Morgue: A Life in Death - Hardcover

Di Maio, Dr. Vincent; Franscell, Ron

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1250067146 ISBN 13: 9781250067142

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2016

Synopsis

Edgar finalist for 2017! Forensicscience is booming. TV dramas, books and movies have made morgues cool. Complextechnology and intricate research can take curdled blood, bone shards, andflakes of skin and turn them into justice.And Vincent Di Maio, MD, son of a famous NewYork City medical examiner, is one of the lions of forensic science in his ownright.  In this clear, gritty, andenthralling narrative, Di Maio himself guides us into the inner sanctum, throughthe cases that have made him famous, from the exhumation of assassin Lee HarveyOswald and the racially charged shooting of Florida teen Trayvon Martin, to theunmasking of a serial baby-killer and the mysterious death of troubled geniusVincent van Gogh. Along the way, one of the country's most methodical andintuitive criminal pathologists will dissect himself, maintaining a nearlycontinuous flow of suspenseful stories, revealing anecdotes, and enough macabreinsider details to rivet the most fervent crime fans.

About this title

About the Author:

Vincent J. M. Di Maio, MD, is an American pathologist and an internationally renowned expert on gunshot wounds. Now a private consultant who's performed more than 9,000 autopsies, he's played pivotal roles in some of the most provocative trials and death investigations of the past 40 years. Di Maio was chief medical examiner of San Antonio, Texas, until 2006.  He is editor-in-chief of The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, and has been awarded many honors.  In 2014, he was appointed to the U.S. Department of Justice's first-ever National Commission on Forensic Science to help develop uniform federal codes in death investigations.
 
Ron Franscell is the bestselling crime author of The Darkest Night and Delivered from Evil. He has been praised by Ann Rule, Vincent Bugliosi and other true-crime heavyweights as one of the most provocative new voices in narrative nonfiction.His work regularly appears in publications such as the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Denver Post, San Jose Mercury-News, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He is also a novelist whose books include Angel Fire and The Deadline. He now lives in Texas.

Review:

The fascinating making of a global leader in forensic pathology from his Brooklyn beginnings tutored by his father, the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City, to San Antonio, Texas.  From Trayvon Martin to Lee Harvey Oswald, Phil Spector, and the West Memphis Three, an expert’s insights into the real world of autopsies, exhumations and courtroom testimony.” —Michael M. Baden, M.D., former Chief Medical Examiner of New York City, author, and host of HBO’s “Autopsy”

“In my view, Ron Franscell is one of the very finest and most exciting true-crime writers in America. And he’s just the man I’d send behind the morgue doors for an unprecedented look at forensic medicine and its dramatically increasing role in modern justice.―Vincent Bugliosi, #1 New York Times bestselling author of "Helter Skelter" and prosecutor of Charles Manson

“I thoroughly enjoyed this compelling read. So many fascinating reminiscences. So much factual detail of cases I only read about in the newspapers. Wonderful historical details too. This will certainly take pride of place on my pathology shelf.”  ―David McCallum, actor who plays NCIS medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard in the American television series NCIS.

“Dr. Vincent Di Maio and Ron Franscell have produced a powerful book ... in language and style that the lay person can easily comprehend. Di Maio comes across as fair and unbiased, and as a strong advocate for justice regardless of whether it is a defense attorney or prosecutor examining him on the stand. This is a book that you will not want to put down ... I highly recommend this book, especially to forensic practitioners and lay persons interested in the criminal justice system.” ―Dr. Lawrence Kobilinsky, Chairman of Forensic Sciences at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and commentator at CNN, Court TV, CBS, and others

“When one of the world’s most celebrated medical examiners teams up with one of the world’s best true-crime authors, the result is a brilliantly written forensic masterpiece. MORGUE is a must-read for all CSI fans. I highly recommend it.” ―Steve Hodel, New York Times bestselling author of Black Dahlia Avenger and LAPD Homicide Detective (Ret.)

“Astonishingly good and compulsively readable, this book is what happens when one of the world’s most renowned medical examiners meets a veteran crime journalist. Part insider’s memoir, part CSI on steroids, this book is a must-read for all crime fans.” ―Gregg Olsen, New York Times bestselling author of Starvation Heights and A Twisted Faith

“A forensic-literary tour de force, Di Maio and Franscell exhume some of the most controversial murders and deaths of our time for examination, from Trayvon Martin to Lee Harvey Oswald and Vincent Van Gogh, in this fascinating, new and uniquely compelling take on unsolved mysteries.” ―Caitlin Rother, New York Times bestselling author of Lost Girls and Poisoned Love

“Explosive!” — RADAR ONLINE

“Engrossing ... the often lurid, occasionally sad, and always intriguing details never overpower the drive that fuels Dr. Di Maio’s life and work. ... Di Maio and Franscell deliver a well-paced, thoughtful, and absorbing work that will fascinate crime buffs and scholars alike.” —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review)

“Readers interested in forensic pathology, medical investigation, justice, courtroom dramas, and criminal law will find this book simply to die for.” —LIBRARY JOURNAL

“If you’ve got even one morbid bone in your body – heck, if even a morbid hair on your head – Morgue: A Life in Death is a book you’ll want to get your hands on.” —SignatureReads.com

“Corpse flies, gunshot residue, and a gaggle of grisly details make the stories in MORGUE vividly memorable and unsettling. Medical examiner DiMaio, along with journalist Franscell, provides a peek into the often wild world of forensic science. ... Fans of the TV shows ‘CSI,’ ‘Bones,’ or ‘Quincy, M.E.,’ will love this book. —BOOKLIST (starred review)

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1250067146
• ISBN 13: 9781250067142
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288