Degrees of Affection

The first chapter of this...I think the author was trying to play chicken with her readers. If you could make it through this, you could face the rest of the book. On the other hand, I'd never thought a Forensic Science professor could write descriptions of so vivid you could see and smell the place. Though perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised as she was explaining in  great  detail what a morgue and dissection would have been like in Holmes' day.

Not that I ever wanted to know in that great a detail.

The information is actually really interesting and covers far more than simply forensics. The second chapter is on superstitions that played such a role in much literature, etc of the day, particularly The Hound of the Baskervilles. One piece of info I found really interesting was the different names the Black Dog is known as through out England. One of those names is...Padfoot. Good job, Rowlings!

Also, did you know a Helen Duncan was tried in the Old Bailey in 1944 for witchcraft?! The War Office was concerned that she might discern the date of the Normandy landings after some of her predictions proved too accurate. She was found guilty and jailed for nine months. The Witchcraft Act (of 1735) would not be repealed until 1951! (p. 29-30)

I shan't subject you to anything from Ch. 3 - bugs and forensic science are a bit much for me and I'd rather forget large parts of it...though it was actually quite interesting.