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Città di morti
Paul Konig è il medico legale e anatomopatologo più noto e apprezzato di tutta New York. Duro e irascibile, è molto temuto da colleghi e poliziotti, ma tutti ricorrono a lui perché nessuno ha la sua arte e il suo intuito nel leggere i morti, e le storie che i loro corpi raccontano.Proprio mentre sta cercando di ricostruire l’identità delle vittime di un efferato delitto – che l’assassino ha fatto a pezzi allo scopo di renderle irriconoscibili – riceve una serie di telefonate anonime da cui apprende, in un crescendo di angoscia e dolore, che sua figlia Lauren è stata rapita. Si apre così una battaglia su due fronti e un’autentica corsa contro il tempo che coinvolge il sergente Flynn, impegnato nella ricerca dell’assassino, e il detective Haggard, a cui Konig si è rivolto perché lo aiuti a scovare i rapitori di sua figlia.Città di morti è un thriller elegante nella sua brutalità, un infernale viaggio al confine tra la vita e la morte, tra la superficie e l’abisso, ma anche la storia di un uomo e della sua caduta. Sullo sfondo, ma vera coprotagonista del romanzo, si staglia una città di corpi straziati, attraversata da suoni ingigantiti dall’angoscia e dalla tensione: un telefono che squilla, un rubinetto che perde, un susseguirsi di grida senza volto.
505 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1976
22 people are currently reading
757 people want to read
About the author
Herbert Lieberman
31 books46 followersHerbert Liberman received his AB from City College of New York and his AM from Columbia University. He is a former managing editor of the Reader's Digest Book Club.
The author of Crawlspace, City of the Dead, The Climate of Hell, and several other acclaimed novels, Herbert Lieberman is a recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship and a winner of France’s coveted Grand Prix de Littérature Policière for City of the Dead. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife. He and his wife Judith have one daughter and twin granddaughters.
The author of Crawlspace, City of the Dead, The Climate of Hell, and several other acclaimed novels, Herbert Lieberman is a recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship and a winner of France’s coveted Grand Prix de Littérature Policière for City of the Dead. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife. He and his wife Judith have one daughter and twin granddaughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
June 18, 2022
STRADE DI SANGUE
Negli anni Settanta la Grande Mela era diventata Fear City e stava per dare forfait: aveva dichiarato bancarotta per via della crisi fiscale (salvata da un prestito federale), la criminalità era in aumento, la corruzione avanzava ovunque, la povertà era sempre più diffusa. Interi quartieri, anche della stessa isola principale, Manhattan, venivano progressivamente occupati da poveri, sbandati, tossici, ubriachi, vagabondi, delinquenti. In attesa di essere gentrificati.
New York è brutta sporca e cattiva.
Gli anni di Mean Streets e Taxi Driver, di Lou Reed e la sua Walk on the Wild Side dal magico album “Transformer” (prodotto da David Bowie).
Il romanzo di Lieberman è di quell’epoca (1976) e parla di quel mondo in quel periodo (New York, la città dei morti, nel 1974), un bel repêchage della Minimum Fax.
Paul Konig è, come dice il suo nome, il re: re dei medici anatomopatologi, dirige l’ufficio di medicina legale della polizia di New York, in pratica è il capo dell’obitorio, la morgue di New York, rispettato e riverito dal mondo intero che lo consulta perché Konig ne sa più di tutti, conosce un corpo umano dal di dentro meglio delle sue tasche, affonda e rivolta i cadaveri col suo bisturi come in pratica fa con il corpo infetto della città, NY.
E lo conosce anche meglio di quanto conosca sua figlia Lauren, detta Lolly, che negli anni ha trascurato a tutto vantaggio del lavoro.
Così come ha fatto con la moglie Ida, che forse avrebbe voluto la separazione, magari solo per fargli capire e stimolarlo a dedicare più tempo alla famiglia.
Ida è ormai deceduta e quindi su quel versante per Konig è troppo tardi.
La figlia, ventidue anni, lo ritiene responsabile della morte di sua madre, è sparita da sei mesi. Presto si scopre che sta diventando una pittrice di talento, una galleria dell’Upper East Side vende bene i suoi quadri.
E poi, altrettanto presto, si scopre che è stata rapita.
I rapitori sembrano sadicamente divertirsi a tormentare Konig: gli telefonano, gli fanno ascoltare le urla strazianti della figlia, alla quale stanno presumibilmente facendo violenza, ma ci mettono diversi giorni prima di formulare la richiesta di un riscatto.
L’indagine è diversificata: da una parte quella per cercare di liberare sua figlia, con l’aiuto della polizia e dell’FBI, si intreccia col terrorismo dinamitardo – si ritiene che a rapire la ragazza sia stata una cellula di bombaroli che coi sequestri si finanzia gli esplosivi.
Dall’altra sulla riva del fiume emergono pezzi di cadaveri, difficile dire quanti, sono senza testa e senza polpastrelli, difficile individuarli, maschi o femmine.
C’è anche un terzo livello: la vita interna all’ufficio di medicina legale, la gara alla successione per l’incarico di dirigente, i cadaveri senza parenti venduti alle imprese funebri, mazzette, una morte che viene in qualche modo occultata per proteggere le guardie carcerarie, corruzione a vari livelli.
Lieberman aggiunge polpa alla sua storia: Lauren la figlia rapita di Konig, è già morta e le urla che fanno ascoltare al padre al telefono sono registrate, o invece quelle urla sono ‘recitate’ da qualche giovane donna della cellula dinamitarda, chissà, forse dalla stessa Lauren che pare sia innamorata del suo sequestratore?
È anche bravo a farci empatizzare con un protagonista che può facilmente essere sgradevole, respingente, spigoloso, collerico, rabbioso, batte continuamente il pugno sul tavolo, aggredisce i suoi collaboratori, è rude e villano e incarognito… Konig detesta il Coriolano di Shakespeare ma gli assomiglia molto:
Se proprio dovesse identificarsi con qualcuno, sarebbe Coriolano: orgoglioso, arrabbiato, incauto, sempre occupato ad apostrofare la massa, costringendola a confrontarsi con la propria stupidità. Come personaggio, Konig detesta Coriolano.
La traduzione è un’impresa notevole considerata l’elevata quantità di termini tecnici.
Pur non avendo il testo inglese sottomano due scelte mi hanno lasciato perplesso. Penso che il manzo affumicato sia meglio lasciarlo col suo vero nome, pastrami, o se non altro menzionare entrambi.
E penso che una ragazza che si senta pedinata dal nostro Konig e lo sbeffeggia mostrandogli il seno nudo in mezzo alla strada non gli urlerebbe mai dietro con ripetuta insistenza “Mentecatto”. Allora, perché no “contadino!” o “screanzato!”.
Il vecchio adagio posto in epigrafe recita: lo psichiatra sa tutto e non fa niente. Il chirurgo non sa niente e fa tutto. Il dermatologo non sa niente e non fa niente. Il medico legale sa tutto, ma un giorno troppo tardi.
Negli anni Settanta la Grande Mela era diventata Fear City e stava per dare forfait: aveva dichiarato bancarotta per via della crisi fiscale (salvata da un prestito federale), la criminalità era in aumento, la corruzione avanzava ovunque, la povertà era sempre più diffusa. Interi quartieri, anche della stessa isola principale, Manhattan, venivano progressivamente occupati da poveri, sbandati, tossici, ubriachi, vagabondi, delinquenti. In attesa di essere gentrificati.
New York è brutta sporca e cattiva.
Gli anni di Mean Streets e Taxi Driver, di Lou Reed e la sua Walk on the Wild Side dal magico album “Transformer” (prodotto da David Bowie).
Il romanzo di Lieberman è di quell’epoca (1976) e parla di quel mondo in quel periodo (New York, la città dei morti, nel 1974), un bel repêchage della Minimum Fax.
Paul Konig è, come dice il suo nome, il re: re dei medici anatomopatologi, dirige l’ufficio di medicina legale della polizia di New York, in pratica è il capo dell’obitorio, la morgue di New York, rispettato e riverito dal mondo intero che lo consulta perché Konig ne sa più di tutti, conosce un corpo umano dal di dentro meglio delle sue tasche, affonda e rivolta i cadaveri col suo bisturi come in pratica fa con il corpo infetto della città, NY.
E lo conosce anche meglio di quanto conosca sua figlia Lauren, detta Lolly, che negli anni ha trascurato a tutto vantaggio del lavoro.
Così come ha fatto con la moglie Ida, che forse avrebbe voluto la separazione, magari solo per fargli capire e stimolarlo a dedicare più tempo alla famiglia.
Ida è ormai deceduta e quindi su quel versante per Konig è troppo tardi.
La figlia, ventidue anni, lo ritiene responsabile della morte di sua madre, è sparita da sei mesi. Presto si scopre che sta diventando una pittrice di talento, una galleria dell’Upper East Side vende bene i suoi quadri.
E poi, altrettanto presto, si scopre che è stata rapita.
I rapitori sembrano sadicamente divertirsi a tormentare Konig: gli telefonano, gli fanno ascoltare le urla strazianti della figlia, alla quale stanno presumibilmente facendo violenza, ma ci mettono diversi giorni prima di formulare la richiesta di un riscatto.
L’indagine è diversificata: da una parte quella per cercare di liberare sua figlia, con l’aiuto della polizia e dell’FBI, si intreccia col terrorismo dinamitardo – si ritiene che a rapire la ragazza sia stata una cellula di bombaroli che coi sequestri si finanzia gli esplosivi.
Dall’altra sulla riva del fiume emergono pezzi di cadaveri, difficile dire quanti, sono senza testa e senza polpastrelli, difficile individuarli, maschi o femmine.
C’è anche un terzo livello: la vita interna all’ufficio di medicina legale, la gara alla successione per l’incarico di dirigente, i cadaveri senza parenti venduti alle imprese funebri, mazzette, una morte che viene in qualche modo occultata per proteggere le guardie carcerarie, corruzione a vari livelli.
Lieberman aggiunge polpa alla sua storia: Lauren la figlia rapita di Konig, è già morta e le urla che fanno ascoltare al padre al telefono sono registrate, o invece quelle urla sono ‘recitate’ da qualche giovane donna della cellula dinamitarda, chissà, forse dalla stessa Lauren che pare sia innamorata del suo sequestratore?
È anche bravo a farci empatizzare con un protagonista che può facilmente essere sgradevole, respingente, spigoloso, collerico, rabbioso, batte continuamente il pugno sul tavolo, aggredisce i suoi collaboratori, è rude e villano e incarognito… Konig detesta il Coriolano di Shakespeare ma gli assomiglia molto:
Se proprio dovesse identificarsi con qualcuno, sarebbe Coriolano: orgoglioso, arrabbiato, incauto, sempre occupato ad apostrofare la massa, costringendola a confrontarsi con la propria stupidità. Come personaggio, Konig detesta Coriolano.
La traduzione è un’impresa notevole considerata l’elevata quantità di termini tecnici.
Pur non avendo il testo inglese sottomano due scelte mi hanno lasciato perplesso. Penso che il manzo affumicato sia meglio lasciarlo col suo vero nome, pastrami, o se non altro menzionare entrambi.
E penso che una ragazza che si senta pedinata dal nostro Konig e lo sbeffeggia mostrandogli il seno nudo in mezzo alla strada non gli urlerebbe mai dietro con ripetuta insistenza “Mentecatto”. Allora, perché no “contadino!” o “screanzato!”.
Il vecchio adagio posto in epigrafe recita: lo psichiatra sa tutto e non fa niente. Il chirurgo non sa niente e fa tutto. Il dermatologo non sa niente e non fa niente. Il medico legale sa tutto, ma un giorno troppo tardi.
February 1, 2023
While the title makes this sound like some kind of zombie horror, City of the Dead is nothing of the sort; in fact, not only is this bereft of zombies, it is not a horror novel at all. Lieberman, author of the masterpiece Crawlspace, serves up another fantastic read with this iconic thriller/police procedural. Our main protagonist, Paul Konig, serves as the Chief Medical Examiner for NYC and has so for the last 40 years; in that space of time, Paul has become well acquainted with death to say the least. Devoted to the job, and in fact being one of, if not the, best ME in the nation, Konig is still at the top of his game, although his dedication has lead to estrangement from his wife and only daughter 'Lolly'.
The story follows two parallel arcs, one being the attempt to identify some brutally hacked up bodies found shallowly buried in the East river, the other concerning the disappearance of Paul's daughter Lolly. In the process of the story unfolding, Lieberman treats us to the gritty underbelly of NYC circa 1974 (this was first published in 1976), slimy city politics, hopeless tenements and the daily slaughter of people who eventually end up in the city morgue. I found City of the Dead totally engrossing as Lieberman makes the city feel so real it hurts, but the star attraction is Paul.
Paul's daughter Lolly left home 6 months ago, cleaning out her bank account, but Paul is convinced she is still living in NYC. Because she is 22, she cannot be treated as a missing person, but Paul uses some favors nonetheless to get the police to investigate. Paul is somewhat revered by the police in general and in fact possess some political clout due to his long standing position, but the search for his daughter has turned up few leads. Meanwhile, Paul, increasingly worried and bereft, continues his day to day existence, cutting up slaughtered and brutalized bodies to discern the cause of death.
Lieberman really did his research here and it feels like you are in the morgue with Paul; the technical jargon gets pretty heavy at times, but Lieberman manages to pull this off without being overwhelming.
What sets City of the Dead apart from the pack? There are many taut, police procedurals after all, and of course many novels featuring MEs. Besides being one of the first of the genre, Lieberman's prose is exceptional, at times a bit experimental, but never wordy or verbose; he cuts right to the chase over and over. Second, this also has something of a morality tale to it, as Paul, completely devoted to his job has estranged himself from his family and even friends. He is not a workaholic per se, but one almost possessed to get to the truth of death, to help see justice served. Third, this packs a real emotional punch as Paul reels from one gut punch to the next as the story unfolds and the denouement is fitting but totally brutal. Finally, most thrillers have a pretty early expiration date, seeming dated pretty soon after publication; not this. While set in 1974, this still feels fresh 50 years after the fact. Highly recommended for thriller fans, and those with some 'nostalgia' for what NYC used to be like before the financial services industry gentrified the place to hell and back. 4.5 gripping stars, happily rounding up.
The story follows two parallel arcs, one being the attempt to identify some brutally hacked up bodies found shallowly buried in the East river, the other concerning the disappearance of Paul's daughter Lolly. In the process of the story unfolding, Lieberman treats us to the gritty underbelly of NYC circa 1974 (this was first published in 1976), slimy city politics, hopeless tenements and the daily slaughter of people who eventually end up in the city morgue. I found City of the Dead totally engrossing as Lieberman makes the city feel so real it hurts, but the star attraction is Paul.
Paul's daughter Lolly left home 6 months ago, cleaning out her bank account, but Paul is convinced she is still living in NYC. Because she is 22, she cannot be treated as a missing person, but Paul uses some favors nonetheless to get the police to investigate. Paul is somewhat revered by the police in general and in fact possess some political clout due to his long standing position, but the search for his daughter has turned up few leads. Meanwhile, Paul, increasingly worried and bereft, continues his day to day existence, cutting up slaughtered and brutalized bodies to discern the cause of death.
Lieberman really did his research here and it feels like you are in the morgue with Paul; the technical jargon gets pretty heavy at times, but Lieberman manages to pull this off without being overwhelming.
What sets City of the Dead apart from the pack? There are many taut, police procedurals after all, and of course many novels featuring MEs. Besides being one of the first of the genre, Lieberman's prose is exceptional, at times a bit experimental, but never wordy or verbose; he cuts right to the chase over and over. Second, this also has something of a morality tale to it, as Paul, completely devoted to his job has estranged himself from his family and even friends. He is not a workaholic per se, but one almost possessed to get to the truth of death, to help see justice served. Third, this packs a real emotional punch as Paul reels from one gut punch to the next as the story unfolds and the denouement is fitting but totally brutal. Finally, most thrillers have a pretty early expiration date, seeming dated pretty soon after publication; not this. While set in 1974, this still feels fresh 50 years after the fact. Highly recommended for thriller fans, and those with some 'nostalgia' for what NYC used to be like before the financial services industry gentrified the place to hell and back. 4.5 gripping stars, happily rounding up.
June 3, 2012
This is the BEST book I have ever read. I have reread it more than 10 times since I was a teenager. Why? First, it does in one book what Patricia Cornwell, Susan Hill, and Dennis Lehane can do with all of their books combined. I have read hundreds of crime novels over the years. City of the Dead is the gold standard. There's nothing quite like it. Second, the story changes each time you reread it. Its urban setting breathes down your throat. The emotional undercurrents make you wince. It is intricate and ambitious. It is bleak and morbid. You "change" alongside the characters in the book. Third, this novel made me pick up everything by Lieberman. You might also want to try Crawlspace. Another one of his books, Nightbloom, is also quite good but not as powerful as City of the Dead. What comes close to Herbert Lieberman's artistic swagger is a Thomas Harris with the gritty sensationalist fervor of an Ira Levin. I am saddened by the lack of attention given to this book. There are also reviews on Amazon lamenting the same thing. It's a shame that this masterpiece is not widely celebrated by readers.
August 7, 2019
Un noir disperato e brutale, il cui protagonista, il dottor Paul Konig, anatomopatologo di New York, vive in simbiosi col proprio lavoro. Un’ossessione che lo consuma come ha consumato i suoi affetti più cari. Nulla lo appassiona più delle sfide e quella che si trova ad affrontare sembra impossibile: rimettere insieme i pezzi di due cadaveri senza testa, identificarli e cercare l’assassino. Si trova allo stesso tempo a combattere gli intrighi e la corruzione del suo stesso ufficio, mentre la figlia Lolly viene rapita. Il suo lavoro continua, tra angoscia e sensi di colpa, lunghe notti insonni a rivivere crisi e incomprensioni familiari.
New York fa da sfondo e da coprotagonista, città splendida e crudele in cui è facile far perdere le proprie tracce.
Una scrittura tesa e sapiente, un ritmo che va accelerando, un finale splendido, mi hanno tenuta incollata al libro, nonostante alcune descrizioni particolarmente crude e ossessive.
New York fa da sfondo e da coprotagonista, città splendida e crudele in cui è facile far perdere le proprie tracce.
Una scrittura tesa e sapiente, un ritmo che va accelerando, un finale splendido, mi hanno tenuta incollata al libro, nonostante alcune descrizioni particolarmente crude e ossessive.
February 21, 2017
This is a gut-punch of a novel, a soot-stained love letter to New York City in the 1970s. It is a book leveled off in three elements - 1.) a murder mystery as Chief Medical Examiner, Paul Konig (and like another reader mentioned, I imagined a grizzled George C. Scott in the role), tries to discover the identities of two mutilated and cut-up bodies found in the muck of the East River - 2.) a suspense thriller as Konig tries to find his daughter who fell in with a bunch of militant misfits, and is now being held for ransom - 3.) a searing expose of the bureaucratic bullshit of a NYC political system bursting at the seams with corruption and envy.
'City of the Dead' is a fine gritty thriller that relishes in the tarnished beauty of a city in near ruin:
"April again. Burgeoning spring. Tax time and the month of suicides. Gone now are February and March, seasons of drowned men, when the ice of the frozen rivers melt, yielding up the winter's harvest of junkies, itinerants, and prostitutes. Soon to come are July and August--the jack-knife months. Heat and homicide. Bullet holes, knife wounds, fatal garrotings, a grisly procession vomited out of the steamy ghettos of the inner city. Followed by September--early fall--season of wilting vegetation, self guilt, and inexplicable loss. Battered babies with the subdural hematomas and petechial hemorrahages. Then October--benign, quiescent; the oven pavements of the city cooling while death hangs back a little while, prostrate from all the carnage. Only to rush headlong into November and December. The holiday season. Thanksgiving and the Prince of Peace. Suicides come forth again."
'City of the Dead' is a fine gritty thriller that relishes in the tarnished beauty of a city in near ruin:
"April again. Burgeoning spring. Tax time and the month of suicides. Gone now are February and March, seasons of drowned men, when the ice of the frozen rivers melt, yielding up the winter's harvest of junkies, itinerants, and prostitutes. Soon to come are July and August--the jack-knife months. Heat and homicide. Bullet holes, knife wounds, fatal garrotings, a grisly procession vomited out of the steamy ghettos of the inner city. Followed by September--early fall--season of wilting vegetation, self guilt, and inexplicable loss. Battered babies with the subdural hematomas and petechial hemorrahages. Then October--benign, quiescent; the oven pavements of the city cooling while death hangs back a little while, prostrate from all the carnage. Only to rush headlong into November and December. The holiday season. Thanksgiving and the Prince of Peace. Suicides come forth again."
March 10, 2022
Crudo y explícito, con mucha casquería, pero que, con los adelantos que hay hoy día, se hace difícil de leer y resulta plano y viejuno.
July 31, 2013
Gruesome murders, political pressure, back stabbing and character assassination in the office, corruption in high places and the Chief Medical Examiner is on knife’s edge, (and we won’t mention that his daughter has been kidnapped and tortured, he is keeping that to himself), the tension is imploding! This is a gripping yet somewhat grey and gritty picture of life in New York in the 70’s; the decay, the despair, the crime that is relentless and ever more sinister and sickening. Lieberman’s Paul Konig serves as the template for the modern day forensic heroes that we are all so familiar with – he is professional, he is determined to find the truth for the deceased and their families and to find those responsible for committing these crimes. Konig is driven, passionate and intelligent and...rather sad. He is human and shows his frailties.
Not only does the reader get a compelling murder/mystery but a portrait of a man under immense pressure overwhelmed by his situation; regretting past misdemeanours in his personal life, berating himself for choices he made, for the things he didn't do, slipping in and out of conversations with his past, spiraling into despair and darkness. This is a dark yet compelling work of crime fiction.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It is a brilliant forensic procedural – the detail and the technical masterfulness of the author are show cased in the minutia of the operations of the morgue, of the autopsies, of the piecing of the lives of the dead back together again is amazing. Yet this is not just a narrative defined by its plot, it is also a rich picture of so many lives; the criminals, the politicians, the victims, the police working on the cases, the pathologists and the Chief Medical Examiner and his relationship with all in this web of life and death. Brilliant!
Not only does the reader get a compelling murder/mystery but a portrait of a man under immense pressure overwhelmed by his situation; regretting past misdemeanours in his personal life, berating himself for choices he made, for the things he didn't do, slipping in and out of conversations with his past, spiraling into despair and darkness. This is a dark yet compelling work of crime fiction.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It is a brilliant forensic procedural – the detail and the technical masterfulness of the author are show cased in the minutia of the operations of the morgue, of the autopsies, of the piecing of the lives of the dead back together again is amazing. Yet this is not just a narrative defined by its plot, it is also a rich picture of so many lives; the criminals, the politicians, the victims, the police working on the cases, the pathologists and the Chief Medical Examiner and his relationship with all in this web of life and death. Brilliant!
February 19, 2021
I've never had an interest in visiting New York. I've never wanted to live there, never wanted to vacation there, never thought about just stopping in to see the sights. I have friends who live there and enjoy it. It's a publishing mecca. They say, "If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere." It's nothing personal -- the place has never done me wrong -- it's just one of a million or so places on the planet I've never been all that interested in physically visiting.
That said, the idea of New York is fascinating. If the United States is meant to be a cultural melting pot, then New York is what's generating all the heat. You can't just stuff several million people representing a thousand different cultures, nationalities, ethnicities, religions, means, and lifestyles into an area of roughly 55,000 square miles and not create a massive sociological experiment. That side of New York is intriguing: not just the upper-class glitz and glamour of Park Avenue, but the myriad of middle- and lower-class areas too. Rich people are generally uninteresting to read about in fiction for me: give me the tired, the poor, and the down-trodden any day of the week. That's what Herbert Lieberman delivers in City of the Dead, and I was hooked on page one.
If I had to sum City of the Dead up in a single sentence, it would be, "A grime-covered, bloodstained love letter to the real 1970's New York." I could do research, I could watch all manner of travel vlogs, I could browse pictures on Instagram until my eyes fell out of my skull, but no matter how hard I tried, no matter how good a writer I think I am, I could never in a million years convince anyone I knew what the hell I was talking about when it comes to New York. Lieberman, on the other hand, does so with the effortless verve and panache of someone who walked the streets, breathed the air, and knew the people. He may live in California now, but make no mistake, this guy was New York born and New York bred. Outsiders like me could scratch the surface, but just like his protagonist Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Paul Konig wouldn't think of conducting an autopsy without digging into the guts, the brains, the vital areas, Lieberman doesn't stoop to imprint his New York on the page in such a superficial fashion.
Lieberman's New York is the uncovered underbelly of a world that doesn't care because it can't possibly slow down enough for such trivial necessities. This New York of 1974 is a remorseless factory of humanity, where everyone's on an assembly line. Stopping to care, taking your eye off the conveyor belt for just a few seconds, is a mistake that could cost you a finger if you're lucky. If fortune fails to favor you, you'll get ground between the gears: everything will stop for the few minutes it takes to drag what's left of you out of the machine, and then it's back to business as usual. There's always someone else waiting to step in and fill your vacancy.
It is difficult for me to remember the last time I felt so fully, grotesquely, and completely immersed in this aspect of a big city courtesy of the printed word. City of the Dead is set just a few scant years before I was born. It's a setting in a city captured on film with the likes of The Warriors, Taxi Driver, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. The alleys of Death Wish, the streets of The French Connection, the days of Marathon Man, and the nights of The Bad Lieutenant: New York of the 70's is indelibly imprinted in our pop cultural conscience courtesy of our cinema. City of the Dead is all of this and more reduced to the simplicity and complexity of twenty-six letters, rearranged in thousands of possible combinations, communicating thoughts from Lieberman's brain into ours. New York in this book is the main character -- she is the face set against the skyline on the cover, the one where everything and nothing registers in her unsettling gaze, the one where a casual glance is insufficient to determine if her eyes are open or closed.
Hell, I've been staring at the artwork for several minutes now trying to decide for myself. Like those images that reveal a vase or a pair of faces, a young woman or an aged crone, depending on where you're looking, this haunting cover gracing this haunting story refuses to give up its secrets. It demands we process both perspectives simultaneously, all the while secure in the knowledge our brains don't run in parallel like that. The closest I've ever seen to an author capturing the authenticity, danger, and disturbing beauty of a city the way Lieberman captures New York is Natsuo Kirino's treatment of Tokyo in her incredible noir thriller, Out.
I'm 800 words into the review. So far I've mentioned a main character in passing, praised Lieberman's authenticity of setting, and said nothing at all about the plot. Maybe I should get with the goods, eh?
City of the Dead has several threads running through it, but they all intersect with Paul Konig. As mentioned, Dr. Konig is New York City's Chief Medical Examiner. It's a position he's held for forty years, watching administrations come and go, while he and his fellow civil servants perform the grim duties of determining both identity and cause of death for the dozens of unfortunate individuals that pass into their chambers via stainless steel carts and body bags every day. Konig, now in his mid-sixties and no longer a spring chicken, knows his time as CME is coming towards an end. Other doctors, some more ambitious and motivated than others, smell the blood in the water, and every mistake Paul makes is one more check mark in his retirement column. Fortunately, Konig is a brilliant pathologist: very little escapes his gaze under the harsh lights and sharp scalpels of the autopsy theater.
Unfortunately, while Konig is second-to-none in his chosen field, he's far from perfect anywhere else. His obsessive dedication to his craft and profession have devastated his life outside of work. Before being widowed, he'd pushed his wife to the breaking point. With her passing, his daughter Lauren emptied her bank account and vanished into the cold and unforgiving world of the New York streets. Now, fully aware of how alone he truly is, struggling to maintain the breakneck pace New York requires of those who call themselves civil servants, working with both the police and the FBI to find his daughter before she winds up in one of his freezers, Konig finds himself working on one of the worst cases of his career.
NYPD has uncovered the dismembered remains of at least two bodies, possibly more, dumped into the East River. Heads, hands, feet, and much of the flesh missing, this is hardly your run-of-the-mill homicide. Whoever did this has left no calling card, no evidence. Unless the CME's office can provide identification and cause of death, there's no way to identify motive, and without motive there's no way to anticipate when or how the killer will strike again. It's just one case among hundreds. Konig could pass it off to any of the other pathologists in the building, but doing so would be admitting to himself that he's not got what it takes to hack it at the job any longer. No matter what what the world throws at him in terms of familial danger, office in-fighting, or sensational stories spread across the front pages of the Times about incompetence and corruption within the Chief Medical Examiner's office, Dr. Konig will make sense of these senseless killings, assemble the pieces of the gruesome jigsaw one by one, and help the police bring the killer to justice. Even if it kills him.
How much pressure, how much piling on, can one New York pathologist take? Dr. Konig's going to find out, and we the readers will learn just where our own breaking points are along the way.
City of the Dead puts the screws to both its main character and its readers from the very first page, where we're introduced to Konig in media res, inspecting a trio of crime scenes where the painful tragedy of humanity has played out savagely upon the walls, floors, and ceilings of the victims' world. It's a world a grim and determined reader will not be leaving for a further 355 pages. Christopher Lehman-Haupt's blurb on the cover about becoming literally afraid to turn the pages is a bit melodramatic, but I can totally see where he's coming from. City of the Dead holds nothing back. The victims seen by the CME come in all ages, all genders, all backrounds: junkies who overdose on their supply; prostitutes who pick up the wrong john; children battered and finally broken by their own parents. The matter-of-fact-ness of it all is just one more tragedy heaped upon the shoulders of characters tasked with holding back a tsunami while armed with a few buckets and shot glasses.
It's depressing, but it's depressing in its authenticity, a non-fictional piece of fiction, a eulogy to those both devoured by the city and those who soon will be, for New York like all big cities subsists on a steady diet of its own offspring. City of the Dead wallows in its depictions of the worst things humanity has to offer. By focusing on this with such laser-like intensity, Lieberman in a strange way helps the reader appreciate the best things. After all, if you have the luxury of reading this book instead of laying on a slab in the temperature-controlled basement of a government pathology building, if you can close the covers and still walk upright, you won today's life lottery. Enjoy that next breath--you emerged, unscathed but not unaffected, from a vicious vision of beauty at its most diseased.
Kathy Reichs, Jefferson Bass, and Patricia Cornwell might have brought the forensic thriller to the masses, but their stories, despite tackling dark premises, pop back out into the light of day once the book's concluded. City of the Dead is different. Though the New York Lieberman documents is a world now buried under four decades' of time's relentless passage, one can't travel there without bringing some of it home. This is an unforgettable story; the fact Herbert Lieberman isn't a household name in 2018 is one of the worst crimes perpetrated on twenty-first century literature.
Five unseeing (yet never sleeping) eyes out of five.
That said, the idea of New York is fascinating. If the United States is meant to be a cultural melting pot, then New York is what's generating all the heat. You can't just stuff several million people representing a thousand different cultures, nationalities, ethnicities, religions, means, and lifestyles into an area of roughly 55,000 square miles and not create a massive sociological experiment. That side of New York is intriguing: not just the upper-class glitz and glamour of Park Avenue, but the myriad of middle- and lower-class areas too. Rich people are generally uninteresting to read about in fiction for me: give me the tired, the poor, and the down-trodden any day of the week. That's what Herbert Lieberman delivers in City of the Dead, and I was hooked on page one.
If I had to sum City of the Dead up in a single sentence, it would be, "A grime-covered, bloodstained love letter to the real 1970's New York." I could do research, I could watch all manner of travel vlogs, I could browse pictures on Instagram until my eyes fell out of my skull, but no matter how hard I tried, no matter how good a writer I think I am, I could never in a million years convince anyone I knew what the hell I was talking about when it comes to New York. Lieberman, on the other hand, does so with the effortless verve and panache of someone who walked the streets, breathed the air, and knew the people. He may live in California now, but make no mistake, this guy was New York born and New York bred. Outsiders like me could scratch the surface, but just like his protagonist Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Paul Konig wouldn't think of conducting an autopsy without digging into the guts, the brains, the vital areas, Lieberman doesn't stoop to imprint his New York on the page in such a superficial fashion.
Lieberman's New York is the uncovered underbelly of a world that doesn't care because it can't possibly slow down enough for such trivial necessities. This New York of 1974 is a remorseless factory of humanity, where everyone's on an assembly line. Stopping to care, taking your eye off the conveyor belt for just a few seconds, is a mistake that could cost you a finger if you're lucky. If fortune fails to favor you, you'll get ground between the gears: everything will stop for the few minutes it takes to drag what's left of you out of the machine, and then it's back to business as usual. There's always someone else waiting to step in and fill your vacancy.
It is difficult for me to remember the last time I felt so fully, grotesquely, and completely immersed in this aspect of a big city courtesy of the printed word. City of the Dead is set just a few scant years before I was born. It's a setting in a city captured on film with the likes of The Warriors, Taxi Driver, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. The alleys of Death Wish, the streets of The French Connection, the days of Marathon Man, and the nights of The Bad Lieutenant: New York of the 70's is indelibly imprinted in our pop cultural conscience courtesy of our cinema. City of the Dead is all of this and more reduced to the simplicity and complexity of twenty-six letters, rearranged in thousands of possible combinations, communicating thoughts from Lieberman's brain into ours. New York in this book is the main character -- she is the face set against the skyline on the cover, the one where everything and nothing registers in her unsettling gaze, the one where a casual glance is insufficient to determine if her eyes are open or closed.
Hell, I've been staring at the artwork for several minutes now trying to decide for myself. Like those images that reveal a vase or a pair of faces, a young woman or an aged crone, depending on where you're looking, this haunting cover gracing this haunting story refuses to give up its secrets. It demands we process both perspectives simultaneously, all the while secure in the knowledge our brains don't run in parallel like that. The closest I've ever seen to an author capturing the authenticity, danger, and disturbing beauty of a city the way Lieberman captures New York is Natsuo Kirino's treatment of Tokyo in her incredible noir thriller, Out.
I'm 800 words into the review. So far I've mentioned a main character in passing, praised Lieberman's authenticity of setting, and said nothing at all about the plot. Maybe I should get with the goods, eh?
City of the Dead has several threads running through it, but they all intersect with Paul Konig. As mentioned, Dr. Konig is New York City's Chief Medical Examiner. It's a position he's held for forty years, watching administrations come and go, while he and his fellow civil servants perform the grim duties of determining both identity and cause of death for the dozens of unfortunate individuals that pass into their chambers via stainless steel carts and body bags every day. Konig, now in his mid-sixties and no longer a spring chicken, knows his time as CME is coming towards an end. Other doctors, some more ambitious and motivated than others, smell the blood in the water, and every mistake Paul makes is one more check mark in his retirement column. Fortunately, Konig is a brilliant pathologist: very little escapes his gaze under the harsh lights and sharp scalpels of the autopsy theater.
Unfortunately, while Konig is second-to-none in his chosen field, he's far from perfect anywhere else. His obsessive dedication to his craft and profession have devastated his life outside of work. Before being widowed, he'd pushed his wife to the breaking point. With her passing, his daughter Lauren emptied her bank account and vanished into the cold and unforgiving world of the New York streets. Now, fully aware of how alone he truly is, struggling to maintain the breakneck pace New York requires of those who call themselves civil servants, working with both the police and the FBI to find his daughter before she winds up in one of his freezers, Konig finds himself working on one of the worst cases of his career.
NYPD has uncovered the dismembered remains of at least two bodies, possibly more, dumped into the East River. Heads, hands, feet, and much of the flesh missing, this is hardly your run-of-the-mill homicide. Whoever did this has left no calling card, no evidence. Unless the CME's office can provide identification and cause of death, there's no way to identify motive, and without motive there's no way to anticipate when or how the killer will strike again. It's just one case among hundreds. Konig could pass it off to any of the other pathologists in the building, but doing so would be admitting to himself that he's not got what it takes to hack it at the job any longer. No matter what what the world throws at him in terms of familial danger, office in-fighting, or sensational stories spread across the front pages of the Times about incompetence and corruption within the Chief Medical Examiner's office, Dr. Konig will make sense of these senseless killings, assemble the pieces of the gruesome jigsaw one by one, and help the police bring the killer to justice. Even if it kills him.
How much pressure, how much piling on, can one New York pathologist take? Dr. Konig's going to find out, and we the readers will learn just where our own breaking points are along the way.
City of the Dead puts the screws to both its main character and its readers from the very first page, where we're introduced to Konig in media res, inspecting a trio of crime scenes where the painful tragedy of humanity has played out savagely upon the walls, floors, and ceilings of the victims' world. It's a world a grim and determined reader will not be leaving for a further 355 pages. Christopher Lehman-Haupt's blurb on the cover about becoming literally afraid to turn the pages is a bit melodramatic, but I can totally see where he's coming from. City of the Dead holds nothing back. The victims seen by the CME come in all ages, all genders, all backrounds: junkies who overdose on their supply; prostitutes who pick up the wrong john; children battered and finally broken by their own parents. The matter-of-fact-ness of it all is just one more tragedy heaped upon the shoulders of characters tasked with holding back a tsunami while armed with a few buckets and shot glasses.
It's depressing, but it's depressing in its authenticity, a non-fictional piece of fiction, a eulogy to those both devoured by the city and those who soon will be, for New York like all big cities subsists on a steady diet of its own offspring. City of the Dead wallows in its depictions of the worst things humanity has to offer. By focusing on this with such laser-like intensity, Lieberman in a strange way helps the reader appreciate the best things. After all, if you have the luxury of reading this book instead of laying on a slab in the temperature-controlled basement of a government pathology building, if you can close the covers and still walk upright, you won today's life lottery. Enjoy that next breath--you emerged, unscathed but not unaffected, from a vicious vision of beauty at its most diseased.
Kathy Reichs, Jefferson Bass, and Patricia Cornwell might have brought the forensic thriller to the masses, but their stories, despite tackling dark premises, pop back out into the light of day once the book's concluded. City of the Dead is different. Though the New York Lieberman documents is a world now buried under four decades' of time's relentless passage, one can't travel there without bringing some of it home. This is an unforgettable story; the fact Herbert Lieberman isn't a household name in 2018 is one of the worst crimes perpetrated on twenty-first century literature.
Five unseeing (yet never sleeping) eyes out of five.
August 30, 2022
Wow! I devoured this one. It is dark, it is gritty, the characters are fascinating. There is so much happening. A kidnapping, a crime they need to solve, corruption politically within the police force and one genius in his field tackling all three of these at once. I found the book read like an amazing crime thriller movie you were watching and I found myself getting lost in it Impossible to put down. I found this engaging, interesting, well written and captivating, right up until the last page. If you arent for medical jargon then maybe this isnt for you. If you love a good thriller then this is your one to find. So glad I found this many moons ago.
September 28, 2020
Outstanding novel of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City, and the toll this job takes on him and his family. A brilliant look at a talented though deeply flawed man whose world is his laboratory. Unforgettable and hard-hitting...the city needs people like him, though the price he pays is very, very high.
June 18, 2023
Je viens de terminer ce roman. Je suis en train de pleurer dans un café bondé en tremblant de tout mon corps. Fin de la chronique.
June 14, 2025
Un romanzo che mescola thriller, noir e poliziesco, ambientato in una New York fredda e opprimente. Il protagonista è Paul Konig, un anatomopatologo capo dell’obitorio cittadino, uomo brillante ma tormentato, cinico e profondamente segnato da drammi personali. Non è il classico detective d’azione: è un uomo analitico, metodico, che affronta il crimine dalla parte più cruda e silenziosa — i cadaveri. Un protagonista cupo e fuori dagli schemi, diverso dai classici eroi del thriller.
L'atmosfera, morbosa e angosciante, è ben costruita, anche se alcune sequenze rallentano per l’eccesso di introspezione; la tensione è più psicologica che dinamica: può risultare "lento" per chi cerca azione pura.
In sostanza, un noir atipico, profondo e disturbante, che esplora l’anatomia della morte tanto quanto quella dell’animo umano. Ideale per chi apprezza atmosfere cupe e protagonisti imperfetti, segnati dal dolore e dalla solitudine.
L'atmosfera, morbosa e angosciante, è ben costruita, anche se alcune sequenze rallentano per l’eccesso di introspezione; la tensione è più psicologica che dinamica: può risultare "lento" per chi cerca azione pura.
In sostanza, un noir atipico, profondo e disturbante, che esplora l’anatomia della morte tanto quanto quella dell’animo umano. Ideale per chi apprezza atmosfere cupe e protagonisti imperfetti, segnati dal dolore e dalla solitudine.
August 31, 2013
Book review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...
City of The Dead is one of the grittiest crime novels I’ve read in a while. Paul Konig is Chief Medical Examiner of New York City, which means he spends most of his time with the dead. His job has taken the best of him for many years – his marriage failed, his wife eventually passed away, his daughter won’t speak to him anymore, and overall, he’s lost most of the things he loves. But this new case is particularly gruesome, and Konig vows to solve it, catching the mad man who has committed a series of brutal crimes and carved a bloody path across the city.
But the clearer the picture Konig gets of the killer, the more the last thing he cares for becomes endangered. For his own daughter has been kidnapped, and with every second wasting away, so do his chances of seeing her alive. With political blackmail on the agenda, someone stealing unclaimed corpses, and a murderer to catch, Konig may be up for his toughest days yet.
This book was originally published in the 70′s, and it’s like an early example of Temperance Brennan. Konig is a medical examiner forever scarred by the long list of people he’s seen ending up on his tables. He’s grumpy, old and has a sarcastic sense of humor not everyone can appreciate. He’s a ruthless man as well, the kind of person whose job is everything for him, who will go to the end of the world and beyond to solve a crime. But at the same time, we see him as a man at the end of the line, who is constantly under stress, who hasn’t got a moment of peace, the kind of man urging toward an emotional breakdown. He is flawed, but his flaws make him come to life, turn him into one of the most endaring, intriguing protagonists I’ve seen for a while.
The unique thing about the story is that it isn’t just a murder to solve. There are several cases going on at once, which adds to the urgent feel of the book. When all the cases come together at the end, it feels like a nice closure, and actually made me think about the brilliance of the mind who could conjure so many storylines and then add them neatly together. There’s the kidnapping of Konig’s daughter, the gruesome murders, some other murders, and the cases of political blackmail going on at Konig’s office. We get glimpses of Konig’s past mixed in as well.
Another bonus is that the author doesn’t shy away from giving the readers heartbreak and doesn’t guarantee happy endings for everyone. Just like in the real world. There is also heaps of technical stuff about the world of forensics that I thought was very intriguing to read, and certainly shows the author did his homework.
If you’re a fan of gritty murder mysteries, check out “City of the Dead“. It has amazing writing, one of the best protagonists I’ve come across in a while, and a suspenseful storyline.
City of The Dead is one of the grittiest crime novels I’ve read in a while. Paul Konig is Chief Medical Examiner of New York City, which means he spends most of his time with the dead. His job has taken the best of him for many years – his marriage failed, his wife eventually passed away, his daughter won’t speak to him anymore, and overall, he’s lost most of the things he loves. But this new case is particularly gruesome, and Konig vows to solve it, catching the mad man who has committed a series of brutal crimes and carved a bloody path across the city.
But the clearer the picture Konig gets of the killer, the more the last thing he cares for becomes endangered. For his own daughter has been kidnapped, and with every second wasting away, so do his chances of seeing her alive. With political blackmail on the agenda, someone stealing unclaimed corpses, and a murderer to catch, Konig may be up for his toughest days yet.
This book was originally published in the 70′s, and it’s like an early example of Temperance Brennan. Konig is a medical examiner forever scarred by the long list of people he’s seen ending up on his tables. He’s grumpy, old and has a sarcastic sense of humor not everyone can appreciate. He’s a ruthless man as well, the kind of person whose job is everything for him, who will go to the end of the world and beyond to solve a crime. But at the same time, we see him as a man at the end of the line, who is constantly under stress, who hasn’t got a moment of peace, the kind of man urging toward an emotional breakdown. He is flawed, but his flaws make him come to life, turn him into one of the most endaring, intriguing protagonists I’ve seen for a while.
The unique thing about the story is that it isn’t just a murder to solve. There are several cases going on at once, which adds to the urgent feel of the book. When all the cases come together at the end, it feels like a nice closure, and actually made me think about the brilliance of the mind who could conjure so many storylines and then add them neatly together. There’s the kidnapping of Konig’s daughter, the gruesome murders, some other murders, and the cases of political blackmail going on at Konig’s office. We get glimpses of Konig’s past mixed in as well.
Another bonus is that the author doesn’t shy away from giving the readers heartbreak and doesn’t guarantee happy endings for everyone. Just like in the real world. There is also heaps of technical stuff about the world of forensics that I thought was very intriguing to read, and certainly shows the author did his homework.
If you’re a fan of gritty murder mysteries, check out “City of the Dead“. It has amazing writing, one of the best protagonists I’ve come across in a while, and a suspenseful storyline.
July 15, 2021
Una novela rara dentro del genero de novela negra. No muy conocida por el gran publico. Pero muy buscada por los especialistas y fanáticos del Hard Boiled.
Empieza de manera muy clásica, un policía va recorriendo distintos escenarios de crimen, viendo masacres atroces, propias de grandes urbes. Uno piensa que esta inspector va a ser el protagonista a partir de acá, pero no, solo esta recolectando cadáveres para llevarlos a la morgue, donde esta el verdadero protagonista, el forense Koenig.
Este hombre es muy respetado en su profesión, con dotes de eminencia, admirado por sus colegas, y utilizado como parte central para la resolución de casos.
El problema que tiene Koenig es que debido a su trabajo, tiene una relacion tan natural con la muerte, que lo vuelve frio, distante, solitario, con crisis familiares y poca vida social.
Todo esto cambia cunado se entera que su única hija fue secuestrada y su misión va a ser intentar buscar información investigando los cadáveres que tiene guardados en la heladera de la morgue.
En esta época, lo forense nos es mas familiar, gracias al éxito que tuvieron series como CSI. Pero cuando se publico esta novela, debió ser muy impactante. El nivel de detalle que describe en cada disección de los cadáveres llega hasta lo revulsivo. Se nota que Lieberman se informo y estudio mucho antes de ponerse a escribir.
El personaje de Koenig es tan solido y definido, que lo podemos ubicar junto con otras grandes personajes literarios de la novela negra, quizás este no fue tan conocido porque termino acá. El autor no lo siguió como una saga.
No se si es una novela para iniciados, quizás la califiquen mejor los que ya hayan recorrido todos los títulos mas clásicos del genero policial, van a notar lo original de este argumento.
Empieza de manera muy clásica, un policía va recorriendo distintos escenarios de crimen, viendo masacres atroces, propias de grandes urbes. Uno piensa que esta inspector va a ser el protagonista a partir de acá, pero no, solo esta recolectando cadáveres para llevarlos a la morgue, donde esta el verdadero protagonista, el forense Koenig.
Este hombre es muy respetado en su profesión, con dotes de eminencia, admirado por sus colegas, y utilizado como parte central para la resolución de casos.
El problema que tiene Koenig es que debido a su trabajo, tiene una relacion tan natural con la muerte, que lo vuelve frio, distante, solitario, con crisis familiares y poca vida social.
Todo esto cambia cunado se entera que su única hija fue secuestrada y su misión va a ser intentar buscar información investigando los cadáveres que tiene guardados en la heladera de la morgue.
En esta época, lo forense nos es mas familiar, gracias al éxito que tuvieron series como CSI. Pero cuando se publico esta novela, debió ser muy impactante. El nivel de detalle que describe en cada disección de los cadáveres llega hasta lo revulsivo. Se nota que Lieberman se informo y estudio mucho antes de ponerse a escribir.
El personaje de Koenig es tan solido y definido, que lo podemos ubicar junto con otras grandes personajes literarios de la novela negra, quizás este no fue tan conocido porque termino acá. El autor no lo siguió como una saga.
No se si es una novela para iniciados, quizás la califiquen mejor los que ya hayan recorrido todos los títulos mas clásicos del genero policial, van a notar lo original de este argumento.
April 27, 2021
My copy is the 976 first edition, first print. I do not know why there is no picture of the cover here. My dust jacket is marked $8.95, has the ISBN on the back and the body in a morgue drawer photograph front, the author's picture on the back.
Well, fine. I puzzle about these things but I am here to quickly cover the story.
Before we had Kay Scarpetta, before Lincoln Rhyme or Temperance Brennan, before a legion of medical detectives, Mr. Lieberman gave us Doctor Paul Konig, Chief Medical Examiner of New York City. And Dr. Konig comes with the goods. The squeamish can stay away from this one. Bodies get autopsied and the descriptions are simply what happens.
We do not have a mystery here but rather a procedural of unrelated cases, and an examination of Dr. Konig, who has been doing this work for a long time and who bears other personal burdens, as well as political fights within the city government.
Surprisingly, given the author's background and the major publisher, the editing is sloppy. For examples, a number of unusual words are repeated, and several strong descriptors overused. The grammar and syntax are fine for the era; the medical details are accurate, the tension and plot superior.
Recommended
Well, fine. I puzzle about these things but I am here to quickly cover the story.
Before we had Kay Scarpetta, before Lincoln Rhyme or Temperance Brennan, before a legion of medical detectives, Mr. Lieberman gave us Doctor Paul Konig, Chief Medical Examiner of New York City. And Dr. Konig comes with the goods. The squeamish can stay away from this one. Bodies get autopsied and the descriptions are simply what happens.
We do not have a mystery here but rather a procedural of unrelated cases, and an examination of Dr. Konig, who has been doing this work for a long time and who bears other personal burdens, as well as political fights within the city government.
Surprisingly, given the author's background and the major publisher, the editing is sloppy. For examples, a number of unusual words are repeated, and several strong descriptors overused. The grammar and syntax are fine for the era; the medical details are accurate, the tension and plot superior.
Recommended
December 26, 2013
CITY OF THE DEAD is an interesting read. It's a typical crime investigation novel, but it takes place in the 1970s, so instead of the high-tech DNA sequencing and facial recognition we're all familiar with through tv shows, this is tough, boots on the ground grunt work. Paul Koenig is the chief medical examiner in New York, and he deals with gritty, dirty death every day. He's out of shape and over-stressed, and in this story, he comes up against a murder that he may not be able to solve, while dealing with some shady dealings with the members of his staff, and his daughter has run off and may or may not still be alive. I'm glad I got a chance to read this author, and I'm surprised there aren't more reviews. I'm glad Open Road Media is bringing it back, so hopefully more people will get a chance to read some real forensic fiction. If you're a fan of crime novels, give this one a shot.
Received as a free digital ARC via Netgalley and the publisher.
Received as a free digital ARC via Netgalley and the publisher.
May 14, 2022
Sometimes you pick up a novel by an author you've never heard of and it blows you away. That was the case with CITY OF THE DEAD, an extraordinarily gritty '70s crime thriller set in New York. It's a book packed to the gills with sub-plots, tension, character building and murderous mayhem, and somehow each storyline is just as engrossing as the last: there's corruption at the morgue, political strife, kidnapping, and a gruesome murder just waiting to be solved. The backdrop is painted superbly, taking grimness to the next level, and our protagonist is Paul Konig, an embattered coroner nearing the end of his career. You can imagine him being played by George C. Scott or Albert Finney in the film adaptation, but this is far too graphic for the screen, the seediness and brutality better left to the page. It's an utterly compelling read, page-turning and then some; much better-known authors could learn a thing or two from this one.
June 2, 2012
Un polar. Un vrai. Une autre vision de New York en nuances presque monochromes, du noir au rouge en passant par le gris et la crasse. Plusieurs lignes d'intrigue, toutes aussi prenantes. Le légiste en chef de New York, corruption, politique et jeux de pouvoir, ambition, complots et trahisons. Un grand homme en bout de course, épuisé, brillant et seul. Reconstitution de cadavres en morceaux et recherche désespérée de leur meurtrier. Désespoir de la disparition de sa fille, chantage, violence... et ce que je préfère dans les polars: une fin ouverte. Un polar sans compromis. Un vrai bon polar.
Et merci encore à Zazaone pour la recommandation. Un très gros coup de coeur.
Et merci encore à Zazaone pour la recommandation. Un très gros coup de coeur.
August 1, 2013
This was first published in the 70s and it hasn't received the recognition it deserves.
Think Tempe Brennan or Kay Scarpetta but male, old and grumpy.
Lieberman has created a character walking the tightrope of emotional instability, constant professional pressure and his fear of loss.
The main character Konig finds himself wandering between nostalgic moments of reminiscence, whilst dancing the game of internal politics and to top it all off his daughter is missing.
It is dark and certain parts leave a sense of melancholy.
All in all it is realistic, detailed and a heck of a good read.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
Think Tempe Brennan or Kay Scarpetta but male, old and grumpy.
Lieberman has created a character walking the tightrope of emotional instability, constant professional pressure and his fear of loss.
The main character Konig finds himself wandering between nostalgic moments of reminiscence, whilst dancing the game of internal politics and to top it all off his daughter is missing.
It is dark and certain parts leave a sense of melancholy.
All in all it is realistic, detailed and a heck of a good read.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
August 9, 2013
I received this book free in exchange for a review from Net Galley.
This was the first book by this author that I have read which according to the previous reviews, I have waited too long to read him.
I found this book to be an incredible insight as to the daily life of a medical examiner. This book was VERY graphic about the forensic details involved. While a little squeamish at times, it was very enlightening.
The second story about the story of a lonely man whose daughter was kidnapped and now won't talk to her father, really touches the heart as you really feel his pain.
This is a book I would highly recommend if highly graphic forensic methods are not too much for you.
This was the first book by this author that I have read which according to the previous reviews, I have waited too long to read him.
I found this book to be an incredible insight as to the daily life of a medical examiner. This book was VERY graphic about the forensic details involved. While a little squeamish at times, it was very enlightening.
The second story about the story of a lonely man whose daughter was kidnapped and now won't talk to her father, really touches the heart as you really feel his pain.
This is a book I would highly recommend if highly graphic forensic methods are not too much for you.
May 26, 2019
Ottimo thriller, nerissimo e scritto divinamente. Il protagonista, medico legale abituato a ragionare scientificamente sulla morte e a controllarla per trovare le colpe dei vivi, è costretto stavolta ad avere a che fare col caos e l'impotenza. Gran parte del fascino del libro deriva infatti da questo continuo contrasto tra l'assuefazione del protagonista per il suo lavoro (resa anche con molti tecnicismi un po' macabri che hanno l'effeto di un barbiturico) e la corsa al tempo alla quale sembra totamente impreparato, anche per i sensi di colpa che si porta dietro.
November 6, 2021
Excellent. The lead character for a bit manic towards the end which was his ultimate achilles heel but a marvelous crime book for it's time especially with the medical details and the sheer griminess and grimness of New York of those times: very modern. Similarly with the venality and deviousness of the politics. Very much a multi-faceted grand tragedy with a great character undone by his equally great faults.
August 13, 2022
Non so perché alla prima lettura avevo dato 3 stelle. Forse per il finale, non ricordo.
In questa rilettura invece non riesco a trovare difetti: ambientazione perfetta, una città di morti come dice il titolo. Protagonista carismatico, descrizioni delle autopsie disturbanti, trama estremamente realistica e tensione per tutte le 500 pagine. Uno dei migliori thriller che abbia letto.
In questa rilettura invece non riesco a trovare difetti: ambientazione perfetta, una città di morti come dice il titolo. Protagonista carismatico, descrizioni delle autopsie disturbanti, trama estremamente realistica e tensione per tutte le 500 pagine. Uno dei migliori thriller che abbia letto.
November 5, 2022
Never read a book that made me feel so close to losing my grip on reality.
The unremitting and exquisite detail of autopsies felt at times like I was stuck in a nightmare studying a subject that I hadn't taken and would be quizzed on later.
Just an incredible book that is reinforcing my idea that the best novels were written before 1990.
The unremitting and exquisite detail of autopsies felt at times like I was stuck in a nightmare studying a subject that I hadn't taken and would be quizzed on later.
Just an incredible book that is reinforcing my idea that the best novels were written before 1990.
October 13, 2022
Lu il y a une trentaine d’années . C’est un excellent récit , très noir et poisseux. J’avais adoré , ça me donne envie de le relire…
March 28, 2020
K téhle knize jsem přišel tak, že ji četl Jack Taylor v posledním Bruenovi. Vůbec je tahle série spíš o tom, co hrdina zrovna četl a viděl, než o nějakém pátrání. Takže jsem si poznamenal a objednal. A přišla už dost jetá knížka z antikvariátu, objemná malá brož, (350 stránek, hádám, že přes 500 normostran), s obálkou a texty, ze kterých moc nepoznáte, o co vlastně jde. Horor? Kriminálka? Noir? Psychologické drama?
No, ono to nepoznáte ani z prvních zhruba 70 stran.
Především, kniha vyšla v sedmdesátých letech a je to skvělá léčebná kůra po mém experimentu se Sandrou Brownovou. Čím jsem starší, tím víc si potrpím na sedmdesátá léta – na dobu studených a trochu odtažitých filmů s ne moc kladnými, zato hodně profesionálními hrdiny. Dobu, kdy se ještě tak všichni nematlali v emocích. A tohle je přímo ukázkový příklad stylu té doby.
Hlavní hrdina je definovaný svou prací. Je hlavním soudním patologem. Je to ten typ, co by ho ve filmu dřív hrál George C. Scott. Mohutný, skvělý v práci, ne moc skvělý v jednání s lidmi. Chladný, perfekcionistický a popudlivý. A práce má nad hlavu. Na pláži našli kusy lidských těl a ani se neví, kolik těch těl vůbec je. Ohořelá mrtvola z automobilové havárie možná vůbec nezemřela během havárie. Uzavřený případ sebevraždy ve vězení se začíná znova prošetřovat. A do toho se zaplétají politické souboje na radnici, obchodování s mrtvými a hrdinovo pátrání po své dceři, která před rokem utekla z domova. Teprve zhruba v polovině knihy se začínají profilovat hlavní motivy. Něco se podaří vyřešit, něco se promění v jiný problém, a příběh se začne ostřeji drát kupředu. Respektive dva příběhy. Pátrání po tom, kdo jsou rozkouskovaní mrtví a kdo je zabil… a kde je hrdinova dcera.
Není to kniha, která by mě strhla. Nemá velký tah, je to spíš zvláštní verze technothrilleru – patothriller. V hlavní roli márnice. Lieberman se nesnaží šokovat, přistupuje k nehybnému lidskému tělu jako Tom Clancy k tankům a atomovým bombám. Jako k zajímavé věci. Takže když popisuje rozřezávání těla, funguje to právě pro svou technickou strohost, bez emočního zabarvení.
Emoce jsou tady vůbec spíš tlumené. Jak se dnes v knihách zdůrazňuje, kdo co cítí a tlačí se na to, aby byl hrdina čtenáři co nejsympatičtější, tak tady je kvalita lidí postavená čistě na jejich profesionalitě. Což umocňuje i to, že tu neexistují žádné milostné vztahy. A vlastně jediná ženská postava se celou knihu hledá.
Je těžké to k něčemu přirovnat. Trochu mi to evokovalo původní Pelham 123. Možná takový propracovanější McBain? Napadl mě Hailey, ale ten má víc osobní osudy a přišel mi víc důraz na emoce. Navíc je tu ve středu toho všeho jeden hrdina.
Plus je zajímavé to, že jak to pochází ještě z doby, kdy neměla oddychová literatura tak jasná pravidla, tak to moderního čtenáře už chvílemi hladí proti srsti. Kupříkladu teprve po dopadení pachatele je oznámeno, že je to vlastně sériový vrah, že zabil víc lidí a že plánoval zabít další. V okamžiku, když už to negeneruje napětí. Stejně tak je pátrání uzavřené často „mimo záběr“ a jen je oznámený výsledek. Pro autora je zajímavější ta pedantická práce, policistů i lékařů, než akce.
Ne, vážně to není kniha, která by mě strhla, ale četl jsem ji se zájmem a respektem. A konec je tedy vážně hodně sedmdesátkový. Mám vůbec pocit, že celé vyzněné knihy – a postoj hrdiny ke světu – je: „Není důležité, aby byl člověk dobrý. Jen musí být dobrý v tom, co dělá. To je to podstatné.“
Jasně, je to už stará kniha a z hlediska soudní medicíny už budou modernější postupy, ale rozhodně nelituju přečtení. Díky, Jacku Taylore.
No, ono to nepoznáte ani z prvních zhruba 70 stran.
Především, kniha vyšla v sedmdesátých letech a je to skvělá léčebná kůra po mém experimentu se Sandrou Brownovou. Čím jsem starší, tím víc si potrpím na sedmdesátá léta – na dobu studených a trochu odtažitých filmů s ne moc kladnými, zato hodně profesionálními hrdiny. Dobu, kdy se ještě tak všichni nematlali v emocích. A tohle je přímo ukázkový příklad stylu té doby.
Hlavní hrdina je definovaný svou prací. Je hlavním soudním patologem. Je to ten typ, co by ho ve filmu dřív hrál George C. Scott. Mohutný, skvělý v práci, ne moc skvělý v jednání s lidmi. Chladný, perfekcionistický a popudlivý. A práce má nad hlavu. Na pláži našli kusy lidských těl a ani se neví, kolik těch těl vůbec je. Ohořelá mrtvola z automobilové havárie možná vůbec nezemřela během havárie. Uzavřený případ sebevraždy ve vězení se začíná znova prošetřovat. A do toho se zaplétají politické souboje na radnici, obchodování s mrtvými a hrdinovo pátrání po své dceři, která před rokem utekla z domova. Teprve zhruba v polovině knihy se začínají profilovat hlavní motivy. Něco se podaří vyřešit, něco se promění v jiný problém, a příběh se začne ostřeji drát kupředu. Respektive dva příběhy. Pátrání po tom, kdo jsou rozkouskovaní mrtví a kdo je zabil… a kde je hrdinova dcera.
Není to kniha, která by mě strhla. Nemá velký tah, je to spíš zvláštní verze technothrilleru – patothriller. V hlavní roli márnice. Lieberman se nesnaží šokovat, přistupuje k nehybnému lidskému tělu jako Tom Clancy k tankům a atomovým bombám. Jako k zajímavé věci. Takže když popisuje rozřezávání těla, funguje to právě pro svou technickou strohost, bez emočního zabarvení.
Emoce jsou tady vůbec spíš tlumené. Jak se dnes v knihách zdůrazňuje, kdo co cítí a tlačí se na to, aby byl hrdina čtenáři co nejsympatičtější, tak tady je kvalita lidí postavená čistě na jejich profesionalitě. Což umocňuje i to, že tu neexistují žádné milostné vztahy. A vlastně jediná ženská postava se celou knihu hledá.
Je těžké to k něčemu přirovnat. Trochu mi to evokovalo původní Pelham 123. Možná takový propracovanější McBain? Napadl mě Hailey, ale ten má víc osobní osudy a přišel mi víc důraz na emoce. Navíc je tu ve středu toho všeho jeden hrdina.
Plus je zajímavé to, že jak to pochází ještě z doby, kdy neměla oddychová literatura tak jasná pravidla, tak to moderního čtenáře už chvílemi hladí proti srsti. Kupříkladu teprve po dopadení pachatele je oznámeno, že je to vlastně sériový vrah, že zabil víc lidí a že plánoval zabít další. V okamžiku, když už to negeneruje napětí. Stejně tak je pátrání uzavřené často „mimo záběr“ a jen je oznámený výsledek. Pro autora je zajímavější ta pedantická práce, policistů i lékařů, než akce.
Ne, vážně to není kniha, která by mě strhla, ale četl jsem ji se zájmem a respektem. A konec je tedy vážně hodně sedmdesátkový. Mám vůbec pocit, že celé vyzněné knihy – a postoj hrdiny ke světu – je: „Není důležité, aby byl člověk dobrý. Jen musí být dobrý v tom, co dělá. To je to podstatné.“
Jasně, je to už stará kniha a z hlediska soudní medicíny už budou modernější postupy, ale rozhodně nelituju přečtení. Díky, Jacku Taylore.
September 27, 2018
Is it possible that a book written in the mid-'70s about a coroner with a missing daughter does not end with him performing an autopsy on her?
I won't say, because that would be a spoiler, but that is what I was thinking while reading this book about a hard-bitten, surly coroner who is estranged from his daughter after his wife's death, only to find that she has been kidnapped.
Notwithstanding the lurid cover and constant use of the word "SHOCKING!" plastered all over the front and back matter, this is a straight-up forensic crime drama about the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City and his search for his daughter, his effort in solving a double homicide, and the political entanglements caused by a mistaken report about a prison suicide.
It's a high-quality pulpy page-turner of the best sort, with complex characters (though virtually all are surly, salty NYC types, which I guess makes sense) that are still sort of good in a naive faith-in-our-institutions way. That is to say, the Chief gives (e.g.) misleading testimony at a trial because "he knows" the guy is guilty (and he probably is), then later again to save face, and he also turns a blind eye to a low-level custodian who's selling bodies for extra cash on the side—but despite these petty corruptions, he's basically a good guy and very good at what he does.
I'm sure that doesn't work out in real life, though it happens, but I was grateful for any kind of light in the dreary NYC soulscape. Honestly, people do not appreciate how bad NYC used to be and, indeed, how violent the USA was back in the '70s. From Time Magazine: "1972 the FBI counted an amazing 2,500 bombings on American soil, almost five a day." Although I heard that number at 1,900, the point is, times was bad and those bad times permeate this book. The kidnappers themselves are the sort of left-wing radical bombers that the Time article is referencing.
With a bleak, depressing backdrop, and its highly flawed characters, the book still manages to be entertaining and queerly optimistic. That is, the heroes are going to be heroic, they're going to catch the baddies, and even if they lose, they're going down swinging.
The writing is more sophisticated than a lot of modern books, with a few patches of "light" medical terminology. (I say "light" because you can look them up without getting into a big mess of more words you don't understand.) Toward the end of the book I felt like the author was getting a little excited and loose, with some of his modifiers dangling and what-not, but that's a quibble.
It feels well-researched. I'm sure a doctor could find issues, but it was just enough for me. There is a very real and touching moment where the protagonist visits an old-time soda shop and reminisces about bygone days. (The author worked in a soda shop back in the '40s.)
For all the "SHOCKING" labels applied, however, if it didn't do one particular thing, it was shock me. I don't think Lieberman was really trying to shock anyone, though, so chalk that one up to marketing. Beyond the content, though, the overall arc of the story was so familiar to me, I began to wonder if I'd read it before. (I don't think so. Though I've owned this book for 30 years, so I suppose it's possible I've read it and completely forgot it except general story outline.)
But I don't think familiarity is a terrible crime, especially when the writing is lively and the pace brisk. Definite recommend, if you don't mind stories about seamy times and people.
I won't say, because that would be a spoiler, but that is what I was thinking while reading this book about a hard-bitten, surly coroner who is estranged from his daughter after his wife's death, only to find that she has been kidnapped.
Notwithstanding the lurid cover and constant use of the word "SHOCKING!" plastered all over the front and back matter, this is a straight-up forensic crime drama about the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City and his search for his daughter, his effort in solving a double homicide, and the political entanglements caused by a mistaken report about a prison suicide.
It's a high-quality pulpy page-turner of the best sort, with complex characters (though virtually all are surly, salty NYC types, which I guess makes sense) that are still sort of good in a naive faith-in-our-institutions way. That is to say, the Chief gives (e.g.) misleading testimony at a trial because "he knows" the guy is guilty (and he probably is), then later again to save face, and he also turns a blind eye to a low-level custodian who's selling bodies for extra cash on the side—but despite these petty corruptions, he's basically a good guy and very good at what he does.
I'm sure that doesn't work out in real life, though it happens, but I was grateful for any kind of light in the dreary NYC soulscape. Honestly, people do not appreciate how bad NYC used to be and, indeed, how violent the USA was back in the '70s. From Time Magazine: "1972 the FBI counted an amazing 2,500 bombings on American soil, almost five a day." Although I heard that number at 1,900, the point is, times was bad and those bad times permeate this book. The kidnappers themselves are the sort of left-wing radical bombers that the Time article is referencing.
With a bleak, depressing backdrop, and its highly flawed characters, the book still manages to be entertaining and queerly optimistic. That is, the heroes are going to be heroic, they're going to catch the baddies, and even if they lose, they're going down swinging.
The writing is more sophisticated than a lot of modern books, with a few patches of "light" medical terminology. (I say "light" because you can look them up without getting into a big mess of more words you don't understand.) Toward the end of the book I felt like the author was getting a little excited and loose, with some of his modifiers dangling and what-not, but that's a quibble.
It feels well-researched. I'm sure a doctor could find issues, but it was just enough for me. There is a very real and touching moment where the protagonist visits an old-time soda shop and reminisces about bygone days. (The author worked in a soda shop back in the '40s.)
For all the "SHOCKING" labels applied, however, if it didn't do one particular thing, it was shock me. I don't think Lieberman was really trying to shock anyone, though, so chalk that one up to marketing. Beyond the content, though, the overall arc of the story was so familiar to me, I began to wonder if I'd read it before. (I don't think so. Though I've owned this book for 30 years, so I suppose it's possible I've read it and completely forgot it except general story outline.)
But I don't think familiarity is a terrible crime, especially when the writing is lively and the pace brisk. Definite recommend, if you don't mind stories about seamy times and people.
December 29, 2020
Poliziesco scuro ambientato in una New York anni '70 dove poche volte si vede la luce. Scritto benissimo, frasi brevi e ritmo cinematografico.
Il dottor Konig, anatomopatologo capo -il protagonista-, vive una terribile vicenda personale mentre affronta indagini complesse e situazioni lavorative complicate.
Il rimorso e i ricordi gli rodono l'anima e lo portano vicino alla follia, al disfacimento psicologico e fisico.
Un Macbeth (che viene citato nel romanzo) che vaga per New York (come il Travis Bickle di Taxi driver, nel degrado della metropoli) o si seppellisce al sicuro nel suo obitorio davanti a lettini carichi di morti oscene e violente e che briga anche per chi dovrà succedergli, nonostante tutto.
Libro raffinato, particolare quando indugia in dettagli che potrebbero risultare addirittura disturbanti (all'inizio soprattutto).
Si redimerà mai, Paul Konig?
A inizio capitolo vengono indicati ora e luogo in cui la vicenda si svolge, spesso questa indicazione viene preceduta da qualche riga di dialogo soprattutto o di narrazione. Questa cosa a me ha ricordato l'apertura di puntata di molte serie televisive.
Il dottor Konig, anatomopatologo capo -il protagonista-, vive una terribile vicenda personale mentre affronta indagini complesse e situazioni lavorative complicate.
Il rimorso e i ricordi gli rodono l'anima e lo portano vicino alla follia, al disfacimento psicologico e fisico.
Un Macbeth (che viene citato nel romanzo) che vaga per New York (come il Travis Bickle di Taxi driver, nel degrado della metropoli) o si seppellisce al sicuro nel suo obitorio davanti a lettini carichi di morti oscene e violente e che briga anche per chi dovrà succedergli, nonostante tutto.
Libro raffinato, particolare quando indugia in dettagli che potrebbero risultare addirittura disturbanti (all'inizio soprattutto).
Si redimerà mai, Paul Konig?
A inizio capitolo vengono indicati ora e luogo in cui la vicenda si svolge, spesso questa indicazione viene preceduta da qualche riga di dialogo soprattutto o di narrazione. Questa cosa a me ha ricordato l'apertura di puntata di molte serie televisive.
March 16, 2023
3.5/5 but rounded up
Paul Konig is a hard nosed medical examiner and this story follows him and two main lines - piecing together a murder where the victim(s) can’t be identified and the kidnap of his daughter.
The writing is tight and taut, the pacing fast but not rushed. Written in the 1970’s I’d imagine it was a bit of an eye opener at the time, albeit many detective and cop programmes have followed a similar path since, so it seems a more familiar trope than it may have once done.
A decent thriller / whodunnit. Audible.
Paul Konig is a hard nosed medical examiner and this story follows him and two main lines - piecing together a murder where the victim(s) can’t be identified and the kidnap of his daughter.
The writing is tight and taut, the pacing fast but not rushed. Written in the 1970’s I’d imagine it was a bit of an eye opener at the time, albeit many detective and cop programmes have followed a similar path since, so it seems a more familiar trope than it may have once done.
A decent thriller / whodunnit. Audible.
January 14, 2025
Quelle formidable découverte que ce livre. C'est à la fois un livre sur une ville, un livre sur une époque, un thriller extrêmement efficace, un livre sur la médecine légale et un livre sur la noirceur inhérente à nos sociétés. J'ai adoré, ça ne ressemble à aucun autre livre policier que j'ai pu lire
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