[Sue Black] All That Remains: A Renowned Forensic Scientist on Death, Mortality, and Solving Crimes

by Sue Black

Dame Sue Black is an internationally renowned forensic anthropologist and human anatomist. She has lived her life eye to eye with the Grim Reaper, and she writes vividly about it in this book, which is part primer on the basics of identifying human remains, part frank memoir of a woman whose first paying job as a schoolgirl was to apprentice in a butcher shop, and part no-nonsense but deeply humane introduction to the reality of death in our lives. It is a treat for CSI junkies, murder mystery and thriller readers, and anyone seeking a clear-eyed guide to a subject that touches us all.

Cutting through hype, romanticism, and cliché, she recounts her first dissection; her own first acquaintance with a loved one’s death; the mortal remains in her lab and at burial sites as well as scenes of violence, murder, and criminal dismemberment; and about investigating mass fatalities due to war, accident, or natural disaster, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. She uses key cases to reveal how forensic science has developed and what her work has taught her about human nature.

Genres: Nonfiction

279 pages, Paperback

Published October 27, 2025

About the author

Professor Dame Sue Black is one of the world's leading anatomists and forensic anthropologists. She is also the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Engagement at Lancaster University. She was the lead anthropologist for the British Forensic Team's work in the war crimes investigations in Kosovo and one of the first forensic scientists to travel to Thailand following the Indian Ocean tsunami to provide assistance in identifying the dead. Sue is a familiar face in the media, where documentaries have been filmed about her work, and she led the highly successful BBC 2 series History Cold Case.

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed getting to know the author and definitely admire and respect the path she chose in life. Some parts I found myself wanting more of the clinical aspects due to being a nurse, but that is no fault of the author. There are always textbooks. I appreciated her sharing, especially the parts that touched my heart and made me cry.

[Kevin Orlebeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/10 Excellent book. Black describes her experiences as a forensic anthropologist (a career I didn’t even know existed), her lofty contributions to that field, and the importance of giving identity to the dead. However, the story shines in its commentary on dying, death, and being dead. Her tone switches between cold/rational and endearment/empathy but illustrates the common mindset that professions (healthcare, law enforcement, morticians) have to employ in order to do their job effectively.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

some parts were incredibly interesting others were long drawn and hard to sit through.

[Ashley Lachapelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly Thoroughly enjoyed this one. It scratched my true crime itch, my deep interest in anatomy itch, and my forensic anthropology itch. I didn't realize how much I needed an open,honest and unafraid account of death and dying, and the author truly did me a service with her objective musing on the subject. The epiloge was definitely my favorite part, so many sentences I would love to quote. "When death comes for me, I would like to be properly alive to have my personal conversation with her [...] "
A masterpiece, borrowed this one from the library but will be ordering it to add yo my shelves permanently.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did take a break from this, but when I picked it up again, I zoomed through it. It was such a good book for my commute. Literally my bread and butter. Big thank you to my bsf who sourced this for me.

It's such a nuanced, informative and deeply interesting read. I think, to an extent, with this content, it needs to be a rule of thumb; however, this goes above and beyond. You can absolutely tell that Black is passionate about all aspects of death, and it's kind of infectious.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If we cannot influence it, perhaps we shouldn’t waste precious time worrying about it. When it comes, we just need to experience it.”

“If forensic experts allowed themselves to dwell on the immensity of human pain or on the gruesome spectacles we encounter, we would be ineffective scientists. We cannot take on the suffering of the dead. That is not our job, and if we don’t do our job, then we help nobody.”

[Justine Olawsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was surprisingly little in this book about actually solving specific crimes. In fact, the work of a forensic anthropologist/anatomist seems largely workaday and highly dependent on receiving information from outside sources rather than the corpse itself to identify remains. Dead men, it turns out, really do tell few tales. But I never say nay a nice trip into harvest time of that most grim of reapers now and then, so I got a bit of a kick out of this read.

The best thing about this work, in my opinion, is the author herself. She seems like quite a character! Her preoccupation, for example, with Gen. Francis Rawdon Chesney, whose wife's body Dr. Black once exhumed, makes for a charming side quest almost completely divorced from the topic of the chapter at hand ("Dem Bones"). As a gal who works St. Anselm of Canterbury into every possible situation she can, I could relate. Also, it is fun to find someone in the sciences who shares my aversion to seeking preventative medical care on a regular basis. I laughed out loud at her consternation over the fact that in the UK they must automatically send colorectal cancer screening reminders to persons of a certain age: "And the indignity of an invitation to do a 'poop' test landing on your doormat on your fiftieth birthday ... really!" This woman gets it!

Aside from the nuts and bolts of working with the dead and all attendant sights, sounds, and (mostly) smells thereof, the author does wax philosophic and reflective in many spots. Sue Black is not a Christian and has no expectation of "the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come." That always makes me a bit sad to be reminded of those who live without this great hope, but it is wholly expected from authors of books of this sort. Her stories of her family help round out the narratives and add a lot to the enjoyment of this work. Interestingly enough, the two chapters I found least interesting were probably two of the most seminal experiences in her professional life: her times in Kosovo and Thailand dealing with mass casualties of war and natural disaster. Death at scale, it seems, loses its poignancy. It is the individual corpses who beckon us, draw us into the pathos of lost life, and remain with us.

[Dabrelah · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I would like to congratulate myself on reaching my first reading goal!!! I was in a bit of a reading slump for years, but I've finally gotten to a point where my mind is focused, and I am reading like I once did. Secondly, I am so enamored by Sue Black!! A few chapters in I decided to look more into her, and I watched a TON of lectures she has given, and I feel so inspired. Most know that my current educational path is Forensic Science based, mainly Forensic Pathology leaning, so reading books that are in the world of Forensics is something that will help me learn and this book definitely taught me so much. I have so much more appreciation for those in the Forensic field and fell even more in love with Forensics. Sue's knowledge and experience as a teacher really shines in this book. Starting each chapter introducing the audience to a new topic of discussion and then linking stories of her time as a Forensic Anthropologist to those topics really helped me learn. I encourage everyone to give this book a read, even if you aren't interested in forensics necessarily!! She talks about death and how humans have such a hard time with it and how she believes it shouldn't be so taboo, we should welcome it and be more okay with it!! There was such respect, passion, and compassion in this book and that's all you can hope for from someone sharing details of their life and others. Will definitely be reading her other book. My only grip is that Forensic Anthropology now sounds appealing as well.... what to do what to do

[Anne Howe]

Enjoyable read/informative

The author's subtle humor helped lighten the reading matter as she imparts fascinating details about forensic anthropology. Her style of writing captured my attention all the way through to the end, which is saying something for me, who often flips around and or skips to the end of many books. Her participation in major historical world tragedies (genocide, tsunamis, etc) identifying human remains with compassion for loved ones and respect for the dead was/is admired. I also learned more about these events, in greater depth than one can learn from the evening news. Will I donate my body to medical science as she describes? Maybe, if I find a school similar to the university where she graduated from and taught.

[Allison Singer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 loved some parts but felt like I wanted to skip others.

[Savannah’s Shelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️ loved this I literally laughed cried everything just a super compelling, interesting, and just impressive book and life

[Samantha Beal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Paul Stringer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Kindle version is not good. Many words run together.

This book is not put together. Many times the subject wonders. Chapters are of many subjects and can get boring.