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American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI
A gripping historical true crime narrative that "reads like the best of Conan Doyle himself" (Karen Abbott, author of The Ghosts of Eden Park), American Sherlock recounts the riveting true story of the birth of modern criminal investigation.
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 two thousand cases in his forty-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.
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 two thousand cases in his forty-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.
Editorial Reviews
One of The Washington Post's 10 Books to Read in February
One of CrimeReads' Most Anticipated Books of 2020
"Heinrich changed criminal investigations forever, and anyone fascinated by the myriad detective series and television shows about forensics will want to read it."-The Washington Post
"Part institutional history, part true crime account, and part dramatic tale of brilliant minds and clashing personalities, American Sherlock promises to be just as gripping as her first."-CrimeReads
"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)
"While many true-crime books suffer from stale prose, Dawson's writing is remarkable in that it never uses the crutch of false suspense but also doesn't skimp on valuable details....An entertaining, absorbing combination of biography and true crime."-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A fascinating book worthy of being associated with the title's literary sleuth. Readers will want a follow-up so they can discover more of Heinrich's cases as told through Dawson's great storytelling. For fans of Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark and other true crime works."-Library Journal
"Riveting."-BookPage
"Dawson combed Heinrich's own, voluminous papers to produce this entertaining read."-Booklist
"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
"In
One of CrimeReads' Most Anticipated Books of 2020
"Heinrich changed criminal investigations forever, and anyone fascinated by the myriad detective series and television shows about forensics will want to read it."-The Washington Post
"Part institutional history, part true crime account, and part dramatic tale of brilliant minds and clashing personalities, American Sherlock promises to be just as gripping as her first."-CrimeReads
"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)
"While many true-crime books suffer from stale prose, Dawson's writing is remarkable in that it never uses the crutch of false suspense but also doesn't skimp on valuable details....An entertaining, absorbing combination of biography and true crime."-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A fascinating book worthy of being associated with the title's literary sleuth. Readers will want a follow-up so they can discover more of Heinrich's cases as told through Dawson's great storytelling. For fans of Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark and other true crime works."-Library Journal
"Riveting."-BookPage
"Dawson combed Heinrich's own, voluminous papers to produce this entertaining read."-Booklist
"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
"In
Readers Top Reviews
K Kim
Loved the style of writing a great mix of facts and tales of a great scientist who I was not aware of previously!
DUNCAN L NANNEY
What a pleasure to receive this book! It was like Kate Dawson wrote AMERICAN SHERLOCK just for me! Not only has Oscar Heinrich deserved more attention all of these years but the Lamson mystery at Stanford University in 1933 has been particularly lost under stacks and stacks of other true crime cases. This one has drawn my attention for 50 years ever since I read David Lamson's autobiographical WE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE and meeting a forgotten author, Kenneth Stewart, who wrote of the case in NEWS IS WHAT WE MAKE IT. The case is unique for two reasons. The debate is limited to how Allene Lamson died. Did she slip in the bathtub or was she assaulted and murdered by her husband, David? This is a debate which began the day this tragedy occurred and continues to this day. But it is the multiple trials which were so unique because the same debate continued in the courts for three years until there was no point in having any more trials. At first on reading Kate Dawson's book, I was inclined to accept for the first time in studying this case for fifty years that Mr. Lamson may well have been innocent of the murder of his wife Allene. I had to wonder if I should challenge the findings of the great Oscar Heinrich. But on reviewing a letter written by Lowell Turrentine to August Vollmer on Feb. 13, 1934 disputing Heinrich's conclusions, I am compelled to return to my original belief Mr. Lamson was guilty. Mr. Turrentine was a distinguished law professor at Stanford with extensive medical knowledge who had access to both the murder scene and the autopsy reports. He was no lightweight having been a government prosecutor during the Teapot Dome scandals of the 20's. Despite a large age difference, I actually was acquainted with Mr. Turrentine as well as Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Stewart who I met in 1970 who continued to believe Mr. Lamson was guilty despite still being friends with Mr. Lamson and who had even been acquainted with the late Mrs. Lamson. I also learned from my mother that Lamson's neighbor, Miss Vincent learned Lamson's sister, Margaret Lamson had called Lamson's boss after Allene's death and told him : "Dave just killed Alley!" Vincent said Lamson was a "bad actor." Reports were all over the campus that the Lamsons were having problems and they even went to Ray Lyman Wilbur, Stanford's President to try to resolve their marital conflicts. There are other odd sidelights to this case. I have looked at dozens of yearbook photos of Allene including one you will see in AMERICAN SHERLOCK and she is almost always looking away from the camera. It was also reported to me by a man who resided in the Lamson house as a student after the Lamsons vacated that the bells in the Santa Clara County courthouse in San Jose started ringing by themselves after David Lamson was finally and permanently released form custody in 1936. This of course may ju...
Ari McManusStephen O
Wow. I did not like this book at all, which is a huge disappointment. I heard a lot of positives about it especially how it investigates the history of forensic science. And yet I'm not sure what I read? The narrative was odd. It was engaging and invoked a lot of imagery. At the start I was excited then from there it just wasn't for me. It felt as if the content could've been a great article but not longer. My feelings my be unfortunate because I am looking for a particular true crime read and thought this was it. The summary checks all my boxes but the actual content wasn't in depth enough for me. It may serve as a great starting point though. The chapters are short, the narrative is an easy read, it provides a bit of information and if you're looking to start reading more about forensic sciences and the history of it, this might be a good read for you.
Short Excerpt Teaser
1.
A Bloody Mess:
The Case of Allene Lamson's Bath, Part I
He dipped into this bottle or that, drawing out a few drops of each with his glass pipette, and finally brought a test-tube containing a solution over to the table. . . . "You come at a crisis, Watson," said he. "If this paper remains blue, all is well. If it turns red, it means a man's life."
-Arthur Conan Doyle,
The Naval Treaty, 1893
The sharp crackles in the back garden signaled a weekend ritual-the sporadic popping from a small fire, one of many bonfires in her yard over the past three years. Her husband was fond of burning the rubbish he collected from their small bungalow-style home in Northern California.
It was Tuesday, May 30, 1933. The fire sizzled, consuming an incredible amount of debris: garden trimmings, dead artichoke plants, long-dead snails, useless paper, pieces of canvas, and even old steak bones-anything David Lamson thought might reduce to ash by late morning. The pungent smell grew stronger, like charred meat served by a distracted chef, but Allene Lamson rarely complained. The fires helped satisfy her husband's compulsion to keep their home orderly.
It was an honor to live along Stanford University's prestigious Faculty Row in Palo Alto, an affluent community about thirty miles south of San Francisco. Now a high-tech hub in the heart of Silicon Valley, the city has always attracted the wealthy, the educated, and the kingmakers, even in the 1930s. The Lamsons' cottage was snuggled amid the palatial homes of professors and professionals, surrounded by the splendid coast live oaks and flowering eucalyptus trees on campus. The university had earned an international reputation by the 1930s-a sanctuary for future academics who could afford a pricey private education, even as most Americans struggled through the fourth year of the Great Depression, later called the toughest year.
The Lamsons' cottage on Salvatierra Street, with its Spanish-style red-tiled roof and stucco walls adorned with ivy, was modest compared to the other lavish homes in the neighborhood. The house was just a ten-minute stroll from former president Herbert Hoover's impressive three-tiered residence. His wife, First Lady Lou Henry, had an interest in architecture; in 1919, she'd helped to design the five-thousand-square-foot home in the newly popular International style of European estates. In the 1920s, she had overseen the construction of seven single-story cottages on the Row for younger faculty, with prices ranging from about $4,000 to $7,000, and the Lamsons had purchased one.
President Hoover had recently retreated to his sprawling California estate after being soundly defeated in the last election by Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt. Many Americans blamed Hoover for the Great Depression, the catastrophic economic collapse triggered by the stock market crash just seven months after the Republican took office in 1929. By 1933, shantytowns called "Hoovervilles" increasingly dotted America. Bread lines and soup kitchens served millions of impoverished people as Hoover returned to Palo Alto with a tainted legacy. While the former president's two-acre property might have seemed ostentatious, the Lamsons' cottage was cozy, the perfect size for a small family. David proudly, meticulously groomed his garden almost every weekend.
In 1933, many people in Palo Alto were certainly more fortunate than the rest of the country. The United States had been struggling to survive a world economic crisis since 1929. The Great Depression had devastated so many families-fifteen million Americans were unemployed at the time, about 25 percent of the country. But most people in Palo Alto seemed to be thriving, or at least maintaining.
Professors and scholars at Stanford University continued to teach classes and conduct research. Endowments suffered, but athletics and academics had expanded. The city relied on the university's faculty and staff to spend money-and they did.
The black smoke billowed from the bonfire. It was a glorious summer morning in Northern California-bright, blue skies with just a hint of warmth. Unlike San Francisco, its Bay Area neighbor to the north, Palo Alto was shielded from the cool summer fog by the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The yard trash slowly cooked. But buried inside the pile was an innocuous piece of metal that refused to melt as it seared beneath the embers. In just a few hours it would become a vital clue, but for now it remained one more piece...
A Bloody Mess:
The Case of Allene Lamson's Bath, Part I
He dipped into this bottle or that, drawing out a few drops of each with his glass pipette, and finally brought a test-tube containing a solution over to the table. . . . "You come at a crisis, Watson," said he. "If this paper remains blue, all is well. If it turns red, it means a man's life."
-Arthur Conan Doyle,
The Naval Treaty, 1893
The sharp crackles in the back garden signaled a weekend ritual-the sporadic popping from a small fire, one of many bonfires in her yard over the past three years. Her husband was fond of burning the rubbish he collected from their small bungalow-style home in Northern California.
It was Tuesday, May 30, 1933. The fire sizzled, consuming an incredible amount of debris: garden trimmings, dead artichoke plants, long-dead snails, useless paper, pieces of canvas, and even old steak bones-anything David Lamson thought might reduce to ash by late morning. The pungent smell grew stronger, like charred meat served by a distracted chef, but Allene Lamson rarely complained. The fires helped satisfy her husband's compulsion to keep their home orderly.
It was an honor to live along Stanford University's prestigious Faculty Row in Palo Alto, an affluent community about thirty miles south of San Francisco. Now a high-tech hub in the heart of Silicon Valley, the city has always attracted the wealthy, the educated, and the kingmakers, even in the 1930s. The Lamsons' cottage was snuggled amid the palatial homes of professors and professionals, surrounded by the splendid coast live oaks and flowering eucalyptus trees on campus. The university had earned an international reputation by the 1930s-a sanctuary for future academics who could afford a pricey private education, even as most Americans struggled through the fourth year of the Great Depression, later called the toughest year.
The Lamsons' cottage on Salvatierra Street, with its Spanish-style red-tiled roof and stucco walls adorned with ivy, was modest compared to the other lavish homes in the neighborhood. The house was just a ten-minute stroll from former president Herbert Hoover's impressive three-tiered residence. His wife, First Lady Lou Henry, had an interest in architecture; in 1919, she'd helped to design the five-thousand-square-foot home in the newly popular International style of European estates. In the 1920s, she had overseen the construction of seven single-story cottages on the Row for younger faculty, with prices ranging from about $4,000 to $7,000, and the Lamsons had purchased one.
President Hoover had recently retreated to his sprawling California estate after being soundly defeated in the last election by Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt. Many Americans blamed Hoover for the Great Depression, the catastrophic economic collapse triggered by the stock market crash just seven months after the Republican took office in 1929. By 1933, shantytowns called "Hoovervilles" increasingly dotted America. Bread lines and soup kitchens served millions of impoverished people as Hoover returned to Palo Alto with a tainted legacy. While the former president's two-acre property might have seemed ostentatious, the Lamsons' cottage was cozy, the perfect size for a small family. David proudly, meticulously groomed his garden almost every weekend.
In 1933, many people in Palo Alto were certainly more fortunate than the rest of the country. The United States had been struggling to survive a world economic crisis since 1929. The Great Depression had devastated so many families-fifteen million Americans were unemployed at the time, about 25 percent of the country. But most people in Palo Alto seemed to be thriving, or at least maintaining.
Professors and scholars at Stanford University continued to teach classes and conduct research. Endowments suffered, but athletics and academics had expanded. The city relied on the university's faculty and staff to spend money-and they did.
The black smoke billowed from the bonfire. It was a glorious summer morning in Northern California-bright, blue skies with just a hint of warmth. Unlike San Francisco, its Bay Area neighbor to the north, Palo Alto was shielded from the cool summer fog by the Santa Cruz Mountains.
The yard trash slowly cooked. But buried inside the pile was an innocuous piece of metal that refused to melt as it seared beneath the embers. In just a few hours it would become a vital clue, but for now it remained one more piece...
