The Book Vipers discussion

This will be the thread for those reading The Father of Forensics: The Groundbreaking Cases of Sir Bernard Spilsbury, and the Beginnings of Modern CSI by Colin Evans in November. Spoilers are allowed on this thread.

I basically liked this book although the cases got awfully similar as I got into the book. Clearly, Sir Spilsbury was a brilliant thinker and possessed a self confidence that is given to few men. His success was in no small measure related to his ability to perform so well in court under pressure. He advanced forensic science and criminal investigation in Great Britain, especially by developing the "murder bag" so that police investigators could make an accurate assessment of the crime scenes. It was distressing to see some of the sick crimes already happening in the 30's. One likes to think that they are a product of today's media overexposure and violence. My only criticism was the style of the writer. The book did not flow well despite the scandalous crimes. Thanks for recommending it. Now I know about Spilsbury!

Started this yesterday. Fascinating so far.

Finally got to write my review on this:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A fascinating collection of cases from the early 20th century, detailing how Sir Spilsbury helped define the role of pathology in modern murder investigations. The writing style was good, though I got the sense that the author may be American by some of the turns of phrased used throughout the book. If he is in fact British, then this must be a deliberate way to appeal to American readers, particularly with the title Modern Csi. I did find the author a touch too in awe of Spilsbury. Too high a pedestal for my liking. He had his faults, and there are queries into whether some defendants may have been found guilty erroneously due to the weight of Spilsbury's testament. He was only human after all, and mistakes are made. Great read though.