On a freezing morning in December 1832, a woman named Sarah Maria Cornell was found dead on a local farm. The mystery was covered by Catharine Williams, a contemporary who became convinced it was murder. Kate Winkler Dawson takes another look at Williams’ work and brings modern technology to the case.
With Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle prefigured some forensic techniques that wouldn’t be used for decades. E. O. Heinrich did it in real life. He pioneered a nonexistent field of criminology through innovation, imagination and dogged methodologies.
Over time, book reviewers (and dedicated readers) get better and better at guessing whether or not they will like a book. Descriptions, genres, author history, even cover art all play a factor in deciding if one should devote several hours to a book.