.

There are only a few "crime lecturers and historians," as E. J. Wagner describes herself, and fewer still who care about the details of forensic science. E.J. is one. I first met Ms. Wagner in 2000 when she and her husband braved Manhattan traffic to meet me and discuss my writing aspirations. I found her to be truly interested in getting the scientific details right in her presentations, and delighted to win the approval of forensic scientists. As a group, we can be quite sensitive about terminology, and when an author "gets it right," we like it.

No murder mystery this, but a seamless continuum of E.J.'s narrative spanning the writings of Arthur Conan Doyle as he wove real science into the fictional fabric of his characters. E.J. takes the reader on a tour, offering quotes from Sherlock Homes stories and then noting how the science of that time was applied, filling in details gleaned from actual scientific publications of the era.

Students of the history of forensic science will smile as they are treated to excerpts from "The Century of the Detective" by Jurgen Thorwald, and pearls from Alphonse Bertillion, Sir Bernard Spilsbury, Hans Gross, Edmond Locard, and even a fellow named Paul Kirk. Virtually every specialty is touched upon with emphasis on firearms, impressions, crime scenes, blood typing, trace evidence and toxicology. In addition, there is a nice treatment of a few areas that forensic science abandonded almost a century ago, including phrenology and anthropometery.

A few notorious cases of the Holmesian period are also included, such as that of the axe-wielding Lizzie Borden. At the conclusion of each chapter there is a short feature titled "Whatever Remains," where the author ties up a few loose ends with short comments on contemporaneous cases you may have heard of, including O.J. Simpson and the Lindbergh kidnapping.

All in all, this book deserves a place on the crowded shelf of any criminalist curious about the beginnings of our profession.

(Review published in The CACNews, a newsletter for forensic scientists)

With all of the forests that have been destroyed in providing paper for the many studies of Sherlock Holmes, it would be easy to think that nothing new could be said about the Great Detective. In THE SCIENCE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, E.J. Wagner splendidly proves this is not the case. With the recent interest in forensics provided by programs like CSI, and the rising numbers of characters based on Sherlock Holmes (HOUSE, MONK, Robert Goren of LAW AND ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT, etc.), a book detailing the science behind Holmes' cases could easily have became a piece of exploitation. Instead, Wagner offers careful, intelligent, and well-written analysis. This is one of the best Sherlockian studies in several years--actually, one that should join the ranks of the best of all Sherlockian studies.

Patcat

Sherlock Holmes and his times form the main theme around which the early developments in forensic science are presented in this highly entertaining and informative book. The period covered is mainly from about the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, but concentrates mainly on the latter part of the Victorian era. Advances in various disciplines within forensic science are discussed as are many early cases in which these new developments were used and occasionally misused. The writing style is friendly, authoritative and quite engaging. But in particular, the author's very witty prose makes this book doubly enjoyable. General readers who love good mysteries will not be disappointed here, but forensic science buffs, as well as Sherlock Holmes fans, would likely savor this wonderful book the most.

The title is slightly misleading. The book is about the history and development of forensic science in Britain and Europe in the century following Sherlock Holmes' 'birth' (He was born in 1853-54 since he was 60 years of age in August 1914 -"His Last Bow")

The fictional sleuth paralells his real life counterparts in the use of fingerprints, footprints, fibers and smells on the site, chemical reagents, soil analysis, balistics, the finding from autopsies, the investigation of the habits of insects and animals, and other areas of crime scene and victim investigaton.

A fascinating book for the lay person, especially for the Sherlockian and the mystery reader. I am sure the pathologist and the policeman will not be disappointed either.

I suggest, however, that you do not read the autopsies and maggots sections during or just after meals - not without a basin nearby.

This book really opens the door to Sherlock Holmes' study and -no matter what your interests are - you can't help but take a seat. Although I'm more of a history buff than a murder mystery fan, I found this book really fascinating. It touches on psychology, history, forensic science, the field of medicine, and, of course, murder. The overlap between real crime detection and the techniques used by the famous Holmes draws you in. Since reading it, I've found myself looking for Sherlock Holmes stories in the library. I also ask my doctor more questions than I used to - check out chapter 13, "Myth, Medicine, and Murder," and you'll see what I mean!

An entertaining and informative book, worth purchasing just for the bibliography. The author weaves together Conan Doyle, obscure discoveries, famous murders and hugely entertaining forensic trivia into an excellent overview of the origins of forensic science and scientific homicide investigation.