The untold story of Frances Glessner Lee and the invention of modern forensics is on the table today when we join the Blog Tour for 18 Tiny Deaths.
18 Tiny Deaths – the blurb
For most of human history, sudden and unexpected deaths of a suspicious nature, when they were investigated at all, were examined by lay persons without any formal training. People often got away with murder.
Socialite Frances Glessner Lee, was never meant to have a career, let alone one steeped in death and depravity. Yet she became the mother of modern forensics and was instrumental in elevating homicide investigation to a scientific discipline.
In 18 Tiny Deaths, Bruce Goldfarb weaves Lee’s remarkable story with the advances in forensics made in her lifetime to tell the tale of the birth of modern forensics.
A dolls house
Upon picking up the book I thought I was going to be reading about a dolls house. Well a series of them actually, all created by Lee. These weren’t ordinary dolls houses though, these 18 ‘dioramas’ depicted crime scenes and were used as teaching aids for Policemen first on the scene with no idea about contaminating evidence. The book does discuss the 18 tiny deaths. The detail and expense Lee lavishes on what became known as the ‘Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Deaths’ is remarkable. Included are detailed pictures and descriptions about each scene, however this was book was about so much more than crafting.
A grandma without a college degree
Goldfarb describes Lee as a formidable woman, ahead of her time, strong, intelligent, dogged. Yet he also illustrates the restrictions she came up against. Lee wanted to be a doctor yet couldn’t as Harvard weren’t accepting ladies. She didn’t have a formal higher education and so was often considered inferior amongst her male peers. Goodness knows how far she would have got without her wealth as it was often the case she had to buy the right for her voice to be heard. She had many achievements and many firsts, both for a woman and for modern forensics.
CSI Chicago
It was fascinating to read about ‘forensics’ at that time. How many murders went unsolved due to authorities not even realising they were murders? The corruption Goldfarb refers to is shocking (I’m thinking the baby in the rubbish bin). The facts Goldfarb throws in such as the origin of mugshots and the appearances of various remarkable historical figures all make for fab reading.
The book was a little skippy in time frame. Someones death would be referred to in one chapter, then in the next chapter they would be alive and kicking again as a different point was covered. This made it slightly confusing for a page or two but overall it was such an interesting topic, about such an interesting woman. I am keen to learn more which is always a good sign. What exactly was the relationship between Lee and Magrath? Would she have fallen in love with legal medicine if it were not for him? How did Lee’s children view her? I can tell I’m going to have to spend a session Googling!
Thanks
My thanks go to Octopus Books via the Random Things Tours for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. If CSI is your thing, this book about where it all began is for you.
