Community Reviews
Three and a half stars.
This book was interesting but longer than it needed to be. Going in, I expected a deep dive into Frances Glessner Leeâs famous dioramasâthe miniature crime scenes painstakingly crafted to train investigators in forensic science. Instead, the book is a full biography of Lee, focusing on her life, starting from her childhood and leading up to her relentless push to modernize forensic investigations, and her battle against the outdated and often corrupt coroner system. While her story is undeniably fascinating, the level of detail sometimes bogged things down, and I found myself wishing for a more focus approach, especially on the dioramas and their direct impact on modern forensic science.
That being said, I learned a lot. I was both shocked and a little horrified to discover just how antiquated the coroner system wasâand still is in many parts of the U.S. and the world. The fact that, for much of history, coroners didnât need any medical training at all and were often political appointees with little to no forensic expertise is both interesting and unsettling. It made me appreciate how much work went into reforming the system, but also how much work still remains to be done.
Lee herself certainly was a fascinating person. She wasnât just a woman entering a male-dominated professionâshe was breaking into a field that, at the time, was exclusively male. Her intelligence, determination, and sheer force of will are inspiring, but thereâs also a bittersweet element to her success. The reality is that it was her wealth and social status that gave her the access and influence necessary to push for change. Without those privileges, itâs hard to say whether she would have been able to make the impact she did.
You can really tell this was a labor of love for author Bruce Goldfarb. His admiration for Lee and her work is evident on every page. His passion for the subject is clear, and his research is meticulous. However, his prose, though effusive, could have used a bolder editorâs pen to trim it down. Some sections felt overlong, and at times, the pacing dragged. A more streamlined approach would have kept the book just as compelling while making it a smoother read.
Overall, this is a worthwhile book, especially for those interested in forensic history. Just be prepared for a more in-depth biography than an exploration of the dioramas. If youâre looking for a book that focuses solely on her famous crime scene miniatures, this might not quite satisfy that curiosity. But if youâre interested in the story of a woman who transformed forensic science against all odds, 18 Tiny Deaths is a fascinatingâif sometimes overly detailedâlook at her legacy.
This book was interesting but longer than it needed to be. Going in, I expected a deep dive into Frances Glessner Leeâs famous dioramasâthe miniature crime scenes painstakingly crafted to train investigators in forensic science. Instead, the book is a full biography of Lee, focusing on her life, starting from her childhood and leading up to her relentless push to modernize forensic investigations, and her battle against the outdated and often corrupt coroner system. While her story is undeniably fascinating, the level of detail sometimes bogged things down, and I found myself wishing for a more focus approach, especially on the dioramas and their direct impact on modern forensic science.
That being said, I learned a lot. I was both shocked and a little horrified to discover just how antiquated the coroner system wasâand still is in many parts of the U.S. and the world. The fact that, for much of history, coroners didnât need any medical training at all and were often political appointees with little to no forensic expertise is both interesting and unsettling. It made me appreciate how much work went into reforming the system, but also how much work still remains to be done.
Lee herself certainly was a fascinating person. She wasnât just a woman entering a male-dominated professionâshe was breaking into a field that, at the time, was exclusively male. Her intelligence, determination, and sheer force of will are inspiring, but thereâs also a bittersweet element to her success. The reality is that it was her wealth and social status that gave her the access and influence necessary to push for change. Without those privileges, itâs hard to say whether she would have been able to make the impact she did.
You can really tell this was a labor of love for author Bruce Goldfarb. His admiration for Lee and her work is evident on every page. His passion for the subject is clear, and his research is meticulous. However, his prose, though effusive, could have used a bolder editorâs pen to trim it down. Some sections felt overlong, and at times, the pacing dragged. A more streamlined approach would have kept the book just as compelling while making it a smoother read.
Overall, this is a worthwhile book, especially for those interested in forensic history. Just be prepared for a more in-depth biography than an exploration of the dioramas. If youâre looking for a book that focuses solely on her famous crime scene miniatures, this might not quite satisfy that curiosity. But if youâre interested in the story of a woman who transformed forensic science against all odds, 18 Tiny Deaths is a fascinatingâif sometimes overly detailedâlook at her legacy.
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