All That Remains

A Renowned Forensic Scientist on Death, Mortality, and Solving Crimes

By: Sue Black

Narrated by: Angela Dawe

For fans of Caitlin Doughty, Mary Roach, and CSI shows, a renowned forensic scientist on death and mortality.

Dame Sue Black is an internationally renowned forensic anthropologist and human anatomist. She has lived her life eye to eye with the Grim Reaper, and she writes vividly about it in this book, which is part primer on the basics of identifying human remains, part frank memoir of a woman whose first paying job as a schoolgirl was to apprentice in a butcher shop, and part no-nonsense but deeply humane introduction to the reality of death in our lives. It is a treat for CSI junkies, murder mystery and thriller fans, and anyone seeking a clear-eyed guide to a subject that touches us all.

Cutting through hype, romanticism, and cliché, she recounts her first dissection; her own first acquaintance with a loved one’s death; the mortal remains in her lab and at burial sites, as well as scenes of violence, murder, and criminal dismemberment; and about investigating mass fatalities due to war, accident, or natural disaster, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. She uses key cases to reveal how forensic science has developed and what her work has taught her about human nature.

Acclaimed by bestselling crime writers and fellow scientists alike, All That Remains is neither sad nor macabre. While Professor Black tells of tragedy, she also infuses her stories with a wicked sense of humor and much common sense.

©2018 Professor Dame Sue Black (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

I already gave a copy to two people!

Amazing!! So interesting, and so thoughtfully written, it vacillates easily and gracefully between the scientific and the emotional…If I LOVE an audiobook, I listen to it twice, back to back, and that’s exactly what I’m about to do next!

Good stuff

Her first book was a little more science a little less memoir. This one was a little more memoir and a little less science, but still was a delightful listen. I will definitely be listening to it a second time.

Informative and Storytelling

I enjoyed the directness and factual descriptions and retelling in the book while including personal experiences to avoid sounding like a textbook.

Bad narration

To be fair, the subject matter was great, but I couldn’t get over the pseudo-robotic voice.

Makes you think

This book is fantastic. It can be depressing for some. But helps to bring to light the work of a forensic anthropologist and why it’s important.