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Ron Franscell
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Morgue: A Life in Death Hardcover – May 17, 2016

by Dr. Vincent Di Maio (Author), Ron Franscell (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 508 ratings
Editors' pick Best Nonfiction
See all formats and editions
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.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    St. Martin's Press
  4. Publication date
    May 17, 2016
  5. Dimensions
    6.34 x 1.01 x 9.48 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1250067146
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1250067142
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

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 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.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (May 17, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250067146
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250067142
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.34 x 1.01 x 9.48 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 508 ratings

About the author

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Ron Franscell

Ron Franscell

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'DEAF ROW' is here!

Fans of Edgar-nominated true-crime author Ron Franscell can now enjoy his first fiction in more than 20 years. 'DEAF ROW' is a murder mystery about a group of old men who find new life investigating a long-forgotten small-town homicide. It was released Feb. 14, 2023.

His most recent true-crime tale "SHADOWMAN: An Elusive Psycho Killer and the Birth of FBI Profiling." Published by Berkley/Penguin-Random House in March 2022, it is "a pulse-pounding account of the first time in history that the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit created a psychological profile to help catch a serial killer."

Ron's writing has been compared to Truman Capote, Charles Frazier and Robert Olen Butler—diverse, poetic, evocative and muscular. His widely acclaimed 2016 true crime, MORGUE: A LIFE IN DEATH (co-authored with renowned medical examiner Dr. Vincent DiMaio) was nominated for an Edgar in 2017.

In 2008, his first nonfiction, THE DARKEST NIGHT, won rave reviews from true-crime legends Ann Rule, Vincent Bugliosi and Gerry Spence. The book explored a monstrous crime against two of Ron's childhood friends in the small town where they grew up, and how that crime has echoed across almost four decades. It is now a national bestseller.

This lifelong newspaperman burst onto the literary scene in 1998 with his first novel ANGEL FIRE, a poignant, mythic tale of two brothers wrestling with personal ghosts in the small town where they grew up. ANGEL FIRE was subsequently named among the San Francisco Chronicle's 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century West.

After his 1999 mystery, THE DEADLINE, Ron became a senior writer for the Denver Post, writing about the entangled past, present and future of the American West. THE DEADLINE and its sequel, THE OBITUARY, have been re-published in print and digital editions by WildBlue Press, one of the most innovative new publishing ventures in America.

SOURTOE COCKTAIL CLUB is an intimate account of Ron's extraordinary road trip to the Yukon with his son, where they drank a cocktail containing a mummified human toe and spent the longest day of the year under an Arctic sun that never set. Magical.

THE CRIME BUFF'S GUIDE TO OUTLAW TEXAS (November 2010) is a quirky travel guide taking true-crime and history travelers to some 400 outlaw- and crime-related sites all over the Lone Star State. The series continued with OUTLAW ROCKIES (2011), and OUTLAW DC (2012), and OUTLAW PENNSYLVANIA (2013). OUTLAW NEW MEXICO and OUTLAW ARIZONA were published in 2014.

DELIVERED FROM EVIL explores the entangled lives of mass-murderers and their victims, tracing the lives of 10 ordinary people who survived some of America's worst massacres. Auspiciously, it debuted on the day a deranged young gunman killed six and wounded 13 at a Tucson supermarket in one of the most shocking crimes of our day.

Ron teamed up with friend and fellow popular crime writer Gregg Olsen to produce two editions in the NYTimes-bestselling Notorious USA true-crime series—NIGHTMARE AT NOON and EVIL AT THE FRONT DOOR—an exciting blend of classic TC storytelling and 21st century technology.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
508 global ratings
Thoroughly Enthralling and Informative
5 Stars
Thoroughly Enthralling and Informative
Author Ron Franscell and forensic pathologist Dr. Vincent Di Maio present the reader with a fascinating collection of homicide cases that the doctor has examined throughout his career. Each case offers a unique, inside perspective and dispels several Hollywood-born myths regarding criminal pathology.Dr. Di Maio said, "As a medical examiner, I learned it's important to limit speculation, step back from emotion, and focus on facts." In many of the cases he worked, a person’s guilt or innocence had been prematurely determined by the media and the public based on rumor, speculation, and emotion. In each case Dr. Di Maio reveals all of the available facts and evidence that he used to make his determinations. In some cases, his determinations went against popular opinion, but when a person’s life hangs in the balance facts should outweigh opinion.I believe we could all benefit from the valuable lessons and intriguing stories in Morgue: A Life in Death. I believe that we, as a society, would benefit if we limited speculation, stepped back from emotion, and held off judgement until all facts and evidence have been examined. I am grateful to Dr. Di Maio for the work he has done and to Ron Franscell for helping him document his experiences in this excellent book.Andy Brown, author of Warnings Unheeded: Twin Tragedies at Fairchild Air Force Base
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Top reviews from the United States

Florida Girl 24
5.0 out of 5 stars Its a Matter of Life or Death That You Read This Book
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2016
Verified Purchase
Dying is sometimes easier than living with dying….These words could not be more true. Morgue a Life in Death is a book written by Dr Vincent DiMaio, who was the chief medical examiner for the state of New York and renown gunshot wound expert. Some of the US's most complex legal cases have hinged on testimony from the medical examiner or medical pathologist. The medical examiner is the one who speaks for the dead.
Dr Vincent DiMaio, has worked on and testified in some very famous and often complex medical cases of our day. One of the most famous cases that the good Dr worked is the Travon Martin case . Dr DiMaio was the expert witness for George Zimmerman defence, Dr DiMaio was able to determine the trajectory of the gun shot to prove innocence or guilt.
Dr DiMaio was also the voice for 30 innocent babies that were murdered by Martha Wood who it was later to be found had Munchausen's by Proxy thanks to the post mortem investigations done on the babies by Dr DiMaio. He has also provided expertise in celebrity trials such as Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK, and Phil Spector. E

My Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book not only was it thought provoking but the facts and forensics that were discussed throughout the book were very interesting. The book was well written and kept me highly engaged to the point I did not want to put it down. It was not over complicated with the medical jargon and was easy to follow. This was a real page turner. Also the pictures that were provided in the middle of the book were wonderful and helped connect the face with the case so it feels like you are really a part of mystery and the solution.
15 people found this helpful
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Madison
4.0 out of 5 stars I would read it again
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2018
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It’s a good read and very informative. The cases are interesting and the pictures help you clarify things a little more.
One person found this helpful
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b strieg
5.0 out of 5 stars Forget the Media Soundbites...Heres the Truth & Science Behind Some Famous (and not so famous) Cases
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2016
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I finished this book in just a couple of days. It's a really good read featuring several well-known and not-so-well-known cases in which forensics played a key role in bringing criminal charges or clearing suspects...or simply giving families the truth behind a loved one's death. It gives the reader a peek into each investigation - revealing the truth and science behind it, rather than the emotions, sound bites, media hype and false narratives that sometimes muddy them.

Even though it's about forensic pathology and the science behind death investigations, this is not a "science" book. It's written so the "I don't understand science" reader - like me - can understand. It's not gory, nor is it disrespectful to the victims or their families.

Di Maio portrays the mindset, experience and approach I'd look for in an investigator. Francell's writing is easy to swallow...I call it writing for the ear...making it seem like you're listening in on a conversation rather than reading. I really enjoyed the book and recommend it for news junkies, true crime readers, and anyone interested in forensic pathology or crime investigation.

I'm somewhat surprised by fellow reviewers' comments about the authors' politics. I did not read any political nuances throughout the book. I can only guess that some readers look for hidden political messages in whatever they read - and may be more interested in being continually offended than reading a book for what it is.
9 people found this helpful
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Mitts1970
5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting, easy, good read!
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2016
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Just finished reading Morgue: A Life in Death and it was a great read! I am an avid true crime reader and have never been interested in this side of crime cases. Being a fan of Ron Franscell, I wanted to read this book anyway. So glad I did! Every chapter is a different case and even if you know the story (Trayvon Martin, West Memphis 3, Lee Harvey Oswald) you will learn something new. If you didn't know the case, you will be intrigued and interested in how medical examiners do their jobs and are a vital part of crime solving. Dr. DiMaio takes us through is journey becoming an ME and some of the many cases he's worked on. I enjoyed the personal view he gave of some very highly publicized cases and many others I knew nothing about. If you enjoy reading true crime, read this book - the perspective will change the way you read cases moving forward. Thanks to Dr. DiMaio and Ron Franscell for bringing these stories to life and in your own ways being a voice for the victims as well as using science / truth to shed light on cases that need brought to justice!
3 people found this helpful
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lintoinette
3.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and compelling in some areas, weird and vaguely offensive in others
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2016
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I was very much looking forward to this book. I am an avid true crime buff and have a particular interest in forensic pathology. I had hoped this book would provide an in-depth look at forensic science and the emotional toll of working as a forensic pathologist. In some areas, the book does that; the chapter on Dr. DiMaio's father and his childhood was compelling and fascinating. You do get a real sense of how understaffed and funded forensic pathology is, and how some of the issues are rooted in the history of the profession.

However, parts of the book were uneven and poorly written, and some were downright offensive. Perhaps starting the book with a biased view of the Trayvon Martin case was not wise; it created an uneven tone for the book that I wasn't able to shake off. Whatever your politics, people reading this book are interested in scientific inquiry as it is applied to criminal cases--not the author's thinly veiled racism and constant use of "racial unrest," and "militant blacks." In the Martha Woods chapter, he uses the term "retarded" repeatedly. While I feel like not everything in the world has to be politically-correct, it is pretty easy to temper your language in a way that appeals to a wider audience. If I were African-American, I would find this book pretty offensive.

Further, the arrogance of the author shines through pretty clearly. While confidence and some arrogance is probably a requirement when working such a tough job, a list of accolades and shameless name-dropping is not an attractive quality. Dr. DiMaio is obviously a successful and intelligent man--tell us about your science and your life--don't gloss that over by telling a story I could find from any true crime author.

I'd say if you are a true crime buff, it's worth the read. If you are a scientist, it would probably be a hard pass.
27 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

james shaw
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 19, 2022
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Bought this book for my wife, she couldn't put it down, she says it's a great read
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M Lars
5.0 out of 5 stars Can’t put down
Reviewed in Canada on March 16, 2020
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Perfect book. Great stories. Read in two days... it’s that good!!
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Gabrielle pearson
4.0 out of 5 stars Morgue book review
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2023
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A good read you get to read what it’s like behind the scenes at a mortuary what happens to your loved ones once they are collected by the coroner how they are prepared for burial identifying Jane doe or John Doe bodies and assisting in autopsies, and finding out the secrets a dead persons body can still tell even after death
One person found this helpful
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C. Rewerts
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Canada on June 15, 2018
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daughter likes this book
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Anthony turner 12345
5.0 out of 5 stars A really good read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2020
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I really enjoyed this book and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Well written and informative. Kept me hooked from the first page.
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