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Book Cover for: What the Dead Know: Learning about Life as a New York City Death Investigator, Barbara Butcher

What the Dead Know: Learning about Life as a New York City Death Investigator

Barbara Butcher

A "remarkably candid and sensitive" (The Wall Street Journal) true crime memoir from Barbara Butcher, a trailblazing New York City death investigator, who reveals the untold stories behind more than 5,500 death scenes, including the nation's most horrific tragedy: the 9/11 attacks.

When Barbara Butcher was early in her recovery from alcoholism, she found an unexpected lifeline in a job at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in NYC. As only the second woman ever hired for the role--and the first to last more than three months--she became a vital force in the world of forensic science and criminal investigations.

Over the next two decades, Butcher worked thousands of cases: gruesome homicides, suspicious suicides, heartbreaking scenes involving underage victims, and complex mass casualty investigations. In her unforgettable account, she invites readers into the gritty, high-stakes world of crime-scene investigation, from the autopsy room and morgue to tense moments at active crime scenes. Along the way, she uncovered how confronting death every day gave her a new perspective on life--and ultimately saved her from becoming a statistic herself.

In vivid, darkly humorous prose, Butcher recounts how she narrowly avoided a boobytrapped suicide scene, and how, during 9/11, she and her colleagues worked tirelessly to identify victims using scraps of clothing, DNA, and the memories of grieving loved ones. Her honesty, resilience, and sharp wit make this a standout in the genre of first responder memoirs and women in law enforcement.

"Breathtakingly honest, compassionate, and raw" (Patricia Cornwell) and "completely unputdownable" (Adriana Trigiani), What the Dead Know is a powerful, insider's look at the world of death and the lessons it teaches us about how to live. Fans of forensic memoirs, cold case investigations, true crime, Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell, and TV series like CSI or Mindhunter won't be able to put this down.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  • Publish Date: Jun 20th, 2023
  • Pages: 288
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 9.00in - 6.20in - 1.20in - 1.00lb
  • EAN: 9781982179380
  • Categories: ForensicsMemoirs

About the Author

Butcher, Barbara: - Barbara Butcher, MPH, was Chief of Staff and Director of the Forensic Sciences Training Program at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner. She was responsible for overall agency management, strategy, and inter-agency relations. She lives in New York City.

Praise for this book

"A propulsive memoir; equal parts stories of how one lives and dies in NYC and Butcher's personal journey of self-discovery and recovery, coming to know, trust herself. Deftly well crafted, What The Dead Know tells a powerful story of what it is to be human, ever curious, and compelled to bear witness to the world around us."--A.M. Homes, author of The Unfolding
"Barbara Butcher's What the Dead Know is three unputdownable books in one--a series of gripping true crime stories told with unflinching style, a revealing and fascinating look at crime scene investigation, and an engrossing, moving, and very funny memoir that will inspire everyone who reads it."--Kate White, New York Times bestselling author of The Second Husband
"What the Dead Know offers an unflinching look at the lives and deaths investigated by medicolegal death investigator Barbara Butcher in New York City. Her stories capture the integrity and empathy necessary for a professional career dedicated to understanding death, with a greater purpose: to support the living."--Judy Melinek, M.D., author of Working Stiff
"An unprecedented gutsy view of the Rue Morgue in New York City, told by one of its greatest characters. Barbara Butcher stares life and death in the face and doesn't avert her gaze. She's the real deal. Her stories and insights are breathtakingly honest, compassionate, and raw. What the Dead Know is impossible to put down. A must read, it's destined to be a classic."--Patricia Cornwell
"In this riveting memoir, Barbara Butcher writes unflinchingly about death and loss with stories gleaned from decades of experience in the New York City Medical Examiner's Offices, but she also writes honestly and with surprising humor about her own life's challenges and recoveries. Reading this book felt like getting to know a new, fascinating friend."--Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of Find Me
"What the Dead Know is wise and deep and completely unputdownable. Barbara Butcher's memoir is about finding home within yourself. It's fantastic."--Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone
"Butcher chronicles her career path and her journey to sobriety in unflinching detail, while her voice remains deliberate and measured, occasionally slipping into what sounds like a half-smirk when cracking a joke....She has a way with words, telling stories that are at turns hilarious, thought-provoking and, as might be expected, disturbing. This is a story of trauma, yes, but it's also a glimpse into the dark side of a city that most never see up close."--New York Times Book Review
"Butcher's remarkably candid and sensitive memoir reveals how she learned to navigate a heart-wrenching line of work and to overcome her own demons."--Tom Nolan "The Wall Street Journal"
"Barbara Butcher's compelling memoir gives readers a glimpse into the truly shocking things that happen behind the scene of the crime. It's surprising, insightful, and perfect for fans of true crime, or for anyone who wants to understand what it's really like to be a medical examiner."--Karin Slaughter, New York Times and Internationally Bestselling Author
"Reading this memoir is like watching an episode of CSI with your dry, brassy best friend." -- "NPR "Books We Love""