E. J. Wagner

Hm, been awhile since I read this but I am bothered by my lack of reviews on Goodreads for all of the books that I have read. This book was easy to read but also a bit disappointing. I expected - more, somehow. Not having the book in front of me, I must go by memory but I remember that there wasn't enough detail about some of the topics and that others were fairly obvious. Still, it was basically an enjoyable book and I do like reading about new things and also about Sherlock Holmes. (Though if you look at what I've read, it's so far been lacking in a lot of Holmes books, but I do follow Holmes a bit on TV and the big screen.)… (meer)

This book wasn't quite what I expected. I've read a few other volumes with "The science of..." in the title, and they've generally used some familiar work of fiction or pop culture as a jumping off point from which to discuss current scientific concepts. So I think I was expecting the author to bring up various details from Sherlock Holmes stories and then discuss what modern forensics would have to say about them, or something along those lines.

Instead, the book is much more focused on history, exploring what doctors and detectives of Arthur Conan Doyle's day knew or were learning about scientific ways to investigate crimes, with lots and lots of accounts of actual historical crimes, many of which would have been worthy of Holmes story themselves, and some of which, indeed, may have inspired Conan Doyle. It's interesting, if often somewhat macabre, stuff. More interesting, honestly, than the subject matter I was expecting would have been. I'd say it's well worth reading if you have an interest in history, medicine, and crime, even if you're not necessarily a huge devotee of Holmes.… (meer)

I love Sherlock Holmes. As I've mentioned on this blog before, my dog is even named Sherlock! I will pretty much read absolutely anything about the Great Detective, from canon to modernized fictional takes to non-fiction analysis. And I always have high hopes for every book on Holmes I read, that it can do justice to my favorite fictional character and the world Doyle created around him.

Luckily, The Science of Sherlock Holmes is a unique and well-written addition to the multitudes of Sherlock Holmes' books out there. Wagner takes a non-fiction approach to analysis of the canon, specifically through the lens of science and forensics.

Using both Holmes' cases and true crime from around the world, Wagner explores the history and development of forensic science throughout the ages. Everything from fingerprints to blood analysis is covered, and Wagner expertly weaves in Holmes' quotes and true crime tales to highlight and explain.

This is a book for fans of Sherlock Holmes, forensics, true crime, and just really interesting non-fiction reads.… (meer)