Stories from the life of a forensic pathologist who seems to have been involved with just about every crime you might have heard of, including being (usually chief) pathologist for:
It was a bit more autobiographical than I’d wanted and not as much detail on the forensic pathology as I’d wanted. In fact he starts off sounding a bit Alan Partridge - not just the writing but also the rather clumsy way the narrator (the author) reads it. It opens with section about his having to go to Hungerford and confirm the death of the shooter. He talks about the town being quiet with “no dogs barking, no cats walking through the flower beds”. Rather awkward writing. Also he doesn’t read with the right expression - as if it wasn’t him that actually wrote it.
A lot of autobiographical stuff about his childhood and then marriage which sort of is a bit relevant to his career but isn’t that interesting.
At one point says that dead bodies are always treated with utmost respect in his experience. But some of the descriptions of autopsies do have people making jokes which don’t always sound terrifically respectful. E.g. policeman present at autopsy of alcoholic “is that her liver? You won’t need to pickle that, she’s pickled it for you”.
Like the other autopsy book I read last month he mentions how in training they had one body to dissect and that lasted them a whole year.
After a break and then coming back to pathologist work said he noticed differences between Bodies now and in 80s
Fairly good but overhyped I think.
Completed : 24-Nov-2019 (audiobook)