TREMORS IN THE BLOOD

Sub-titled 'Murder, Obsession and the Birth of the Lie Detector', clutching on psychology, technology and the science of the truth, this very well received best-selling title is a vibrant, atmospheric true-life thriller. Be careful what you believe. Henry Wilkens burst through the doors of A&E covered in his wife's blood, but was he a grieving husband, or a ruthless killer? To find out, the San Francisco Police turned to technology, and a new machine that had just been invented by a rookie detective, a visionary police chief, and a teenage magician with a showman's touch. They hoped it would make the justice system fairer, but it poisoned their lives, turned friends into bitter enemies, and 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, the book reveals the incredible truth behind the creation of the polygraph through gripping true-case crimes featuring explosive gunshots, shocking twists and high-stakes courtroom drama. Katwala details the birth of the polygraph post World War Two and its sponsorship by August Vollner, a postman turned revolutionary police chief who was busy inventing modern policing, and we are drawn into the world of exploitation in 1920s and 1930s Chicago - bootlegging, passion, murder and all the tentacles of the criminal world. Includes newspaper clippings and photographs and quotations from written documents and interviews and based on thousands of private letters, diaries, academic journals, court documents, prison records and more. 337pp.