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The Removalist: On the Front Line of Death Care
“To be able to thrive in a field most are terrified of is a source of pride…To be in the presence of those who have crossed over the great divide is oddly meaningful, in an ultimate sense.” In this sequel to Silent Memoirs of a Lifesaving Mortician, ride along with mortuary removal technician Matthew Franklin Sias as he cares for the deceased in rural Washington State. Step into the hidden world of death care and explore the challenge of removing the deceased from the often-difficult, regularly awkward, and sometimes downright bizarre circumstances in which they die, the art and science of embalming, and the intrigue of forensic pathology. Sias is a veteran death investigator, former funeral director/embalmer intern, and paramedic with twenty-eight years of emergency response experience.
- GenresDeathNonfictionBiography
144 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 18, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 11, 2020
The author has had an interesting career, paramedic, funeral director, mortician, deputy coroner and writer. And removalist. I never had thought that funeral homes and the police would outsource the recovery of a body for an autopsy or burial. The book brutally makes you aware of why they do.**
The author goes into detail about rotting, stinking corpses,, dark purge liquid leaking from the mouth, and the top layer of skin (quite quickly) separating from the underlying layers, "skin slippage" it's called. So getting hold of a corpse's arm is not necessarily a good idea.
But perhaps the worst was the maggots,
I was drinking a Bailey's Irish cream at the time I read that. I heaved....
I wouldn't say it's a really necessary book to read, after all you can't unsee what you've seen and I've had my eyes opened in ways that I could have lived my whole life (and dreams and nightmares) without being worse off because I didn't know. But it was enjoyable to read in a macabre kind of way, it was well-written and interesting, a solid 4 star. I'm going to read the author's other book Silent Siren: Memoirs of a Life Saving Mortician.
____________________
Notes on Reading **What is a removalist? Who would call a removalist in? A removalist is a person who specialises in the removal of bodies from where the person died to the funeral home (or hospital if there is be a post mortem). Who calls a removalist in? Funeral homes and medical services who don't want to get the body themselves.
Why would a funeral home or an ambulance not want to remove a corpse? Because it is spread out over the motorway and several grass verges, because it has been half-submerged in water for three weeks (the bloating of gas having brought it to the surface), because the corpse weighs 400lb and cannot be got through the doorway and has in addition had diarrhoea as the sphincter muscles let go moments after death, because the person has been found decomposing, liquifying three weeks after death. In short, a removalist is a technical specialist in transporting difficult corpses from their place of death to the next step, the mortuary or funeral home, on their way to burial.
The necessary skills seem to be a smallish, discreet van, a collapsible gurney, a lot of plastic sheets and a very strong stomach.
The author spares you nothing. He's much more graphic than previous books I've read by Caitlin Doughty and other funeral industry professionals or forensic scientists. An example, "Purge" the bloody fluid that slow-vomits from the mouth not too long after death. I didn't know that. It might be a step too far.
The author goes into detail about rotting, stinking corpses,, dark purge liquid leaking from the mouth, and the top layer of skin (quite quickly) separating from the underlying layers, "skin slippage" it's called. So getting hold of a corpse's arm is not necessarily a good idea.
But perhaps the worst was the maggots,
On a completely maggot-infested body, one can actually hear the maggots eat—the soft smacking sound of thousands of organisms wriggling over each other and chewing with their hook-like mouth parts while they continue to breathe through spiracles on their hind end. A body in advanced decomposition that has been exposed to fly activity will exhibit large balls of maggots, known as maggot masses, in the nose and mouth. These masses will actually generate their own heat.
From a forensic standpoint, maggots have found use in the determination of the cause of death as well. Maggots feeding on a corpse may ingest the drugs that have been involved in a death. By putting a chunk of maggots into a blender and making a “maggot milkshake,” these drugs may be isolated and tested.
I was drinking a Bailey's Irish cream at the time I read that. I heaved....
I wouldn't say it's a really necessary book to read, after all you can't unsee what you've seen and I've had my eyes opened in ways that I could have lived my whole life (and dreams and nightmares) without being worse off because I didn't know. But it was enjoyable to read in a macabre kind of way, it was well-written and interesting, a solid 4 star. I'm going to read the author's other book Silent Siren: Memoirs of a Life Saving Mortician.
____________________
Notes on Reading **What is a removalist? Who would call a removalist in? A removalist is a person who specialises in the removal of bodies from where the person died to the funeral home (or hospital if there is be a post mortem). Who calls a removalist in? Funeral homes and medical services who don't want to get the body themselves.
Why would a funeral home or an ambulance not want to remove a corpse? Because it is spread out over the motorway and several grass verges, because it has been half-submerged in water for three weeks (the bloating of gas having brought it to the surface), because the corpse weighs 400lb and cannot be got through the doorway and has in addition had diarrhoea as the sphincter muscles let go moments after death, because the person has been found decomposing, liquifying three weeks after death. In short, a removalist is a technical specialist in transporting difficult corpses from their place of death to the next step, the mortuary or funeral home, on their way to burial.
The necessary skills seem to be a smallish, discreet van, a collapsible gurney, a lot of plastic sheets and a very strong stomach.
The author spares you nothing. He's much more graphic than previous books I've read by Caitlin Doughty and other funeral industry professionals or forensic scientists. An example, "Purge" the bloody fluid that slow-vomits from the mouth not too long after death. I didn't know that. It might be a step too far.
May 30, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ for a short book that I listened to, knowing very little about the subject matter or the author. I was very nicely surprised to investigate the individual minutiae of caring for those who've passed away and their families with this author.
December 7, 2020
I have read nothing by Sias prior to this book. I did like the level of parsimony in his writing, but he struck me as rather smug beyond the level of work that he accomplishes.
The book is a day to day duties of a mortuary worker who picks and transports dead people. He is right, there is nothing fun about death, but that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy his story.
3 stars
Happy Reading!
The book is a day to day duties of a mortuary worker who picks and transports dead people. He is right, there is nothing fun about death, but that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy his story.
3 stars
Happy Reading!
November 7, 2022
I've seen some other reviews that seemed... almost offended by the honesty and details in this book which amazed me. The title itself tells you exactly what this book is about, haha.
SO if you don't want to read some sometimes gory details about death, deathcare, dead bodies, and the like, this obviously isn't the book for you.
The author did a great job educating you while also keeping the stories fairly engaging. But I do have to admit that I was slightly bored at times. I'm not entirely sure... maybe just the writing style in general.
However, the book is short at 121 pages, so It's still fairly easy to get through and finish.
SO if you don't want to read some sometimes gory details about death, deathcare, dead bodies, and the like, this obviously isn't the book for you.
The author did a great job educating you while also keeping the stories fairly engaging. But I do have to admit that I was slightly bored at times. I'm not entirely sure... maybe just the writing style in general.
However, the book is short at 121 pages, so It's still fairly easy to get through and finish.
September 18, 2019
Well written
The author finds a way to describe his day to day duties with the dead and often times rotting people. While a few parts were really gross, it’s just the way it is in mortuary, etc work. I enjoyed reading this. I enjoy reading and having knowledge that I didn’t have before!
The author finds a way to describe his day to day duties with the dead and often times rotting people. While a few parts were really gross, it’s just the way it is in mortuary, etc work. I enjoyed reading this. I enjoy reading and having knowledge that I didn’t have before!
September 25, 2023
I think I enjoyed this one a little more than the first book. It’s more about the cases than the author and let’s be honest, it’s the cases we’re interested in.
It didn’t take many pages before I was reminded why I wasn’t so keen on the first book though, and unfortunately the theme continued in this. The author has a way of speaking about the dead people he has dealt with that at time leaves me discomfited.
Example: “I had thought at first that my victim was a man. She is a rather unfortunate-looking woman.”
Whilst I understand the emotional barrier that somebody working in this role has to have, I can’t help feeling that often in the book there’s a judgemental and at times disrespectful attitude towards those whose lives have come to an end.
It’s off putting to me, and is reflected in my 3 star rating.
It didn’t take many pages before I was reminded why I wasn’t so keen on the first book though, and unfortunately the theme continued in this. The author has a way of speaking about the dead people he has dealt with that at time leaves me discomfited.
Example: “I had thought at first that my victim was a man. She is a rather unfortunate-looking woman.”
Whilst I understand the emotional barrier that somebody working in this role has to have, I can’t help feeling that often in the book there’s a judgemental and at times disrespectful attitude towards those whose lives have come to an end.
It’s off putting to me, and is reflected in my 3 star rating.
December 22, 2023
This book emphasises the universality of mortality.
Much preferred it to the first book. Really good detailed account about death care. Considering it is a bleak topic he speaks about it in an amusing and engaging way - good story telling. However it was a bit repetitive in places and it was a shame he didn’t mention the autopsy outcomes of some of the cases he speaks about. Also he said he had a ‘calling to death from an early age’ which contradicts what he has mentioned in his previous book. He made some really interesting points about how we are a death denying society.
"To be able to thrive in a field most are terrified of is a source of pride” an excellent point however in some parts of the book he comes off as little smug.
Much preferred it to the first book. Really good detailed account about death care. Considering it is a bleak topic he speaks about it in an amusing and engaging way - good story telling. However it was a bit repetitive in places and it was a shame he didn’t mention the autopsy outcomes of some of the cases he speaks about. Also he said he had a ‘calling to death from an early age’ which contradicts what he has mentioned in his previous book. He made some really interesting points about how we are a death denying society.
"To be able to thrive in a field most are terrified of is a source of pride” an excellent point however in some parts of the book he comes off as little smug.
January 28, 2023
A fascinating read about family, death and mortality.
September 13, 2019
DNC
I loved Silent Sirens but there was a tiny bit of superiority the author had. It in this book it's like he dialed that superiority up 10 times. Maybe I'll try again later.
I loved Silent Sirens but there was a tiny bit of superiority the author had. It in this book it's like he dialed that superiority up 10 times. Maybe I'll try again later.
September 8, 2019
The Grimreaper Continues...
This book takes me back in time to when my father was a mortician and owned his own Mortuary. I remember my Nick name in school was "Morguey."
The author is very good at providing details and explaining things as he moves forward on his calls.
This book has been both educational and enjoyable to read.
The author has experienced a wide variety of calls in his current career and has been kind enough to share these experiences with his readers.
Well written book.
Dianna,
Prescott, AZ.
This book takes me back in time to when my father was a mortician and owned his own Mortuary. I remember my Nick name in school was "Morguey."
The author is very good at providing details and explaining things as he moves forward on his calls.
This book has been both educational and enjoyable to read.
The author has experienced a wide variety of calls in his current career and has been kind enough to share these experiences with his readers.
Well written book.
Dianna,
Prescott, AZ.
December 18, 2018
Great read. Funny and sad too
Very graphic but if you can cope with that kind of thing, it’s a great read. Don’t usually read American stuff but it’s completely relatable to any thing in the UK. Worth a read and gets 4 🌟 from me 👍
Very graphic but if you can cope with that kind of thing, it’s a great read. Don’t usually read American stuff but it’s completely relatable to any thing in the UK. Worth a read and gets 4 🌟 from me 👍
October 18, 2019
Eye Opening
I appreciated the raw honest look inside the job of such professionals. Half the time I was cringing or sitting open-mouthed at the details but it was always interesting. I’m glad there are people out there willing to do such work (and glad it’s not me).
I appreciated the raw honest look inside the job of such professionals. Half the time I was cringing or sitting open-mouthed at the details but it was always interesting. I’m glad there are people out there willing to do such work (and glad it’s not me).
January 16, 2024
Got a little gross at times.
November 29, 2022
better
This was a bit weird to start with as I was sure I was reading the book I’d just finished again. I checked, same author, lot of repeated info initially before the newer part was evident. Not sure why it needed a lot of previous info repeating. Once it got going, it proved much more interesting and better written that the other one. Definitely not for anyone who is just curious, quite a strong stomach is needed in parts. Overall enjoyed this one and hence five stars. It’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it certainly applies.
This was a bit weird to start with as I was sure I was reading the book I’d just finished again. I checked, same author, lot of repeated info initially before the newer part was evident. Not sure why it needed a lot of previous info repeating. Once it got going, it proved much more interesting and better written that the other one. Definitely not for anyone who is just curious, quite a strong stomach is needed in parts. Overall enjoyed this one and hence five stars. It’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it certainly applies.
April 2, 2023
If you want to know what is involved in the funeral profession this is the book for you. It's American but applies to the UK too, just some terminology that's different - and I know because it's what I do and even I learnt a couple of things I didn't know - olfactory is the official term for nose blindness -when you get used to a smell!
It's insightful, explanatory and covers every aspect of the trade. It's a go to book if you are curious or if you want to become someone who works with the dead.
Loved it so much I've ordered his first book.
It's insightful, explanatory and covers every aspect of the trade. It's a go to book if you are curious or if you want to become someone who works with the dead.
Loved it so much I've ordered his first book.
February 1, 2020
I have so much empathy for these public servants
It always amazes me on the types of jobs people can take on. These public servants see first hand what happens to those who ruined their lives, and gives us a snapshot of what it really look like at the very end.
If anything, this book reminded me to take advantage of and maintain my health as long as I'm allowed and never forget to tell my family how much I love them
It always amazes me on the types of jobs people can take on. These public servants see first hand what happens to those who ruined their lives, and gives us a snapshot of what it really look like at the very end.
If anything, this book reminded me to take advantage of and maintain my health as long as I'm allowed and never forget to tell my family how much I love them
January 12, 2021
Great follow up to the first one...
I again enjoyed reading this author’s simple clear and very human writing style. Easy to read, the short story format keeps it moving between the dark and the light.
It’s full of the sadness of the human condition, lives laid bare at their endings. Yet at the same time it’s uplifting and comforting to see the kindness they generously bestow on some of the most unfortunate members of society. I hope the author continues writing!
I again enjoyed reading this author’s simple clear and very human writing style. Easy to read, the short story format keeps it moving between the dark and the light.
It’s full of the sadness of the human condition, lives laid bare at their endings. Yet at the same time it’s uplifting and comforting to see the kindness they generously bestow on some of the most unfortunate members of society. I hope the author continues writing!
September 22, 2022
Fantastic Book
The writer has a nack for telling grim stories with empathy and a touch of humor. The result is an interesting twist on what is normally a depressing topic. The author's approach keeps the stories interesting and from becoming too heavy at the same time. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in this area of work or for anyone just looking for a damn good book to read.
The writer has a nack for telling grim stories with empathy and a touch of humor. The result is an interesting twist on what is normally a depressing topic. The author's approach keeps the stories interesting and from becoming too heavy at the same time. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in this area of work or for anyone just looking for a damn good book to read.
August 24, 2020
Realistic story about some unpleasant situations.
I very much enjoyed this writing because it was based on fact, and not fiction. A fast read for me because of my interest in this field. I would strongly suggest it unless you are squeamish about some descriptions. I plan to read his other writing.
I very much enjoyed this writing because it was based on fact, and not fiction. A fast read for me because of my interest in this field. I would strongly suggest it unless you are squeamish about some descriptions. I plan to read his other writing.
December 24, 2021
Life after death…..
Life after death needs to be evaluated. That is the job of the county coroner.
Life goes on for the living. After death there is also a path that must be taken. The medical examiner has to decide how and when death occurred.
A side of death we don’t see now occurs.
Life after death needs to be evaluated. That is the job of the county coroner.
Life goes on for the living. After death there is also a path that must be taken. The medical examiner has to decide how and when death occurred.
A side of death we don’t see now occurs.
November 4, 2022
Great overview of aftercare of our bodies after death. Love that the author started in the medical field and brings that perspective to the book. Some medical humor was appreciated! If you have any curiosity of what happens after you die, this book is for you! A firm open casket kind of lady (for closure) turned to a cremation might not be a bad idea after reading this book. SO interesting!
May 14, 2024
I like reading books about medical things, stories from the ER and things of that nature and I like learning new things, so when I saw this book I thought it would be interesting to read. It is a short read, but it flows well and is interesting... if you are into that kind of thing. It can be a little gross, so don't read while eating.
December 9, 2019
Good Read
Another great book on how the author deals with death. He makes you feel like you are with him as he takes the deceased to their final place and each person is handled care and understanding. Hope when I die I will be in like hands.
Another great book on how the author deals with death. He makes you feel like you are with him as he takes the deceased to their final place and each person is handled care and understanding. Hope when I die I will be in like hands.
September 18, 2021
Good read
The book is well written. Funny in parts sad in others. But truthful. This book should be read needs to be read. Its a part of life a lot of people just say not me. But thank god for the people who do this job.
The book is well written. Funny in parts sad in others. But truthful. This book should be read needs to be read. Its a part of life a lot of people just say not me. But thank god for the people who do this job.
September 10, 2019
Again in interesting book, caution: very grafic sences.
October 20, 2019
Good read.
Enjoyed reading.will look for more from this Author.read and enjoy for yourself, thank you very much Willie a constant reader
Enjoyed reading.will look for more from this Author.read and enjoy for yourself, thank you very much Willie a constant reader
July 7, 2020
While I enjoyed Silent Sirens, this fell flat.
April 10, 2021
Fantastic book could not put it down!!!!
May 11, 2022
Quite sad reading
Excellent read of both books, well detailed and honest .
Not a job I could do, but good that there are people who do!
Excellent read of both books, well detailed and honest .
Not a job I could do, but good that there are people who do!
November 2, 2022
Okay
This book was chosen as I worked in Critical Care saw my share of death and dying.Needed a break from the usual fiction that my book club seems to prefer..So thanks for that..
This book was chosen as I worked in Critical Care saw my share of death and dying.Needed a break from the usual fiction that my book club seems to prefer..So thanks for that..
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews