Deadhouse: Life in a Coroner’s Office
In 2000 Pittsburgh journalist Temple spent time in the Allegheny County Coroner's Office, riding out with its personnel on calls to collect bodies and returning to watch the autopsies. Temple imparts a general impression of forensic pathology, and his accounts of two female interns' reactions to the sights and smells provide a reality check for readers considering the career. Tracy and Carey learn the ropes and the lingo of the macabre from a staff that has seen it all--murders, suicides, overdoses. The newbies absorb from the veterans the necessary distance to perform the job, especially on "floaters and stinkers," described here in unsparing detail. Occasionally, the chief of the office glides past the dissection tables dispensing advice, and since he is the nationally famous Dr. Cyril Wecht, his employees pay attention. In between specific cases, Temple provides minihistories of the office of coroner, how it differs from that of a medical examiner, and the techniques of forensics. Writing evenly and efficiently, Temple will enlighten fans of theCSItelevision shows.Gilbert TaylorCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved