Evidence & Epilogues Book Club - American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI

Welcome to the adults-only true crime book club!
Evidence and Epilogues is a true crime book club for curious minds who enjoy digging into the facts behind real cases. Each month, we’ll read and discuss a selected true crime title, examining the evidence, investigative methods, and broader social context—then reflect on the lasting impact of the story. Join us for thoughtful conversation, respectful analysis, and a deeper look at how these cases are written, solved, and remembered.
June Pick: American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI by Kate Winkler Dawson
Edward Oscar Heinrich, known as the "American Sherlock," 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. He 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 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.

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