What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator

Written by Barbara Butcher

Narrated by Barbara Butcher

A “remarkably candid and sensitive” (The Wall Street Journal) true crime memoir from Barbara Butcher, a trailblazing New York City death investigator, who reveals the untold stories behind more than 5,500 death scenes, including the nation’s most horrific tragedy: the 9/11 attacks.

When Barbara Butcher was early in her recovery from alcoholism, she found an unexpected lifeline in a job at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in NYC. As only the second woman ever hired for the role—and the first to last more than three months—she became a vital force in the world of forensic science and criminal investigations.

Over the next two decades, Butcher worked thousands of cases: gruesome homicides, suspicious suicides, heartbreaking scenes involving underage victims, and complex mass casualty investigations. In her unforgettable account, she invites readers into the gritty, high-stakes world of crime-scene investigation, from the autopsy room and morgue to tense moments at active crime scenes. Along the way, she uncovered how confronting death every day gave her a new perspective on life—and ultimately saved her from becoming a statistic herself.

In vivid, darkly humorous prose, Butcher recounts how she narrowly avoided a boobytrapped suicide scene, and how, during 9/11, she and her colleagues worked tirelessly to identify victims using scraps of clothing, DNA, and the memories of grieving loved ones. Her honesty, resilience, and sharp wit make this a standout in the genre of first responder memoirs and women in law enforcement.

“Breathtakingly honest, compassionate, and raw” (Patricia Cornwell) and “completely unputdownable” (Adriana Trigiani), What the Dead Know is a powerful, insider’s look at the world of death and the lessons it teaches us about how to live. Fans of forensic memoirs, cold case investigations, true crime, Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell, and TV series like CSI or Mindhunter won’t be able to put this down.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Jun 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9781797155814

Barbara Butcher

Barbara Butcher, MPH, was Chief of Staff and Director of the Forensic Sciences Training Program at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner. She was responsible for overall agency management, strategy, and inter-agency relations. She lives in New York City.

Reviews for What the Dead Know

[Julianna Conners · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating, Inspiring, and enlightening. I especially love that the author reads her own work. I appreciate greatly the candid nature of the whole life experience both professional and personal. I will most definitely listen to this one more than once!

[m G · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Must read! Very interesting and inspiring. Thank you so much for giving us a peek into the real world of investigating homicide.

[Stephania Everett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Stunning! Ms. Butcher is a wonderful storyteller! I enjoyed this book so much

[Ruth Teufel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book! I could relate to Barbara on a personal level. I was rooting for her to succeed.

[Jerry Pollio · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It’s a real personal journey spoken and shared with complete authenticity as only a New Yorker can tell…thank you for opening my eyes to what’s possible

[stella mallon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I REALLY enjoyed and related to this book on multiple levels! THANK YOU, Barbara (F) Butcher! I wish we could be friends. I went to LIU, the Brooklyn campus (where working people go). I walked the streets of Manhattan and entered many homes as a Visiting nurse, feeling honored to be allowed to glimpse other peoples' worlds. In other realms, I have forced myself to tolerate the intolerable, learned from that, suffered from that. The only honors class I was invited to was about Death: I never finished my paper being left with a huge collection of research articles ... "how children are affected by death," Kubler Ross "On Death and Dying," Becket's "The Denial of Death" ... ad infinitum ...

[carol thomas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A compelling narrative from a woman who overcame alcohol addiction to become a compassionate, dedicated and insightful investigator who endured the horrible sights and smells of death in order to find the cause of death for the victims and answers for their families. Her recall of the terrible 9/11 events in NYC is profound. Despite the horrible toll the job takes on her health and psyche, (including getting nastily screwed over by NY politics), she meets these challenges head on and emerges stronger and apparently happier.

[Catherine Illyes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Emotionally and real. Thank you for sharing your hopes, dreams, and struggles. Hearing about 9/11 from a perspective that most of us can't imagine was gut-wrenching. Thank you for having the courage to share your story.

[Hannah DeConti · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ah-mazing!!!! Could not put it down. Will recommended to those that can stomach the morbidity of death and its circumstances.

[Loriana Takacs · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great story she is a fantastic woman I watch her when she appears on u tube

[Nancy Harnum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent! Gruesome and compelling…..I knew I should take breaks….mental breaks….but instead pressed on! Finished this in two days- what a journey- what a ride!

[Jessica Adolfo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a decent read, and gave a lot of insight to the authors life and her job, as well as insight regarding someone who has an addiction. It was a raw and real type of book. I enjoyed it.