I've been on kind of a Holmesian kick and related materials, and this book is a good excuse for using the famous names and cases while learning something. Wagner does a great job of including cases throughout history to describe the evolution of forensics and the relative importance of what was available to investigators at the time period - the chapters on bloodwork, fingerprint analysis, and use of poisons I thought were particularly good. And of course I love phrenology!

The organization left something to be desired - at the end of each chapter are random additional notes, which while interesting and informative, seem to be there because they couldn't be worked in in the course of the chapter. I also was caught by surprise at the end of the book - the chapter simply stopped, and then there was no more book. Although the chapter itself was mean to be a conclusion to the book, it didn't have a full summary feel. But these are nit-picky points, and don't really detract from the overall material. This is a fairly fast and easy read, especially for non-fiction.

This is more of a lay history of forensic police work than a Sherlock Holmes related book. The author almost seems to be forcing Holmes references into her text. This was not necessary (oh, and some of the S.H. references do work, they just aren’t all needed), as what makes this a good read doesn't need extra help. It is a nice introduction to forensic technique, how it developed, and some of the yet unanswered questions. A definite recommendation to any person who is interested in forensics or who just can't get enough of forensic-oriented TV shows.

Rather interesting, but I did skip some of the boring bits.

I'm actually using this as a text in one of my classes. It is interesting, informative, and applicable to modern forensic techniques. It is quite enjoyable to read and meshes nicely with the canon.

Tis about the history of forensic sciences interwoven with the stories that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote. I enjoy forensic television shows, but I've never had a desire to read Sherlock Holmes, now I can't wait to start! I will enjoy watching Bones all that much more :~) Wonderfully well written.

Not really Holmes enough for the Sherlockian or scientifically detailed for the serious science reader, more of a primer for the history of forensic science in Europe and USA. The author does a good job of breaking down the science, providing interesting examples, and citing specific Holmes stories and how they relate - which is much better than the lazy shout-outs punctuating "Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes." Perhaps more interesting to the younger reader or those who haven't discovered more compelling historical/true crime/science books (e.g. Disappearing Spoon, Poisoner's Handbook, maybe Devil in the White City, myriad others). I will afford it 3 starts, but just barely.

This book dives deep into the real science that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used to create Sherlock Holmes! Everything from poisons and plants to disguise and do section is covered. I found it really interesting that real world CSIs started to show up in the late. 1800s. They were part of a field known as “legal medicine.” I also appreciated all the tales of criminals who thought they’d get away with something, but were foiled by recent discovery of say fingerprints, poison identification, the study of bugs, or other new technologies and innovations.

This a good book on the history of forensics, particularly of the time when the Sherlock Holmes books were written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I have read all the Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories and have been watching some of the Sherlock Holmes stories on television recently and have read several books on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Conan Doyle was a medical doctor and used a lot of his knowledge of forensics in creating the character of Sherlock Holmes It is a very good book and would be enjoyable to those familiar with the Sherlock Holmes stories and those interested in the history of forensics. It might be more interesting to those who have read the Sherlock Holmes stories.

Very interesting, informative book about 19th century forensics.

Decent read. Informative and entertaining.

I've been lured in by an exciting title once again! This book is really about the history of forensic science. It needed more Holmes!

This was a fun look at the forensic science that was available around when the fictional Sherlock Holmes was in business, and each topic (fingerprints, phrenology, etc) is introduced using a Sherlock story. Doyle himself was a physician, of course, before becoming a writer. I couldn't spend a whole lot of time with this... it was interesting, but the book felt a little too much like recounting trivia rather than a true narrative.