xoshee's reviews
20 reviews

Fascinating book by true crime podcaster Laurah Norton who teams up with forensic anthropologist Dr. Amy Michael to attempt to solve the cold case of Ina Jane Doe, an unknown woman whose head was discovered in Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park in 1993. Norton takes the reader on an investigative journey of solving cold cases, meticulously detailing all the different steps like reviewing case files, skeletal and dental analysis, and DNA testing and genealogy. Throughout the book Norton also specifies databases and systems used by the public to aid law enforcement working on cold cases. So, if you are someone interested in lending your own time to collaborate with like-minded individuals to solve cold cases, there are some great resources outlined in this book. Overall, a must-read for true crime junkies and/or people interested in forensic anthropology. 

Former death investigator Barbara Butcher recounts her 20+ years working for the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner in this memoir. Butcher describes death scenes investigation in detail, including her role in aftermath of 9/11, all while reflecting on her own past and struggles with addiction. This book is a great view of the life of a death investigator in a large city, and no gruesome details are spared. Butcher is an incredibly determined person with a no-nonsense attitude which came off overly strong throughout the book, almost comically so. I struggled getting past what read like exaggerated 90s crime drama acting, as if Butcher REALLY wanted to make sure we knew she was a tough NYC crime investigator with a chip on her shoulder, it was excessive. That being said, if you aren’t bothered by or welcome brash personalities, you will likely find the book enjoyable to read. 

Incredibly emotional narrative nonfiction detailing the journey of the Donner-reed Party traveling from Illinois to California in 1846, and the tragic deaths of nearly half the party in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Brown is an amazing writer who takes a vast collection of source material and transforms it into a gripping story. I appreciated that Brown frequently broke from the story and offered context behind certain historical events and even scientific/medical explanations, it helped better put things into perspective. If you’ve never heard of the Donner Party, or have done your share of research (like I did) and want more, I highly recommend this book. 

Absolutely heartbreaking book following the forensic anthropological investigation of Dr. Erin Kimmerle at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys, a reform school in Florida. Kimmerle does an amazing job researching the history of the school grounds and using that information to locate nearly sixty gravesites, all while fighting state and local pushback. My only gripe with this book is that Kimmerle adopts a memoir-style throughout the book, and there’s a point early on where she spends nearly 11 pages telling her entire life story.  It felt forced and completely detracted from the premise of the book, you’ll know once you get to it, and you can quite literally skip to the next chapter. Overall, this is a great read for anyone interested in anthropological science and/or true crime. 

Incredible book detailing the events of the 1920s Osage murders in Oklahoma and the subsequent creation of the FBI. David Grann takes a creative approach to this investigative nonfiction, resulting in an immersive and emotional read. Even so, Grann takes special care to properly cite all references and quotes used throughout the book. I started this book with zero knowledge on the Osage murders and did not feel lost or that I needed more background information at any point, Grann covers it all in great detail without being dry. 

Opinion: Memoir-style book by Amy Bruni on the truths behind ghosts and ghost hunting. This was a @themorbidlycuriousbookclub monthly read with great reviews so I purchased it with an open mind, as I would not consider myself a believer of the supernatural. Full disclosure, I did not finish it. Bruni starts off strong, detailing her first experiences with the supernatural and how she got into ghost hunting. Each chapter takes a common misconception about ghosts and refutes it (except not always and I’ll get into that) while also offering some stories about Bruni’s own experiences that offer a fun, spooky element. My issue with the book is that Bruni constantly contradicts herself. For example, an early chapter is entirely devoted to squashing the myth that ghosts are trying to scare/hurt you, but then later in the book (and even within the same chapter) discusses how some ghosts are dangerous. This is a reoccurring theme in each chapter and about 3/4 through the book, I couldn’t do it anymore. Perhaps this was intentional as Bruni explains early on that the paranormal is, in its nature, unexplainable, but all the definitive language used throughout the book was irritating to me. 

 

Opinion: Investigative mystery by Donnie Eichar uncovering the details behind the eerie Dyatlov Pass incident in 1959. I loved this book and Eichar goes the distance in uncovering this mystery, from pouring through old case files to partnering with case experts and traversing the mountains himself. Eichar does a good job of alternating between present-day investigations and past events; they are separate chapters throughout the book so some chapters are denser than others. At times I felt Eichar used too much creative freedom in recounting the past but when paired with photos and journal entries from the hikers, it created a real emotional connection for me, and I totally cried. At the end of the book, Eichar offers his own conclusions of what really happened, and I’ll leave it at that. 

Synopsis: Eichar exhaustively investigates the mysterious death of nine hikers in the Russian Ural Mountains by digging into case files, journals, and interviews. Eichar also teams up with scientists and current case experts and journeys to the Ural Mountains in an attempt to retrace the steps of these hikers. Eichar alternates from 1959 to present day in recounting the group’s final few weeks and the original investigation of their deaths. There are personal elements of the hikers throughout the book in the form of photos and journal entries. Eichar does exercise his own creative storytelling when recounting events, which may detract from the authenticity of events, but it makes for an immersive story. POTENTIAL SPOILER…

In the last chapter, Eichar takes full creative freedom (and explicitly mentions so) in recreating a story of the hikers’ last two days based on evidence.

 

Opinion: Great book written by mortician Caitlin Doughty exploring death culture around the world. This is the first book I read after discovering @themorbidlycuriousbookclub (the start of my descent into morbid books), I’m glad I chose it as my first book, and I would recommend it to anyone remotely interested in death and funeral practices. Doughty is an engaging writer who explains the subject material with respect and compassion, I never felt shocked or uncomfortable reading the details of death in this book. I will say though, there are cartoonish illustrations of death scattered throughout that may be a little jarring. 

Synopsis: Doughty visits eight locations, three of which are in the United States, exploring the different views on death, including how the dead are cared for and funeral rituals. Doughty often speaks on modern funeral practices here in the US, where our dead are hastily carried away and special care is taken to hide the realness of death from loved ones, ultimately leading to this anxiousness and fear of death in our society. Doughty’s aim is to inform the reader of different death practices, often more personal, so that we might feel more comfortable with inevitability of death. 

Opinion: Great book for anyone interested in a career in death work, complete with thorough interviews of the people involved and grisly details of a days work. I enjoyed reading the book for the aforementioned reasons and the memoir-style did not completely put me off, however, I felt that something was missing from the book, though I cannot pinpoint what. Perhaps a couple of the chapters seem hastily written, without as much information as the rest. Overall, Campbell does a great job of capturing the stories and emotions of the individuals who have dedicated their lives to working with the dead. 

Synopsis: Part memoir, part journalistic book by Hayley Campbell exploring twelve different death-focused careers, ranging from funeral director to crime scene cleaner to cryonics. Each chapter features a different career and point person who Campbell interviews, detailing their personal stories of why they chose the work and how it has affected them, while also weaving in her own past experiences and fascination with death, and why she chose to explore these careers. There is a grotesque nature to this book as Campbell describes her own observations in detail.  SPOILER…

The chapter Love and Terror contains descriptive infant death, which is incredibly upsetting to Campbell, as she references this event in subsequent chapters.