I was so excited to read this book because I love forensic pathology and medical memoir-type books.

But almost immediately I was cringing and often. I found Blumenthal to be lacking compassion and empathy for anyone that wasn't "innocent" enough for him to treat.

According to him, he only got in medicine to help the "innocent." Innocent being defined as someone who does everything right -- not a smoker or drinker, someone eats healthy and exercises, and so on.

Yet, the author views himself as a compassionate and caring person. Which is just, honestly, confusing.

In the win column, I did really find the forensic pathology content fascinating but the lack of compassion really ruined it for me. There are plenty of other books on similar topics one could read but as I like to read a diverse range of authors and stories, I was excited to read this one – especially coming from an African perspective.

I think this book could have been handled with a stronger editor (or an editor at all – I'm not sure if there was one). Sometimes, the author rambled too much and sometimes they didn't explain things for the everyday layman.

I finished this book thinking that Blumenthal is very well-suited to a career in forensic pathology where the majority of the people he interacts with are dead. It is an interesting book with lots of geeky clinical detail but he is too judgemental about the health decisions people make. It put me off.

This book was just fascinating! I love the look into the world of autopsies and could not put it down once I had picked it up due to complete morbid fascination.
This book is written so well with amazing clarity and detail that everyone should read it if this is one of their interests.
I am fascinated by this sort of world and job, and it really just heightened my interest which is exactly what I’d hoped! A really good non fiction to get stuck into - you won’t regret it!

This book wasn't really what I was expecting. I thought the author might give a general overview of his job as a Forensic Pathologist and then focus more and go into detail with the more unusual cases that he has worked on that are not likely to happen in other countries, such as death by hippopotamus. Instead, I felt the book gave an overview of everything with no real depth. I wanted more than surface level information. And whilst the author did talk about the differences between his job in South Africa and those of his European and American colleagues with regards to facilities and equipment, it came across as more of a complain and a moan rather than explaining how that impacts his job and how he finds ways around those barriers. The book also felt at times like the author completely forgot what he was writing about and just went off in another direction. The links between topics probably made sense to him but as a reader it felt very disjointed.
And I don't even know what happened at the end, it just suddenly turned to preachy advice about how we should all live our lives the healthiest way possible with no bad habits so that doctors don't have to treat us for self inflicted ailments. Which to be honest, I do agree with but there's a time and a place for that and this book wasn't the time nor the place.
There were some really interesting tidbits in there that saved the book from flopping entirely, I just really, really wish the author had focused more on those. I really wanted to love this book and was so excited to read it but unfortunately it won't be a book I'll find myself recommending to others.

Brilliant read. Took me a little while to get into in but once it clicked I was away!
Such a page Turner interesting cases, and how they deal with different challenges
I really enjoyed this book

Fascinating look at the different encounters with diseases and conditions from a pathologist in Africa. At times a little repetitive, on the whole I found it readable and mesmerizing

I often find these kinds of books fascinating, where people who do autopsies share some of their more strange or famous cases. This book, by Ryan Blumenthal discusses cases in Africa, which makes it unique from the start. There are a certain number of people killed by large wildlife, insects, lightening, even malaria. There are a wide array of deaths, related by the author in an interesting manner from his early years of his time at that profession. A read on the shorter side for those who are interested in this sort of medicolegal mystery.

I was really intrigued by this book because I love reading about forensic science and pathology and I was interested to see how things differ in South Africa. There were some really interesting parts in this book but overall it wasn’t what I expected. I found Blumenthal glossed over the case studies so we didn’t get to actually learn about many particularly interesting cases and how they presented etc. There was a lot of repetition especially with the conditions he’s had to work in. It was also a pretty disjointed read and he went off on a lot of tangents without finishing his original line of thought. On top of that, he was very preachy. The book finishes with him preaching about how he thinks you should live your life and starts with the fact that he quit being a doctor because he didn’t want to treat smokers, drinkers, fat people, or anyone who drives badly because they bring all ailments on themselves and he only wants to help the innocent. He seems to think he’s some sort of superhero and mentioned a few times how little he’s paid and how important he is. All in all some interesting parts but not the author or book for me

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

trigger warning
<spoiler> mention of: rape, child soldiers, domestic violence, terminal illnesses, suicide, lynching, parasites </spoiler>

<i>So you want to be a forensic pathologist?</i>
This book starts of with that question, and all in all it feels like you sit down with an aquaintance after you've asked them about their job. It's a quiet evening, you're holding a cold drink of choice, you have time. He starts to talk.

While this book does contain footnotes, this is mostly about anecdotal evidence, or more specific about stuff Ryan Blumenthal either experienced himself or was told by colleagues. You learn about corpses, but also about what it's like to testify in court or aspects that are special to South Africa as area to happen to work in.
Like, the wildlife. So many animals that have the potential to kill a human being live in South Africa, from the big ones that make people go on safaris to bees that might kill you as good as a lion. What I, personally, didn't know was that South Africa has an issue with electrical thunderstorms and due to lack of public transport, death by lightning strike is a common occurence there.

The title already suggests it: Life in the <i>trenches</i> - there is a component of war to this work in this place. There are dangers for forensic staff due to the possibility of a corpse being booby-trapped, which a person practising in Central Europe doesn't have to worry about.
And speaking of dangers, yes, Covid-19 is mentioned in the chapter about bacteria and viruses that medical folk have to protect themselves against.

All in all this was... not what I expected nor what I wanted.
The book concludes with life lessons the author came up with. This is very heavily about him wanting to bring justice to the people, but not being able to fight physically, so he went this route. He quotes Sherlock Holmes as his big hero.

I am not saying any of this is wrong, or denying that he is an essential worker in all meaning of the term.
I am simply saying that this reading experience was not for me.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

Autopsy is a look into the daily life of a forensic pathologist in South Africa. I find pathology incredibly interesting, so I was excited to read this book. However, I was really turned off early on in the book when the author proudly recounted a story about berating and refusing to treat a dying elderly man while working in a hospital. I find it arrogant and disgusting that as a doctor he would act that way, with a complete lack of compassion or duty to his patient.

Autopsy was readable and interesting when the author discussed his duties and job as a pathologist. However, it was a bit disjointed as the author has a tendency to ramble and gets a bit preachy at times. I feel like this one could have used a stronger editor or a co-writer. Just... something to reel it in a little.

I'm sure there are better books on the subject, but if you have an interest in things like true crime and pathology, Autopsy is still a decent read.

I'm grateful to NetGalley and Jonathan Ball Publishers for the opportunity to read and review Autopsy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Johnathan Ball Publishers for the arc of Autopsy by Ryan Blumenthal.

4 stars- ⭐⭐⭐⭐- This follows Ryan as he goes behind the scenes of the mortuary to him describing what happens in an autopsy with the instruments explained as what is used in the trade! Whilst during his career he has dealt with high profile criminals to death disaters, people struck by lightning and even by african wildlife!

So interesting, unique and detailed! I loved this! Highly recommend

I love books by forensic pathologists. I'm enthralled by the processes that happen after death, and the things that can be determined in autopsy. I was very excited to start this book. The fact that the author is a pathologist on a differnt continent, in completely different conditions, made it sound all the more interesting. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the way it was written. The author spends too much time talking about how crappy the conditions are in their facility, and not enough time talking about how different types of death present at autopsy. I don't need multiple paragraphs about the time the water didn't work. I'd rather the author had spent that time/space talking about differences in different wildlife attacks. How does a lion attack present at autopsy? There was very little information about any particular case. A chapter at the beginning on conditions at the facility and difficulties of the area would have been fine, but it kept popping up periodically throughout the book. I was really interested in learning about specifics of the autopsies there. The author gave multiple examples of times people died by lightning, but didn't talk in much detail about what lightning does to the body or how a pathologist would determine that was the cause of death. There was also a lot of topic jumping. After discussing the day the water didn't work, we jump to luminol, then to the day the power saw didn't work, then a little about wildlife attacks. At times it seemed more like a stream of consciousness journal than a well put together book. It's readable, but not something that held my interest well.

I have mixed feelings about this book, I did enjoy it but it took a toll on me to read and I presume that’s the whole point, it’s taken me a couple of weeks to finish it which is unusual for me.

The depth gone into this book is astonishing and it’s crazy how different parts of the works are in conducting the same medical examinations.

I was intrigued by this book and I think that’s why I made myself finish it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for authorising this book!

This was not what I was expecting, it’s a well written book and great for anyone who is interested in the actual medical procedures of an autopsy, why it’s done, the tools of the trade etc. But I was expecting a little of the nitty gritty details and information about a few gruesome cases at least. This was mostly about the authors day to day work and lots of facts and statistics about the kinds of deaths and autopsy’s in Africa. It wasn’t a bad book and I feel awful giving it two stars but just not what I thought it would be, slow and steady going is how I would describe it.

This was an easy, fast read but not what I expected. In my opinion the author just barely scratched the surface of the subject of autopsy. It is basically a journal of stories from his life as a forensic pathologist, not in depth cases like I was expecting.
I would still recommend it to anyone that’s interested in science and pathology but be prepared for pretty simple descriptions and lots of author’s opinions.

Thank you NetGalley, Jonathan Ball Publishers & the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Autopsy was partly interesting anecdotes about all sorts of death and partly a series of lectures, kinda like my dad used to give me. I liked the anecdotes a lot, but the lectures came off very shamey and judgy. The author clearly has a lot of opinions on what he does, what he stands for, and how he thinks everyone else should live. That's super cool for him, but not for me.

I received a free e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For me, Autopsy was a super interesting read for the most part. I was fascinated by the realities of working as a forensic pathologist, especially in areas where resources are limited. There were also some really interesting cases, and lots of fun facts (my idea of fun might be a little more macabre than other people, but still.) This book falls somewhere between popular science and a memoir, and to begin with that isn't exactly clear. The first 75% of the book is focused heavily on the ins and outs of being a forensic pathologist, while the last 25% takes on more of a personal reflection. While I am not averse to both being in the same book, I feel like it might have been more successful if these were interwoven more, rather than being in discrete sections.

I think the author has a wonderful ability to cut to the heart (pun intended) of things, which makes for an easy read in many respects. It also means that it was easy to understand what could have been, in other hands, complex biological/medical jargon. The problem, however, is that a lot of the time, the anecdotes about interesting cases 1) were very short, and sometimes felt a bit truncated, and 2) didn't connect to the paragraphs before and after it, which made them feel more like a list. I think that with a bit of editing, these could have flowed a lot better.

On the whole, however, I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend to fans of science and true crime.

With some editing, this book would have been sooo much better! I still enjoyed it, but maybe before it’s publication things can be cleaned up, and the flow of the book can be corrected. There is too much repetition and odd segway's to the next subject.

I really liked this, although I found it a little slow moving - maybe that's because I've just had a stint of reading a lot of fiction and memoirs on the whole tend to be a bit slower. Overall though, an interesting read and great to get an insight into the field of forensics.

Autopsy by Ryan Blumenthal
As true crime enjoys a recent surge in popularity, we have learned that the most compelling stories, and the most worthwhile ones, are told firsthand. Whether it is victims writing their true stories of trauma, or first responders recounting the harrowing details of a case, true crime readers tend to clamour for the authentic narrative that puts the true in true crime. The drive behind this might be because we see it as more ethical—which is debatable—but ultimately, I think we are always after a compelling story. Part memoir and part case history, Ryan Blumenthal’s Autopsy: Life in the Trenches with a Forensic Pathologist in Africa is a fast-paced look into the intense ups and downs of forensic pathology in a developing nation.
While Autopsy falls categorically under the true crime umbrella, its most compelling dimensions are characteristic of memoir. After undergoing rigorous training as a medical doctor and then as a forensic pathologist, Blumenthal has performed thousands of autopsies on a number of different patients with various death scenarios. Some of these autopsies have helped put criminals in prison for their crimes, and Blumenthal writes that this is and has always been his central goal. Autopsy covers Blumenthal’s training, his early years as a pathologist, as well as some of his most compelling cases.
“In this book, I will share a variety of cases studies that describe a few unique experiences and particular challenges faced by forensic pathologists on the African continent. This book is about my personal journey as a forensic pathologist in South Africa. The pathology of trauma in Africa is slightly different from that in the rest of the world.”
The tone of the book is far more casual and philosophical than most memoir/true crime texts. The book relies on the personal experiences of the author rather than the ‘facts’ of a particular case; however, that tone worked in this book’s favour. As someone who regularly confronts the scene of a crime and all of the physical, emotional, and situational sensations that come alongside that, Blumenthal is truly the best source on his own experiences. While Blumenthal always grounds his experiences in facts relating to statistics, disease, and autopsy procedure and equipment, he manages to insert his own refreshing perspective and tone. From his top five worst smells to the worst deaths he’s ever seen, the fastest and slowest ways to die, the future direction of forensic pathology, or who autopsies the forensic pathologist themselves, Blumenthal tells all. There is something very honest about Blumenthal’s book that I found especially compelling. He confronts his own biases and his own motivations at the same time that he reveals pathologist-specific tools of the trade that most readers might not know.
In addition to Blumenthal’s own compelling perspective, the author has worked on or encountered some fascinating cases of abnormal death. Blumenthal never lets us forget that working as a forensic pathologist in Africa is like nowhere else in the world. The threshold between human life and wildlife is geographically thin, and Blumenthal recounts harrowing deaths or injuries related to lion, snake, ostrich, crocodile, or elephant attacks, alongside many more. Additionally, electrical storms in Africa account for a number of lightning deaths that must also be investigated. That is not to mention the danger of disease or political/criminally motivated crimes. The danger presented in Africa due to wildlife, disease, or the climate are all aspects of forensic pathology that Blumenthal addresses in his book, but he does so through discussing his own experiences, as well as through underscoring the level of knowledge in other fields that a forensic pathologist must possess.
Additionally, Blumenthal discusses the challenges or problems behind investigating death in a developing nation. Limited resources constantly threaten the forensic pathologist’s work, and Blumenthal writes that many autopsies in outlying communities might not be performed by those licensed to do so. Blumenthal’s memoir is as much a commentary on the social and political situation in Africa as it is a discussion of the particulars of his job:
“You need the kind of infrastructure that allows you to investigate fatalities resulting from contagious and/or toxic agents. In other words, is the physical plant sufficiently safe for you to be able to do a good job? Sadly, most autopsy facilities on the continent are in really poor condition. Substantial changes are required, in policies and procedures as well as in the personal protective equipment provided.”
Blumenthal’s overall ambition is admirable: he wants to encourage people to live well. He writes that “my wish is that this book will help to make you more aware and more mindful.” Indeed, Blumenthal’s stories are as interesting as they are didactic, and he attempts to convey an overall message of the value of life through his work on death. While this message may not interest everyone, Blumenthal’s fascinating life and career in South Africa is a truly incredible window into the life of a forensic pathologist in one of the most volatile climates. Autopsy is interesting, educational, and well worth reading.
Please add Autopsy to your Goodreads shelf.
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About the Writer:
Rachel M. Friars (she/her) is a PhD student in the Department of English Language and Literature at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She holds a BA and an MA in English Literature with a focus on neo-Victorianism and adaptations of Jane Eyre. Her current work centers on neo-Victorianism and nineteenth-century lesbian literature and history, with secondary research interests in life writing, historical fiction, true crime, popular culture, and the Gothic. Her academic writing has been published with Palgrave Macmillan and in The Journal of Neo-Victorian Studies. She is a reviewer for The Lesbrary, the co-creator of True Crime Index, and an Associate Editor and Social Media Coordinator for PopMeC Research Collective. Rachel is co-editor-in-chief of the international literary journal, The Lamp, and regularly publishes her own short fiction and poetry. Find her on Twitter and Goodreads.