HardcoverThe subtitle -- A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science -- told me what it was about...but I had no idea what I was in for with this one.
The title character is Joseph Vacher, a former soldier, who killed and raped his way across the French countryside in the 1890s. For all those who are terrified of our "going to hell in a hand basket" society, it's a good reminder that there have always been terrible and terrifying people in the world.
Vacher may be the front-and-center hook of the book, but the real star is Alexandre Lacassagne and his colleagues. Their great strides in the field of forensics and criminology were remarkable. I was continually reading aloud passages to Gary as I was simply wowed by their vision and pioneering of new techniques and drive to standardize their methods for the good of all.
Amazing and exciting without sensationalism. A terrific book.
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