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booksnooksandcooks's review
4.0
A good premise and very interesting information! I wish it had been fleshed out a little more because it felt like sometimes, certain stories were rushed. But also reading about the process of how they discovered these methodologies was fascinatingly morbid.
lauraborkpower's review
3.0
I'd add a 1/2 star to this review for a total of 3.5
This is an interesting, creepy, and fun mix of true crime, local history (NYC), and popular science. Blum's chronological and elemental structure works well, and the through-line of having Norris and Gettler as characters grounds the book well. It's a great read for anyone interested in toxicology, forensic science, heavy metals, and murder.
I didn't mind Coleen Marlo's narration, but she does an East Coast accent whenever she reads Gettler's letters, and it's really dorky. You've been warned.
This is an interesting, creepy, and fun mix of true crime, local history (NYC), and popular science. Blum's chronological and elemental structure works well, and the through-line of having Norris and Gettler as characters grounds the book well. It's a great read for anyone interested in toxicology, forensic science, heavy metals, and murder.
I didn't mind Coleen Marlo's narration, but she does an East Coast accent whenever she reads Gettler's letters, and it's really dorky. You've been warned.
jobustitch's review
4.0
I think one can make the case that we went from a chemical war (WWI) to a chemical age (the 1920's) that was heightened by Prohibition. At least, that is what I have taken from this book. This book is an excellent overview of the birth of forensic medicine. I was really taken with how the role of medical examiner changed during the time frame of this book. Like others, I wish there were a little bit more of the forensic details included, but I still enjoyed this book tremendously.
ewyaughn's review
I may try it again later, but it read too much like a newspaper than a story