Customer Reviews

Skeletons in the Closet: Stories from the County Morgue

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My uncle gave me this book because I have been to numerous autopsies and have had internships with various county forensics crews in SW Michigan. I was excited to read the book at first, but quickly became frustrated with the author's writing style. Each case appeared to be written as a stand alone section with only a little thought given to the fact that it would be part of a book. A lot of the terminology was repetitive; if he explained it once, he explained it three times. I think the thing that was most annoying was his repetition of the buzz words "macabre" and "red herring." A little variety would have been nice. I also felt related cases were stuck in just because he could or to show that "hey, I did research-here it is!" It broke up the flow of the reading and at times became confusing switching between the real case and the "bonus" cases.

The cases themselves were interesting. Especially for anyone that is familiar with Michigan. One incident actually took place less than a mile from my mom's house. The chapter entitled "Things ain't always what they seem" was great. It was quick, to the point and didn't stray from the case at hand. The addition of the color photo section in the middle was also a nice touch.

There are many good qualities about the book, but the writing style and use of the buzz words is the reason I'm only giving it 3 stars. If the flow had been better with less reptition, I would have scored it higher.

Skeletons in the Closet: Stories from the County Morgue covers puzzling forensic mysteries culled from a range of co-author Stephen Cohle's cases as medical examiner for Kent County, Michigan: his accounts will appeal to a broad audience, from health and criminal justice studies college-level libraries to public lending libraries. Over twenty riveting, real-life stories offers a forensic mystery and twist, making for a striking collection.

I read this book and "Who killed the Ice Woman" because it is about my ex-wife Kathy. I never knew the whole story until I read Skeletons in the Closet. I find that the author done his best to present the story to his fullest knowledge and I appreciate all he has done. I found it interesting and as others have said a bit reputitious, but I did enjoy it. My questions are Why has no more been done to put the sorry SOBs in prison for the death of my ex-wife and mother of our 5 children!! I seriously believe he new husband William had a lot more to do with her death, seeing how he owned the gun!! I would love to see a better investigation done by Unsolved Mysteries or Unsolved Murders or even Cold Case Files to find that the Police and DA done a LOUSY Job when making their deals, and letting all involved go damn near free.

I pretty much agree with Sarah Williams. The author's writing style grates. He has a habit of falling in love with a cute word or phrase and then beating it to death. For all his repetition, he often omitted details, especially relating to epilogs. These details would have been interesting and should have been available to any diligent researcher.

The author would have done well to pay for editing. An editor might have picked up the fact that, on page 100 he describes a woman as "short at five foot three" and on page 101 the same woman has shrunk to five foot one. This was the most blatant error, but there were other confusing passages as well.

I agree that the stories were interesting in themselves, and there were many I had never heard of before. That's saying something, as I've read many, many books of this type. I'm not sorry I bought it. It's just that it could have been so much better with a little professional attention.

Title: Skeletons in the Closet: Stories from the County Morgue

Authors: Tobin T. Buhk, Stephen D. Cohle

Review: For true crime fans, the authors names may appear familiar. That's because this is the second book authored by the team of Buhk and Cohle. In their previous book, Cause of Death, Dr. Stephen D. Cohle took the helm, offering a glimpse into the day-to-day workings of a morgue. It was not filled with sensational cases, but instead focused on the more mundane, but still interesting cases that flow into county morgues all over the country every day.

In Skeletons, Tobin Buhk takes over writing duties. In Cause of Death, he was a new member of the morgue staff, learning how to handle the disturbing sights, sounds, and smells that are part of working in a medical examiner's office. Now he has grown as accustomed to the job as one can hope to do, and he details some of the cases that have come through their offices.

This book is more story-telling than the first, with less technical data involved. Dr. Cohle's writing was imbued with traits that show why he is a good medical examiner. He is clear, precise, and meticulous in how he lays out the story and detailed in his description of how each case was handled. Skeletons is more a product of Buhk's mind, where the story is at least as interesting as the science.

The book highlights how many seemingly uneventful cases can turn into complex mysteries, when all the evidence is examined. Give it a read and enjoy the story-telling aspects of Buhk's writing.

I couldn't even get 1/4 the way through the book. It is a great concept but the writer can't stay on the story. He repeats himself and I found him sounding just a bit arrogant. Not a lick of talent.
I would love to read a book like this by an actual writer with skills.
Don't waste your time or money. I borrowed the book from my sister and am wasting my gas to bring it back to her.