A worker for the only US plant licensed to produce anthrax dies, the victim of a heart attack. But what caused his heart to stop beating? Written by a veteran medical examiner, this book takes readers into the world of forensic pathology, as he solves these and many other cases.

The body of a woman floats to the surface of a lake with sixty pounds of cinder block and chain attached to her legs. Her killer faces the death penalty if the prosecution can answer one question: Did she drown? A worker for the only U.S. plant licensed to produce anthrax dies, the victim of a heart attack. But what caused his heart to stop beating? Follow veteran medical examiner Dr. Stephen D. Cohle into the world of forensic pathology, as he solves these and many other cases. Written from an insider's view, Cause of Death puts the reader behind Dr. Cohle's shoulder while he examines each victim. The cases range from exotic murder mysteries ripe for a CSI episode to everyday casualties of heart attacks and car accidents. Every victim, though, has a story to tell. Enter a real-life morgue with its strange sights, sounds, and smells, and watch a forensic mastermind as he unravels each victim's cause of death.

"An excellent book. It gives the reader the sights, the sounds, and the smells of an autopsy room."
Dr. Henry C. Lee
Distinguished Professor of Forensic Science
University of New Haven
Author of Dr. Henry Lee's Forensic Files, The Budapest Connection,
Cracking Cases, and Cracking More Cases

"A delightful romp from the death scene, through the autopsy with all its sights and smells, and into the courtroom with its many surprises, conducted by one of the country’s leading forensic pathologists. They’re all here: shootings, stabbings, blunt objects, rough sex, drugs, tattoos, maggots – even an anthrax vaccine associated death – all informatively explained."
Michael M. Baden, MD, author of Remains Silent
Director, Medicolegal Investigations Unit
Former Chief Medical Examiner, New York City