
The Killer of Little Shepherds
A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science
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Narrated by:
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Erik Davies
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By:
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Douglas Starr
About this listen
A riveting true crime story that vividly recounts the birth of modern forensics.
At the end of the 19th century, serial murderer Joseph Vacher, known and feared as “The Killer of Little Shepherds”, terrorized the French countryside. He eluded authorities for years - until he ran up against prosecutor Emile Fourquet and Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne, the era’s most renowned criminologist. The two men - intelligent and bold - typified the Belle Époque, a period of immense scientific achievement and fascination with science’s promise to reveal the secrets of the human condition. With high drama and stunning detail, Douglas Starr revisits Vacher’s infamous crime wave, interweaving the story of how Lacassagne and his colleagues were developing forensic science as we know it. We see one of the earliest uses of criminal profiling, as Fourquet painstakingly collects eyewitness accounts and constructs a map of Vacher’s crimes. We follow the tense and exciting events leading to the murderer’s arrest. And we witness the twists and turns of the trial, celebrated in its day. In an attempt to disprove Vacher’s defense by reason of insanity, Fourquet recruits Lacassagne, who in the previous decades had revolutionized criminal science by refining the use of blood-spatter evidence, systematizing the autopsy, and doing groundbreaking research in psychology. Lacassagne’s efforts lead to a gripping courtroom denouement. The Killer of Little Shepherds is an important contribution to the history of criminal justice, impressively researched and thrillingly told.
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Critic reviews
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Sure, I have forensic friends , I have recommended this book to themWhat was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?
Mr Lacassagne way of thinking is a very interesting aspect of the story, he's very Smart and simple at the same time. I cannot remember anything non-interestingWhat about Erik Davies’s performance did you like?
Not really too much, sometimes his voice is very relaxingDid you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
not really, but it made me think on the early forensic science and thinking on that timeAny additional comments?
The book talks on the Dreyfuss affair but it never deepens on it, I would like to have that extra background in the early chaptersGreat reading!
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poor narration detracts from good history
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Would you consider the audio edition of The Killer of Little Shepherds to be better than the print version?
Did not read printWhat did you like best about this story?
The valuable information he was able to convey.Which character – as performed by Erik Davies – was your favorite?
My favorite character in the book was the man who defended his wife from the attack of the serial killer, and bought the criminal to justice.Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes.Any additional comments?
A great book filled with valuable history and information.Master Story Teller
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At the end of the nineteenth century, serial murderer Joseph Vacher, known and feared as “The Killer of Little Shepherds,” terrorized the French countryside. He eluded authorities for years—until he ran up against prosecutor Emile Fourquet and Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne, the era’s most renowned criminologist. The two men—intelligent and bold—typified the Belle Époque, a period of immense scientific achievement and fascination with science’s promise to reveal the secrets of the human condition.
With high drama and stunning detail, Douglas Starr revisits Vacher’s infamous crime wave, interweaving the story of how Lacassagne and his colleagues were developing forensic science as we know it. We see one of the earliest uses of criminal profiling, as Fourquet painstakingly collects eyewitness accounts and constructs a map of Vacher’s crimes. We follow the tense and exciting events leading to the murderer’s arrest. And we witness the twists and turns of the trial, celebrated in its day. In an attempt to disprove Vacher’s defense by reason of insanity, Fourquet recruits Lacassagne, who in the previous decades had revolutionized criminal science by refining the use of blood-spatter evidence, systematizing the autopsy, and doing groundbreaking research in psychology. Lacassagne’s efforts lead to a gripping courtroom denouement.
The Killer of Little Shepherds is an important contribution to the history of criminal justice, impressively researched and thrillingly told.
Impressively Researched and Thrillingly Told
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Not Ann Rand!
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Truly the best true crime/forensic science
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Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
The book is suitable for those who expect this type of book. I was expecting a novel about a single criminal act.Has The Killer of Little Shepherds turned you off from other books in this genre?
No, but it does turn me off books by this author,What about Erik Davies’s performance did you like?
The performance was fine.Did The Killer of Little Shepherds inspire you to do anything?
I was not inspired to commit a crime.UNEXPECTED
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Outstanding
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Fascinating and well read!
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I truly have nothing negative to say about it - it's great.
Masterly introduction to modern forensic science
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