Cause of Death : A Writer's Guide to Death, Murder and Forensic Medicine (Howdunit Series) (Paperback)

~ Keith D. Wilson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Offers detailed descriptions of what happens to a body from trauma to burial, how autopsies are conducted, the paperwork involved in a death, and the laws that govern how bodies must be handled and buried.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books; 1st edition (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898795249
• ISBN-13: 978-0898795240
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #509,093 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Informative, May 13, 2000

By	Deborah A. Woehr (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This book answered several questions I had while pounding out my first manuscript. Like how the police and coroner go about removing a dead body. The autopsy procedures are quite gruesome­­not for a weak stomach. There are hundreds of diagrams and pictures, investigation procedures, legal and medical terms, etc. Without it, I would have spent countless hours researching the basics. However, it did not cover everything. No book can. For instance, I had to find out what the effects of a frontal head trauma were and how long it would take the victim to recover, if at all.The section on murder and suicide is interesting, particularly the part about the crime scene and the difference between a hanging and strangulation. The wounds around the neck are markedly different. Like I said, the details in this book can turn some stomachs. But I learned a lot in one short volume.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It was the scent of death with twist of almond., March 1, 2001

By	Ve "Ve" (USA) - See all my reviews

Cause of Death ranks 2nd place in my "Favorites from the Howdunit Series". This book is amazingly informative and it will keep you reading straight through to the end! Cause of Death informs you that you might be able to tell how a victim died by the smell. For example, almond scent often relates to cyanide poisoning, or cyanide gas.

Cause of Death goes in depth on how a person might have died, what happens to a body once it is dead, types of injuries, and so much more! It even has detailed pictures such as the emergency room, and (in autopsy) how a human is cut for examination. Cause of Death covers it all...from priorities in the ER, to the order things are done at an autopsy.

The three most interesting sections of the book cover: * the discharge of firearms with pictures of types of bullets, how they impact, and what a hole would look like shot at different distances. * how to distinguish a murder from a suicide. * Crime and punishment (including a list of states' death penalties and how they are carried out).

I see no faults in this book. It has a great amount of information to create the perfect, believable death plot in your story. I highly recommend getting this book!!

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow...., September 1, 2001

By	Jillian McCoy (Minnesota) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of the best books in the howdunit series...It is a very good book for people just starting to learn about forensics. It is very detailed in many differnet areas including: medical and leagal procedures, how to deterimin time of death, autopsy, differnt methods of death, capital punishment, and of course, causes of death. I love this book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in crime scene investigation, or forensics, police work, ect. Happy reading!