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The Cause of Death: True Stories of Death and Murder From a New Zealand Pathologist
A forensic pathologist is, in Dr. Temple-Camp's own words: "Someone who cuts up the dead to find out why they died." Dr. Temple-Camp's stories of spontaneous combustion, a gruesome murder right beneath the control tower at Palmerston North Airport, a mysterious death in an historic homestead, rare diseases, drug-mules, devil-worshippers, cot-deaths, land-mark cases, exhumations, are all from our own backyard.
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2017
59 people are currently reading
1075 people want to read
About the author
Cynric Temple-Camp
3 books27 followersOriginally from South Africa, pathologist Dr Temple-Camp spent the early part of his career in war-torn Rhodesia examining the dead and dying. He came to New Zealand in the 1970s and has since worked on over 2000 cases.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
October 5, 2020
This was a good, enjoyable solid 4-star read. The stories of a forensic pathologist in New Zealand offered nothing special to do with NZ, unlike his later and only other book, The Quick and the Dead which had some absolutely extraordinary stories of his life and work in Africa as well as New Zealand. There were some real shivery horror bits in that one too, like insects burrowed beneath the skin sending up little breathing tubes that pulsated, OMG, even thinking about it. Also the book was remarkable in that it never once identified anyone as Black or White as it was never necessary - all his clients were dead.
I would have enjoyed this book even more if I hadn't read his second one first and was expecting this one to live up to that. But still, 4 star is a good read.
____________________
My mother hardly read books when I was growing up, except for The Pan Book of Horror Stories series, I used to sometimes dip into them. I wonder if that's what gave me my taste for forensic pathologists' books? I've certainly read enough. I can't say I read them for the grisly stories but.... I don't watch much tv (I don't have tv here) and I only downloaded all varieties of food show Australian or British like Masterchef, never American, and murder ones liked Snapped, 48 hours etc. mostly American. American food shows are about the show and the contestants and not the food and the decisions are always 'in collaboration with the producers" ie fake drama. But all that drama works in the murder shows. This taste for the macabre must have come from somewhere.
____________________
I enjoyed the very unusual forensic cases in The Quick and the Dead: True Stories of Life and Death from a New Zealand Pathologist so much that I wanted to read another book by this author. This one, very short, has just come. I think I can squeeze it in between some 'big' books.
I would have enjoyed this book even more if I hadn't read his second one first and was expecting this one to live up to that. But still, 4 star is a good read.
____________________
My mother hardly read books when I was growing up, except for The Pan Book of Horror Stories series, I used to sometimes dip into them. I wonder if that's what gave me my taste for forensic pathologists' books? I've certainly read enough. I can't say I read them for the grisly stories but.... I don't watch much tv (I don't have tv here) and I only downloaded all varieties of food show Australian or British like Masterchef, never American, and murder ones liked Snapped, 48 hours etc. mostly American. American food shows are about the show and the contestants and not the food and the decisions are always 'in collaboration with the producers" ie fake drama. But all that drama works in the murder shows. This taste for the macabre must have come from somewhere.
____________________
I enjoyed the very unusual forensic cases in The Quick and the Dead: True Stories of Life and Death from a New Zealand Pathologist so much that I wanted to read another book by this author. This one, very short, has just come. I think I can squeeze it in between some 'big' books.
June 5, 2018
EXCERPT: An exhumation! I had never done one before. I had seen many dead people, but I'd never yet had to dig one up out of the ground, and this was far from what I'd expected on my first day on the job in New Zealand.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: You won't believe these stories happened in New Zealand...
Forensic and coronial pathologist Dr Cynric Temple-Camp lifts the lid on some of the most fascinating cases he's worked on during his 30-year career as a corpse investigator. Written with all the gritty detail of a Patricia Cornwell novel, the intrigue of Making a Murderer, and the horror of True Detective, this is a brilliantly told collection of true stories from a rural pathologist, including the high-profile Lundy murders.
Told with great skill, full of suspense, cliff-hangers and bizarre and surprising twists in the narrative - most of the examinations are at crime scenes, and there's a real sense of adventure as Dr Temple-Camp heads off, often in the middle of the night, into the unknown.
A forensic pathologist is, in Dr Temple-Camp's own words: 'Someone who cuts up the dead to find out why they died.' Dr Temple-Camp's stories of spontaneous combustion, a gruesome murder right beneath the control tower at Palmerston North Airport, a mysterious death in an historic homestead, rare diseases, drug-mules, devil-worshippers, cot-deaths, land-mark cases, exhumations, are all from our own backyard.
This book will shock and entertain, make you squirm but also occasionally pull at the heartstrings.
MY THOUGHTS: This is a book that I have dipped in and out of over the past weeks, each chapter relating something different. It was an interesting read, but definitely didn’t shock or make me squirm.
I found the writing style rather dry and detached, but then the author is a scientist. There are several chapters devoted to one of New Zealand's most controversial cases, the Lundy murders. But if I was expecting to learn anything new, I was disappointed. It did, however, give me a much broader understanding of what a pathologist actually does.
For a commercially published book, The Cause of Death contained numerous errors, silly errors that ought to have been picked up and corrected prior to publication.
All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
ABOUT THIS BOOK: You won't believe these stories happened in New Zealand...
Forensic and coronial pathologist Dr Cynric Temple-Camp lifts the lid on some of the most fascinating cases he's worked on during his 30-year career as a corpse investigator. Written with all the gritty detail of a Patricia Cornwell novel, the intrigue of Making a Murderer, and the horror of True Detective, this is a brilliantly told collection of true stories from a rural pathologist, including the high-profile Lundy murders.
Told with great skill, full of suspense, cliff-hangers and bizarre and surprising twists in the narrative - most of the examinations are at crime scenes, and there's a real sense of adventure as Dr Temple-Camp heads off, often in the middle of the night, into the unknown.
A forensic pathologist is, in Dr Temple-Camp's own words: 'Someone who cuts up the dead to find out why they died.' Dr Temple-Camp's stories of spontaneous combustion, a gruesome murder right beneath the control tower at Palmerston North Airport, a mysterious death in an historic homestead, rare diseases, drug-mules, devil-worshippers, cot-deaths, land-mark cases, exhumations, are all from our own backyard.
This book will shock and entertain, make you squirm but also occasionally pull at the heartstrings.
MY THOUGHTS: This is a book that I have dipped in and out of over the past weeks, each chapter relating something different. It was an interesting read, but definitely didn’t shock or make me squirm.
I found the writing style rather dry and detached, but then the author is a scientist. There are several chapters devoted to one of New Zealand's most controversial cases, the Lundy murders. But if I was expecting to learn anything new, I was disappointed. It did, however, give me a much broader understanding of what a pathologist actually does.
For a commercially published book, The Cause of Death contained numerous errors, silly errors that ought to have been picked up and corrected prior to publication.
All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
March 17, 2021
The Cause of Death by Dr Cynric Temple-Camp is a fascinating summary of the professional life of leading New Zealand Forensic Pathologist Dr Temple-Camp. This book is made the more interesting because it describes a world most people don’t see, and don’t really understand. Pathologists and assistants are usually working steadily away in most decent sized hospitals, working in departments that are conspicuous by their anonymity. In other words, they’re usually not signposted. Why would they be? In fact, when the hospital I work at was redeveloped, one of the workers placed a beautiful “Mortuary” sign on the wall facing the street – we made sure it was taken down immediately – it’s not something we need to advertise, it can be confronting, it can attract certain ‘curious types’, it’s unnecessary.
Dr Temple-Camp spent 30 years applying his expertise to determine the cause of death of individuals where foul play may have been suspected. To be sure, over this time he came across several very interesting cases and he explains these quite nicely in this book. Each chapter is dedicated to a single case, we are taken from the phone call (usually by a Copper), to the finding. Some of the details are necessarily confronting, but not gratuitously so – he presents the details in a respectful way.
My picks included a case where he was asked to perform an exhumation on a poor woman, who’s husband was determined her body was tampered with. However, it turned out the husband suffered from a mental condition called taphophobia, which is the fear of being buried alive, he thought this had happened to his wife. There’s another story of a man found dead in a house where each room contained mountains of rubbish – all seemingly alive as rats and mice were wriggling underneath the debris. Anyway, this gentleman had a hole, which looked like a bullet hole in his head – but as with a many of the cases in this book, the real cause of death wasn’t as obvious.
The process of investigating a case of a plane crash where the good doctor needed to map the locations of the parts of the poor passengers found on a hillside, to try and piece them together to ensure the relatives had something to bury, was an interesting study of the need to be meticulous. He also discusses a very famous New Zealand case (involving a man who was convicted of murdering his wife and daughter), it was fascinating because his conviction relied on the evidence of a piece of brain found on his sleeve. A piece of brain identified by Dr Temple-Camp. This was crucial in identifying Lundy as the killer. However, Dr Temple-Camp’s work in identifying this tissue was subject to extreme scrutiny by appellant lawyers. The process, legal and medical, was fascinating to read about – such important work, getting it right.
Forensic Pathologists are very much speaking for the victim. This is such an important duty.
There’s a splash of dark humour, as you’d expect from people working in pathology. It’s a way of coping with situations which most would find too much. But as in all professionals involved in this ever so important industry (well I’m biased), the needs, rights, interests of the patient/body are paramount. Dr Temple-Camp presents these cases in an accessible way – I think there’s plenty here to interest most people.
4 Stars
Dr Temple-Camp spent 30 years applying his expertise to determine the cause of death of individuals where foul play may have been suspected. To be sure, over this time he came across several very interesting cases and he explains these quite nicely in this book. Each chapter is dedicated to a single case, we are taken from the phone call (usually by a Copper), to the finding. Some of the details are necessarily confronting, but not gratuitously so – he presents the details in a respectful way.
My picks included a case where he was asked to perform an exhumation on a poor woman, who’s husband was determined her body was tampered with. However, it turned out the husband suffered from a mental condition called taphophobia, which is the fear of being buried alive, he thought this had happened to his wife. There’s another story of a man found dead in a house where each room contained mountains of rubbish – all seemingly alive as rats and mice were wriggling underneath the debris. Anyway, this gentleman had a hole, which looked like a bullet hole in his head – but as with a many of the cases in this book, the real cause of death wasn’t as obvious.
The process of investigating a case of a plane crash where the good doctor needed to map the locations of the parts of the poor passengers found on a hillside, to try and piece them together to ensure the relatives had something to bury, was an interesting study of the need to be meticulous. He also discusses a very famous New Zealand case (involving a man who was convicted of murdering his wife and daughter), it was fascinating because his conviction relied on the evidence of a piece of brain found on his sleeve. A piece of brain identified by Dr Temple-Camp. This was crucial in identifying Lundy as the killer. However, Dr Temple-Camp’s work in identifying this tissue was subject to extreme scrutiny by appellant lawyers. The process, legal and medical, was fascinating to read about – such important work, getting it right.
Forensic Pathologists are very much speaking for the victim. This is such an important duty.
There’s a splash of dark humour, as you’d expect from people working in pathology. It’s a way of coping with situations which most would find too much. But as in all professionals involved in this ever so important industry (well I’m biased), the needs, rights, interests of the patient/body are paramount. Dr Temple-Camp presents these cases in an accessible way – I think there’s plenty here to interest most people.
4 Stars
February 19, 2018
Trigger warnings: death of a child, graphic medical procedures, childbirth, blood, graphic autopsies, a hell of a lot of stuff involving eyeballs, rape, rape of a child, vomit, domestic violence, air crash.
3.5 stars.
I've been intrigued by this book on my library's Overdrive site for the better part of the past year. Did it live up to the hype I'd created in my head? Not so much. Was it still a fascinating look at medical examination in New Zealand? Absolutely. Also, that is one HELL of a name, sir.
Really, my main gripe with this is that it's basically just Temple-Camp recounting various stories of his time as a pathologist without any real flow to it. So he'll jump from case to case without any indication of how they link. It doesn't seem to be chronological, because one minute he's talking about the 80s and the next, he's talking about Skyping a colleague. And they're not linked by cause of death or location either. So...???
That said, while this was cringeworthy graphic at times, I still found it fascinating reading.
3.5 stars.
I've been intrigued by this book on my library's Overdrive site for the better part of the past year. Did it live up to the hype I'd created in my head? Not so much. Was it still a fascinating look at medical examination in New Zealand? Absolutely. Also, that is one HELL of a name, sir.
Really, my main gripe with this is that it's basically just Temple-Camp recounting various stories of his time as a pathologist without any real flow to it. So he'll jump from case to case without any indication of how they link. It doesn't seem to be chronological, because one minute he's talking about the 80s and the next, he's talking about Skyping a colleague. And they're not linked by cause of death or location either. So...???
That said, while this was cringeworthy graphic at times, I still found it fascinating reading.
August 8, 2017
I often find it hard to write a review on a non fiction book, but I will try my best. To sum this book up in a few words I would call it, insightful, knowledgable and astoundingly interesting. Not to mention well written. This book follows some of the most interesting cases Dr Cynric Temple-Camp has been apart of in his life and I found myself constantly interested in every one.
Something about this just didn't feel like a 5 star read, I don't think it's a book that will stick with me like many others, but I was never bored by this book and it was better than just okay.
You should totally pick this up if you have ANY interest in police work, death, or even true crime TV shows.
Something about this just didn't feel like a 5 star read, I don't think it's a book that will stick with me like many others, but I was never bored by this book and it was better than just okay.
You should totally pick this up if you have ANY interest in police work, death, or even true crime TV shows.
December 11, 2017
CSI as it really is and with a local flavour. Well crafted depiction of life as a pathologist, with enough detail and suitable length to the telling of each case to keep your attention and make it very readable.
September 7, 2017
I received a copy of The Cause of Death from HarperCollins New Zealand to review. It’s been so long since I read a true crime book. But when I heard this was set in the area where I live I was excited to read it (can I say that with a book about death?).
There’s one case in this book that I’d heard of before I picked up the book. I think most people in New Zealand have already heard of the Mark Lundy case. I was too young when Christine and Amber were killed to see it on the news but I do remember watching a TV show that examined the evidence a few years ago. But reading the case from a pathologists perspective and someone who examined some of the evidence was interesting. I still don’t understand how people think he’s innocent.
It was really weird reading about places I’ve actually been to instead of just seeing on the TV or in movies. Some places, like the Junction Motel in Sanson, I won’t be able to look at the same again.
A lot of the cases in this book were really sad, especially the one with the baby on the plane and the old man in Foxton – I felt really bad for him. But then guess most of the stories in The Cause of Death were sad because they dealt with death. Some were even kind of shocking, like the case with the babysitter and the spontaneous combustion. I was a bit skeptical when I read that there was a case of spontaneous combustion in this book. I’m not sure that case can be called spontaneous combustion because there was something there that started the fire but the fact that only the body burned was really crazy. I’d always assumed that spontaneous combustion was something that happened out of nowhere and that there was nothing in the area that could start a fire… But there was with this person so I was left a little confused.
I liked that the science and medical stuff was explained so someone like me who hated science could understand. The only medical terms I knew were picked up from TV shows and movies but I was glad that there was also explanations for things that I didn’t know. Like how the guy was found with burns but nothing else around him was burned.
I also liked Dr. Temple-Camp’s sense of humor. There were parts of the book where he’s questioning someones logic (or lack of) and when someone said that a piece of brain was uncooked lamb or something like that and he made me laugh. There were other things he wrote that I found funny but that might be because I have dark humor… I don’t know.
Anyway, I really enjoyed The Cause of Death (can I say that about this kind of book?) and I’d definitely recommend it to fans of true crime books. And another great reason to pick up a copy is all royalties from the book go to the Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter.
There’s one case in this book that I’d heard of before I picked up the book. I think most people in New Zealand have already heard of the Mark Lundy case. I was too young when Christine and Amber were killed to see it on the news but I do remember watching a TV show that examined the evidence a few years ago. But reading the case from a pathologists perspective and someone who examined some of the evidence was interesting. I still don’t understand how people think he’s innocent.
It was really weird reading about places I’ve actually been to instead of just seeing on the TV or in movies. Some places, like the Junction Motel in Sanson, I won’t be able to look at the same again.
A lot of the cases in this book were really sad, especially the one with the baby on the plane and the old man in Foxton – I felt really bad for him. But then guess most of the stories in The Cause of Death were sad because they dealt with death. Some were even kind of shocking, like the case with the babysitter and the spontaneous combustion. I was a bit skeptical when I read that there was a case of spontaneous combustion in this book. I’m not sure that case can be called spontaneous combustion because there was something there that started the fire but the fact that only the body burned was really crazy. I’d always assumed that spontaneous combustion was something that happened out of nowhere and that there was nothing in the area that could start a fire… But there was with this person so I was left a little confused.
I liked that the science and medical stuff was explained so someone like me who hated science could understand. The only medical terms I knew were picked up from TV shows and movies but I was glad that there was also explanations for things that I didn’t know. Like how the guy was found with burns but nothing else around him was burned.
I also liked Dr. Temple-Camp’s sense of humor. There were parts of the book where he’s questioning someones logic (or lack of) and when someone said that a piece of brain was uncooked lamb or something like that and he made me laugh. There were other things he wrote that I found funny but that might be because I have dark humor… I don’t know.
Anyway, I really enjoyed The Cause of Death (can I say that about this kind of book?) and I’d definitely recommend it to fans of true crime books. And another great reason to pick up a copy is all royalties from the book go to the Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter.
May 23, 2025
Loved this!! Super interesting and kept me hooked. One of my fav reads this year
November 24, 2017
I did enjoy this book but I'm a little over the Lundy story so had to skip a couple of chapters
July 10, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ a super interesting peek into the life of a forensic pathologist. I was hooked throughout the whole book and couldn’t put it down!
November 22, 2020
“We are born with 100% of the DNA in our body being ours, but soon after death, nearly 100% of our DNA belongs to bacteria. In middle age, 70% of the DNA we carry is bacteria and only 30% is ours.”
With no less than three baby deaths within the first 15 pages, this book may not be for everyone out there. Like many books on forensics this is filled with macabre humour and morbidly fascinating details, we learn that rats favour the soft parts, such as the earlobes, lips and eyelids when feasting on human corpses or that around 10% of their cases where the pathologist can find nothing, and so these are regarded as “obscure natural causes”.
Elsewhere we are told that in France you are allowed to put “old age” on the death certificate, which explains why there are such low recorded rates of conditions like heart disease etc. We learn about the “Aunt Minnie” sign and the “Hide and Die” syndrome too, as well as much more.
Our learned author takes us into the heart of the many extreme, mundane and random scenarios he has received corpses from, whether they be riverine tsunamis, airplane crashes, high profile murders, or exposure to the freezing elements no detail is spared, and this book is all the more interesting and better for it.
In spite of not being able to warm to the author in any way, I really got a lot out of this, it was nicely written and a hugely enjoyable read and I would highly recommend it.
July 17, 2022
Really liked this, some fascinating facts about death and pathology. There are some weird ways to die!
December 9, 2017
Dr Cynric Temple-Camp is the resident pathologist for Palmerston North city, New Zealand (incidentally where me, and the bookshop I work in are).
'Cause of Death' explores crime and pathology in the Manawatu area of New Zealand. It is written in Dr Temple-Camp's words. The content of the book is great, never dwelling for too long on one story or another, Cynric paces the stories quite well. The let down that brings this book to a four star effort is the horrific lack of editing.
I like to proof read books I'm reading as I go, call it an obsessive bookseller quirk. I found 21 errors in the first print run of this book, noted them down, and sent an email to the editor who, apparently, ignored it entirely because only five of the 21 errors were addressed in the second print run and I never had a reply.
With that being said, it was a distraction at worst, the content was still fantastic and it was a great read.
'Cause of Death' explores crime and pathology in the Manawatu area of New Zealand. It is written in Dr Temple-Camp's words. The content of the book is great, never dwelling for too long on one story or another, Cynric paces the stories quite well. The let down that brings this book to a four star effort is the horrific lack of editing.
I like to proof read books I'm reading as I go, call it an obsessive bookseller quirk. I found 21 errors in the first print run of this book, noted them down, and sent an email to the editor who, apparently, ignored it entirely because only five of the 21 errors were addressed in the second print run and I never had a reply.
With that being said, it was a distraction at worst, the content was still fantastic and it was a great read.
October 26, 2017
There were moments where I wasn't quite sure whether this book was intended to be a pathological perspective on true New Zealand crimes, or a glorified memoir. There were also one or two places where the author attempted to break into more poetic prose than necessary, with mixed effect. However, that said,overall I found this book quite entertaining. The other detractor was the poor quality of editing of this book. There were a number of grammatical errors throughout, which both surprised and disappointed me given this wasn't a self published book, but was published by Harper Collins
October 5, 2017
An entertaining read about a pathologist working in small town New Zealand. Palmerston North may not be a hot bed of crime, but Dr Temple-Camp is able to keep us amused describing many of the cases that he has been involved with over the past few decades.
I guess these are his dinner party stories, which he probably couldn't tell over dinner as most would upset sensitive diners. Me - well I like such tales and so I enjoyed it.
I guess these are his dinner party stories, which he probably couldn't tell over dinner as most would upset sensitive diners. Me - well I like such tales and so I enjoyed it.
November 4, 2018
Fascinating memoir of a pathologist working in New Zealand with stories mostly of investigations of murders and disasters. This is right up my alley; I'm fascinated by the investigative process and actually learned a few things that I hadn't picked up in other reading.
August 10, 2017
Excellently written Cynic! Most interesting.
January 22, 2021
I was aware of many of the cases Dr Temple-Camp has been involved in (the Lundy murders, Totara Reserve tragedy, fake satanist etc) but in The Cause Of Death he provides a behind-the-scenes view of the investigations that take place after a unusual, violent or unexplained death. Though he has compassion for his patients, the book treats the sensitive subject of death in a clinical, scientific manner, mirroring the approach pathologists must take in order to fulfil their duties. This approach allows the reader to gain some fascinating insights into the mechanics of death, human anatomy and the role pathology plays in criminal justice. While the high profile cases are a selling point, many of the lesser or unknown deaths are equally fascinating. There’s the unexplained death of a man in a locked room, the case of two babies dying at different times from cot death while being looked after by the same neighbour and the death of hoarder who was eaten by rats. There are only two slight issues and they’re both with the narration (I listened to the audiobook). The narrator’s pronunciation of the Māori names and words was poor and his use of accents for direct speech was irritating.
March 7, 2025
Dead on arrival - A Pathologist Who Forgets to Dissect His Own Past.
Overall, this was an okay book, but I noticed several red flags—especially in the beginning. Many aspects of the book felt utterly unreflective (and I am being generous with this wording).
Rhodesia and Lack of Historical Context
The author introduces himself as a white person from Rhodesia. For those unfamiliar, Rhodesia was never a recognized state but a short-lived white supremacist regime that ruled modern-day Zimbabwe in the 1970s. It was controlled by the white minority with the explicit goal of subjugating the Black majority in response to decolonization movements in Africa.
Do I think the author is a white supremacist? Not necessarily. But what stands out is his complete lack of reflection on this history—he doesn’t even mention it. Instead, he continues to refer to Zimbabwe as Rhodesia throughout the book. Even on the website of his current employer, he still identifies as Rhodesian. Given that Rhodesia has become an idealized state among modern white supremacists, this omission is, at the very least, odd.
Some other moments I found questionable:
1. The author describes a mother requesting antibiotics for her child’s viral infection. He notes that it was pointless to argue with her about antibiotics being ineffective against viruses—so he just prescribes them. That is wildly irresponsible.
2. He is discharged from the military after being found to have human remains in his office, seemingly without consent from the families. He excuses this by saying that, at the time, people didn’t know that remains should be treated with respect. But clearly, his superiors knew—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been dismissed.
3. He recounts a case where deceased bodies went missing from a local hospital, as fresh organs were commonly sold to witch doctors. A fascinating (and horrifying) story! But then, one of his direct colleagues is discovered to be involved in the organ trade and gets fired. The author’s only reflection? “We were all very sad about this as he was a nice guy.” Seriously? Shortly after, the same colleague is reinstated due to some "bureaucratic process"—which, let’s be honest, was clearly bribery.
Missed Opportunity
Authors dealing with controversial topics should be able to reflect on them. I've read books by other pathologists, like Dr. Richard Shepherd, who have deeply personal and heart-wrenching reflections on mistakes that may have cost lives. But that kind of self-awareness requires context and reasoning. Dr. Temple-Camp could have easily added another 100 pages to really unpack these moments—explain why he insists on calling Zimbabwe “Rhodesia,” acknowledge the country’s complex history, or provide insight into medical misinformation and witchcraft in 1980s Zimbabwe.
Once the book moves to New Zealand, it improves. Many of the cases are genuinely interesting—provided they stay in uncontroversial territory where no deeper context is needed. However, one major case (Lund) appears in three different chapters—far too often for my taste. The smaller-town deaths and the stories behind them were the most engaging part of the book.
Would I recommend it? Maybe—but with caveats. If you enjoy forensic pathology, there are some interesting cases here. Just be prepared for a lack of historical awareness and a frustrating unwillingness to engage with the deeper ethical questions his experiences raise.
Overall, this was an okay book, but I noticed several red flags—especially in the beginning. Many aspects of the book felt utterly unreflective (and I am being generous with this wording).
Rhodesia and Lack of Historical Context
The author introduces himself as a white person from Rhodesia. For those unfamiliar, Rhodesia was never a recognized state but a short-lived white supremacist regime that ruled modern-day Zimbabwe in the 1970s. It was controlled by the white minority with the explicit goal of subjugating the Black majority in response to decolonization movements in Africa.
Do I think the author is a white supremacist? Not necessarily. But what stands out is his complete lack of reflection on this history—he doesn’t even mention it. Instead, he continues to refer to Zimbabwe as Rhodesia throughout the book. Even on the website of his current employer, he still identifies as Rhodesian. Given that Rhodesia has become an idealized state among modern white supremacists, this omission is, at the very least, odd.
Some other moments I found questionable:
1. The author describes a mother requesting antibiotics for her child’s viral infection. He notes that it was pointless to argue with her about antibiotics being ineffective against viruses—so he just prescribes them. That is wildly irresponsible.
2. He is discharged from the military after being found to have human remains in his office, seemingly without consent from the families. He excuses this by saying that, at the time, people didn’t know that remains should be treated with respect. But clearly, his superiors knew—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been dismissed.
3. He recounts a case where deceased bodies went missing from a local hospital, as fresh organs were commonly sold to witch doctors. A fascinating (and horrifying) story! But then, one of his direct colleagues is discovered to be involved in the organ trade and gets fired. The author’s only reflection? “We were all very sad about this as he was a nice guy.” Seriously? Shortly after, the same colleague is reinstated due to some "bureaucratic process"—which, let’s be honest, was clearly bribery.
Missed Opportunity
Authors dealing with controversial topics should be able to reflect on them. I've read books by other pathologists, like Dr. Richard Shepherd, who have deeply personal and heart-wrenching reflections on mistakes that may have cost lives. But that kind of self-awareness requires context and reasoning. Dr. Temple-Camp could have easily added another 100 pages to really unpack these moments—explain why he insists on calling Zimbabwe “Rhodesia,” acknowledge the country’s complex history, or provide insight into medical misinformation and witchcraft in 1980s Zimbabwe.
Once the book moves to New Zealand, it improves. Many of the cases are genuinely interesting—provided they stay in uncontroversial territory where no deeper context is needed. However, one major case (Lund) appears in three different chapters—far too often for my taste. The smaller-town deaths and the stories behind them were the most engaging part of the book.
Would I recommend it? Maybe—but with caveats. If you enjoy forensic pathology, there are some interesting cases here. Just be prepared for a lack of historical awareness and a frustrating unwillingness to engage with the deeper ethical questions his experiences raise.
August 12, 2023
Fascinating stories about Doctor Temple-Camp's work as a pathologist. He's a very engaging writer, and talks about his work with curiosity, humanity, and respect. It gave me a lot of respect for our pathologists. A fascinating area of work.
(There were a few spelling mistakes and grammatical errors). I had to cackle about his early work getting to scenes without the luxury of cell phones and Google maps. Truly it was another world. How did we ever survive?!!
(There were a few spelling mistakes and grammatical errors). I had to cackle about his early work getting to scenes without the luxury of cell phones and Google maps. Truly it was another world. How did we ever survive?!!
January 26, 2022
I found this book endlessly fascinating. Dr. Temple-Camp outlines some of the more interesting cases from his career as a pathologist, and does it in a way that a lay person can easily understand and follow along with. Some of the stories were very sad, others had a bit of humour injected into them, but all were very well told.
May 16, 2018
I really enjoyed this! It struck the perfect balance between scientific and easy to read, each story was interesting and the personal way in which it was told only added to the book in my opinion.
November 19, 2020
Plus a zillion stars for the inclusion of spontaneous combustion.
November 6, 2021
Expertly written, highly entertaining. True crime lovers would adore this book!!!
October 24, 2023
4.5 stars
I'm so glad I didn't return this in the end.
Dr Temple-Camp writes incredibly well and seems humble and reflective. I really enjoyed this.
I'm so glad I didn't return this in the end.
Dr Temple-Camp writes incredibly well and seems humble and reflective. I really enjoyed this.
May 13, 2024
Super interesting, loses points for author being pro cop
July 12, 2025
He is my boss, but this doesnt colour my opinion....but the book is well written and very interesting. im always fascinated by crime and death, and my current way of learning has been through forensic pathology, so this was a good addition to my library
July 27, 2025
Fascinating collection of cases that Cynric has worked on as a pathologist, some “famous” and some more routine but all interesting. Keen to read other books by him.
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