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A Life in Death: The True Story of a Career in Disaster Victim Identification
WINNER - PEOPLE'S BOOK PRIZE 2017 This updated edition contains additional material on the Hillsborough disaster. Detective Inspector Richard Venables (QPM, rtd.) has helped identify thousands of bodies all over the world, piecing together fragments from tsunamis, transport and other disasters to return the victims to their loved ones. A world-renowned expert in Disaster Victim Identification who was a member of the UK Police’s Major Disaster Advisory Team, Richard’s destiny was shaped in part by his presence as a uniformed sergeant at the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster. In A Life in Death, Richard Venables tells his extraordinary story, of how death came to be a key feature of his personal and professional life, as well as how he coped with the biggest challenge of his the 2004 Asian Tsunami, the deadliest event of its kind ever experienced by human civilization, that claimed 230,000 lives. Praise for A Life in 'It is a sincere reflection of the fate that can befall some unfortunate people but how those dealing with disasters can make such a tremendous difference by the way their loved ones are cared and treated with respect and dignity ... Through his work Richard became a worldwide expert on DVI and is held in the highest esteem by those in the field' - DR N D Chapman DL, Coroner of Nottingham (rtd) & President of BAHID (British Association of Human Identification) Upon his retirement from the Police in 2006, Richard Venables received the Queen’s Police Medal in recognition of his distinguished service.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 12, 2025
A detailed journey into the world of an investigative area many of us know little about - that of the logistics of dealing with mass casualties. The author has had a long and fascinating career, working his way up to being the country’s leading authority on the management of crime scenes and areas affected by disaster, such as the Boxing Day tsunami and the London 7/7 terrorist bombings.
The writing is well structured and considerate of its heavy topic. The author describes his work with thoughtfulness of the deceased and their loved ones, and of the changes he has made personally to ensure a smooth process from identification through to returning the victim to their loved ones.
A difficult read at times (I hope the author has had some kind of therapy) but worthwhile all the same. I would read a second instalment of this, as I’m sure the author has many more stories.
The writing is well structured and considerate of its heavy topic. The author describes his work with thoughtfulness of the deceased and their loved ones, and of the changes he has made personally to ensure a smooth process from identification through to returning the victim to their loved ones.
A difficult read at times (I hope the author has had some kind of therapy) but worthwhile all the same. I would read a second instalment of this, as I’m sure the author has many more stories.
June 17, 2017
I received a copy of this title from the publisher via Netgalley for review.
Ten Second Synopsis:
The author recounts his life's work in Disaster Victim Identification in the UK and abroad and the ways in which the recovery and identification of victims of man-made and natural disasters has evolved in response to lessons learned.
A Life in Death deals with a specific subset of post-death work; Disaster Victim Identification, or the recovery and reunification of a deceased victim of a natural or human-caused disaster with the victim's next of kin.
As well as being an accessible and fascinating read, A Life in Death is, sadly, a particularly timely piece of work. Reading this, as I did, just a day after the terribly tragic Grenfell Tower fire in London and a mere few weeks after terrorist incidents in Manchester and London, really brought home the importance of the work that Venables and his ilk complete, off-putting though it may be to think about. In this tome, retired DI Richard Venables recounts his work in the police force in Disaster Victim Identification, from its early days in the 1980s, when those tasked with the recovery and identification of victims were often required to fly by the seat of their pants, so to speak, to the very recent past, by which time procedures had been created to ensure dignity for victims and their loved ones and the minimisation of mistaken identifications and psychological harm.
In case you should blithely stroll into this reading experience somehow unaware of what might lay within, this book graphically discusses corpses. And not just corpses - putrefecation, body parts separated from their owners, untimely and violent death, mass casualty events of the recent past, the raw grief of victims' families and the psychological scars that can come from working with death for a prolonged period. So there you are. You've been warned.
Having said that, it also deals with these topics in a respectful, non-gratuitous and dignified fashion. I appreciated the tone of the work, and much like Judy Melinek's excellent Working Stiff, being the memoir of a forensic pathologist up to and including the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, the honest approach of the book allows the reader to absorb the technical information, feel moved by the human aspect of the work, yet never feel overwhelmed by the tragic nature of the cases being discussed. Venables frequently notes the difficulties that people who work with death can experience psychologically and champions the importance of workplaces providing support and appropriate assistance. Throughout the book it is also interesting to note ways in which this need for support has been written in to professional procedure, to ensure that workers receive that which they need.
Some of the unique problems discussed throughout the book include the difficulties with securing a scene or scenes immediately after a mass casualty event and the specific problems faced by those - be they emergency service workers or innocent bystanders - who arrive on the scene first. You will be stunned, I'm sure, as I was, by the completely preventable causes of some of the incidents and the unimaginable horror that one person's error or negligence can create. Similarly, the book touches on the thoroughness of the victim identification process and why this can cause upset for families of victims, due to delays that prevent families from having the death of their loved one confirmed.
Venables does a magnificent job of hitting the appropriate tone with a difficult and somewhat unpalatable topic. While never resorting to outright humour or jollity, he nevertheless acknowledges the odd juxtapositions that occur within his line of work. That while he loves his work and wants desperately to learn, practice his skills and improve the practice of disaster victim identification generally, to accomplish this requires mutliple people to die in unexpected and violent fashion with some regularity, for instance. Similarly, he recounts a situation in which he believed that he was about to die a remarkably ironic death in a plane crash, thereby becoming one of the victims requiring recovery and identification that he had always worked with.
I was so absorbed by this book and found it such an easy read that I knocked it over in two days. Since I was reading it amid reports of the Grenfell Tower fire, it was a bit of a surreal experience, but by the end I took some comfort in the fact that at the very least, the families and friends of those people who lost their lives in what will no doubt turn out to be an easily preventable tragedy, can be assured that the identification of the victims will be carried out with professionalism, in a way that respects the dignity of each individual, in spite of the shocking manner of their deaths.
Clearly, this book won't be for everyone but if you have an interest in emergency response and the workings of the post-life industry in its various roles, you might consider giving this a go.
Ten Second Synopsis:
The author recounts his life's work in Disaster Victim Identification in the UK and abroad and the ways in which the recovery and identification of victims of man-made and natural disasters has evolved in response to lessons learned.
A Life in Death deals with a specific subset of post-death work; Disaster Victim Identification, or the recovery and reunification of a deceased victim of a natural or human-caused disaster with the victim's next of kin.
As well as being an accessible and fascinating read, A Life in Death is, sadly, a particularly timely piece of work. Reading this, as I did, just a day after the terribly tragic Grenfell Tower fire in London and a mere few weeks after terrorist incidents in Manchester and London, really brought home the importance of the work that Venables and his ilk complete, off-putting though it may be to think about. In this tome, retired DI Richard Venables recounts his work in the police force in Disaster Victim Identification, from its early days in the 1980s, when those tasked with the recovery and identification of victims were often required to fly by the seat of their pants, so to speak, to the very recent past, by which time procedures had been created to ensure dignity for victims and their loved ones and the minimisation of mistaken identifications and psychological harm.
In case you should blithely stroll into this reading experience somehow unaware of what might lay within, this book graphically discusses corpses. And not just corpses - putrefecation, body parts separated from their owners, untimely and violent death, mass casualty events of the recent past, the raw grief of victims' families and the psychological scars that can come from working with death for a prolonged period. So there you are. You've been warned.
Having said that, it also deals with these topics in a respectful, non-gratuitous and dignified fashion. I appreciated the tone of the work, and much like Judy Melinek's excellent Working Stiff, being the memoir of a forensic pathologist up to and including the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, the honest approach of the book allows the reader to absorb the technical information, feel moved by the human aspect of the work, yet never feel overwhelmed by the tragic nature of the cases being discussed. Venables frequently notes the difficulties that people who work with death can experience psychologically and champions the importance of workplaces providing support and appropriate assistance. Throughout the book it is also interesting to note ways in which this need for support has been written in to professional procedure, to ensure that workers receive that which they need.
Some of the unique problems discussed throughout the book include the difficulties with securing a scene or scenes immediately after a mass casualty event and the specific problems faced by those - be they emergency service workers or innocent bystanders - who arrive on the scene first. You will be stunned, I'm sure, as I was, by the completely preventable causes of some of the incidents and the unimaginable horror that one person's error or negligence can create. Similarly, the book touches on the thoroughness of the victim identification process and why this can cause upset for families of victims, due to delays that prevent families from having the death of their loved one confirmed.
Venables does a magnificent job of hitting the appropriate tone with a difficult and somewhat unpalatable topic. While never resorting to outright humour or jollity, he nevertheless acknowledges the odd juxtapositions that occur within his line of work. That while he loves his work and wants desperately to learn, practice his skills and improve the practice of disaster victim identification generally, to accomplish this requires mutliple people to die in unexpected and violent fashion with some regularity, for instance. Similarly, he recounts a situation in which he believed that he was about to die a remarkably ironic death in a plane crash, thereby becoming one of the victims requiring recovery and identification that he had always worked with.
I was so absorbed by this book and found it such an easy read that I knocked it over in two days. Since I was reading it amid reports of the Grenfell Tower fire, it was a bit of a surreal experience, but by the end I took some comfort in the fact that at the very least, the families and friends of those people who lost their lives in what will no doubt turn out to be an easily preventable tragedy, can be assured that the identification of the victims will be carried out with professionalism, in a way that respects the dignity of each individual, in spite of the shocking manner of their deaths.
Clearly, this book won't be for everyone but if you have an interest in emergency response and the workings of the post-life industry in its various roles, you might consider giving this a go.
July 28, 2022
Reading this book made me remember how much I hate the police and how absolutely fucking useless they are.
July 4, 2017
Richard Venables was a naive 19 year old when he started in the UK police force. By retirement he had become a disaster response expert after dealing with a large number of fatalities from air and rail disasters in the UK as well as mass fatalities overseas. Thailand’s Tsunami in 2004 where 230,000 people were killed was the greatest challenge for Richard and his team.
He tells an amusing story where as a new recruit he learned an important lesson. Called to make a welfare check on an elderly woman not sighted for several days he forced entry to her home. Her body was located in the upstairs bedroom and as he checked for a pulse she screamed. The valuable lesson was that looks can be deceiving.
In the early days and for quite a while after officers were expected to deal with dead bodies and just get on with the job without any of the coping mechanisms now in place. At one stage he even found himself picking up body parts while his wife was in hospital giving birth to their first child.
In order to put procedures in place to deal with future events he drew on his vast experience with mass fatalities. Processes were then refined as any flaws arose. He also points out advantages and disadvantages of DNA and viewing body for identification purposes which I assume are still important and relevant.
His years in the job showed him that death could be powerful yet at times serene and of the overwhelming grief involved. Through his eyes you will discover the savagery of some humans due to insanity, the trauma of discovering victim’s especially murdered ones and finding some relief in common grief and bonding. I found it very touching how he treated the dead with respect and wanted to spare the living from further stress.
I was left with a 100 images in my mind after finishing this fascinating read. I was also stunned at the logistics involved in mass fatalities. The human body has always been of great interest to me so the detail wasnt too graphic for me.
A copy of the digital version of the proof edition was kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley and this review is solely mine
He tells an amusing story where as a new recruit he learned an important lesson. Called to make a welfare check on an elderly woman not sighted for several days he forced entry to her home. Her body was located in the upstairs bedroom and as he checked for a pulse she screamed. The valuable lesson was that looks can be deceiving.
In the early days and for quite a while after officers were expected to deal with dead bodies and just get on with the job without any of the coping mechanisms now in place. At one stage he even found himself picking up body parts while his wife was in hospital giving birth to their first child.
In order to put procedures in place to deal with future events he drew on his vast experience with mass fatalities. Processes were then refined as any flaws arose. He also points out advantages and disadvantages of DNA and viewing body for identification purposes which I assume are still important and relevant.
His years in the job showed him that death could be powerful yet at times serene and of the overwhelming grief involved. Through his eyes you will discover the savagery of some humans due to insanity, the trauma of discovering victim’s especially murdered ones and finding some relief in common grief and bonding. I found it very touching how he treated the dead with respect and wanted to spare the living from further stress.
I was left with a 100 images in my mind after finishing this fascinating read. I was also stunned at the logistics involved in mass fatalities. The human body has always been of great interest to me so the detail wasnt too graphic for me.
A copy of the digital version of the proof edition was kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley and this review is solely mine
September 21, 2022
Excellent and well written
Not for the feint hearted!
Having heard about Richard Venables and his work in disaster areas I was so glad to find his book. And Not doesn't disappoint.
Dealing with death is hard enough but on a large scale such as air or train crashes where do you start, what evidence somewhat order to do things. And all the consideration from nature and it's effects on a body to those left behind as well as those whose job it into deal wit the deceased.
Richard takes us through the evolution of how, who and when and the complex mix of people involved. What is most striking and sadly, not unsurprising, is the lack of psychological support for those who deal with disasters when there is loss of life on any scale. Police officers in particular see the side of life we'd all rather turn away from. They protect us but no one is protecting them.
To say I enjoyed the book is not to be a ghoul, it's a fact of life dealing with practicalities following events leading to loss of life where you've wondered, where the heck do you start ??
I think his contribution to disaster events and victim identification will help many families much more quickly - a shame the police service dropped him after all his hard work. Or did they just want to take credit?
But, well done on a job very difficult that people for years to come will at least benefit. A fine legacy.
Not for the feint hearted!
Having heard about Richard Venables and his work in disaster areas I was so glad to find his book. And Not doesn't disappoint.
Dealing with death is hard enough but on a large scale such as air or train crashes where do you start, what evidence somewhat order to do things. And all the consideration from nature and it's effects on a body to those left behind as well as those whose job it into deal wit the deceased.
Richard takes us through the evolution of how, who and when and the complex mix of people involved. What is most striking and sadly, not unsurprising, is the lack of psychological support for those who deal with disasters when there is loss of life on any scale. Police officers in particular see the side of life we'd all rather turn away from. They protect us but no one is protecting them.
To say I enjoyed the book is not to be a ghoul, it's a fact of life dealing with practicalities following events leading to loss of life where you've wondered, where the heck do you start ??
I think his contribution to disaster events and victim identification will help many families much more quickly - a shame the police service dropped him after all his hard work. Or did they just want to take credit?
But, well done on a job very difficult that people for years to come will at least benefit. A fine legacy.
May 23, 2024
Fascinating read.
Richard Venables' work meant dealing with death on a large scale. He works in Disaster Victim Identification.
He trained with South Yorkshire Police. As part of his training, aged 18 and a half, he went with other trainees to a mortuary, to watch an autopsy.
This book gripped me. There were gruesome sights and smells, fascinating facts, horrendous and horrific, and tragic and shocking tales.
He's worked on many of the prominent cases in the UK, e.g. the Hillsborough disaster; London bombings; the Marchioness Disaster, and abroad too in the aftermath of the Thailand Tsunami.
This, for me, was an excellent read, which would have been 5 star, but there were a few little mistakes, hence my 4 star rating.
Richard Venables' work meant dealing with death on a large scale. He works in Disaster Victim Identification.
He trained with South Yorkshire Police. As part of his training, aged 18 and a half, he went with other trainees to a mortuary, to watch an autopsy.
This book gripped me. There were gruesome sights and smells, fascinating facts, horrendous and horrific, and tragic and shocking tales.
He's worked on many of the prominent cases in the UK, e.g. the Hillsborough disaster; London bombings; the Marchioness Disaster, and abroad too in the aftermath of the Thailand Tsunami.
This, for me, was an excellent read, which would have been 5 star, but there were a few little mistakes, hence my 4 star rating.
April 28, 2020
Richard Venables have had a unique position in developing the disaster victim identification work in UK. He shares his experiences with graphic details. This would have been a solid 4-star book, but lack of proofreading was annoying at places and writers contradictory views on his own work. Venables states that a DVI officer should not get attached to the victims, but he himself does – to the degree of publishing list of names and family details of victims. Of course the book is an autobiography and not a guide book, but towards the end his omnipotence starts to show.
May 13, 2020
This is a highly readable memoir. It delves into the intricacies of disaster victim identification and response to mass events. The author has had a distinguished career, but aside from admitting to a need for control, there is not the arrogance that so often comes across in these types of memoirs. It's well written and absorbing. It has emotion and empathy while still being highly informative. This is well worth the read if you enjoy disaster investigation and police forensics. I couldn't put it down and read it in a single sitting.
February 17, 2017
Fascinating insight
Really interesting book about the complex work of identifying remains following tragedies. I previously worked in bereavement support and breaking bad news by professional medical staff and it is very much about empathy. It was interesting to see the other side where Richard showed obvious respect to every victim but could not allow themselves to be consumed by the human stories while carrying out this work.
Really interesting book about the complex work of identifying remains following tragedies. I previously worked in bereavement support and breaking bad news by professional medical staff and it is very much about empathy. It was interesting to see the other side where Richard showed obvious respect to every victim but could not allow themselves to be consumed by the human stories while carrying out this work.
February 26, 2017
It is hard to review this book. It isn't your typical bedtime read but it was interesting and informative and I thought the subject matter was handled sensitively. It was shocking in places (the opening words of the book pull no punches) but it wasn't too in your face to be incredibly upsetting but written just so as to give you a behind the scenes look at something that probably doesn't occur to us when we hear of another tragedy on the evening news.
September 11, 2018
Very good
Fascinating insight into the methods behind Disaster Victim Identification (DVI). Told from a personal perspective, this ended up being a much more informative and at points emotionally charged story than expected.
If you have any interest in crime fiction or non fiction, this is a must read.
Fascinating insight into the methods behind Disaster Victim Identification (DVI). Told from a personal perspective, this ended up being a much more informative and at points emotionally charged story than expected.
If you have any interest in crime fiction or non fiction, this is a must read.
September 1, 2021
A very interesting read
This was a very interesting and in-depth look at DVI and the processes involved and how they came about. I kept being thrown by the large number of comma errors, though, and feel the book could do with a proper editing round to fix those, hence one star less.
This was a very interesting and in-depth look at DVI and the processes involved and how they came about. I kept being thrown by the large number of comma errors, though, and feel the book could do with a proper editing round to fix those, hence one star less.
February 26, 2019
Very interesting in parts and grips the attention with some of the well - known UK tragedies, but many parts semi - repetitive and pedestrian. Overall, well worth reading it to know what goes on in mass disasters.
July 21, 2023
Such a gripping read! I normally don’t go for the non-fiction genre but this was so detailed and interesting, Dick’s voice really came through and you feel like you are identifying bodies with him! 10/10 recommend
August 15, 2023
DVI
A very interesting read about a profession I never knew existed. The technical aspect was present in a way a layman could understand. Very moving account of what takes place after a disaster.
A very interesting read about a profession I never knew existed. The technical aspect was present in a way a layman could understand. Very moving account of what takes place after a disaster.
June 22, 2017
The book was ok. I was hoping for more of "him" in the book but it was a lot of data and background for me.
Received this book from NetGalley for my honest review.
Received this book from NetGalley for my honest review.
December 27, 2018
Interesting Read
I enjoyed this book although I thought it ended a bit abruptly and I felt the author had more to say. A good read though on an interesting subject.
I enjoyed this book although I thought it ended a bit abruptly and I felt the author had more to say. A good read though on an interesting subject.
March 19, 2019
Interesting if a little repetitive
Interesting for my field of work but some typos and didn't feel as polished as it should as a published book.
Interesting for my field of work but some typos and didn't feel as polished as it should as a published book.
September 10, 2021
This book could have been four stars, but his editor did a poor job.
November 11, 2022
Interesting read
December 15, 2022
Great read
Couldn't put this down great insight into DVI work well writ
ten first hand account into the tasks it takes to get the job done
Couldn't put this down great insight into DVI work well writ
ten first hand account into the tasks it takes to get the job done
April 29, 2025
A very interesting and eye opening read from Richard's career in Victim Identification.
What an interesting career he has had. He's travelled all over the world for his job and this book tells a lot of stories from his time doing this job. It was fascinating to read some of the famous disasters which Richard has worked on.
What an interesting career he has had. He's travelled all over the world for his job and this book tells a lot of stories from his time doing this job. It was fascinating to read some of the famous disasters which Richard has worked on.
February 12, 2017
Enjoyable factual book, what this guy did for DVI was/is amazing.
February 2, 2017
Sounds like it should be a morbid read, but was in fact quite an interesting autobiography of a policemen who ended up as the UK expert on disaster victim identification, working on various air crashes and disasters over the years, including the tsunami in Thailand. Some of the book was a bit procedural, and some parts a bit repetitive, but it was an interesting look into a subject that is rarely discussed, yet very important.
June 25, 2017
ARC received from: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★★★
One-Sentence Summary: A cop's life working in the field of Disaster Victim Identification
Review: This book is not for the fainthearted. There is a lot of talk of dead bodies and quite a bit of talk about dead bodies in conditions you never want to imagine a human being in.
However, it is also very interesting. If you ever want to satisfy your macabre curiosity as to how the police identify victims involved in a disaster without getting too much into the science, then this is the book for you. It never lets you forget the sensitivity and the human element of working in a field which deals with tragedy after tragedy.
Richard Venables is in a unique perspective to be able to deliver an account of how Disaster Victim Identification has progressed from the '80s to now as he pretty much invented the process for the UK and worked on a multitude of national and international disasters from some horrific train crashes to the Asian Tsunami and the 7/7 London bombings. He manages to do so without his personal agenda and thoughts against the establishment, which naturally seeps out now and again, taking over the whole book.
Originally posted @ Love's A State Of Mind
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews