Tremors in the Blood
Murder, Obsession and the Birth of the Lie Detector
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Tremors in the Blood
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Narrated by:
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Matt Reeves
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By:
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Amit Katwala
About this listen
Nominated for the CWA Dagger Award 2023
‘A wonderful book’ - Guardian
Truth, murder and the birth of the lie detector
Henry Wilkens burst through the doors of the emergency room covered in his wife’s blood. But was he a grieving husband, or a ruthless killer who’d conspired with bandits to have her murdered?
To find out, the San Francisco police turned to technology, and a new machine that had just been invented in Berkeley by a rookie detective, a visionary police chief, and a teenage magician with a showman’s touch.
John Larson, Gus Vollmer and Leonarde Keeler hoped the lie detector would make the justice system fairer – but the flawed device soon grew too powerful for them to control. It poisoned their lives, turned fast friends into bitter enemies, and as it conquered America and the world, it transformed our relationship with the truth in ways that are still being felt.
As new forms of lie detection gain momentum in the present day, Tremors in the Blood reveals the incredible truth behind the creation of the polygraph, through gripping true crime cases featuring explosive gunfights, shocking twists and high-stakes courtroom drama.
Touching on psychology, technology and the science of the truth, Tremors in the Blood is a vibrant, atmospheric thriller, and a warning from history: be careful what you believe.
©2022 Amit Katwala (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"Katwala manages to bring history alive in this riveting delve back into the archives, placing you right at the heart of one of the most consequential – and controversial – inventions in criminal history." (Chris Stokel-Walker, author of TikTok Boom and YouTubers)
"A gripping, forensically detailed account that reads more like a mystery than history." (Angela Saini, author of Superior and Inferior)
What listeners say about Tremors in the Blood
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mr. R. F. Jenkins
- 29-09-22
Interesting, insightful and seemingly well researched, but not a page turner.
Interesting, insightful and seemingly well researched, but not a page turner.
In summary, don’t trust “lie detectors”.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alka Shah
- 26-02-24
Thriller based on real life events - Must listen
Amit Katwala, in this book covers the early development of the lie-detector and describes in a very enjoyable format the initial cases where it was used. As a lover of true crime, I found myself hooked into this book which was hard to put down until I got to the end. Whilst listening to this book, its evident that the author has painstakingly researched every detail which has been brilliantly written into this true crime thriller. A must read and/or must Listen.
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