What do you think?
Rate this book
What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator
A “remarkably candid and sensitive” ( The Wall Street Journal ) memoir of more than twenty years of death-scene investigations by New York City death investigator Barbara Butcher.
Barbara Butcher was early in her recovery from alcoholism when she found an unexpected a job at the Medical Examiner’s Office in New York City. The second woman ever hired for the role of Death Investigator in Manhattan, she was the first to last more than three months. The work was gritty, demanding, morbid, and sometimes dangerous—and she loved it.
Butcher (yes, that’s her real name, and she has heard all the jokes) spent day in and day out investigating double homicides, gruesome suicides, and most heartbreaking of all, underage rape victims who had also been murdered. In What the Dead Know , she writes with the kind of New York attitude and bravado you might expect from decades in the field, investigating more than 5,500 death scenes, 680 of which were homicides. In the opening chapter, she describes how just from sheer luck of having her arm in a cast, she avoided a boobytrapped suicide. Later in her career, she describes working the nation’s largest mass murder, the attack on 9/11, where she and her colleagues initially relied on family members’ descriptions to help distinguish among the 21,900 body parts of the victims.
This is the “breathtakingly honest, compassionate, and raw” (Patricia Cornwell), “completely unputdownable” (Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone ) real-life story of a woman who, in dealing with death every day, learned surprising lessons about life—and how some of those lessons saved her from becoming a statistic herself. Fans of Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell, and true crime won’t be able to put this down.
Barbara Butcher was early in her recovery from alcoholism when she found an unexpected a job at the Medical Examiner’s Office in New York City. The second woman ever hired for the role of Death Investigator in Manhattan, she was the first to last more than three months. The work was gritty, demanding, morbid, and sometimes dangerous—and she loved it.
Butcher (yes, that’s her real name, and she has heard all the jokes) spent day in and day out investigating double homicides, gruesome suicides, and most heartbreaking of all, underage rape victims who had also been murdered. In What the Dead Know , she writes with the kind of New York attitude and bravado you might expect from decades in the field, investigating more than 5,500 death scenes, 680 of which were homicides. In the opening chapter, she describes how just from sheer luck of having her arm in a cast, she avoided a boobytrapped suicide. Later in her career, she describes working the nation’s largest mass murder, the attack on 9/11, where she and her colleagues initially relied on family members’ descriptions to help distinguish among the 21,900 body parts of the victims.
This is the “breathtakingly honest, compassionate, and raw” (Patricia Cornwell), “completely unputdownable” (Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone ) real-life story of a woman who, in dealing with death every day, learned surprising lessons about life—and how some of those lessons saved her from becoming a statistic herself. Fans of Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell, and true crime won’t be able to put this down.
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 20, 2023
1030 people are currently reading
16865 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,052 reviews
September 8, 2023
It's rare when you get a non-fiction book that is so riveting you can't put it down. It starts out with Chief Medical Examiner Barbara Butcher going to a dark, rundown apartment in New York where she finds a man hanging from the ceiling. It seems like a typical suicide. She can't cut him down from the cord he used right away because of her hand injury, so she decides to go back to her office. There, looking over the crime scene photos, she notices one detail that makes her realize this is no ordinary suicide, however, but in fact one that might be calculated to do maximum damage. She places an urgent phone call to ask a single question--and saves several lives.
That's just the opening chapter (read it to find out what that detail was!). From beginning to end, it's filled with fascinating stories from Butcher's career, with a goldmine of interesting information about the process of investigating a death, as well as the author’s experience in the aftermath of September 11th. It’s well-written and compassionate, with occasional (and welcome) gallows humor. This book will be highly enjoyable for not only those with an interest in criminology and death, but anyone who reads suspense-thrillers in general, as it gives you so much insight into the way criminal and investigative minds work. (And honestly, a lot of contemporary thriller writers should check this out as well to add some substance to their crimes.)
I hope the author writes more in the future, she has a real knack for story-telling even in non-fiction, and her breadth of knowledge is a great foundation for possibly venturing into fiction as well. (Tess Gerritsen also used to work in this field, and her standalone thrillers and earlier Rizzoli and Isles were great.)
Also: someone get Barbara Butcher and Karin Slaughter together. Best murdery dinner ever.
Audio Notes: I don’t usually enjoy authors reading their own work, but this one gave me exactly what I wanted: her delivery was measured, calm, and pleasant, but purposeful and intent. Just as I’d expect she would be as a medical examiner.
That's just the opening chapter (read it to find out what that detail was!). From beginning to end, it's filled with fascinating stories from Butcher's career, with a goldmine of interesting information about the process of investigating a death, as well as the author’s experience in the aftermath of September 11th. It’s well-written and compassionate, with occasional (and welcome) gallows humor. This book will be highly enjoyable for not only those with an interest in criminology and death, but anyone who reads suspense-thrillers in general, as it gives you so much insight into the way criminal and investigative minds work. (And honestly, a lot of contemporary thriller writers should check this out as well to add some substance to their crimes.)
I hope the author writes more in the future, she has a real knack for story-telling even in non-fiction, and her breadth of knowledge is a great foundation for possibly venturing into fiction as well. (Tess Gerritsen also used to work in this field, and her standalone thrillers and earlier Rizzoli and Isles were great.)
Also: someone get Barbara Butcher and Karin Slaughter together. Best murdery dinner ever.
Audio Notes: I don’t usually enjoy authors reading their own work, but this one gave me exactly what I wanted: her delivery was measured, calm, and pleasant, but purposeful and intent. Just as I’d expect she would be as a medical examiner.
July 18, 2023
This memoir was a really quick read. I loved the stories that were focused on specific and interesting cases the best. I had not considered a death investigator with the coroner’s office but this book made me not only think about it but think it is a pretty cool career. This is definitely an area I hope to know more about in the future. I think I imagined the police were doing all of the pieces that she did and I wonder now if that is separated that way everywhere or not. I think Barbara did a great job in translating her work to word which is not a skill everyone has. Overall I did enjoy it, but I did wish for more vignettes about her work as that was the most interesting part for me.
June 20, 2023
Barbara Butcher's memoir, What the Dead Know - Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator, was an absolutely amazing read.
I read a number of fictional forensic series and enjoy the details and clues of determining the causes of death. But, Butcher is the real deal - she was the second woman ever hired for the role of Death Investigator in Manhattan - and the first to last more than three months.
I was fascinated by this inside look behind the curtain. Butcher recounts a number of deaths that have stuck with her over the years, for different reasons, including the 9/11 attacks. The factual bits are there - and I learned quite a bit. It's the personal part of death that stayed with me as I read, especially those who died alone. Butcher has a dark sense of humor that suits her narrative.
What makes this book a standout is Ms. Butcher herself. She shies away from nothing, exposing her own life for all to see. Addiction and mental health issues are part of her story. She's highly intelligent, driven and successful, working additionally as a speaker, professor, consultant and providing detail for mystery writers.
I literally I could not put the book down. Honestly, one of the best memoirs I've ever read.
I read a number of fictional forensic series and enjoy the details and clues of determining the causes of death. But, Butcher is the real deal - she was the second woman ever hired for the role of Death Investigator in Manhattan - and the first to last more than three months.
I was fascinated by this inside look behind the curtain. Butcher recounts a number of deaths that have stuck with her over the years, for different reasons, including the 9/11 attacks. The factual bits are there - and I learned quite a bit. It's the personal part of death that stayed with me as I read, especially those who died alone. Butcher has a dark sense of humor that suits her narrative.
What makes this book a standout is Ms. Butcher herself. She shies away from nothing, exposing her own life for all to see. Addiction and mental health issues are part of her story. She's highly intelligent, driven and successful, working additionally as a speaker, professor, consultant and providing detail for mystery writers.
I literally I could not put the book down. Honestly, one of the best memoirs I've ever read.
June 2, 2024
5 stars ⭐️
👮♂️ 🗽 🍎 🩸 🦴 🌆
Last weekend I watched, Homicide New York, on Netflix and I binge watched the 5 episodes. There was one investigator on the Netflix series that caught my attention, Barbara Butcher. She is an amazing storyteller and to my surprise she wrote a book. This is what lead me to listen to this book. I knew if she was the narrator I would love it.
This audio was like New York. Crude, raw, brave, brash and human. As a Medical Examiner she explains some of the horrible crimes she went to. She also goes on to say when she goes into any scene she looks for the HMFIC. ( The Head Mother F In Charge!) 🤣
I can’t even imagine the scenes she has seen. I could hear her stories and yet it is hard to fathom. It was like hearing a horror story. Even at the end, the descriptions of 911 added to my visit/experience at Ground Zero. She has a way with words.
I will buy this book. It is one of those non-fiction books that will stay with me. New Yorkers are very proud of their city and Barbara is no different. She really is a super hero in a cape.
Highly recommend 🛑 but every trigger warning 🚩 available for this read.
👮♂️ 🗽 🍎 🩸 🦴 🌆
Last weekend I watched, Homicide New York, on Netflix and I binge watched the 5 episodes. There was one investigator on the Netflix series that caught my attention, Barbara Butcher. She is an amazing storyteller and to my surprise she wrote a book. This is what lead me to listen to this book. I knew if she was the narrator I would love it.
This audio was like New York. Crude, raw, brave, brash and human. As a Medical Examiner she explains some of the horrible crimes she went to. She also goes on to say when she goes into any scene she looks for the HMFIC. ( The Head Mother F In Charge!) 🤣
I can’t even imagine the scenes she has seen. I could hear her stories and yet it is hard to fathom. It was like hearing a horror story. Even at the end, the descriptions of 911 added to my visit/experience at Ground Zero. She has a way with words.
I will buy this book. It is one of those non-fiction books that will stay with me. New Yorkers are very proud of their city and Barbara is no different. She really is a super hero in a cape.
Highly recommend 🛑 but every trigger warning 🚩 available for this read.
December 14, 2024
4.5 stars *
Fascinating crime stories weaved into her life story, and what it’s like living and working with the dead in NYC.
Fascinating crime stories weaved into her life story, and what it’s like living and working with the dead in NYC.
July 21, 2023
What the Dead Know is a riveting memoir by a woman who investigated deaths while trying to hold together her own life.
I loved this book! Barbara Butcher is unflinchingly honest, telling her story with humor, grace, and a little snark. This is partly a personal tale of overcoming alcoholism and finding a new path in life, and partly a tour through New York City’s deaths—murder, suicide, and natural.
I was fascinated by the details of a death investigator’s job. Those CSI shows don’t even come close to the reality!
The emotional toll is something I often think about with this type of job. Butcher shows us how years of dealing with humanity at its worst can wreak havoc on a person’s health and personal life.
Both intimate and expansive, What the Dead Know is a must read for true crime fans.
*Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the free copy.*
I loved this book! Barbara Butcher is unflinchingly honest, telling her story with humor, grace, and a little snark. This is partly a personal tale of overcoming alcoholism and finding a new path in life, and partly a tour through New York City’s deaths—murder, suicide, and natural.
I was fascinated by the details of a death investigator’s job. Those CSI shows don’t even come close to the reality!
The emotional toll is something I often think about with this type of job. Butcher shows us how years of dealing with humanity at its worst can wreak havoc on a person’s health and personal life.
Both intimate and expansive, What the Dead Know is a must read for true crime fans.
*Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the free copy.*
March 24, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I recently read another book about OCME so I was interested to get another perspective. This book didn't disappoint. Told with some dark humor but respectfully, I did enjoy this book. The last couple of chapters were so incredibly sad. How she dealt with 9/11 and eventually, her mental health.
I recently read another book about OCME so I was interested to get another perspective. This book didn't disappoint. Told with some dark humor but respectfully, I did enjoy this book. The last couple of chapters were so incredibly sad. How she dealt with 9/11 and eventually, her mental health.
June 13, 2024
Barbara Butcher shares her memoir of life as a frontline on-the-scene of New York city deaths. Murder, suicide, accidents-- the details about things most of us will thankfully never see are fascinating.
April 11, 2023
I requested this ARC because I have a background in forensics, so I’m always looking for stuff like this. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the author had a background pretty similar to mine. I’ve been sober for almost 14 years, and the second chapter really dove into her journey into sobriety which eventually led to her amazing career. It brought a lot of things back for me, but in a good way. I’m not kidding when I say her story sounds almost like mine, and it was honestly refreshing to read, especially from someone in the same industry (or former, in my case). She even made mention of my absolute favorite reference book (and one I still use today in my writing), Spitz and Fisher’s Medicolegal Investigation of Death. If you don’t have it, BUY IT! When she got to the chapter about 9/11, I had to fight back the tears. I wasn’t there myself, but I remember every bit of it. I was still in school getting my forensics degree. I wanted more than anything else to volunteer for the DMORT team, the team that the author worked on. To this day, it’s my biggest regret that I didn’t, but I had a one year old at the time. My heart broke for her at the end of her story, but I am glad that she was able to find happiness. Thank you so much Barbara for writing one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read. And thank you for showing people like us that there is a life after sobriety.
Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!
Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!
July 24, 2023
I think the author's descriptions of scenes and her work were well done and accurate. However, as a health care provider (physician), I'm surprised she didn't tone down her sarcasm at some point. Some people don't "get" sarcasm, and it can be very off-putting. I do understand that it was her way of coping with the horror and sadness of her job. As a clinician, it is difficult to not let emotions rule you.
July 30, 2023
An entertaining book that is really a memoir about death investigator Barbara Butcher in New York City. Much more personal in nature than expected, a good storyteller but not actually much material presented regarding detailed cases.
November 18, 2023
My rating is probably a bit lower than is fair in terms of assessing this book’s quality or the worth of its content, but it reflects my enjoyment or appreciation and engagement level: I struggled with the grimness of this book.
I’ve been reflecting about why, because I’m not usually a terribly squeamish type, but I think for me there was some more transcendent theme missing. The book is not as much as I hoped about what one can learn “about life from death.” First of all, the author’s job doesn’t expose her to an accurate sampling of “human death”: the deaths that get investigated are specifically deaths that are tragic and suspicious, involving potential factors such as mental health, suicidality, crime and homicide, substance abuse, and risk-seeking or reckless behavior. I am sure there are things that can be learned about life from this particular sample of deaths, but I also didn’t really feel like the book gets at this.
As other reviewers have observed, the book’s kind of redundant/repetitive and involves a lot of gruesome description and not as much science or spiritual/philosophical reflection as I might have liked. The author also has a dark and kind of snarky sense of humor - again, something I usually appreciate, especially as a coping mechanism - but it felt a little off to me when applied to discussing some of these grotesque and sad death scenes investigated.
The author is definitely to be admired for doing such a difficult and depressing job, for her determination and commitment, particularly as a gay-identifying woman in a male-dominated field, and especially for working her way through her own serious challenges with substance abuse/alcoholism and mental health concerns. I also appreciated when she discussed the necessity of her work in bringing justice and closure to families and potential victims: as her mentor told her, people can handle difficult truth better than they can uncertainty. I just wish there had been more of this kind of content.
I’m sure many people will find this an excellent and unique addition to the true crime library, which it probably is, and there are plenty of glowing reviews to choose from if you want to read praise for this book. This one just wasn’t for me.
I’ve been reflecting about why, because I’m not usually a terribly squeamish type, but I think for me there was some more transcendent theme missing. The book is not as much as I hoped about what one can learn “about life from death.” First of all, the author’s job doesn’t expose her to an accurate sampling of “human death”: the deaths that get investigated are specifically deaths that are tragic and suspicious, involving potential factors such as mental health, suicidality, crime and homicide, substance abuse, and risk-seeking or reckless behavior. I am sure there are things that can be learned about life from this particular sample of deaths, but I also didn’t really feel like the book gets at this.
As other reviewers have observed, the book’s kind of redundant/repetitive and involves a lot of gruesome description and not as much science or spiritual/philosophical reflection as I might have liked. The author also has a dark and kind of snarky sense of humor - again, something I usually appreciate, especially as a coping mechanism - but it felt a little off to me when applied to discussing some of these grotesque and sad death scenes investigated.
The author is definitely to be admired for doing such a difficult and depressing job, for her determination and commitment, particularly as a gay-identifying woman in a male-dominated field, and especially for working her way through her own serious challenges with substance abuse/alcoholism and mental health concerns. I also appreciated when she discussed the necessity of her work in bringing justice and closure to families and potential victims: as her mentor told her, people can handle difficult truth better than they can uncertainty. I just wish there had been more of this kind of content.
I’m sure many people will find this an excellent and unique addition to the true crime library, which it probably is, and there are plenty of glowing reviews to choose from if you want to read praise for this book. This one just wasn’t for me.
July 24, 2024
Co prawda moje trwające dobrych kilkanaście lat gorące i intensywne uczucie do literatury true crime w ostatnich miesiącach znacznie przygasło, ale jednak miłość całkowicie się nie wypaliła i książki skupiające się stricte na antropologii, medycynie sądowej oraz psychologicznej i psychiatrycznej analizie postępowania i motywów przestępców mojej uwadze umknąć nie mogą. “Co wiedzą umarli” - pozycja, w której medyczka sądowa Barbara Butcher dzieli się z czytelnikami arkanami swojej pracy powinna więc być dla mnie idealna. Tyle w teorii. Och, mam tyle zastrzeżeń do tej książki, że aż nie wiem od czego zacząć.
Po pierwsze - nieporozumieniem jest określanie dzieła pani Butcher mianem true-crime, bo to w dobitnej większości autobiografia życia prywatnego autorki - jej zmagań z alkoholizmem i depresją, wychodzenia z nałogu, relacji z współlokatorkami i partnerkami. Opisy i “tajemnice” badania zwłok, specjalistyczne techniki kryminalistyczne - owszem, o tym Butcher też pisze, ale jak na osobę, która przepracowała ponad 20 lat w zawodzie i ustalała przyczyny zgonów ponad 5 tysięcy osób - robi to zaskakująco powierzchownie i “amatorsko” - to czym się dzieli o swojej pracy to poziom kopiuj-wklej z Wikipedii czy bardzo ogólnego artykułu prasowego. Naprawdę, nieposiadający kierunkowego wykształcenia i pracujący w kompletnie innych zawodach podcasterzy true crime dużo bardziej fachowo i szczegółowo opisują sprawy kryminalne.
Do szału doprowadzał mnie też sposób pisania Butcher - czy może raczej nakreślenia swojej osoby. Co parę akapitów autorka przypomina czytelnikowi jaka to ona jest zajebista, inteligentna i jaka równa z niej babka. Świadczyć o tych przymiotach mają pseduo-błyskotliwe i pseudo-dowcipne wyrzucane jak z karabinu komentarze (nt. zwłok, sprawców, miejsc zbrodni itd.) i teksty, riposty do współpracowników. Jeśli kogoś śmieszą wybitnie boomerskie żarty czy raduje prześmiewcze traktowanie poważnych spraw i tragedii (taka specyfika zawodu! - jak twierdzi autorka) - będzie pisaniem Barbary Butcher zachwycony. Ja odczuwałam ogromny krindż i wzburzenie na brak taktu.
Z trudem wymęczyłam tę książkę do końca. Tak nijakie, nieinteresujące i nic niewnoszące reportaże mogłabym zliczyć na palcach jednej ręki. Dla kogo ta książka powstała? Kto jest jej grupą docelową? Zagorzali fani true crime? O wszystkim o czym Butcher pisze doskonale już wiedzą. “Przypadkowi” czytelnicy? Na rynku jest mnóstwo tego typu dużo dużo lepszych pozycji. Sposób na autoterapię autorki? Jedyne racjonalne wyjaśnienie.
instagram | facebook
Po pierwsze - nieporozumieniem jest określanie dzieła pani Butcher mianem true-crime, bo to w dobitnej większości autobiografia życia prywatnego autorki - jej zmagań z alkoholizmem i depresją, wychodzenia z nałogu, relacji z współlokatorkami i partnerkami. Opisy i “tajemnice” badania zwłok, specjalistyczne techniki kryminalistyczne - owszem, o tym Butcher też pisze, ale jak na osobę, która przepracowała ponad 20 lat w zawodzie i ustalała przyczyny zgonów ponad 5 tysięcy osób - robi to zaskakująco powierzchownie i “amatorsko” - to czym się dzieli o swojej pracy to poziom kopiuj-wklej z Wikipedii czy bardzo ogólnego artykułu prasowego. Naprawdę, nieposiadający kierunkowego wykształcenia i pracujący w kompletnie innych zawodach podcasterzy true crime dużo bardziej fachowo i szczegółowo opisują sprawy kryminalne.
Do szału doprowadzał mnie też sposób pisania Butcher - czy może raczej nakreślenia swojej osoby. Co parę akapitów autorka przypomina czytelnikowi jaka to ona jest zajebista, inteligentna i jaka równa z niej babka. Świadczyć o tych przymiotach mają pseduo-błyskotliwe i pseudo-dowcipne wyrzucane jak z karabinu komentarze (nt. zwłok, sprawców, miejsc zbrodni itd.) i teksty, riposty do współpracowników. Jeśli kogoś śmieszą wybitnie boomerskie żarty czy raduje prześmiewcze traktowanie poważnych spraw i tragedii (taka specyfika zawodu! - jak twierdzi autorka) - będzie pisaniem Barbary Butcher zachwycony. Ja odczuwałam ogromny krindż i wzburzenie na brak taktu.
Z trudem wymęczyłam tę książkę do końca. Tak nijakie, nieinteresujące i nic niewnoszące reportaże mogłabym zliczyć na palcach jednej ręki. Dla kogo ta książka powstała? Kto jest jej grupą docelową? Zagorzali fani true crime? O wszystkim o czym Butcher pisze doskonale już wiedzą. “Przypadkowi” czytelnicy? Na rynku jest mnóstwo tego typu dużo dużo lepszych pozycji. Sposób na autoterapię autorki? Jedyne racjonalne wyjaśnienie.
instagram | facebook
July 23, 2024
Buckle up Buttercup. This is a read that just might make you rather queasy. . . save your snacks for another read, is my advice.
In this book, Barbara Butcher shares it all - all the dead felt, experienced and goes over and over it until she knows how it happened. She's a puzzle-solver and goes at it with respectful enthusiasm, a duty of care she feels she owes to the people whose death she's investigating. There's raw language, crunchy everything, slippy slimy other things, and her absolute interest in the minutiae of all of it.
More a memoir than a non-fiction how to investigate, or explicate forensic technique, she includes personal challenges of addictions, work place problems in an era and environment women had not yet broken through traditional prejudices - she was one of the first women to work as a New York City Death Investigator as the title proclaims. Kudos to her. Inspiring, fierce, feisty and taking nothing from no one (and that's not always a smooth or successful move), the author took me straight through her career path. There are bodies right and left, but she tries to ensure every one didn't die unknown, or without meticulous attention to what questions the deaths present, and what answers, reasons or considerations could she provide to give peace, information or closure as everyone (loved ones and strangers) moves away from the dead and back to their day-to-day lives that demand constant examination.
Not a read to take lightly, but on the other hand this is something that is very out of the ordinary. Admirable to take the time to share her experiences in all aspects of her life - wide-ranging, and tough, hard to manage and she did it. She.did.it. Amazing. I'm positive she was breaking ground for others who are now able to work in places, doing tasks that 50 years ago would not have even been an option. Kudos, Barbara Butcher. Keep that Cape Swishing!
*A sincere thank you to Barbara Butcher, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*
In this book, Barbara Butcher shares it all - all the dead felt, experienced and goes over and over it until she knows how it happened. She's a puzzle-solver and goes at it with respectful enthusiasm, a duty of care she feels she owes to the people whose death she's investigating. There's raw language, crunchy everything, slippy slimy other things, and her absolute interest in the minutiae of all of it.
More a memoir than a non-fiction how to investigate, or explicate forensic technique, she includes personal challenges of addictions, work place problems in an era and environment women had not yet broken through traditional prejudices - she was one of the first women to work as a New York City Death Investigator as the title proclaims. Kudos to her. Inspiring, fierce, feisty and taking nothing from no one (and that's not always a smooth or successful move), the author took me straight through her career path. There are bodies right and left, but she tries to ensure every one didn't die unknown, or without meticulous attention to what questions the deaths present, and what answers, reasons or considerations could she provide to give peace, information or closure as everyone (loved ones and strangers) moves away from the dead and back to their day-to-day lives that demand constant examination.
Not a read to take lightly, but on the other hand this is something that is very out of the ordinary. Admirable to take the time to share her experiences in all aspects of her life - wide-ranging, and tough, hard to manage and she did it. She.did.it. Amazing. I'm positive she was breaking ground for others who are now able to work in places, doing tasks that 50 years ago would not have even been an option. Kudos, Barbara Butcher. Keep that Cape Swishing!
*A sincere thank you to Barbara Butcher, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*
October 2, 2024
Thank you to Simon Books for the finished copy and to Simon Audio for the ALC to review.
I really enjoyed this one and it was fantastic via audio. Barbara Butcher is a death scene investigator in NYC, and she writes about her experiences and struggles. She was honest, snarky (which I loved), empathetic, and very informative as I learned so many things about what happens at crime scenes. I loved her style, how candid she was, and could not stop listening to this one, it was quite a page turner for nonfiction. Her description of 9/11 was incredibly heartbreaking, and she had to work through everything to solve it just like any other investigation. She is also open about her struggles with mental health and drinking as a result of her job. I could go on and on, but overall, I cannot recommend this one enough.
I really enjoyed this one and it was fantastic via audio. Barbara Butcher is a death scene investigator in NYC, and she writes about her experiences and struggles. She was honest, snarky (which I loved), empathetic, and very informative as I learned so many things about what happens at crime scenes. I loved her style, how candid she was, and could not stop listening to this one, it was quite a page turner for nonfiction. Her description of 9/11 was incredibly heartbreaking, and she had to work through everything to solve it just like any other investigation. She is also open about her struggles with mental health and drinking as a result of her job. I could go on and on, but overall, I cannot recommend this one enough.
November 5, 2023
4.5 stars
My string of death-related books lately is just a coincidence. I am mentally in an okay place.
I found the book really fascinating, along the lines of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and Never Suck A Dead Man's Hand: Curious Adventures of a CSI. While Ms. Butcher spends some time on her personal life, particularly a brutally honest account of alcoholism, most of it is about memorable cases she encountered working as a forensics investigator. The chapters are organized into themes. While a lot of cases are murders, there are also a lot of bizarre “deaths by misadventure” that make you wonder if we should bother trying to keep stupid people from killing themselves in stupid stunts.
Ms. Butcher was on the team that had to identify remains of 9/11 victims of the World Trade Center. That was a powerful account at the end of the book.
Ms. Butcher lasted about twenty years in the job, when the new Mayor De Blasio gave her job to a friend. She was reaching burnout anyway; seeing the worst of humanity every day really takes a toll on people in this field of work. She laments the lack of media attention on poor and minority victims compared to wealthy white ones. And there was a serial killer targeting young women of color (teen girls) who should have been caught sooner but an incompetent employee wasn’t fired because she was friends with the mayor.
Audio is narrated by the author. I don’t usually like authors reading their own books (they’re not trained voice actors), but I guess it makes sense for memoirs.
Language: Occasional strong language
Sexual Content: Descriptions of men dying by autoerotic asphyxiation
Violence/Gore: Many murder and accident victims mentioned; descriptions of dead and decaying bodies and bugs and bodily fluids
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
My string of death-related books lately is just a coincidence. I am mentally in an okay place.
I found the book really fascinating, along the lines of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and Never Suck A Dead Man's Hand: Curious Adventures of a CSI. While Ms. Butcher spends some time on her personal life, particularly a brutally honest account of alcoholism, most of it is about memorable cases she encountered working as a forensics investigator. The chapters are organized into themes. While a lot of cases are murders, there are also a lot of bizarre “deaths by misadventure” that make you wonder if we should bother trying to keep stupid people from killing themselves in stupid stunts.
Ms. Butcher was on the team that had to identify remains of 9/11 victims of the World Trade Center. That was a powerful account at the end of the book.
Ms. Butcher lasted about twenty years in the job, when the new Mayor De Blasio gave her job to a friend. She was reaching burnout anyway; seeing the worst of humanity every day really takes a toll on people in this field of work. She laments the lack of media attention on poor and minority victims compared to wealthy white ones. And there was a serial killer targeting young women of color (teen girls) who should have been caught sooner but an incompetent employee wasn’t fired because she was friends with the mayor.
Audio is narrated by the author. I don’t usually like authors reading their own books (they’re not trained voice actors), but I guess it makes sense for memoirs.
Language: Occasional strong language
Sexual Content: Descriptions of men dying by autoerotic asphyxiation
Violence/Gore: Many murder and accident victims mentioned; descriptions of dead and decaying bodies and bugs and bodily fluids
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
May 11, 2023
What the Dead Know - Barbara Butcher
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this eARC.
I LOVED this spellbinding book; I greedily consumed in one long session where time flew by all too quickly! A 5 star book in EVERY aspect.
The only negative thing about this book is that it is one of a kind, once the need that you didn't know you had for this type of book has been created, you realize this is the only account that fulfills your new obsession.
This is not only a heartfelt, in-depth and truly fascinating account of Ms. Butcher's time as a New York City Death Investigator, it is also a heartfelt memoir where the author lets us be a witness to her struggles in both her work and personal life.
This woman is a hero who deserves our gratitude as she was constantly willing to deal with situations few of us (thank God) will ever be called upon to face, and she dealt with this situations with both professionalism and humanity.
She should have left either floods of gratitude and accolades, but such is the ungrateful and political side of a public position.
Read the book, you'll see!
Trigger warning: Due to the nature of the author"s role, prepare for brutal honesty frequently the nauseating and unifathomable violence and cruelty that disturbed and/or souless individuals can inact on their neighbors, strangers, enemies, and even former "loved ones".
This account is equally as honest and detailed regarding the sickening effects of time and mother nature on the human body as it decays.
If you found this book as spellbinding as I did, check out: Written in Bone -
Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind AND/OR All That Remains: A Renowned Forensic Scientist on Death, Mortality, and Solving Crimes - both are bu Sue Blackand both are skillfully written fascinating true life accounts of a forensic pathologist and the weird things she learned and encountered.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this eARC.
I LOVED this spellbinding book; I greedily consumed in one long session where time flew by all too quickly! A 5 star book in EVERY aspect.
The only negative thing about this book is that it is one of a kind, once the need that you didn't know you had for this type of book has been created, you realize this is the only account that fulfills your new obsession.
This is not only a heartfelt, in-depth and truly fascinating account of Ms. Butcher's time as a New York City Death Investigator, it is also a heartfelt memoir where the author lets us be a witness to her struggles in both her work and personal life.
This woman is a hero who deserves our gratitude as she was constantly willing to deal with situations few of us (thank God) will ever be called upon to face, and she dealt with this situations with both professionalism and humanity.
She should have left either floods of gratitude and accolades, but such is the ungrateful and political side of a public position.
Read the book, you'll see!
Trigger warning: Due to the nature of the author"s role, prepare for brutal honesty frequently the nauseating and unifathomable violence and cruelty that disturbed and/or souless individuals can inact on their neighbors, strangers, enemies, and even former "loved ones".
This account is equally as honest and detailed regarding the sickening effects of time and mother nature on the human body as it decays.
If you found this book as spellbinding as I did, check out: Written in Bone -
Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind AND/OR All That Remains: A Renowned Forensic Scientist on Death, Mortality, and Solving Crimes - both are bu Sue Blackand both are skillfully written fascinating true life accounts of a forensic pathologist and the weird things she learned and encountered.
August 5, 2023
I would have liked more details on how discoveries are made and the science of it, perhaps some interesting well-known cases or twists discovered with the science, and I could do with less praying and less AA.
And I say that as a very proud daughter of a 35+ year sober man and the granddaughter of a man who likely attended some of the earliest AA meetings (from what my father could remember his father discussing).
It’s not that I don’t celebrate her sobriety - it’s that the title led me to believe it would be about what a scientist learned about crimes that were committed.
And I say that as a very proud daughter of a 35+ year sober man and the granddaughter of a man who likely attended some of the earliest AA meetings (from what my father could remember his father discussing).
It’s not that I don’t celebrate her sobriety - it’s that the title led me to believe it would be about what a scientist learned about crimes that were committed.
June 22, 2023
Hard to read but worth it
Really amazing. Things that people shouldn’t have to see and a deep dive into how a human being of depth and intelligence deals with those things. Very good.
Really amazing. Things that people shouldn’t have to see and a deep dive into how a human being of depth and intelligence deals with those things. Very good.
September 22, 2023
It was fine.
January 7, 2024
I enjoyed reading this very well-written story. The author does a good job of writing about both her difficult job and personal life challenges. Her 9/11 story is especially poignant and harrowing.
January 12, 2025
10/10!! I could listen to Barbara Butcher talk about her life and career as an investigator for the NYC Medical Examiner all day long.
Read
January 6, 2025I loved this memoir about a NYC death investigator. It was sad, raw, informative, and memorable.
She studied homicide cases, murdered rape victims, suicides, 9/11 victims, etc.
She investigated over 5,500 death scenes in her career.
She went into detail about some cases and how some cases affected her mental state.
She studied homicide cases, murdered rape victims, suicides, 9/11 victims, etc.
She investigated over 5,500 death scenes in her career.
She went into detail about some cases and how some cases affected her mental state.
August 4, 2023
This was a memoir. I was looking forward to true crime or science. The book itself is well written. Just not to my taste.
August 12, 2023
the first half was interesting besides her alcoholism dumping and after the 911 story we barely got any crime just self loathing, depression and wohoo poor me
November 6, 2023
What a wonderful look into a life and job that is so tough and heartbreaking. Barbara Butcher’s raw overlook of her life and passion had me captivated, inspired, teary-eyed, and appreciative of so much.
As someone who worked in a field that also saw a lot of the worst of humanity and peoples worst days, I found myself relating to so much throughout the book. Nodding to the dark humor, losing yourself, the obsession. So good.
As someone who worked in a field that also saw a lot of the worst of humanity and peoples worst days, I found myself relating to so much throughout the book. Nodding to the dark humor, losing yourself, the obsession. So good.
July 24, 2024
Raw and real.
December 18, 2024
fascinating! what a life.
November 19, 2023
Very Interesting and surprisingly entertaining memoir. Author shares stories of personal challenges with alcohol that ultimately offered her a path to redemption as a NYC medical examiner. Along the way we meet various corpses, floaters, hangers and the seriously singed whose deaths required her investigation and classification.
I’m not big on true crime stories, typically, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one thanks to the author’s often wry commentary on her grim work. She also shares a lot of forensic insight as to how to determine both the cause and time of death.
Of course, and sadly, some of her tales reveal the worst of human depravity as well. She’s often the first to see the end result of the evil that lurks inside some folks, even someone who appears to be the last one you’d suspect capable of violent murder.
Most of all what I liked about her stories is that she’s very matter of fact on the topic of death whereas most folks are prone to histrionics about it. I guess you have to be wired a bit differently than most in order to deal with the deceased day in and out, especially the ones whose lives ended with a literal bang of some sort.
Usually when in NYC I look at buildings and think about what people are doing inside. But now, thanks to this book, I’ll also be wondering if there are any loners mummifying on a couch within as well. NYC evidently has a lot of them.
I’m not big on true crime stories, typically, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one thanks to the author’s often wry commentary on her grim work. She also shares a lot of forensic insight as to how to determine both the cause and time of death.
Of course, and sadly, some of her tales reveal the worst of human depravity as well. She’s often the first to see the end result of the evil that lurks inside some folks, even someone who appears to be the last one you’d suspect capable of violent murder.
Most of all what I liked about her stories is that she’s very matter of fact on the topic of death whereas most folks are prone to histrionics about it. I guess you have to be wired a bit differently than most in order to deal with the deceased day in and out, especially the ones whose lives ended with a literal bang of some sort.
Usually when in NYC I look at buildings and think about what people are doing inside. But now, thanks to this book, I’ll also be wondering if there are any loners mummifying on a couch within as well. NYC evidently has a lot of them.
November 18, 2024
What the Dead Know follows Barbara Butcher, a New York City Death Investigator at the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), and only the second woman in Manhattan to hold this role. After overcoming years of addiction, Butcher turns her life around and dives into a career that forces her to confront the darkest sides of humanity—while dealing with the emotional toll of the job.
What sets this book apart is Butcher’s brutal honesty. She doesn’t shy away from discussing her own personal struggles or the grim realities of death investigations. Her narration is refreshingly candid, often tinged with dark humor, which helps her process the horror of crime scenes with a level of detachment that’s both chilling and necessary.
The stories themselves are unsettling—ranging from organized killers to the neurobiological drivers behind violent crime—but it’s Butcher’s deep introspection on the human condition that gives the memoir its emotional weight.
For readers like me, who enjoy exploring the intricacies of human behavior, Butcher offers fascinating insights into crime scene analysis, time-of-death calculations, and the psychological makeup of killers. Her reflections on mental health, loneliness, and the systemic issues behind crime give the book a depth that goes far beyond the graphic details.
Despite the dark subject matter, Butcher also paints a beautiful picture of New York City. She highlights the paradox of the city—how, despite its vast population, there’s a strange sense of community that exists.
The pacing of the book is quick, with riveting storytelling, making it hard to put down. Whether you’re into human psychology, or true crime shows, this book is definitely worth a read.
Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for the gifted copy!
What sets this book apart is Butcher’s brutal honesty. She doesn’t shy away from discussing her own personal struggles or the grim realities of death investigations. Her narration is refreshingly candid, often tinged with dark humor, which helps her process the horror of crime scenes with a level of detachment that’s both chilling and necessary.
The stories themselves are unsettling—ranging from organized killers to the neurobiological drivers behind violent crime—but it’s Butcher’s deep introspection on the human condition that gives the memoir its emotional weight.
For readers like me, who enjoy exploring the intricacies of human behavior, Butcher offers fascinating insights into crime scene analysis, time-of-death calculations, and the psychological makeup of killers. Her reflections on mental health, loneliness, and the systemic issues behind crime give the book a depth that goes far beyond the graphic details.
Despite the dark subject matter, Butcher also paints a beautiful picture of New York City. She highlights the paradox of the city—how, despite its vast population, there’s a strange sense of community that exists.
The pacing of the book is quick, with riveting storytelling, making it hard to put down. Whether you’re into human psychology, or true crime shows, this book is definitely worth a read.
Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for the gifted copy!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,052 reviews