Autopsy: Life in the trenches with a forensic pathologist in Africa

by Ryan Blumenthal

A hair-raising account about the ins and outs of practising forensic pathology in Africa



As a medical detective of the modern world, forensic pathologist Ryan Blumenthal's chief goal is to bring perpetrators to justice.



He has performed thousands of autopsies, which have helped bring numerous criminals to book.
In Autopsy he covers the hard lessons learnt as a rookie pathologist, as well as some of the most unusual cases he's encountered. During his career, for example, he has dealt with high-profile deaths, mass disasters, death by lightning and people killed by African wildlife.



Blumenthal takes the reader behind the scenes at the mortuary, describing a typical autopsy and the instruments of the trade. He also shares a few trade secrets, like how to establish when a suicide is more likely to be a homicide.
Even though they cannot speak, the dead have a lot to say - and Blumenthal is there to listen.

• ISBN13: 9781776191109
• Publish Date: 4 February 2021 (first published 1 December 2020)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: ZA
• Imprint: Jonathan Ball Publishers SA
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 224
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Autopsy: Life In The Trenches With A Forensic Pathologist In Africa is a fascinating layman accessible memoir by Dr. Ryan Blumenthal relating some of his experiences as a forensic pathologist. Released 13th April 2021 by Jonathan Ball Publishers, it's 224 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

This is a well written and absorbing glimpse inside the working life of a forensic pathologist. Dr. Blumenthal has a conversational style of writing which is humorously entertaining and yet respectful and serious. He writes at length about different causes of death, the process of autopsy, deducing whether a death is suicide or homicide, and much more.

I'm a bioengineer working in a histopathology lab, so much of what he writes about is my regular "day job". I was quite impressed at his facility whilst explaining complex concepts in simple, scientifically correct ways, which allow readers without any medical background to easily process what he's talking about.

He's a renowned specialist in lightning strikes and deaths due to electrocution and he goes into detail in the book about the fascinating elements common to death-by-lightning, including veterinary autopsies on a rare antelope species on which he consulted.

Four stars. There are some photos and illustrations in the book, but happily nothing shocking or horrifying at all. I found the entire book upbeat and positive and very very interesting. This would make a good selection for library acquisition and for readers of science and nonfiction.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.