Pathological Lying, Accusation, and Swindling – A Study in Forensic Psychology

Pathological Lying, Accusation, and Swindling — A Study in Forensic Psychology by William Healy offers a gripping dive into early forensic casework, tracking how compulsive deception, false accusation, and con artistry intersect with law and clinical judgment. Healy presents a series of case studies that illuminate the personalities, motives, and social dynamics behind pathological lying and calculated fraud, framed within the emerging discipline of forensic psychology. The book balances clinical description with legal implications, exploring how clinicians and courts of the era assessed credibility, responsibility, and danger. Readers should note the historical context: Healy’s analyses reflect early 20th-century scientific assumptions and contain views on mental illness, gender, sexuality, and race that are now outdated and at times prejudiced. Those qualities make the work both a study of deviant behavior and a window into the evolution of psychiatric and forensic thinking. Perfect for students of psychology, forensic psychiatry, criminal law, and history of medicine, as well as true-crime listeners curious about the roots of modern forensic evaluation. Listen to understand not only the cases themselves but also how clinical concepts and legal practices have changed over time.