The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science by Douglas Starr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Good narration makes for a fine audiobook edition of this true crime story featuring two remarkable individuals: Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne, renowned criminologist and Sherlock Holmes-esque in his deductive capabilities, and the psychopathic monster Vacher.
Along with works like [b:The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective|1747896|The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective|Kate Summerscale|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312021413s/1747896.jpg|3254095], this book covers an era reaching its zenith with the Belle Époque when immense scientific achievement and fascination with science’s promise to reveal the secrets of the human condition spurned the growth of the criminal forensics we are familiar with today: blood spatter patterns, expert witnesses, hair and fiber samples, lividity, mugshots, fingerprints, etc. Having read this just after [b:Cracking Cases: The Science of Solving Crimes|1566735|Cracking Cases The Science of Solving Crimes|Henry C. Lee|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1185298356s/1566735.jpg|1559354] I am impressed who little basic forensics has changed since Lacassagne's advances.
In after material, Douglas Starr considers how Vacher would be handlded today (suprisingly similar) and his impulses understood (still surprisingly vague).
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