What strikes me is the tone of humility. Dr Richard Shepherd is one of the most distinguished forensic pathologists in the UK but you can hardly tell from the book. He could have used his involvement in the forensic investigation of major international disasters and the inquiry into Princess Diana's death as bragging rights but his description was so understated. Humility is what I learned from him. Other interesting nuggets I learned - seatbelts save lives, and the impact from a head trauma may not be immediate. ( )

An interesting and fairly unique way of looking at forensic medicine in the UK. The differences between the 1980s and now is starkly thrown into contrast with the descriptions of cases from the 1980s, compared to today. Clearly a man that has suffered, and also a a man that made mistakes. He acknowledges that and I think that those floors are some of the things that make him so impressive. Very enjoyable, particularly for those people that have an interesting forensics, professional, careers, and memoirs. ( )

Richard Shepherd is a forensic pathologist who has dealt with some of the UK’s biggest tragedies and this is his story.

From cases such as Dr Shipman, Rachel Nickell and Stephen Lawrence to the everyday person this is a real glimpse into what is a fascinating subject. Dr Shepherd’s passion for his work is evident in every page, the 16 years it took to fulfill his ambition to become a forensic pathologist and the impact the years of study and relentless hours of work impacted on his home life. His dedication is admirable and he is honest enough to not portray himself as infallible showing he is only human after all.

Although it is a fairly in-depth account of the post-mortem/autopsy process it isn’t overly gruesome so don’t let that put you off! I can imagine any crime author’s will find this a treasure trove of information 😀

Death comes to us all, be it through natural causes, illness or tragic circumstances and it is reassuring to know in death we are treated with the utmost respect and care. The science is written in a way everyone can understand thankfully unlike my daughters science homework! That might as well be in a foreign language and goes right over the top of my head 😂😂😂

I’m sure this book will appeal to a wider audience than aspiring doctors and nurses or forensic pathologist’s but for anyone with an interest in the human body, medical practises and what actually goes on beyond the morgue doors this is a must read, as well as anyone with an interest in true crime stories.

A fascinating insightful read that should be an inspiration to our generation as well as generations to come.

Unnatural Causes will be published on 20 Sep 2018 in the UK

A big thank you to Dr Richard Shepherd, the publishers Penguin UK – Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. ( )

https://tamaranth.blogspot.com/2023/08/2023118-unnatural-causes-dr-richard.html ( )

Excellent in so many ways ... ( )