The medical detectives

by Paulette Cooper

Lovers of CSI will find a treasure trove of fascinating information on suicide, paternity suits, rape, drugs, poison, sexual asphyxia, battered babies, strangulation, time of death, blood (serology), cafe coronaries, etc. in this award-winning 1973 book. Included in this unique book are hundreds of tidbits for the forensic pathology buff, plus several longer cases and how they were solved.

The last section includes interviews with medical detectives like Dr. Cyril Wecht discussing forensic "Mysteries of the JFK Assassination, " and Dr. John Edland discussing the Attica riots, and other famous forensic pathologists such as Dr. Milton Helpern, Dr. Michael Baden, Dr. Thomas Noguci, etc.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

238 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Paulette Cooper (Noble) is an American author and journalist. As an early critic of the church of Scientology, she published The Scandal of Scientology in 1971. Cooper has authored or co-authored nearly two dozen books, covering a wide range of topics including travel, missing persons, psychics, and pets, in addition to Scientology. Her books have sold close to half a million copies in total.

Reviews

[Maryclaire · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was enlightening for me to read the cases of Attica and the truth that was hard to believe when the takedown happened. Cooper also goes over the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the missing brain, and the men who did the autopsy were not qualified medical examiners but army doctors. She highlights the lack of medical examiners in the USA and the few female ones who were competent and skilled but not hired. The book is older but the cases have not changed. The book is well worth reading and keeping as a reference.

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book was quite good but I'm not gonna give it 5 starts just because there has been a lot of sexists phrases
"the female medical detective couldn't remember some cases without tears in her blue piercing eyes", "he had a staff of 150 people and in addition, a full time free assistant - his wife" left not the most amazing impression on me

[Brea Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be a fascinating peek into forensics of an early time. The only reason it's not 5/5 is because of the inconsistent explanations and the language used for them. As suiting the subject matter, Cooper uses medical terms - though does not always explain them. Contrasting the medical terms, the explanations of the cases present are simple.
Altogether, an informative quick read.

[Eepa *mm loving bookworm* · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first two parts are good but then when we get to the sex, drugs and all it goes downhill quite quickly. The book page claims that the book is published 2013 but the mind set is from 60s or something. So not fun.

[Big H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little dated (it was written before it was realized that DNA could help solve crimes), but still informational. A great way to see how crimes were solved "back in the day" through forensics.