Try free for 2 months
-
Unnatural Causes
- Narrated by: Dr Richard Shepherd
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, True Crime
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a 2 month free trial
Buy Now for $36.45
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
People who bought this also bought...
-
Critical
- Science and Stories from the Brink of Human Life
- By: Dr Matt Morgan
- Narrated by: Dr Matt Morgan
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following in the wake of hugely successful medical memoirs such as Do No Harm and Fragile Lives, Critical is an intelligent, compelling and profoundly insightful journey into the world of intensive care medicine and the lives of people who have forever been changed by it.
-
-
Nothing short of inspiring
- By Anonymous User on 14-06-2019
-
All That Remains
- By: Sue Black
- Narrated by: Sue Black
- Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Random House presents the audiobook edition of All That Remains by Professor Sue Black, read by the author. Sue Black confronts death every day. As Professor of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology, she focuses on mortal remains in her lab; at burial sites; at scenes of violence, murder and criminal dismemberment; and when investigating mass fatalities due to war, accident or natural disaster. In All That Remains, she reveals the many faces of death she has come to know, using key cases to explore how forensic science has developed and what her work has taught her.
-
-
Just brilliant
- By Lani on 17-05-2022
-
The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly
- A Physician's First Year
- By: Matt McCarthy
- Narrated by: Matt McCarthy
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In medical school, Matt McCarthy dreamed of being a different kind of doctor - the sort of mythical, unflappable physician who could reach unreachable patients. But when a new admission to the critical care unit almost died his first night on call, he found himself scrambling. Visions of mastery quickly gave way to hopes of simply surviving hospital life, where confidence was hard to come by and no amount of med school training could dispel the terror of facing actual patients.
-
-
Well done!!!
- By Tobi Martins on 24-10-2019
-
Trust Me, I'm a (Junior) Doctor
- By: Max Pemberton
- Narrated by: Alexi Armitage
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Starting on the evening before he begins work as a doctor, this audiobook charts Max Pemberton's touching and funny journey through his first year in the NHS. Progressing from youthful idealism to frank bewilderment, Max realises how little his job is about 'saving people' and how much of his time is taken up by signing forms and trying to figure out all the important things no one has explained yet - for example, the crucial question of how to tell whether someone is dead or not.
-
-
My GP has become my hero
- By a-cbates on 05-05-2021
-
This Is Going to Hurt
- Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor
- By: Adam Kay
- Narrated by: Adam Kay
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to the life of a junior doctor: 97-hour weeks, life-and-death decisions, a constant tsunami of bodily fluids and the hospital parking meter earns more than you. Scribbled in secret after endless days, sleepless nights and missed weekends, Adam Kay's This Is Going to Hurt provides a no-holds-barred account of his time on the NHS front line. Hilarious, horrifying and heartbreaking, this diary is everything you wanted to know - and more than a few things you didn't - about life on and off the hospital ward.
-
-
Not for the prudish but well written/read
- By Carron on 11-08-2018
-
Cook County ICU
- 30 Years of Unforgettable Patients and Odd Cases
- By: Cory Franklin MD
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Author Cory Franklin, MD, who headed the hospital's intensive care unit from the 1970s through the 1990s, shares his most unique and bizarre experiences, including the deadly Chicago heatwave of 1995, treating the first AIDS patients in the country before the disease was diagnosed, the nurse with rare Munchausen syndrome, the only surviving ricin victim, and the professor with Alzheimer's hiding the effects of the wrong medication.
-
-
Great medical stories
- By Benjamin on 18-02-2017
-
Critical
- Science and Stories from the Brink of Human Life
- By: Dr Matt Morgan
- Narrated by: Dr Matt Morgan
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following in the wake of hugely successful medical memoirs such as Do No Harm and Fragile Lives, Critical is an intelligent, compelling and profoundly insightful journey into the world of intensive care medicine and the lives of people who have forever been changed by it.
-
-
Nothing short of inspiring
- By Anonymous User on 14-06-2019
-
All That Remains
- By: Sue Black
- Narrated by: Sue Black
- Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Random House presents the audiobook edition of All That Remains by Professor Sue Black, read by the author. Sue Black confronts death every day. As Professor of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology, she focuses on mortal remains in her lab; at burial sites; at scenes of violence, murder and criminal dismemberment; and when investigating mass fatalities due to war, accident or natural disaster. In All That Remains, she reveals the many faces of death she has come to know, using key cases to explore how forensic science has developed and what her work has taught her.
-
-
Just brilliant
- By Lani on 17-05-2022
-
The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly
- A Physician's First Year
- By: Matt McCarthy
- Narrated by: Matt McCarthy
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In medical school, Matt McCarthy dreamed of being a different kind of doctor - the sort of mythical, unflappable physician who could reach unreachable patients. But when a new admission to the critical care unit almost died his first night on call, he found himself scrambling. Visions of mastery quickly gave way to hopes of simply surviving hospital life, where confidence was hard to come by and no amount of med school training could dispel the terror of facing actual patients.
-
-
Well done!!!
- By Tobi Martins on 24-10-2019
-
Trust Me, I'm a (Junior) Doctor
- By: Max Pemberton
- Narrated by: Alexi Armitage
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Starting on the evening before he begins work as a doctor, this audiobook charts Max Pemberton's touching and funny journey through his first year in the NHS. Progressing from youthful idealism to frank bewilderment, Max realises how little his job is about 'saving people' and how much of his time is taken up by signing forms and trying to figure out all the important things no one has explained yet - for example, the crucial question of how to tell whether someone is dead or not.
-
-
My GP has become my hero
- By a-cbates on 05-05-2021
-
This Is Going to Hurt
- Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor
- By: Adam Kay
- Narrated by: Adam Kay
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to the life of a junior doctor: 97-hour weeks, life-and-death decisions, a constant tsunami of bodily fluids and the hospital parking meter earns more than you. Scribbled in secret after endless days, sleepless nights and missed weekends, Adam Kay's This Is Going to Hurt provides a no-holds-barred account of his time on the NHS front line. Hilarious, horrifying and heartbreaking, this diary is everything you wanted to know - and more than a few things you didn't - about life on and off the hospital ward.
-
-
Not for the prudish but well written/read
- By Carron on 11-08-2018
-
Cook County ICU
- 30 Years of Unforgettable Patients and Odd Cases
- By: Cory Franklin MD
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Author Cory Franklin, MD, who headed the hospital's intensive care unit from the 1970s through the 1990s, shares his most unique and bizarre experiences, including the deadly Chicago heatwave of 1995, treating the first AIDS patients in the country before the disease was diagnosed, the nurse with rare Munchausen syndrome, the only surviving ricin victim, and the professor with Alzheimer's hiding the effects of the wrong medication.
-
-
Great medical stories
- By Benjamin on 18-02-2017
-
CSI Told You Lies
- Giving Victims a Voice Through Forensics
- By: Meshel Laurie
- Narrated by: Meshel Laurie
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
CSI Told You Lies is a surprisingly moving account of the real forensic pathologists at the frontline of Australia's major crime and disaster investigations. These are the men and women whose post-mortem examinations help the dead to speak. Along with the pathologists, Meshel Laurie, host of the Australian True Crime podcast, also speaks to the homicide detectives, defence barristers and victims' families in this groundbreaking study of the ripple effect of violent crime and largescale natural disaster.
-
-
A must read for true crime enthusiasts !!
- By Anonymous User on 03-09-2021
-
Personal Effects
- What Recovering the Dead Teaches Me About Caring for the Living
- By: Robert A. Jensen
- Narrated by: Adam Barr, Robert A. Jensen
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You have seen Robert A. Jensen—you just never knew it. As the owner of the world’s largest disaster management company, he has spent most of his adult life responding to tragedy. From the Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11, and the Bali bombings, to the 2004 South Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the 2010 Haitian Earthquake, and the Grenfell Tower Fire, Jensen has been at the practical level of international incidents, assisting with the recovery of bodies, identifying victims, and repatriating and returning their personal effects to the surviving family members.
-
-
Everyone should listen
- By michelle on 02-11-2021
-
War Doctor
- Surgery on the Front Line
- By: David Nott
- Narrated by: David Nott
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than 25 years, David Nott has taken unpaid leave from his job as a general and vascular surgeon with the NHS to volunteer in some of the world’s most dangerous war zones. From Sarajevo under siege in 1993 to clandestine hospitals in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, he has carried out lifesaving operations and field surgery in the most challenging conditions, and with none of the resources of a major London teaching hospital.
-
-
Amazing life story.
- By Sam on 30-04-2019
-
When the Air Hits Your Brain
- Tales from Neurosurgery
- By: Frank T Vertosick Jr. MD
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With poignant insight and humor, Frank Vertosick, Jr., MD, describes some of the greatest challenges of his career, including a six-week-old infant with a tumor in her brain, a young man struck down in his prime by paraplegia, and a minister with a .22-caliber bullet lodged in his skull. Told through intimate portraits of Vertosick's patients and unsparing-yet-fascinatingly detailed descriptions of surgical procedures, When the Air Hits Your Brain illuminates both the mysteries of the mind and the realities of the operating room.
-
-
Interesting
- By Elizabeth McDonagh on 09-09-2021
-
Trauma Room Two
- By: Philip Allen Green MD
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In every hospital emergency department there is a room reserved for trauma. It is a place where life and death are separated by the thinnest of margins. A place where some families celebrate the most improbable of victories while others face the most devastating of losses. A place where what matters the most in this life is revealed. Trauma Room Two is just such a place. In this collection of short stories, Dr. Green takes the listener inside the hidden emotional landscape of emergency medicine.
-
-
a insightful book
- By Jasmine Andrew on 11-12-2018
-
What Lies Buried
- A Forensic Psychologist's True Stories of Madness, the Bad and the Misunderstood
- By: Kerry Daynes
- Narrated by: Sara Poyzer
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kerry Daynes, leading forensic psychologist, opens up the case files of some of her most perplexing clients to uncover what lies buried behind some of the most extreme and disturbing behaviour. Whether she is dealing with a young murderer who says he has heard voices telling him to kill, a teacher who daubs children in red paint and threatens to abduct them, or an aspiring serial killer who faints at the sight of blood, Kerry's quest is to delve beyond the classic question asked of her profession: 'Are they mad, or are they bad?'
-
Where Does It Hurt?
- What the Junior Doctor Did Next
- By: Max Pemberton
- Narrated by: Alexi Armitage
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He's into his second year of medicine, but this time Max is out of the wards and onto the streets, working for the Phoenix Outreach Project. Fuelled by tea and more enthusiasm than experience, he attempts to locate and treat a wide and colourful range of patients that somehow his first year on the wards didn't prepare him for...from Molly the 80-year-old drugs mule and God in a Tesco car park to middle-class mums addicted to appearances and pain killers in equal measure.
-
Written in Bone
- Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind
- By: Professor Sue Black
- Narrated by: Professor Sue Black
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Our bones are the silent witnesses to the lives we lead. Our stories are marbled into their marrow. Drawing upon her years of research and a wealth of remarkable experience, the world-renowned forensic anthropologist Dame Sue Black takes us on a journey of revelation. From skull to feet, via the face, spine, chest, arms, hands, pelvis and legs, she shows that each part of us has a tale to tell. What we eat, where we go, everything we do leaves a trace, a message that waits patiently for months, years, sometimes centuries, until a forensic anthropologist is called upon to decipher it.
-
-
brilliant
- By Anonymous User on 23-03-2021
-
The Prison Doctor
- By: Dr Amanda Brown, Ruth Kelly
- Narrated by: Sophie Aldred
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Horrifying, heartbreaking and eye-opening, these are the stories, the patients and the cases that have characterised a career spent behind bars. The no-holds-barred memoirs of a GP who went from working at a quiet suburban practice to treating the country’s most dangerous criminals - first in young offenders’ institutions, then at the notorious Wormwood Scrubs and finally at Europe’s largest women-only prison in Europe, Bronzefield.
-
-
Great Story. Annoying character voices.
- By Anonymous User on 04-06-2022
-
The Doctor Will See You Now
- By: Max Pemberton
- Narrated by: Alexi Armitage
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The junior doctor...back on the wards. After a year on the streets treating outreach patients, Max Pemberton is back in the relative comfort of hospital. This time running between elderly care and the dementia clinic to A&E and outpatients. No longer inexperienced (Max and his doctor friends can now tell when someone is actually dead), they are on the front line of patient care, for better or worse.
-
-
Absolutely loved it
- By Anonymous User on 14-09-2021
-
The Dark Side of the Mind
- True Stories from My Life as a Forensic Psychologist
- By: Kerry Daynes
- Narrated by: Sara Poyzer
- Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kerry Daynes has worked with some of the most complex and challenging criminals in prisons and secure hospitals as well as the victims of crime. A large part of her day job is spent delving into the psyche of convicted men and women to try to understand what lies behind their actions and how to set them on the path to becoming law-abiding citizens. Welcome to the life of a forensic psychologist. No two days are the same. The people you work with are wildly unpredictable, sometimes frightening and often deeply frustrating.
-
-
So annoyed - I couldn't stand the narrator
- By Annabelle on 23-09-2019
-
The Coffin Confessor
- By: Bill Edgar
- Narrated by: Bill Edgar
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imagine you are dying with a secret. Something you've never had the courage to tell your friends and family. Or a last wish - a task you need carried out before you can rest in peace. Now imagine there's a man who can take care of all that, who has no respect for the living, who will do anything for the dead. Bill Edgar is the coffin confessor - a one-of-a-kind professional, a man on a mission to make good on these last requests on behalf of his soon-to-be-deceased clients. And this is the extraordinary story of how he became that man.
-
-
A must read!
- By Anonymous User on 04-07-2021
Publisher's Summary
Meet the forensic pathologist, Dr Richard Shepherd, in the true crime book of the year - brought to you by Penguin.
'The dead do not hide the truth and they never lie. Through me the dead can speak....'
He solves the mysteries of unexplained or sudden death.
He has performed over 23,000 autopsies, including investigating some of the most high-profile cases of recent times; the Hungerford Massacre, the Princess Diana inquiry, and 9/11.
He has faced serial killers, natural disasters, 'perfect murders' and freak accidents.
His evidence has put killers behind bars, freed the innocent and turned open-and-shut cases on their heads.
Yet all this has come at a huge personal cost.
Written and narrated by Dr Richard Shepherd, Unnatural Causes tells the story of not only the cases and bodies that have haunted him the most, but also how to live a life steeped in death.
Critic Reviews
"Puts the reader at his elbow as he wields the scalpel." (Guardian)
"Fascinating, gruesome yet engrossing." (Richard and Judy, Daily Express)
"Fascinating, insightful, candid, compassionate." (Obersver)
More from the same
Author
Narrator
What listeners say about Unnatural Causes
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 27-09-2019
an extraordinary life
I had no idea quite how "foremost" this Dr was before I started listening... but as the story progressed I became more and more invested and fascinated by this man's life and experiences. 9/11, Diana's death, Stephen Lawrence. It's hard to believe that one man could be at the front line of all of these tragedies. Hats off to Dr Shepherd and Thanks for sharing your story with us.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Miss Amy V
- 27-07-2019
Excellent! So much emotion alongside science
Dr. Shepherd discusses his long career in forensic pathology from his first post mortem to his final years as a professional. He speaks with so much respect for the deceased and their families, whilst still detailing the more gruesome aspects of his job. The story also focuses on Shepherd's family and the tension they often felt as Shepherd and his wife had little time for anything besides their medical careers. I was actually quite touched that he so spoke so openly and emotionally about his private life including his eventual battle with PTSD. Overall it was a pleasure to listen to and a little different from the usual forensic science books. Definitely worth a listen.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Julia
- 19-06-2019
Gripping
The first few minutes I found the narrators voice a little monotonous . However, as soon as Dr Shepherd started talking about his work and relaying anecdotes I was hooked. He was clear, at times troubled and conflicted but his voice was almost a balm to some of the horror cases he spoke of. I can remember nearly all the infamous and sad cases he spoke of and he gave a different perspective of those cases. This book also highlights the ridiculous red tape, and bureaucracy Dr Shepherd and his colleagues had to go through and just how the scales of justice can be tipped in either way by interpretation, and different perspectives. I thoroughly recommend this. I was sorry it ended.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Karen banks
- 31-08-2019
Good Insight
I found this to be very interesting and enjoyed the book very much. It gives a great insight into the role of a Forensic Pathologist and touches on some well known cases.
There is a good blend of case studies with some details of the author's life which bring a more relatable side to the stories.
Definitely recommend for any true crime enthusiasts.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 23-08-2019
Incredible insight
Dr Shepherd takes you on an amazing journey that is pathology, and goes into depth on some pretty intense cases of his career. At times I felt like I was there in the exam room with him. Really moving, especially towards the end. Thank you for sharing your life’s work with us all, Richard.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 24-07-2019
Amazing
What an incredible insight. I didn’t want it to end. You’ve led an amazing career and should be proud! Thanks for sharing it with us all.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jon
- 30-06-2019
Fascinating
I really enjoyed this book a lot. Dr Shepherd manages to be highly qualified and hold positions of great responsibilities while remaining very grounded and humble.
It’s such a fascinating book in how he describes post-mortems as the body telling him the story they can no longer speak. What blessings there are Doctors who wish to speak for the dead in this manner. Thanks Dick.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jane
- 30-06-2019
A great behind the scenes
This was one I didn't want to end, right when you thought it sounds like the end of the story, he came up with a new story. Great insight into what happens and how good these people are at determining the cause of death.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Four legs good
- 10-06-2019
Fascinating wonderful
This is the best forensic book I have had the pleasure to listen to. Stories are fascinating, well written and well read. I liked the personal side as well. I recommend to anyone interested in forensics.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Graykat
- 08-05-2019
Do you like Forensic Science?
Do you like Forensic Science? If so, then get this book. A great story which is well read!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Shannon L. Nachajko
- 14-11-2019
Give this one a chance
This book starts off very ho hum and I am an Osteologist. It does get much better and I am glad I stuck with it. You will be happy you did to!
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- CHET YARBROUGH
- 30-04-2019
UNNATURAL CAUSES
Dr. Richard Shepard is an English forensic pathologist. In a cathartic examination of his profession, Shepard reveals how obsessiveness is a boon and bane in life. From youth to late middle age, Shepard reflects on his life.
In “Unnatural Causes”, Shepard examines the causes of others’ death. With ever-present foreshadowing, a listener recognizes a man who is going to experience a mid-life crisis.
Shepard explains how political pressure from the public, the police, and the judicial system influences diagnosis of death. The public may want to know the “cause of death” because of preconceived notions. The police may want to know the “cause of death: because of their perception of someone’s guilt or innocence. The judicial system may want “cause of death” based on witnesses for the defense or prosecution. To Shepard, what someone wants is not relevant. Only the truth is relevant.
Both the personal and public crises Shepard faces will resonate with anyone who has obsessively pursued a career and had his/her personal integrity challenged.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Grainne Whelan
- 10-06-2019
Highly recommend
This book came highly recommended by a solicitor colleague and in turn I’m recommending it highly. For the first time ever I have read a book that recognises vicarious trauma and I am deeply grateful for same. It is a fascinating reflection on a distinguished career. It’s is truthful and not at all glamorous. Thank you.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Michael
- 22-09-2019
Interesting but Lacking
This is a mildly interesting book that discusses the profession of forensic pathologist, including his youthful interest in the subject and the personal effects of the profession upon himself and his family. There are numerous stories unfolding the mysteries of unusual deaths and insider tales of the trade.
Unfortunately the author is unreliable. The book lacks the self-insight necessary in a great memoir. Sometime this is just a lack of introspection, sometimes it is a lack of empathy, sometimes it is a lack of honesty. If this book were just stories about forensics, it would have been fine, but it attempts to be both that, and a memoir about the author and his life. This memoir was far from ripe.
I could not recommend this book even though I enjoyed (and learned from) a number of the stories.
The book is very well narrated by the author.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- C. Willis
- 25-10-2018
Dark, Fascinating and Compelling
What a great listen for my first book back on Audible. The topic wasn't something that I thought I would interested in, (I'm not the biggest fan of blood), but this book, while dark and gory at times, kept me listening.
The details of Dr Shepherds personal life are entwined with stories that British listeners will recognize instantly, and this mix cuts through the sensationalism of those stories and presents them, guts and all, in a way that makes them all the more real.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Zoesmydog
- 21-06-2019
Boring!
Half thru. Can't take another minute. Idgaf about his childhood, kids, wife, etc. I have advanced medical training and am fascinated w forensics. I expected to hear interesting medical cases. Nope 85% about himself. Skip it
23 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Katherine Hamilton
- 21-06-2020
It's worth the time
The narrator is terrible. I loved the content though. He was good and talking about his expereince both professionally and emotionally. I'm a therapist, I loved how he talked about how his childhood affected him as an adult, carrying over into his marriage and parenting style. That makes it sound like he doesn't share the good stuff but he does. It's crazy to think that those guys aren't affected. Just the narrator though.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- 520 8698064
- 02-01-2020
unnatural causes
This book was interesting and helpful. The reading was decent and the story which is factual but has the feeling the real.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kindle Customer
- 30-11-2020
Fascinating and interesting read
I would highly recommend this book. It was beautifully written and equally well read. His honest account of his personal life and how it intertwined with his career was a breath of fresh air. I absolutely loved this book.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Sheila Rogers
- 05-05-2022
Extremely interesting
Couldn’t stop listening. Excellent book, very interesting despite obviously describing extremely sad cases. The life of an amazing man.
Highly recommend.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Dr Debbie Tranter
- 23-09-2018
A rollercoaster ride
The best book that I have encountered in years; it was narrated with ease by Dr Shepherd. I couldn't stop listening and continued through the night. It recounts the ups, downs, twists and turns of this leading Home Office pathologists life within forensic & legal medicine. It's a biography carefully threaded through his most memorable cases; it is not intended to be a treatise on forensic medicine. Shepherd exposes how such a demanding role can impact so many lives and how the freedom or confinement of the individual can depend so much on the attentiveness, honesty and impartiality of the forensic professionals. Moreover, if you're interested in how the authorities handle the aftermath of mass disasters, this is a 'must read'. The mental health crisis that the Shepherd suffered in the latter part of his career was no surprise and highlights the sacrifices made by the few who do this job (there's only a small number of Home Office pathologists in the British Isles). Listeners should be aware that it may leave a dark cloud hanging over ones head for a while afterwards. There are many tragic recollections -- the most tragic from my viewpoint were the 'hide and die' and SUDEP cases. The high profile cases affected me much less. Two of the high profile cases that Shepherd was involved with are constantly in the media, even now, over 20 years later; the constant ruminations by the media on these two cases have bored me rigid. It was the anonymous, unheard of cases that made me feel melancholic. The 'spy in the bag' death and Jo Cox murder were not covered; I was disappointed about that, but I'm sure that there was a reason. A wonderful read offered up by a very colourful, clever and candid character. As a side note: Dr Shepherd also appears in the TV series 'Mummies Alive' (brilliant!), 'Autopsy' and Michael Portillo's 'Hidden Britain - Royal London Hospital'. All available on the web and worth watching if you have the opportunity.
100 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mordecai
- 07-12-2018
WARNING: Say bye bye to the next 11hrs and 46mins
This book was by far the most compelling listen so far in my 4 years of grinding my way through audiobooks on Audible. Absolute honesty mixed with fascinating and detailed stories from the frontline of criminal forensic pathology which references cases anyone from the UK or Ireland who was born in the last 50 years will remember. Shepherd brings humanity to his description of a job that many people don't even want to think about. There is interesting caselaw that features fascinating insights into complex legal issues that revolve around his findings in the PM room but explained with a brevity and focus that make it simple for a lay person like me to understand. There is the non-gruesome yet frank explanation of causes of death (definite and suspected) and a very interesting look at the tapestry of relationships that a forensic pathologist is involved in which I never thought about before (doctors, other pathologists, academics, consultant, law enforcement, solicitors, barristers, judges etc). Top all of this off with a general underlying feeling that this man just comes across as a bloody (excuse the pun) nice chap with very simple and altruistic goals underpinning his career and you get what is a book that I must have listened to in two days which for juts under 12 hours is a record for me. Wholeheartedly recommended.
49 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- kate louise sullivan
- 22-10-2018
Absolutely fascinating, unexpectedly gripping.
I found I was compelled to keep listening, and went through from start to finish in a little over 24 hours. At times the detail can be very full on, these were after all most of the major incidents within the last 30 years, and he was a very senior pathologist, so be warned.
The book is candid, meticulous and nothing is held back. His thoughts and feelings are laid out like one of his patients and are scrutinised and dissected with the same clinical rigor. He finds himself unexpectedly as human as any of us, yet with deep pockets of care and empathy and compassion. This truly is an insightful and fascinating autobiography of an exceptional man.
16 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 29-09-2018
Bringing life to death
Really loved this book. I've always found the idea of forensic pathology fascinating. This was not only an excellent insight into the work, and touched on lots of high profile cases, but had personal stories describing the impact of such a career on the mental health of the pathologist. Was also very insightful on the changes in the profession over time, and the influence of public perceptions and trends in thinking. Great that it was naratted by the author too, adding additional personal touches. Highly recommend.
23 people found this helpful
-
Overall

- C. Furgusson
- 16-10-2018
Fascinating, humble and honest
An absolutely fascinating account of Richard Shepherd's career. He mixes the chronological story of his professional life with really interesting technical insight as well as philosophical discussion on the moral topics that he feels strongly about. Accompanying this is real, admirable honesty about his feelings, his family and the effects that his work had on it. Dr Shepherd, you have my deepest respect.
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Gary
- 02-02-2019
What an amazing human
One of the most interesting biographies I have ever read
Thank you for looking out for all those people after their deaths
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Natallie
- 02-07-2019
Brilliant
Great book which gives a fascinating insight into this highly skilled but often overlooked and underappreciated profession. Hearing of how Richard's career over the years caused issues with family, children and even his own mental health was really moving at times. The descriptions of the disaster scenes and effects of working within them are very tastefully done. It would have been easy to turn this into a blood, guts and gore shocker book but it's really not like that at all. Thanks for sharing your story Richard.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Nedelar
- 19-10-2018
So Human
A humble, compassionate and beautiful, wise book, brilliant. Thank you for the careful work you have done. I wish this
book hadn’t ended it’s so good.
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 22-10-2018
wow
I heard Dr Shepherd on Jeremy Vines radio 2 programme. I thought at the time this sounds interesting. Not my normal listen, but I'd give it a go. I never realised what a forensic pathologist did. oh I have seen tv shows, but this book takes it to a new level
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mark
- 21-10-2018
Authoritative, Authentic and Utterly Fascinating
This review is an absolute honour to write as I have rarely read or listened to a book so richly deserving 5 stars across the board. The story, such as it can be called a story, is incredibly interesting. I am quite squeamish and this book certainly does not hold back but the material is so interesting and so well recounted that I hung on every word. Dr Shepherd can really write and his narration was pitch perfect - better than many voice actors I have listened to. His searing honesty, self - doubt, compassion and humanity really helped to humanise the medical aspects of the book. This is not just a great memoir, it is an outstanding work of literature and I thoroughly recommend it to all listeners and readers.
30 people found this helpful
20 Best Fantasy Audiobooks
This genre is so full of talent, it can be difficult to know what to listen to next — so look no further than this list to get you started.



20 Best Nonfiction Audiobooks
From the entire history of humanity to astrophysics, to our gut and mental health, dig into this list and learn something new.



Best Australian Podcasts on Audible
Audible Original Podcasts are free for Audible members. Check out this list of home-grown content, from binge-worthy true crime to self-help.


