From the Publisher
"E. J. Wagner demonstrates that without the work of Sherlock Holmes and his contemporaries, the CSI teams would be twiddling their collective thumbs. Her accounts of Victorian crimes make Watson's tales pale! Highly recommended for students of the Master Detective."
—Leslie S. Klinger, Editor, The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes
"Holmes is, first, a great detective, but he has also proven to be a great scientist, whether dabbling with poisons, tobacco ash or tire marks. Wagner explores this fascinating aspect of his career by showing how his investigations were grounded in the cutting-edge science of his day, especially the emerging field of forensics . . . Utterly compelling."
—Otto Penzler, member of the Baker Street Irregulars and proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop
"A fabulously interesting read. The book traces the birth of the forensic sciences to the ingenuity of Sherlock Holmes. A wonderful blend of history, mystery, and whodunit."
—Andre Moenssens, Douglas Stripp Professor of Law Emeritus, University of Missouri at Kansas City, and co-author of Scientific Evidence in Criminal Cases
"In this thrilling book, E. J. Wagner has combined her considerable strengths in three disciplines to produce a work as compelling and blood-curdling as the best commercial fiction. This is CSI in foggy old London Town. Chilling, grim fun."
—John Westermann, author of Exit Wounds and Sweet Deal
"I am recommending this delightful work to all of my fellow forensic scientists . . . . Bravo, Ms. Wagner!"
—John Houde, author of Crime Lab: A Guide for Nonscientists
"E. J. Wagner has pulled off a double triumph. She has identified and ingeniously explored an aspect of Sherlock Holmes not already picked over by the legions of admirers of the Great Detective. And she has written a book that will nevertheless hold the interest of those benighted people who have read none of the 60 Holmes adventures penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle . . . her recounting of the history of forensics is so masterful and, for the most part, riveting."
—Toronto Star
"This well-researched book will be appreciated, therefore, not just by devotees of Holmes... but by anyone interested in the Victorian beginnings of forensic science, and those who have enjoyed the more recent portrayals of science in crime detection, such as CSI and Silent witness."
—Andrew Milton, Chemistry World.
"What really makes The Science of Sherlock Holmes stand out is Wagner's easy and engaging style. The book reads like a series of highly entertaining and informative lectures making the subject matter accessible to both the layman and serious student alike... Bottom line: An absolute must-have addition to the Sherlockian non-fiction shelf that is highly recommended to the general reader, Sherlockian and even, dare I say it, CSI fan."
—Charles V. Prepolec, Sherlock Magazine
"There have been lots of books about the great fictional detective and arguably even more about how we forensic scientists came to be doing things the way we do now. If, like me, you enjoy books on both the history of forensic science and on Sherlock Holmes, then this is the one to read."
—Roger J. Davis, Science and Justice: The Journal of Forensic Science Society
