The Coroner and the Body in the Bath


Book Description

A dead body in a tub. An unemotional widow. An accused young lover.Clearly the veneer of suburban utopia is cracking in Acting Coroner Fenway Stevenson's latest investigation.This story takes place between Books One and Two of The Fenway Stevenson Mysteries.




Coroner's Journal


Book Description

During Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Louis Cataldie remained in New Orleans in dangerous and often unbearable conditions to attend to the sick, the injured-and the dead. As chief coroner of Baton Rouge, tending to the dead is Cataldie's job. A little town with big-city problems, Baton Rouge means "Red Stick"-and lives up to its bloody name. Cataldie has faced unusual and disturbing cases, from tracking three serial killers on the loose simultaneously while working the scene of a Malvo/ Muhammad Beltway Sniper shooting, to helping apprehend Baton Rouge serial killer Derrick Todd Lee in a controversial case that was featured in an ABC Primetime Live special with Diane Sawyer and Patricia Cornwell. Cataldie's maverick ways have made him a favorite target of the media, but he offers no apologies, and speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves. Graphic and frank, this is his unique, up-close look at his life spent stalking death in the Deep South.




Annual Proceedings


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The Coroner's Lunch


Book Description

ALL-TIME BESTSELLER: The first “wonderfully fresh and exotic mystery” starring septuagenarian coroner Dr. Siri, who finds himself caught in the political intrigues and mystical underpinnings of 1970s Laos (New York Times Book Review). Laos, 1978: Dr. Siri Paiboun, a 72-year-old medical doctor, has unwillingly been appointed the national coroner of the new socialist Laos. His lab is underfunded, his boss is incompetent, and his support staff is quirky, to say the least. But Siri’s sense of humor gets him through his often-frustrating days. When the body of the wife of a prominent politician comes through his morgue, Siri has reason to suspect the woman has been murdered. To get to the truth, Siri and his team face government secrets, spying neighbors, victim hauntings, Hmong shamans, botched romances, and other deadly dangers. Somehow, Siri must figure out a way to balance the will of the party and the will of the dead.




Coroner Reform


Book Description

This publication sets out the Government's draft proposals to reform the current coroner system in England and Wales for consultation, in order to address some of the weaknesses identified in the report of the Fundamental Review of death certification and coroner services (Cm. 5831, June 2003; ISBN 0101583125) and in the third report of the Shipman Inquiry (Cm. 5854, July 2003; ISBN 010158542X). The draft Bill has three main aims: to improve the service to bereaved people and others affected by the work of coroners; to introduce a national leadership framework and strengthen local services; and to ensure investigations of deaths and inquests are carried out in a more effective and co-ordinated manner. Key proposals in the draft Bill include: the establishment of a coroners' charter with guidelines and standards to make clear the services bereaved people can expect and new rights to appeal against decisions concerning them; the introduction of a national leadership framework through a Chief Coroner and support staff, and an advisory Coronial Council; and new powers for coroners to obtain evidence for investigations and to impose reporting restrictions when deemed to be in the public interest. The publication contains the provisions of the draft Bill together with detailed explanatory notes written in plain English and set out on each facing page, as well as an illustrative draft of the 'Charter for Bereaved People who come into contract with the Coroner Service'. Responses to the proposals in the draft Bill should be received by 8 September 2006.







Coroner's Practice in Medical Cases


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The Medieval Coroner


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The Education of a Coroner


Book Description

In the vein of Dr. Judy Melinek’s Working Stiff, an account of the hair-raising and heartbreaking cases handled by the coroner of Marin County, California throughout his four decades on the job—from high-profile deaths to serial killers, to Golden Gate Bridge suicides. Marin County, California is a study in contradictions. Its natural beauty attracts thousands of visitors every year, yet the county also is home to San Quentin Prison, one of the oldest and largest penitentiaries in the country. Marin ranks in the top one percent of counties nationwide in terms of affluence and overall health, yet it is far above the norm in drug overdoses and alcoholism, and comprises a large percentage of suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge. Ken Holmes worked in the Marin County Coroner’s Office for thirty-six years, starting as a death investigator and ending as the three-term, elected coroner. As he grew into the job—which is different from what is depicted on television—Holmes learned a variety of skills, from finding hidden clues at death scenes, interviewing witnesses effectively, managing bystanders and reporters, preparing testimony for court to notifying families of a death with sensitivity and compassion. He also learned about different kinds of firearms, all types of drugs—prescription and illegal—and about certain unexpected and potentially fatal phenomena such as autoeroticism. Complete with poignant anecdotes, The Education of a Coroner provides a firsthand and fascinating glimpse into the daily life of a public servant whose work is dark and mysterious yet necessary for society to function.