Безмълвно минало

Jake Rosen & Manny Manfreda #1

by Michael Baden, Linda Kenney, Майкъл Бейдън

"Безмълвно минало" събира световете на криминалистиката и закона и представя един неустоим отбор срещу престъпността. Филомена - "Мани" Манфреда е адвокатът на онеправданите. Д-р Джейк Роузън е заместник главен съдебен лекар на Ню Йорк. Когато мъртво тяло е открито под строителната площадка на един мол в близост до планините Катскил, Джейк е повикан на местопрестъплението от своя по-възрастен ментор, д-р Питър Харигън, за да изследва костите.

По-нататъшното разследване води до ужасно откритие: още останки с поразителни аномалии. След като една от жертвите е идентифицирана, семейството на починалия наема Мани да ги представлява и заедно с Джейк, тя е въвлечена в ужасяващ водовъртеж на убийство и измама с нарастваща планина от трупове. Те се натъкват на една мистерия, неразгадана няколко десетилетия, включваща отдавна затворена психиатрична клиника, шокиращи медицински експерименти и проблемна и трагична любовна връзка.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 16, 2005

About the author

Michael M. Baden is a physician and board-certified forensic pathologist known for his work investigating high-profile deaths and as a host of HBO's Autopsy. He is also the Forensic Science Contributor for Fox News Channel. ~ Wikipedia

Reviews

[Tessa Nadir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cei doi autori, Michael Baden si Linda Kenney formeaza un cuplu atat in viata reala cat si in cea literara. Michael este medic legist, fiind un expert renumit chemat in multe cazuri celebre cum ar fi: exhumarea ramasitelor Tarului Nicolae al II-lea sau controversatul caz al lui O.J. Simpson. Este consultant in probleme de medicina legala pentru politie, FBI, guvernul Rusiei si profesor universitar la Facultatea de Criminalistica. Linda este avocat de drept civil si apare des la televizor.
Fiind pasionata atat de medicina legala cat si de dreptul civil, romanul a fost pentru mine o adevarata placere.
In ceea ce priveste actiunea o avem in prim plan pe cocheta si bataioasa avocata de drept civil Philomela Manfreda care face echipa cu Jake Rosen, doctorul legist de la Departamentul de Medicina Legala din New York. La inceput cei doi nu se inteleg deloc, doctorul fiind in antiteza ei:
"Mustata din anii 1970, haine din anii 1980 - ce naiba avea? Oare chiar nu-l informase nimeni ca traia in secolul XXI?"
Pe langa lipsa lui de preocupare pentru vestimentatia moderna, doctorul este ingamfat si arogant dar cei doi sunt nevoiti sa colaboreze atunci cand niste oase umane sunt descoperite intr-un santier unde se doreste constructia unui mall. Acesta este situat chiar langa o fosta casa de nebuni, ceea ce-i duce pe amandoi cu gandul la faptul ca ramasitele umane ar putea sa apartina fostilor pacienti de acolo.
O poveste veche a celui mai bun prieten al lui Jake va iesi la iveala si mai multe tentative de omor la adresa celor doi ii vor apropia mai mult ca niciodata.
Romanul este profesionist scris, abunda in metode, procedee si practici din domeniul criminalisticii si dreptului fiind evident bazat pe vasta experienta a celor doi autori. Este un adevarat rasfat pentru fanii thrillerelor care includ scene din salile de judecata americane, procesele cu jurati si pledoariile interesante ale avocatilor. Pe langa asta gasim si scene detaliate din morga, cercetarea la fata locului si o sumedenie de informatii despre oase, trupul uman, diagnosticare, etc.
Cartea reprezinta un must-read atat pentru pasionatii de medicina cat si de drept.
In final, cateva citate care mi s-au parut interesante:
"Nu avem de ales, numele criminalului trebuie rostit raspicat in public. Asa face un detectiv bun. Asa vom evita scandalul de pe santier."
"E un proces natural - din tarana venim, in tarana ne intoarcem. E metoda lui Dumnezeu de a recicla."
"Manny e de parere ca o infatisare impecabila tradeaza o minte ordonata."
"Lui Manny nu-i placea cand oamenii erau tratati nedrept; de fapt, la asta se reducea totul. Atitudinea ei se formase de multa vreme."
"Hainele nu spun numai cine esti, spun de asemenea si cine vrei sa fii."
"Corpul intotdeauna ne spune povestea sa, zise el. Nu numai despre cum au murit oamenii, ci si despre cum au trait."
"... un bun medic legist este un detectiv care lucreaza cu mijloacele stiintei. Raspunsurile evidente nu sunt intotdeauna corecte si raspunsurile corecte nu sunt intodeauna evidente."

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book written by these authors, so the quality leaves a little bit to be desired. But that didn't stop me from not being able to put it down! I love murder mysteries and forensics, so I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is an entertaining fast read as long as you don't take it too seriously. I recommend it.

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was really good I just didn’t love the writing style. Probably because it was written by a pathologist and an attorney.

[dejah_thoris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely a split review on this one. Read an audiobook driving to and from work.

Baden does a wonderful job with the scientific detail provided by the ME character, Jake. Until I knew his wife wrote all the other bits, however, I found the depiction of Manny Manfreda to be extremely stereotypical so much so that I almost spit the first disc out of the player and gave up. The book opens by describing her, dropping brand names, and generally creating a smart yet fashion-obsessed female lawyer. Blech. Having the reader incorrectly mispronounce Porshe multiple times, didn't help either. (It's not Poor-shay. There's no accent mark above the e. Who screens these audiobook readers?) Oh and Manny's pretentious dog is named Mycroft, after Sherlock Holmes' older, heavier, and wiser brother. And to top it all off, there's a romantic subplot that didn't need to be there for the story to work.

Now that I know from their interview that Mrs. Baden wrote everything except the technical pieces, I'm a little more lenient about using a female stereotype because, yes, these women exist even if I find them trite and dull. Fortunately, the case and Jake's explanations more than make up for the occasional eye-roll Manny induced in me.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a trio of skeletons are unearthed at the construction site of a shopping mall, NYC medical examiner Jake Rosen is called to the scene in hopes that he'll label the remains as too ancient for legal action. Of course that doesn't happen, despite specific threats from the developers. When the bodies are found to be former mental patients at a nearby mental hospital, Jake calls attorney Manny Manfreda to help relatives decide if a lawsuit is in order. Jake and Manny are soon swept into an investigation that will reveal secret medical experiments, a vast cover-up by the U.S. government, and several attempts on their own lives.

Remains Silent is a fast-paced crime mystery in which each new discovery leads to yet another mystery, some of which have direct impact on Jake, Manny, and their friends and colleagues. There's nothing deep or psychological here, just a fun story with some likeable characters, and dashes o humor, forensic detail, and romance sandwiched in.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this a solid 3.5 stars. It's a fast, page-turner mystery. I found the case fascinating and stayed up until 1 am reading "just one more" page. The book has an emphasis on forensic science w/o getting gory or technical. The ending is okay. It's 99% clean.

[Madalina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jake Rosen, expert în medicină legala, este chemat de către prietenul și mentorul său, Pete Harrigan să examineze rămășițele unei persoane, găsite pe terenul care aparținuse unui spital de boli mintale. Pe acest teren se dorea construirea unui mall.

“După douăzeci de ani de medicină legală, era convins că factorii de cel mai mare risc ai crimei sunt dragostea și căsătoria. Credea că jurământul de iubire ar trebui să afirme: ‘Promit să te iubesc, să te cinstesc și să nu te omor’.”

Pete încearcă să i se confeseze lui Jake, dar din păcate este găsit mort în locuința sa. Moartea acestuia nu pare suspectă întrucat era bolnav de cancer. Jake încearcă să descopere ale cui sunt oasele găsite pe terenul fostului spital ca un omagiu adus prietenului său, Pete.
Acesta apelează la Philomena Manfreda, o avocată aprigă, pentru a-l ajuta cu cazul. Între cei doi se înfiripă un fel de poveste de iubire, cam trasă de păr, după părerea mea.

“Se spune că avocații nu au creier, reuși să zică Manny. Și, fără discuție, medicii legiști nu au inimă.”


Pe parcusursul investigației aceștia sunt avertizați să nu mai continue cu cercetarea cazului, dar cei doi insistă și realizează că de fapt Pete a murit otrăvit. De asemenea, găsesc dovezi clare că spitalul a făcut experimente ilegale pe pacienți.

“…dacă vrei să supraviețuiești durerii sufletești, trebuie să o înfrunți.”

Mi-a plăcut și nu prea, povestea m-a ținut în suspans, dar personajele nu au fost chiar pe placul meu.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had relatively low expectations of this book as I suspect it was an effort designed to capitalize on Baden's high-profile reputation as a testifying hired-gun forensic pathologist. It far surpassed them. I hoped for a somewhat technical orientation to the forensic pathology. Mission accomplished and in a manner that made the science approachable and understandable for the lay reader. I didn't anticipate much in the way of character development. But for a first novel, albeit from a nonfiction-published author, Baden and Baden did a good job with both Jake and Manny, giving them both substance and quirks to make them interesting. I enjoyed the peripheral characters as well.

The mystery was solid and the pacing kept the plot moving along at a nice clip. The dialogue was crisp and rang true to the characters, complete with irreverence and humor. I did think the romantic tension between Jake and Manny was a bit strained. It felt like that aspect of the book had been either rushed by the authors for some reason (and would have been better consummated in the second novel in the series) or was (more likely) insisted upon by the publisher.

This initial entry in the series definitely earned my interest in reading the second book and I hope the authors continue the tales of Jake and Manny.

[Connie]

This book was an “okay” read—I read it because it’s on the reading list for the Road Scholar trip Anne and I are taking in October, CSI:Blood, Bullets and Ballistics https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an-a...

The information about autopsies and how a medical examiner works is interesting and educational. I enjoyed the book from that perspective.

The book also intersected with The Poisoner’s Handbookhttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_P... by tying the “radiation girls” to the case.

[Moxie LaBouche · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book made we wish I was the kind of person who can abandon books, rather than feeling compelled to finish them. The dialogue is as inane as the romantic sub-plot is unnecessary. The average person who picks up a book authored by ME Dr. Michael Baden is a fan of forensics, I'd wager, but he glosses right over the parts those readers actually want to read.

[M. Swanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fast read that started out as a good story, but seemed to lose its way as it neared its end. Really dislike a book ending like the author has gotten sick of their own story. The weird romance of a brilliant, Medical Examiner, that’s basically a slob, and an equally brilliant, attorney/fashionista did not improve the story.

[Laura Aase · Rating 3 out of 5]

Manny is a lawyer who is highly irritated when Jake, the ME blows her case apart.but they soon team up together when bodies are discovered by an old psych hospital and Jake’s mentor is murdered.good, lots of technical coroner stuff but an enjoyable read.

[Square Octopoid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this. Love the characters, their romance. Made me laugh too. The case is actually pretty serious and such things did indeed happen.
Really enjoyed the book, most thriller I give away after reading, but I'm gonna keep this for rereading.

[Susannah Carleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting characters and story, but the plotting and pacing plod in spots.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!!!

Awesome book.. Fast paced .. I love the forensics aspect as I am a big fan of Patricia Cornwell... Loved the characters..

[Michele F. Mulder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the science in this book! I am just now starting to read fiction so this was an easy fun read.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent mystery.

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say more like 3.75 stars. LOTS of forensics involved, be prepared, but the story was good. A quick read, but it kept my attention.

[Jane Doe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, it was okay. A pretty easy read, but I didn't appreciate all the clichés in there. The story was alright; I guess I just wasn't a fan of the writing style.

[Brian]

***

[Rhys I · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very good in my opinion, with very good plot development and character development which makes the book seem very realistic. Over the course of the book you will learn many new things about various characters and the overall mystery of the book.

[Rupal Gadkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember the stylish lawyer and her accomplice working on a forensic mission. Philomena is a stylish lawyer that has a dog mycroft. I read this book years back and I dont remember the story as well.

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even taking into account that this was the first novel for the team of Baden and his wife, I had to struggle to finish the book. The characters are no doubt taken out of the daily experiences of the authors, but there is a forcible injection of romance/sexual tension that doesn't go deep enough into the characters, leaving them a bit lumpy and unconvincing.

I won't go into plot, but having read some of the non-fiction work of Baden already, the story seemed a little simple. Clue A leads to B, leads to C. I understand that some mysteries are that linear and uneventful...but then those are the ones no one wants to read about.

The dramatic occurances in the novel are glossed over, and mentioned only in passing. Nothing really happens in the book...we just know that things are happening somewhere. The only highly dramatic moment in the book is a knife attack on one of the protagonists, but that barely gets half a chapter, then is mentioned only to remind the reader that the character has a wound that in no way seems to impact that character. Why remind us if it doesn't matter?

The book is in too much of a hurry for its own good. It's off to the next plot point before we've even assimilated the last one. Dialogue is clipped and presented with such forced wittiness that i longed for something bad to happen to the protagonists throughout the book just to get some genuine emotion. Even the death of the ME's mentor in the first act barely registered as emotional.

Not a bad freshman effort (publishing a book is no small feat, and should by applauded) but a severely lacking one. I may think twice before picking up another of the fiction efforts by Baden, even if it's on the discount pile.

[Foxy Grandma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes the gruesome forensic details we see on CSI and Bones and combines it with the lawyers from Law and Order, throws in the main character attraction for each other and makes a decent read. Jake Rosen, a medical examiner is called in to examine a skeleton found in a site for a new mall. The family of said “skeleton”(who disappeared from a mental hospital) calls in Manny Manfreda, attorney, to help tie up loose ends. Simple, till evidence disappears, clients drop cases, threats pile up, and everyone involved gets silent, by threat or death.
There is lots of forensic details in this book and not a lot of emotional driven plot. But it seems to be well-paced and not a difficult read. I enjoyed reading the book and it did keep me guessing a little about “whodunit”

[Juanita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book. It's a crime fiction about the findings of graves or should I say a mixture of several people's skeletal bones buried in a field. The mystery is who put them there, why and when. A construction company building a Mall near the Catskill Mountains discovered the bones while digging. There was a halt put to the construction until the area was investigated. Someone was not pleased to have this horrid secret discovered. I love to read crime and mystery in the smae story.In small portions It gives the reader the interest to keep reading. Plus the reader is always guessing who, what, where and than finds all the answers differently as they go from one chapter to another...I recommend this book...........Banjo

[Dick Edwards · Rating 1 out of 5]

This extremely thin book is disappointing in that it degenerates into the old “blame the mean old U.S. government for running cruel and illegal experiments on human beings” plot gimmick. There was a decent plot twist at the end in that Jake’s (Baden’s) best friend Pete was involved in the experiments, and that Pete’s daughter Elizabeth was, too, and actually killed (by poison) her father. The dialogue was pedestrian, and the female protagonist (Manny) was given to italicized thoughts interjected into that dialogue. These thoughts were somewhat puerile, and detracted from the narrative flow. The autopsy scenes were authentic. I give this book a rather weak “3.”

[☮Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The debut novel written by a married couple, he a forensics expert and she a civil rights attorney, about, guess what? A forensics expert and a civil rights attorney trying to figure out the story on several bodies found in a pauper's grave, while they are falling for each other. Kind of an amateur writing attempt about these amateur sleuths, but still some good story lines. Kind of "hokey" overall.

[Naomi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I must say that I was really disappointed in Baden's fictional work. I would have expected more from this book, given his writing in his non-fictional books, plus I really enjoy seeing him interviewed and such on news programs, etc. This book was really weak and amateurish though...I really had to choke it down. If I didn't need it for a challenge and it wasn't only 196 pages, I probably would have stopped reading it.

[Ernest · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there is a decent mystery within this volume, I found it unfortunately buried amongst heavy handed writing, thin characterisation, too many plot elements and a wealth of detail about the medical/forensic process. The medical/forensic details were well detailed and clearly came about through professional knowledge and experience. There were one or two nice twists in the tail, but overall the book did not have the sophistication or polish to combine all the elements into a great book.

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

The forensic portions were interesting, but otherwise a very hokey novel. Contrived dialogue to indicate romantic tension, trying to be a certain type of medical/forensic mystery and thriller book (that I guess I don't find all that interesting). Twists were obvious, characters not all that believable - especially the wisecracking and beautiful woman attorney. Ugh.