THE EDUCATION OF A CORONER

Author John Bateson recounts the hair-raising and heartbreaking cases handled by Ken Holmes, the coroner of Marin County, California, throughout his four decades on the job—from high-profile deaths to serial killers, to Golden Gate Bridge suicides, for fans of CSI.

Marin County, California is a study in contradictions. Its natural beauty attracts thousands of visitors every year, yet the county also is home to San Quentin Prison, one of the oldest and largest penitentiaries in the country. Marin ranks in the top 1 percent of counties nation-wide in terms of affluence and overall health, yet it is far above the norm in drug overdoses and alcoholism, and comprises a large percentage of suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge.

Ken Holmes worked in the Marin County Coroner’s Office for 36 years, starting as a death investigator and ending ast he three-term, elected coroner. As he grew into the job, he learned a variety of skills—to find hidden clues at death scenes, interview witnesses effectively, manage bystanders and reporters, prepare testimony for court, and notify families of a death with sensitivity and compassion. He also learned about different kinds of firearms, all types of drugs—prescription and illegal—and about phenomena such as autoeroticism that were perplexing to him at first.

In The Education of a Coroner, John Bateson describes the journey of Holmes, a public servant whose work is dark and mysterious, yet necessary for society to function. It is different from that depicted on TV shows, and few people know anything about it until the day comes when a coroner knocks on their door and delivers news that will change their lives forever.

John Bateson served as the executive director of a nationally-certified crisis intervention and suicide prevention centerin the San Francisco Bay Area for 16 years. He is the author of three previous books—The Last and Greatest Battle,The Final Leap, and Building Hope. He and his wife live in northern California and have four adult children.