I actually didn’t know anything about Edward Oscar Heinrich before reading American Sherlock. I was mainly attracted to the book because I am a big fan of True Crime and have an interest in forensics. It was very well researched and gave a thorough look at his career. I was particularly interested in the way he pioneered many techniques still being used now – blood-spatter analysis, fingerprints etc. These are all things that I read about and watch all of the time as a crime fan, but it will certainly change the way I view my favourite detective TV shows from now on! A very enjoyable book for anyone with an interest in these areas.

As an avid fan of forensic crime drama CSI, NCIS, Bones etc. this book immediately peaked my interest.

I was hoping to gleam more on an insight into Heinrich, this so called "American Sherlock", but the book rather details some of his cases and his relationship with peers and as well 'enemies', other scientists he deemed to be fools and below him. The mentions of his family life don't particularly add to the narrative or reveal much about the man himself. Or maybe I'm not so good at reading between the lines. 

Was it just me or is there hints of more than a friendship between Heinrich and the librarian? Though I guess it was more common that a man would have a male confidant than discuss things with his wife at the time.

Though I was interested by the subject and some of the cases covered were quite interesting, the book as a whole just wasn't that interesting a read.

**Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've always been fascinated by true crime and the advancement of forensics so I was excited to read this book. I didn't know much about Heinrich before I began but I loved learning about how he developed new techniques and advanced older techniques within forensic science.

The book was extremely well researched and while repetitive at points I found it to be overall to be very engaging.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
Some interesting parts here but on the whole I found it dull and lacking an edge to take it to the next level. 
An OK read.

**Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review**

I've been interested in forensics and true crime for many years so when I initially heard about this book on the author's excellent podcast (Tenfold More Wicked), I knew I would enjoy it. There are so many forensic techniques open to modern-day investigators but when / where did they begin? Who discovered them?

This book takes us through the fascinating story of Edward Oscar Heinrich - "America's Sherlock Holmes" - who discovered and developed areas of crime-scene analysis such as fingerprints, blood-spatter and ballistics while  struggling to be taken seriously as an expert witness.

Thoroughly recommended.

This book is a fascinating insight into one of the most important characters in the history of crime solving techniques.  The author worked closely with the librarian who at Kate's insistence cataloged his many boxes of artefacts and documents,  whilst also researching  other sources to create an engrossing account of his most famous and groundbreaking cases. She turns what could be dry and factual into something which could be made into a film!

Thank you to @iconbooks and @netgalley for this copy of American Sherlock. This was a fantastic book👌 This is the story of Oscar Heinrich, the American Pioneer of most of the forensic crime scene techniques still used to this day. As a forensics student myself I was so so shocked I hadn't heard more about him. The book was so well researched and delved into the life and science of this amazingly intelligent man. The case studies were so well explained and interesting. Absolutely recommend to anyone who loves true crime and forensics👌 A 5 star read for me!

I was kindly gifted this book by netgalley in return for an honest review. 

I have to be honest and say I loved parts of this book, the indepth look at Heinrich's methods in relation to cases was fascinating and some of his biographical information gave a real insight to him and his choices. 

However, I found that the author jumped from interesting and engaging information to seemingly pointless and disjointed tangents. This lead me more than once to stop mid chapter and put the book down as I had lost interest in the topic.

I didn’t know anything about Oscar Heinrich before reading this book. The description of the book lured me in but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations, I found it very repetitive.
Edward Oscar Heinrich is an early pioneer of forensics in America, the book is a biography of his life and cases he was involved in.

The author has researched her subject well and in her description of Heinrich’s criminal cases the writing flows well and the chapters pass by quickly. The organisation of the book left me confused at times and the constant reminder of Heinrich’s financial worries didn’t add to the book.
All in all an ok read but left me feeling less engaged than I had hoped to be.

Thanks to NetGalley and Icon books for this arc copy.

Thank you to netgalley.co.uk for giving me a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I wasn't sure what to think of this one, I couldn't get into it. I found it quite repetitive so I ended up skimming a good bit of it. Kept talking about things I wasn't interested but didn't spend enough time on the forensics which made Edward Oscar Heinrich known as the American Sherlock

This book appears to be well researched by an enthusiastic writer. Learning about the developments made in forensic science, in crime scene processing, in pathology tests etc was fascinating. I enjoyed reading this and realising how recently many of the advances in forensic science that we take for granted have taken place.

Knowing nothing about Oscar Heinrich - the American Sherlock of the title -  or his work going in, this was an interesting read, Heinrich worked on more than 2,000 cases during his career and helped develop advancements in the fields of ballistics, blood spatter analysis and fingerprinting. The book mixes stories of the cases he investigated with tales of Heinrich's life, the latter didn't hold my interest as much as the case stories. It's obviously meticulously researched but quite frustratingly the author 'name drops' or uses a 'cliffhanger' which aren't resolved for a while later or the resolution doesn't really deserve the build-up it;s been given.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Kate Winkler Dawson has written a very interesting and accessible biography of Oscar Heinrich who pioneered forensic science use during crime investigation in the USA. It is written in chapter form, detailing a selection of his most famous cases.

He wasn't perfect, he made mistakes - don't we all? However he was profoundly interested in the whys and wherefores of crime and helped to educate police officers into the proper way to investigate. Prior to his private laboratory there was no real attempt to investigate in the true sense of the word, crime scenes were not protected and police officers were far too ready to fit the the crime to their theory as opposed to the other way round. Heinrich changed all that and often acted as an expert witness at the trials relating to his cases. 

As I said, the book is very accessible,  it reads like a crime novel. If you enjoy true crime then I  think you will enjoy this book, I found it fascinating and definitely recommend it.

A true must read for fans of crime books, fictional or true crime.
I spent hours on the internet looking at the Crimes Mentioned in this book.
Edward Oscar Heinrich was the grandfather of US Crime Scene Investigation and Forensic Science. For years his work has been stored away in boxes.
Now, Thanks to Kate Winkler Dawson, his name will be out there where it belongs
An absolutely brilliant, engrossing read that will lead everybody down internet wormholes for hours

The author clearly loves the subject matter here - her passion is shown in her research that was clearly undertaken with a fine tooth comb.

I love the backgrounds given to each of the cases discussed in the book - it made the people and places involved come alive even though they are decades old.

I think it’s to the authors credit that they also discuss some of the negative effects they had on forensic science - it’s all too easy to focus on the positives without giving it a critical appraisal and it’s so refreshing that this book explores both facets.

I was mixed with excitement and trepidation about this one. It's a subject I am very fond of and passionate about learning more about but I'm also a big fiction reader and worried I would find it a little dull/dry at times... but NO, Massive kudos to Kate Winkler Dawson for a delivering an insightful and enjoyable book!

Chronicling the life of Edward Oscar Heinrich, who was dubbed the 'American Sherlock' through his work shaping American forensics, this book explores all the work he did and the methods in which he created to help solve crimes. If you're a fan of any procedural drama shows that highlight the work of forensics you will probably find this a very interesting and enjoyable read!!

Something I loved on a personal note, is that every chapter started with a quote from a Holmes novel, and being a big fan of the Arthur Conan Doyle series, I found this a very nice touch and tied together the book well.

Massive thanks to Netgalley and Icon Books for the ARC!!

A fascinating  part of the history of forensic science in searching out the truth in crime. This book talks about the man, the era, and shows crime conviction in a very bad light before scientific evidence came on the scene.
There are a smattering of cases which all provide excellent examples which put forensic detection in prime position of protecting the innocent,  although, due to various clashing of specialist opinions may not have done so initially. 
Extremely interesting reading

This is an excellent story of one of America's most prominent forensic scientist of the 1920s - 1950s. Suffice to say this is definitely one for all those who love to read about the development of forensic science as applied to crime.

The author introduces us - albeit briefly - to a man who has been lauded as one of the greatest forensic scientists of his time. A man who in his forty year career pioneered many forensic techniques still in use today; who opened his own private lab at his own expense; who became one of the first expert witnesses to be called upon; who was a father, husband, teacher, friend, and at times, curmudgeonly, arrogant and obsessive.

Kate Winkler Dawson comments that the "... archaic methods of crime fighting in the 1920s, procedures depending on hunches and weak circumstantial evidence, were futile ..... police were outnumbered and many times outsmarted ...". Here this mostly self taught man came into his own, with his knowledge of many disciplines that could be applied to the analysis of a crime scene.

The author looks at eight particular crimes in which Heinrich developed new techniques for detection or improved upon older ones. Each chapter is entitled "the Case of ...." (a bit like an episode of Perry Mason) and includes one on Heinrich himself, wherein the author delves into his personal history. All of the cases are fairly well known and take place in the 1920 and 1930s - so no spoiler alerts required.

This fascinating read concludes with a follow up on the major players of the time; discusses the many methods developed by Oscar which are still used today, including his meticulous cataloguing of evidence; and gives us a brief run-down of his son's careers. Oscar was a rarity - in his own time and quite possibly even now. He was a mostly self taught man whose expertise encompassed many disciplines. I guess we must thank his life long confidant John Kaiser for ensuring materials of scientific interest were continually forwarded onto Oscar for use in the development of scientific methods.

This biography is presented in an easily read and understood manner - exploring all facets of the life of this unique man and also his methodologies. A highly recommended read for those with an interest in the development of forensic science and detecting techniques.

Story itself is kind of interesting, one of the forensic expertise pioneers in America showing off some skills, however there are many problems with this book in my opinion.It's very hectic, there's no proper structure or timeline in place, you do feel lost at times trying to understand what stage you're at. It was not very engaging, cases were dragging and it felt that there was a lot of irrelevant information in places.
I really didn't like the fact that the first case was split in two and we read beginning and then have to wait until the very end of the book to find out what happens, not going to lie details of the case fade by then.It amuses me (and not in a good way) how the author decides to call blood pattern analysis junk science, while lie detector looks like it's a very reliable technique. Where in fact it is other way round. She ended up slamming pretty much the whole forensics department in states, giving some examples of mistakes made in the past and calling the whole science pretty unreliable.And yes, Oscar Heinrich did bring a lot of techniques to the court and many of them are being used now, but his significance is in a way exaggerated. It is also said that you cannot be a jack of all trades, but need deeper knowledge of some particular field. Heinrich was a jack of all trades. It's just very inconsistent and when you read it, it doesn't feel like his story either..Overall it had much more potential if it was written and structured better.
Thank you #NetGalley for my free copy

#americansherlock #oscarheinrich #katewinklerdawson

'Experts today call Oscar “America’s greatest forensic scientist of the early twentieth century.”'

This book is a very in-depth look into the crimes of Edward Oscar Heinrich, and since it revolved around the man so much I expected him to feature more than he did. I would have loved to hear a little more about his life than just the odd comment about his obsessive journaling.

The chapters were good, interesting but seemed to drag on for a bit. Plus, I wasn't a fan of the first chapter being split up and not telling you what happened till the end. It didn't hold my attention, it just got on my nerves.

Not a bad book, just an okay and nice read.