Morgue

A forensic pathologist looks back on his career to offer “an engrossing look behind the headlines of notorious homicides” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

“Cooly analytical. . . . Vividly depicted.” —The New York Times Book Review

“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.” —Booklist (starred review)

In this clear-eyed, gritty, and enthralling narrative, Dr. Vincent Di Maio and veteran crime writer Ron Franscell guide us behind the morgue doors to tell a fascinating life story through the cases that have made DiMaio famous—from the exhumation of assassin Lee Harvey Oswald to the complex issues in the shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.

Beginning with his street-smart Italian origins in Brooklyn, the book spans forty years of work and more than 9,000 autopsies, and Di Maio’s eventual rise into the pantheon of forensic scientists. One of the country’s most methodical and intuitive criminal pathologists will dissect himself, maintaining a nearly continuous flow of suspenseful stories, revealing anecdotes, and enough macabre insider details to rivet the most fervent crime fans.

“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