In this book Amit Katwala traces the development of the polygraph machine, better known as a lie detector. The polygraph works by monitoring a person's blood pressure, respiration, pulse, and perspiration while the person is being asked a series of questions. Spikes in the above signs (supposedly indicate the person is lying.

The polygraph is far from infallible, however, because false positives may result from the stress of being interrogated. Moreover, some people can 'beat the machine', so passing the lie detector test is not proof of truthfulness. Because of the unreliability of polygraph results, only SOME states allow their use in court, and these states require consent by both parties.

Three men were primarily responsible for the development of the modern polygraph machine: August Vollmer - the first police chief in Berkeley, California; John Larson - a Berkeley police officer with a Ph.D. in physiology; and Leonarde Keeler - an apprentice to Larson who went on to augment and commercialize the polygraph machine.

Berkeley Police Chief Vollmer wanted to dispense with the 'third degree' (beatings) to interrogate suspects, so he asked science-oriented Police Officer Larson to devise an apparatus to detect lies. Larson had read an article by William Marston, who used a blood pressure cuff to study links between vital signs and emotions. Marston tested the device on Harvard students and reported a 96 percent success rate in detecting liars.

Officer Larson took inspiration from Marston's work and, with the help of high school student Leonarde Keeler - who liked to hang around the police station - Larson put together a hodgepodge device called a cardio-pneumo-psychograph. This was the first official lie detector.

The formal introduction of the cardio-pneumo-psychograph occurred in the spring of 1921, when a crime spree was reported in a girls' dormitory at the University of California, Berkeley. The occupants of the dorm reported their possessions - money, jewelry, clothing - were going missing, and residents pointed fingers at each other.

Police Chief Vollmer sent Officer Larson to use his cardio-pneumo-psychograph on the college girls, and a suspect called Helen Graham was identified. Intense questioning of Graham resulted in a confession, which Helen later recanted. Nevertheless, Vollmer and Larson considered the launch of the lie detector a success.

The lie detector was used for a more serious case later that year. In August, 1921 a Catholic priest named Patrick Heslin, from Colma, California, was called away to give last rites.....and never returned. Two ransom notes were sent, with insufficient information about the drop site, and the Archbishop offered a reward for information about Heslin. Shortly afterwards, a baker called William Hightower told a reporter he might know the whereabouts of the priest.

Hightower led the journalist and the police to a spot on the beach, and seemed to know EXACTLY where to dig for Heslin, who had been shot twice. Hightower was arrested and Officer Larson used his cardio-pneumo-psychograph to question the suspect, who was deemed guilty. Police then found the murder weapon and the typewriter used for ransom notes in Hightower's room, and the baker was convicted of murder. Thus, another (presumable) success for the lie detector.

The next major public use of the lie detector was more problematical. In May 1922, Henry and Anna Wilkins were driving home to San Francisco with their two children when their car was forced to the side of the road. A gunman robbed the couple of three $100 bills and shot Anna. Circumstances suggested Henry hired the perpetrator and was complicit in Anna's murder, but Henry passed a polygraph test and was released by the police. Still, there was a great deal of evidence implicating Henry, including the fact that he was having an affair with his sister-in-law. Henry was tried twice but never convicted, and he seemed to have 'beat the machine.'

As the lie detector grew in popularity, the inventors were making it more compact and easier to use. Still, Officer Larson - who had pictured the polygraph being used for scientific studies - started having doubts about his invention, especially when it was used by untrained people who might misinterpret the results. Eventually, Larson regretted developing the lie detector, believing it was being widely misused. For their part, Police Chief Vollmer and Leonarde Keeler, who went on to graduate from the University of California, strongly touted the polygraph.

Vollmer recommended the polygraph for use in police departments, and Leonarde advised its use everywhere, including businesses, banks, etc., to test the honesty of employees. Leonarde eventually patented the polygraph, and grew wealthy from its sales. All this led Larson to fall out with Vollmer and Keeler, and Larson took every opportunity to criticize his former partners.

One of the most dramatic uses of the lie detector occurred in 1936, in the case of Chicago drug dealer Joseph (Joe) Rappoport. Rappoport was accused of killing a man called Max Dent, who was going to testify against Rappoport in an uncoming trial. Rappoport was convicted of first degree murder and scheduled to be executed in the electric chair.

Joe seemed to be a lucky guy, though, because his execution was postponed five times for appeals and religious holidays. When the execution was scheduled for the sixth time, Rappoport's sister begged Illinois Governor Henry Horner to commute Joe's sentence.....and Horner made the unprecedented decision to base his decision on the results of a polygraph test.

Leonarde Keeler administered the lie detector test to Rappoport in a kind of circus atmosphere, which is the exact opposite of the calm quiet environment recommeded by John Larson. Keeler found that Joe was guilty of murdering Max Dent, and the decision came to haunt Keeler for the rest of his life.

Though the results of polygraph tests have been repeatedly deemed unreliable, the machines are still widely used to screen government employees, question suspected criminals, investigate possible terrorists, and more. In addition, increasingly sophisticated methods of 'lie detection' are being devised, such as brain fingerprinting, Functional MRI brain scans, pupil dilation, guilty knowledge tests, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and more.

Katwala does a deep dive into the lives of Vollmer, Larson, and Keeler, and writes a great deal about the development of polygraph machines. He also includes extensive chapters about the true crimes mentioned above, and refers to several others. I found the book informative and interesting and recommend it to readers interested in the subject.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Paul Belllantoni, who did a fine job.

Thanks to Netgalley, Amit Katwala, and Dreamscape Media for a copy of the book.

I was hoping for something more from this book. It was interesting to hear some of the history of how the first lie detector came about. However the book is more like a true crime flipping between the lie detector research and the killing of Alana. I didn’t mind the narrator but overall this read was just ok for me.

This book was like reading two books in one. You get the story of the creation of the polygraph test and watch the path it goes down. And you also get true crime as the story takes you through a couple of big cases that used the polygraph. I loved this writing style because it would have been super boring to just read a book about the science of the machine. And by giving the outcome of these true crimes it shows the effects of the machine in actual crimes. Polygraph tests are not accurate and it’s shocking that they are still used today by police. I have taken a polygraph test many years ago when being hired by a police department. I believe law enforcement agencies still use them as part of the application process. My test was not accurate. I had a previous traffic citation and when asked if I had one, I stated yes and the test would show that I was lying. The administer of the test had my record in front of him and knew I was telling the truth. He came back to the question several times and the test continued to show that I was lying. In the result he stated that the test was more than likely picking up on guilt I felt over getting a citation and the test triggered it as a lie. It obviously didn’t effect my job and I was hired. But I did realize that the tests cannot be trusted.

The book was interesting and gave a very detailed description of not only the creation of the lie detector but also the men closely associated with it. If you have any interest in police work from the early 1900's , this would be a great book to read. It gets a little dry with all the facts a bit hard to follow each character. However, if you want a thorough explanation of why we should not rely on lie detectors, this is the book for you. Very well researched and supported.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

I enjoyed the narrator and the descriptions of each story. I really wanted to love this, but it wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I was hoping for more information on the lie detector and its process specifically. As well as the narrator did, a lot of times this just couldn't hold my attention and I found myself zoning out. This book will be great for the right reader. I give this a 2.5, but 3 rounded up.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC.

This is a nonfiction work that details the conception and rise of the lie detector test. It discusses the early careers of the three men who played the largest roles in this new technology, the various tests and flaws they encountered, and a few of the first cases it was used on.

This book was filled with interesting historical facts. I enjoyed that we got to know the men behind the machine and how different they were in their motivations and goals. Insight was provided into why Larson first came up with this machine and how he hoped it would move the justice system away from prejudice and physical abuse. The book also got into details about some of the first cases the test was used on, and how relying too heavily on the machine let some criminals walk free and innocents suffer the death penalty.

My only real dislike of this work was that it jumped around a bit. One example is that the story of the Henry Wilkens case was interspersed throughout the early careers of the men who created the lie detector machine and the inception of the machine that was then used on this case. I think a linear telling of the events would have been more approachable and would have kept things more cohesive and interesting.

While this informative read didn’t focus on the machine itself, it was a fascinating insight into the inventors this equipment, some early cases that relied on its science, and the ramifications of its invention. If you’re interested in history or true crime, then you should check this one out. Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I voluntarily listened to and reviewed an advanced copy of Tremors in the Blood by Amit Katwala. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC.

I enjoyed the crimes mentioned in this book a lot. They were deeply researched and connected to the development of the Polygraph machine. That said, I thought the crimes were more interesting than the part about the device. The narrator was also a good match for the subject matter. My only note to the negative was that it wasn't a narration that could speed up and have it sound natural. I give this book a solid 4/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC.

Tremors in the Blood is a fascinating look at the birth of an entire arm of forensic pseudoscience - lie detection. And it does a terrific job of laying the foundation of the mess that is lie detection today - we all know that it doesn't work very well, but we all still keep trying to use it anyway. A very interesting book.

A machine that purported to be able to tell if you are lying was invented in 1921 when John A. Larsen, (a psychologist), and John Larsen launched an apparatus that could measure blood pressure, respiration, heart rate and sweat gland production. Supposedly if any of aforementioned went up, it might be that you are lying.

This fascinating tale, entitled Tremors In The Blood, was a look into both the science and the ability of this machine, refined over time, to detect liars. This machine invention over a hundred years ago, was used in court cases, hiring people in government, testing illegals thought to be a terrorists, has had its problems over the ages, and today it can't be used as a proof of guilt.

In the book many cases are discussed and the popularity of the machine, increased as the inventors John Larson, Gus Vollmer and Leonarde Keeler, harbored the idea that this apparatus was the answer to the who donnits of the time. Little did they realize that their hopes would cause multitudes of issues including the breakup of friendships, that turned friends into enemies.

As the story explains many legalities, sets up the nature of so many convicted, the strength of this machine is questioned and the hope that it was a cure all diminished. We have learned in the present time of what is claimed to be more accurate ways in which to test the validity of one's statement, but once again must be aware that there are always those who can "cheat" the test, and thus the machine is not infallible.

There is a cautionary piece, that I found hard to listen to as the author describes the electric chair and some of the men and a woman who were executed this way. It's was truly gruesome (as those who watched The Green Mile can attest to)

All in all, it was an engrossing tale that brought to me many facts that I was unaware of.
Thank you to Amit Kalwala, narrated by Paul Bellantoni, Dreamscape Audio, and NetGalley for the ability to listen to this story which comes out March 7, 2023

This was a very informative book.. I enjoyed following the history of the 'lie detector' and hearing about some of the important cases it was involved with. I was surprised to learn that there were other devices created to try and detect deception. It makes me wonder if we will ever be able to succeed at this. It was well written and the narrator did a very good job of reading this.

Tremor in the Blood's author Amit Katwala examines the development and consequences of the lie detector's use through several fascinating case histories. Interwoven throughout is the story of the men who developed and promoted the machinery and, in the last case history, of the governor whose decision about whether to commute the execution of a prisoner depends solely on the outcome of what we now know to be an unreliable technology. Katwala's narrative style is well suited to the audio medium and I appreciated both his Epilog and Coda. The lie detector is no ordinary machine. Through Katawala's prose style and treatment of what could have been a very dull subject, he brings all characters to life and highlights the real costs of relying on lie detector results, which range from loss of reputation to loss of freedom, to loss of life. Paul Bellatoni's narration enhances the stories, although he could use more practice in pronouncing words in German and in his treatment of female voices. All-in-all, Tremors in the Blood exceeded my expectations. It will appeal to readers/listeners with an interest in true crime as well as those who are interested in technologies that rely on physical, psychological, and emotional reactions.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an early copy of this audiobook.

If you enjoyed American Sherlock, you will like this book.

Unfortunately for me, the content didn't really live up to the title. I wanted to know more about the actual process of making and testing a lie detector. This book focuses more on the Henry Wilkins murder trial and how the lie detector fits into that. It's another angle on the history of modern policing.

I found that this book overindulges at times on details and then ends very abruptly, both the main text of the book and the epilogue.

I do appreciate the author's candor about the unreliability of any truth-seeking technology, and I thought the epilogue's look at modern technologies trying to do the same thing was one of the more interesting parts of the book.

As far as narration goes, this book was performed well.. The use of accents for various historical figures drove me a little crazy, though. If you like criminology and history, you should enjoy this book. It just didn't fully deliver on what I wanted. 3.5 stars, rounded down.

This was okay. It was informative as to the history of the lie detector and how it has both helped identify criminals and gotten it completely wrong.

Some stories were interesting, some were boring and made me tune out. The narrator for the audiobook was pretty good. In the parts that interested me, I thought the narrator kept me engaged pretty well.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and to Netgalley for providing me with early access to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

In May 1921, Anna Wilkens was murdered in an apparent robbery while she and her family were headed home in their car outside of San Francisco. It is through the story of this twisty crime that Amit Katwala introduces and then expands upon the saga of the lie detector test.

This book is informative and interesting, and the choice to tell it in a narrative way makes it propulsive, even if some of the stories are more interesting than others. The hallmark of all of the stories used to highlight the polygraph is clearly shown: the machine (in all of its iterations) has been consistently unreliable since the very beginning. Because of the regular failure or likely failure of the machine, this chronicle begins to feel somewhat plodding and repetitious towards the latter middle, but Katwala does a commendable job in wrapping up the story satisfactorily and the narrator, Paul Bellantoni is very good throughout.

The unreliable nature of it makes the use of the lie detector in popular culture and some areas of law and law enforcement bewildering and infuriating, but I am glad to have gotten a glimpse into its history nonetheless.

Tremors in the Blood is a true crime/suspense about the invention of the polygraph machine and it's use, and accuracy, in detecting lies.
Non- fiction isn't my preferred genre, but the title, description, and cover had me hooked. I learned a lot from this book and will definitely be recommending this thriller.
Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Tremors in the Blood by Amit Katwala
Narrated by Paul Bellantoni

I knew nothing about the creation of the polygraph until I heard this story. As I understand it, they aren't admissible in court and I can certainly see why. But the men who first came up with the first lie detector tests were obsessed with perfecting them. In the end the machines destroyed the lives of several of the men that were so sure they would change the way some crimes were solved.

Although there are three men who play a big part pushing the polygraph as a way to make the justice system more fair, this covers a wide range of men and women who were a part of the polygraph story as it made it's way through early history. John Larson, Gus Vollmer, and Leonarde Keeler are the three men, friends and coworkers whose friendships are destroyed by where the polygraph takes them. The story starts in 1922, goes back in time in places, and then takes us all the way through to modern days ways of lie detection.

We are set into the place and times of good cops, bad cops, jealousies, greed, and men tried in the courtroom and the newspapers. Overall I can see how the polygraph is so open to abuse both on purpose or without conscience awareness of abuse that it surprises me that it's been used so much. There is so much about humans that are susceptible to every kind of stimuli and suggestion that it seems impossible for a machine or man to wade through what every little action of the body can mean.

I enjoy police procedurals and true crime so this audiobook was very interesting to me. It does take a long and winding road to tell the story of the polygraph but gave me a lot of interesting avenues to follow after finishing the book so I could learn more about this time and the people involved in the early polygraph creation. Paul Belllantoni did a fine job of narrating this story.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.

4.25 stars

With an Excellent narrator, this was a very interesting book. I knew that the liar detector was BS but I didn't know about the full history and how out of control the original idea went. Overall a great in-depth history of the device and the people behind it. Plus a look at current tech used for lie detection.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fascinating and informative. The narrator’s voice kept me interested at times I probably would have zoned out were I reading it myself. As a lover of true crime, I found the history of the lie detector to be enlightening.

I received this book from Dreamscape Media and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This statement is always true. I’m not given compensation to discuss a book and I’m not told how to rate a book. I am given a book in exchange for my opinions on it, and I am truthful in all my reviews whether I loved them or not.

This book is the beginning of the lie detector test. The book centers around Henry Wilkins and the untimely murder of his wife. Then the invention and use of the lie detector. I really enjoyed the true crime stories attached and the history of the lie detector test. There is a great bit of interesting facts, that anyone who is into true crime and the development of law enforcement aids is surely going to want to give this book a listen.

Amit Katwala did some great research and brought the facts to life rather than a boring, long induced coma. Just exactly the opposite. the way that Katwala puts everything in order and in an understandable tone makes this an enjoyable book.