A review by siobhanward
Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek

informative medium-paced

3.5

I liked the premise of this book and for the most part, Melinek told her story well. I think wrapping up her book by writing about 9/11 and the aftermath really made the book feel impactful. I appreciated how down to earth and honest she was, but struggled when she moved into territory that felt crass. I get that MEs rely on dark humour to get through their job a lot of the time, but describing a woman as having been "creamed" by a car was a bit much for me. Sure, in the office, that might be fine, but in a book? That woman was a real person with a family - so that descriptor just really didn't sit well with me. Otherwise, the book was solid, at times it felt repetitive or dragged on about a story that just didn't engage me, but it was an interesting topic and mostly told well. 
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