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Coroner's Journal: Stalking Death in Louisiana [Hardcover]

Louis Cataldie (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)


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Book Description

March 16, 2006
The frank and unvarnished memoir of a life spent stalking death in the Deep South.

Baton Rouge is a little town with big-city problems. Rich with Creole history, colorful locals, and a strong sense of community, it's also the home of Napoleonic codes, stubborn cops, and a sometimes-troubled leadership. Baton Rouge-which literally means "Red Stick"-lives up to its bloody namesake.

And after more than ten years as a deputy coroner and then as its chief coroner, Louis Cataldie has seen his fair share of unusual and disturbing cases. They range from the bizarre to the heartbreaking: an LSU professor killed by a barn door; the bones of a young woman found scattered in a churchyard; and as many as three serial killers loose at one time under Cataldie's watch. He has worked the scene of one of the Malvo/ Muhammad Beltway Sniper shootings and had a hand in bringing to justice serial killer Derrick Todd Lee in a controversial investigation that was featured in an ABC Prime Time special with Diane Sawyer and Patricia Cornwell.

Coroner's Journal is an unflinching look at a world that television dramas such as CSI can only begin to show us.


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cornwell's foreword may attract readers to this unremarkable account by the chief coroner in Baton Rouge, La. Flat writing and the occasional platitude ("How sad. This is someone's daughter") detract from what could have been an interesting professional memoir by a dedicated public servant whose duties include ordering psychological evaluations and commitments, as well as the more familiar forensic work. Instead, the scenarios, whether an autoerotic hanging or the evaluation of a psychiatric patient, are brief and lacking dramatic tension. Some readers may also be put off by the short prologue added after Hurricane Katrina, which is the "incomplete accounting" the author labels it; the value and heroism of the doctor's work are not adequately captured by his words. His perspective on a number of serial killer cases—and the mistakes made by law enforcement in investigating them—will be new to many and are indicative of the frankness and professionalism that have apparently marked his career. (Mar. 16)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Although there have been many recent books written by coroners, medical examiners, and forensic pathologists, few of them have given the reader much of a look at the day-to-day life of someone whose profession is death. This account does just that. The author, a coroner in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has had a hand in some famous cases (the Beltway sniper shootings and the Derrick Todd Lee serial-murder case, for example), but it is descriptions of cases that didn't grab headlines--the family tragedies, the senseless accidents, the pointless brutalities--that give the book its weight. Rarely has there been such a detailed picture of what a coroner does and how the job affects his or her private life. The fact that Cataldie played a crucial role in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina will give his book extra publicity; expect plenty of demand. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Putnam Adult; First edition. edition (March 16, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0399152822
  • ISBN-13: 978-0399152825
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #688,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

17 Reviews
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4 star:
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3 star:
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2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Charlotte Murray Pace's Mom, May 5, 2006
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This review is from: Coroner's Journal: Stalking Death in Louisiana (Hardcover)
Dr. Louis Cataldie is an extraordinary man writing an extraordinary book. He was the coroner in the south Louisiana serial murders, a sequence of murders that claimed the life of my very precious daughter. He tells that story with compassion and accuracy. Dr. Cataldie has led a "path-less-chosen" life that is a mystery to most of us. The book is compelling and sobering and filled with stories we should hear and information we should know.
I recommend the man and the book.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Mother of Pam Piglia Kinamore, July 29, 2006
By 
This review is from: Coroner's Journal: Stalking Death in Louisiana (Hardcover)
Dr. Louis Cataldie is a compassionate and dedicated man who has devoted a great part of his life to helping family members left behind by the death of a loved one. Too bad the Baton Rouge serial killer case did not receive the national, nor the local, coverage it should have gotten. That is why it was so important that Dr. Cataldie had the courage to expose the inexperienced task force investigating these killings.
Without Dr. Cataldie's honesty, many like me would not have had the foresight and courage to do our own investigations.

Thank you, Dr. Cataldie, for the leadership you displayed in every aspect of your duties and responsibilities as Coroner of East Baton Rouge Parish. I will always be grateful to you for not being afraid to do the right things - always!

Lynne Marino,
Mother of Pam Kinamore, serial killer victim.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Insight, August 24, 2007
By 
K. Edgin (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
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This was an excellent forensic case book. Not only do you get excellent cases but you also get the author's down to earth personality, concern for life and true emotions. If you enjoy forensic novels and case books - This is a definite must read!!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
St. Gabriel, Louisiana-I am exhausted. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
deputy coroner
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Baton Rouge, Charlotte Murray Pace, New Orleans, Pam Kinamore, Derrick Todd Lee, Whiskey Bay, Baby Jane, Dené Colomb, Edwin Robillard, Florida Boulevard, Gina Green, Lynne Marino, Airline Highway, Carrie Lynn Yoder, Gina Wilson Green, Randi Mebruer, Shawn Thompson, United States, Ann Pace, Christine Moore, Donna Bennett Johnston, Multi-Agency Homicide Task Force, Beauty Depot, Breaux Bridge, Cameron Parish
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