A well-researched, well-documented, and very well-written tale of chemical mysteries in early twentieth century New York. Dr. Charles Norris, the chief medical examiner of NYC, and his devoted toxicologist, Dr. Alexander Gettler, revolutionized New York's justice system by forcing it to pay attention to scientific evidence. Their painstaking, meticulous, and yet audacious work into chemicals' interactions with mammals helped catch and convict murderers. This isn't all forensic pathology and chemistry, though--there's a great deal of history, all woven together with the anecodotal tales of murderers, bootleggers, and accidental poisoners that Norris & Gettler encountered.
