Unnatural Causes by Dr Richard Shepherd

Author : Dr Richard Shepherd
Title : Unnatural Causes
Published : 2018
Publisher : Penguin
Pages : 464
Genre : Autobiography / Crime

     Meet the forensic pathologist, Dr. Richard Shepherd. He solves the mysteries of unexplained or sudden death. He's a detective in his own right. And he has one, ultimate and pressing question to answer: How did this person die? Unnatural Causes is an unputdownable record of an extraordinary life, a unique insight into a remarkable profession, and above all, a powerful and reassuring testament to lives cut short. Dr. Shepherd has faced serial killers, natural disaster, 'perfect murders' and freak accidents, all in the pursuit of the truth. And while he's been involved in some of the most high-profile cases of recent times, it's often the less well-known encounters that prove the most perplexing, intriguing and even bizarre. In or out of the public eye, his evidence has put killers behind bars, freed the innocent and turned open-and-shut cases on their heads. 

     In reading Dr. Shepherd's book I was returning to a subject I have looked at before. But with those books the always dealt with how this profession came to be. With the most recent being that of Professor Keith Simpson. It was only taking this book up in my hands did I finial make it to a far more contemporary look at the world of pathology. It is a subject that I am more than aware that most people don't want to peek behind the curtain of. It's gruesome and grizzly. I suspect that it is only the findings the will interest people. But for me, there is something truly fascinating about finding out how these men and women pull the clues from our bodies and piece together who we came to our ends. 

     This book blends his own life's story with that of the advancements within his chosen field. It allowed me to gain some perspective on how things have changed over the years. It strikes me that somethings or should I say the way in which they go about it. probably has not changed all that much. But the tools at there disposal have moved forward in leaps and bounds. In reading this book I started to realize that crimes that are now common placer for prosecution only a few decades ago my have gone completely missed. It is staggering to read, we all assume that these men and women are invaluable and that the must know everything about how the human heart stops beating. But as I discovered they are only as good as the research and knowledge that is available to them. To his credit, this is one man who has always tried his best by those who end up on his cutting table. 

     The style in which the author chooses to set out his story, at least for me makes it a very accessible book to read. He blends his lives story in with cases that are both unknown and those at least to the people of England well known. For me, this adds a great deal for those who have been forgotten it gives them a voice and allows us to remember them. It also focuses on them and not on those who had killed them. It gave me a real human insight into the work this author does. Which may sound weird but to often in books of this ilk feel very clinical and with the detachment I to feel a lack of empathy for those I read about. But Dr. Shepherd has delivered a book that will draw you into his world and make you pay attention. I found it astounding that one man came to work on so many cases that were spread across our papers and news for so long. With this comes a great deal of stress and worry. I was surprised to read how the author explained how this came to affect him. It is a subject that is never to my knowledge talked about. We accept that these people choose to do these kinds of jobs and that is the end of it. So it came across as a very brutal and raw thing to read.

     With this book, I got to learn a great deal about the modern work of pathology. It is at times a dark place to live. To passages that deal with infant death where some of the hardest for me to read. There is nothing worse than reading about a life cut so short. But at least Dr. Shepherd was there to speak for those who can't. I would highly recommend you giving this book a chance as it is a subject that while we may not want to look at is still important and Dr. Shepherd has done an amazing job in conveying this world.