Book Review: Coroner's Journal: Forensics and the Art of Stalking Death

Coroner's Journal: Forensics and the Art of Stalking Death Amazon US TPB Amazon Canada TPB
Louis Cataldie
Class/Genre: Non-Fiction Mystery True Crime Forensics
Berkley, 2007

"Coroner's Journal" is as described by the title - a collection of stories based on the journals of Dr. Louis Cataldi, chief coroner of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is therefore 'true crime', a subgenre with an ambiguous appeal. Many readers cannot tolerate descriptions of real events similar to those described in the mystery novels they enjoy, since the knowledge that these events really happened is too much to take. On the other hand, other readers want to know the stories behind real crimes - not just what happened, but why. For them, the realism of a 'true crime' book is much more meaningful than even the most skillful fiction inspired by the same events.

In addition, true crime books balance uneasily between the prurient and the educational. Reading them is like passing a car accident with the police and an ambulance in attendance - should we drive past, so as not to use the dead and injured to satisfy our curiosity or our desire for a thrill? Or should we stop and see if we can learn something - even just 'look at what happens when you speed on this stretch of road'?

Cataldie's book contains plenty of anecdotes and gritty details for the curious: stories about accidents that never reached the media, serial killers, and Hurricane Katrina. These stories are interspersed with details about life and politics in Louisiana, the author's personal and family life, and his other personal convictions. However, although the author also includes some details of the situations behind the pyschological and criminal dramas he encounters, he does not really go into enough depth on any of them so as to provide information or insights that are unlikely to be known by his readers. TV shows and previous books have provided them with a sense (however misleading) that they already know all about the work of a coroner.

The book does not flow smoothly or function well as a whole. This may partly be a consequence of Dr. Cataldi's work, which ranges from the psychological to the criminal. To a certain extent, the somewhat disjointed impression is the inevitable result of a book which not only surveys a wide range of cases but is also intended for a general audience. Readers who want more theory or analysis, or a well-organised description of life in Louisiana might be better advised to look elsewhere. Those who are interested in a fast read and vivid if sometimes disorganized descriptions should enjoy this book.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Cheryl - RAM