Release Date:- 2017-08-15
Reviews Counts:- 27
User Average Rating:- 4.5
Availability:- In Stock
Kind:- ebook
An āentertainingā (Booklist) account of the mysterious, hair-raising, and heartbreaking cases handled by the coroner of Marin County, California throughout his four decades on the jobāfrom high-profile deaths and serial killers to inmate murders and Golden Gate Bridge suicides.
Marin County, California is a study in contradictions. Its natural beauty attracts celebrity residents and thousands of visitors every year, yet the county also is home to San Quentin Prison, one of the oldest and largest penitentiaries in the United States. 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, not to mention the large percentage of suicides that occur on the Golden Gate Bridge.
Ken Holmes worked in the Marin County Coronerās Office for thirty-six years, starting as a death investigator and ending as the three-term, elected coroner. As he grew into the jobāone that is far different from the forensics we see on televisionāHolmes learned a variety of skills, from finding hidden clues at death scenes, interviewing witnesses effectively, managing bystanders and reporters, and preparing testimony for court to how to notify families of a death with sensitivity and compassion. He also learned about different kinds of firearms, all types of drugsāprescription and illegalāand about certain unexpected and potentially fatal phenomena, such as autoeroticism.
Complete with poignant anecdotes, The Education of a Coroner is āriveting and complexā¦supremely entertaining reading material andā¦a fascinating and wildly informative dive into the mysterious world of death and decayā (Kirkus Reviews).