Differences Between a Coroner and a Medical Examiner

Sometimes we are encountering problems when translating words from one language to another. An example can be coroner (in Spanish it can be translated as forense, médico forense and juez de instrucción), while forense, in Spanish, can be translated as medical examiner or forensic surgeon.  What is then the difference between a coroner and a medical examiner?

Here are the relevant similarities and differences between a coroner and a medical examiner:

Similarities:

• Both coroner and medical examiner investigate death, particularly one that is untimely, unexpected, sudden, violent, or the cause of which is unknown.
• Both determine the cause of death, whether it was due to natural causes, a homicide, an accident, a suicide, or undetermined causes.
• Both assign the cause of death when issuing death certificates.

Differences:

• A coroner is not required to have a medical background while a medical examiner is almost always required to be a physician.
• A medical examiner performs autopsies while a coroner doesn’t.
• A medical examiner is almost always required to be a pathologist or a forensic pathologist while a coroner isn’t.
• A coroner may be elected or appointed while a medical examiner is always appointed.

Source: DifferenceBetween.net

You can also check Coroner at Wikipedia here, but note there is no Spanish version of this page. However the French page reads: “Un coroner est, dans les pays de culture anglo-saxonne ainsi qu’au Japon, un fonctionnaire chargé, au nom de la Couronne (d’où le nom), d’enquêter sur les circonstances d’un décès violent, obscur ou qui semble le résultat d’un crime, et d’en déterminer la cause. L’enquête du coroner est publique et indépendante des enquêtes policières, judiciaires, ou de toute investigation civile. Son but est le développement de mesures de protection de la vie humaine et de faciliter l’exercice des droits et recours à la suite d’un décès.”

I do hope you will find this information useful.

My Ten Books of Summer 2017

Cathy over at 746 Books invites us to participate in the following book challenge. To participate, all you have to do is pick the 10, 15 or 20 books that you intend to read and review between 1 June to 3 September, 2017, list the books on your blog and link back to Cathy Master post here. 

My aim is to reduce my pile of to-be-read books. For this reason I’m listing, here below in no particular order, twenty of the books I have on my TBR shelf and my intention is, not to buy any more books until I had read them all.

1. The Serpent Pool, by Martin Ewards
2. Even the Dead, by Benjamin Black
3. Death on the Nile, by Agatha Christie
4. The Honourable Schoolboy, by John Le Carré
5. A Demon in my View, by Ruth Rendell
6. An April Shroud, by Reginald Hill
7. The Hollow Man, by John Dickson Carr
8. Shake Hands Forever, by Ruth Rendell
9. Dirty Snow, by Georges Simenon
10. Appointment with Dead, by Agatha Christie
11. A Man’s Head, by Georges Simenon
12. Maigret Sets a Trap, by Georges Simenon
13. Murder in the Mews, by Agatha Christie
14. Rupture, by Ragnar Jónasson
15. Cursed, by Thomas Enger
16. Too Close to the Edge, by Pascal Garnier
17. The Eskimo Solution, by Pascal Garnier
18. Six Stories, by Matt Wesolowski
19. Faithless, by Kjell Ola Dahl
20. The Mine, by Antti Tuomainen

Postscript:

I forgot to add three more books

1. A Deadly Thaw, by Sarah Ward
2. Thin Ice, by Quentin Bates
3. Ordeal, by Jorn Lier Horst

OT: Rubén González (pianist)

Rubén González Fontanills (May 26, 1919 – December 8, 2003) was a Cuban pianist. Together with Lilí Martínez and Peruchín he is said to have “forged the style of modern Cuban piano playing in the 1940s”.

Between the 1940s and his retirement in the 1980s, he played with Cuba’s most successful acts, including Paulina Álvarez, Arsenio Rodríguez, Orquesta América del 55, Orquesta Riverside and Enrique Jorrín. In the 1990s, he came out of retirement to play in the revival ensembles Afro-Cuban All Stars and Buena Vista Social Club, also recording solo material and performing live until 2002. (Source: Wikipedia)

Film notes: Ascenseur pour l’échafaud (1958), directed by Louis Malle

FR / 92 min / B&W / Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF) Dir: Louis Malle Pro: Jean Thuillier Scr: Adapted by Louis Malle and Roger Nimier, who also wrote the dialogues, from a 1956 novel of the same name by Noël Calef, pre-adapted by the author Cin: Henri Decaë Mus: Miles Davis Cast: Jeanne Moreau, Maurice Ronet, Georges Poujouly, Yori Bertin, Jean Wall, Iván Petrovich, Félix Marten, Lino Ventura Synopsis: Julien (Maurice Ronet) murders his boss, Mr. Carala, with the help of his lover (Jeanne Moreau), who is also Mr. Carala’s wife. On his way to the crime scene to dispose of a compromising clue, Julien finds himself stuck in the elevator. Meanwhile, Florence Carala, his mistress, wanders around Paris, searching for him. Release Dates: 29 January 1958 (France) May 1958 (Cannes Film Festival) 23 September 1966 (Barcelona, Spain). Original title: ‎‎ Ascenseur pour l’échafaud (aka Elevator to the Gallows or Elevator to the Scaffold or Frantic or Lift to the Scaffold) Spanish title: ‎‎Ascensor para el cadalso) IMDb Rating: 8.0.

Louis Malle’s first full-length film, Ascenseur pour l’échafaud, is adapted from a novel, by the same name, written by Noël Calef. The breathless suspense, the characters psychologies created by circumstances and actions rather than by dialogue, along with the insistent music of Miles Davis, have all made Ascenseur pour l’échafaud a masterpiece that has become part of the 1950s cinematic and cultural heritage. Shooting with natural light and filming with a hand-held camera have pioneered the way for the new filming methods and aesthetics of the “New Wave”, which came several months later. The music in this film plays an essential role: Miles Davis, the trumpet genius. and his jazzmen created the exhilarating melody without even seeing the entire movie. Louis Malle insisted that the music in the film not be played based on the plot, but at random. The result is a hard-bop jazzy soundtrack, which adds to the captivating, mysterious and especially disturbing atmosphere of Ascenseur pour l’échafaud.

Format: Blue-ray, Language: French, Subtitles: Spanish, Dubbed: None, Region: All Regions, Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1, Number of discs: 1, ASIN: B01ALO47ZS.

A few days ago, I took the opportunity to buy, at a discount, a Blu-ray edition of Ascenseur pour l’échafaud. I undertand that there are several editions, and I’m not sure whether I bought the right one. But anyway, I’m not too fussy in this sense. In any case Begoña and I had the opportunity of viewing it yesterday night. Despite some flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. There are many and very good reasons to appreciate this film, the striking directorial debut of a young Louis Malle. The great performance of a young actress, Jeanne Moreau in the role of Florence Carala. The superb images captured by the cinematographer, Henri Decaë. And, last but not least, an impressive soundtrack by Miles Davis. All this turns this film into a cult classic.

A Contracorriente films data sheet (in Spanish)

Elevator to the Gallows: Louis Malle on the Ground Floor, by Terrence Rafferty

Films de France: Synopsis & Film Review

Review: The Wrong Side of Goodbye (2016), by Michael Connelly

Esta entrada es bilingüe, para ver la versión en castellano desplazarse hacia abajo

Orion Books, 2016. Format: Kindle edition, File size: 2013 KB. Print length: 401.  ISBN: 978 1 4091 4749 7. ASIN: B01E0BK2L6.

Synopsis: Harry Bosch is California’s newest private investigator. He doesn’t advertise, he doesn’t have an office, and he’s picky about who he works for, but it doesn’t matter. His chops from thirty years with the LAPD speak for themselves. Soon one of Southern California’s biggest moguls comes calling. The reclusive billionaire is nearing the end of his life and is haunted by one regret. When he was young, he had a relationship with a Mexican girl, his great love. But soon after becoming pregnant, she disappeared. Did she have the baby? And if so, what happened to it? Desperate to know whether he has an heir, the dying magnate hires Bosch, the only person he can trust. With such a vast fortune at stake, Harry realizes that his mission could be risky not only for himself but for the one he’s seeking. But as he begins to uncover the haunting story–and finds uncanny links to his own past–he knows he cannot rest until he finds the truth. At the same time, unable to leave cop work behind completely, he volunteers as an investigator for a tiny cash-strapped police department and finds himself tracking a serial rapist who is one of the most baffling and dangerous foes he has ever faced. (Source: Official Michael Connelly website)

My take: To date, the last book in the Harry Bosch series, The Wrong Side of Goodbye, brings us back Harry Bosch working part time for the San Fernando Police Department (SFPD) and accepting some jobs on his own account, in his new role as a private investigator. In fact, the two investigations in this new instalment revolve around each of them and, as usual, Connelly manages to maintain the reader’s attention from the first to the last page. If you haven’t read yet any of Bosch books, you do not know what you’re missing out.  Michael Connelly is a master of storytelling. His books are highly entertaining and extremely enjoyable. His plots are thoroughly crafted. As a character, Harry Bosch resembles no one. All this certainly shows that Michael Connelly, and his Bosch series specifically, is among my favourite authors, those to whom we always return with the confidence that they will not disappoint us.

Most particularly, I would like to highlight of this novel the references to the Vietnam war that had an enduring impact on an entire generation; its great sense of place leading us through the city of Los Angeles and surroundings; as well as the continued references to the private life of our main character. And it should also be underlined the excellent work of documentation underpinning the entire plot.  All these make it an excellent and highly enjoyable reading experience.

About the author: A former police reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Michael Connelly is the author of the Harry Bosch thriller series as well as several stand-alone bestsellers, including the highly acclaimed legal thriller, The Lincoln Lawyer, selected for the Richard & Judy Book Club. Michael Connelly has been President of the Mystery Writers of America. His books have been translated into 31 languages and have won awards all over the world, including the Edgar and Anthony Awards. Bosch, the TV series is the most watched original series on Amazon Prime Instant Video and is already filming its third series. He lives in Tampa, Florida, with his family. You can find him on Twitter @Connellybooks

My rating: A (I loved it)

Harry Bosch Book Series in published order (click on the book title to access my review): The Black Echo (1992); The Black Ice (1993); The Concrete Blonde (1994);The Last Coyote (1995); Trunk Music (1997); Angels Flight (1999); A Darkness More Than Night (2001); City Of Bones (2002); Lost Light (2003); The Narrows (2004) (sequel to The Poet); The Closers (2005); Echo Park (2006); The Overlook (2007); The Brass Verdict(2008) (mostly Mickey Haller); Nine Dragons (2009); The Reversal (2010) (mostly Mickey Haller); The Fifth Witness (2011) (one page brief appearance); The Drop (2011); The Black Box (2012); The Gods of Guilt (2013)  (one page brief appearance); The Burning Room (2014); The Crossing (2015); The Wrong Side Of Goodbye (2016), and Two Kinds Of Truth (coming out in October 2017). For Michael Connelly fans, this year brings us the first book in a new series.

Harry Bosch Background: Born in 1950 in Los Angeles to Marjorie Phillips Lowe. He was named Hieronymus Bosch after the 15th century Dutch artist and nicknamed “Harry.” He became an orphan at 11 when his mother, a prostitute, was murdered. He grew up living in a youth hall and foster homes. He joined the army and did two tours in Vietnam. Harry returned to Los Angeles and joined the LAPD in 1972. He became a detective after five years in patrol.

The Wrong Side Of Goodbye has been reviewed at Crime Watch, reviewing the evidence, Crime Review, Irresistible Targets, Crime Fiction Lover, and Mysteries and More from Saskatchewan,  among others.

Orion Books publicity page

Hachette Book Group publicity page 

Michael Connelly official website

audible 

CrimeCrime writer Michael Connelly has a special way of saying goodbye to Vin Scully

The Wrong Side of Goodbye (El lado equivocado de la despedida), de Michael Connelly

Sinopsis: Harry Bosch es el más reciente investigador privado de California. No se hace publicidad, no tiene oficina y es exigente con quien trabaja, pero no importa. Sus credenciales de treinta años con el LAPD hablan por sí solas. Pronto uno de los personajes más influyentes del sur de California le llama. El solitario multimillonario se acerca al final de su vida y está torturado por un remordimiento. De joven, tuvo una relación con una chica mexicana, su gran amor. Pero poco después de quedar embarazada, desapareció. ¿Tuvo al bebé? Y si es así, ¿qué le pasó? Desesperado por saber si tiene un heredero, el magnate agonizante contrata a Bosch, la única persona en la que puede confiar. Con una enorme fortuna en juego, Harry se da cuenta de que su misión puede ser arriesgada no sólo para él sino para quien intenta buscar. Pero a medida que comienza a destapar la obsesionante historia, y encuentra sorprendentes conexiones con su propio pasado, sabe que no puede descansar hasta que encuentre la verdad. Al mismo tiempo, incapaz de dejar por completo el trabajo de policía, se enrola voluntariamente como investigador en un pequeño departamento de policía y se encuentra tras la pista de un violador en serie que es uno de los enemigos más desconcertantes y peligrosos a los que ha tenido que hacer frente. (Fuente: Web oficial de Michael Connelly)

Mi opinión: Hasta la fecha, el último libro de la serie de Harry Bosch, The Wrong Side of Goodbye, nos trae de regreso a Harry Bosch trabajando a tiempo parcial para el Departamento de Policía de San Fernando (SFPD) y aceptando algunos trabajos por su cuenta,como investigador privado. De hecho, las dos investigaciones en esta nueva entrega giran en torno a cada una de estas facetas y, como de costumbre, Connelly logra mantener la atención del lector desde la primera hasta la última página. Si aún no ha leído ningún libro de Bosch, no sabe lo que se está perdiendo. Michael Connelly es un maestro de la narrativa. Sus libros son muy entretenidos y muy agradable. Sus tramas están perfectamente elaboradas. Como personaje, Harry Bosch no se parece a nadie. Todo esto demuestra ciertamente que Michael Connelly, y su serie Bosch específicamente, está entre mis autores favoritos, aquellos a quienes siempre regresamos con la confianza de que no nos decepcionarán.

Más particularmente, quisiera destacar de esta novela las referencias a la guerra de Vietnam que tuvo un impacto imperecedero en toda una generación, su gran sentido del lugar que nos lleva por la ciudad de Los Ángeles y sus alrededores, así como las continuas referencias a la vida privada de nuestro personaje principal. Y también debe subrayarse el excelente trabajo de documentación que sustenta toda la trama. Todos estos lo convierten en una excelente y muy agradable experiencia de lectura

Sobre el autor: Un antiguo periodista de sucesos (policíacos) de Los Angeles Times, Michael Connelly es el autor de la serie de suspense Harry Bosch, así como de varios bestsellers independientes, incluyendo el aclamado thriller legal The Lincoln Lawyer, seleccionado para el Richard & Judy Book Club. Michael Connelly ha sido Presidente de los Escritores de Misterio de América. Sus libros han sido traducidos a 31 idiomas y han ganado premios en todo el mundo, incluyendo los Premios Edgar y Anthony. Bosch, la serie de televisión es la serie original más vista en Amazon Prime Instant Video y ya se está filmando su tercera temporada. Vive en Tampa, Florida, con su familia. Puedes encontrarlo en Twitter@Connellybooks 

Mi valoración: A (Me encantó)

La serie Harry Bosch en orden de publicación (haga clic en el título del libro para acceder a mi reseña): El eco negro [The Black Echo] (1992); Hielo negro [The Black Ice] (1993); La rubia de hormigón [The Concrete Blonde] (1994); El último coyote [The Last Coyote] (1995); Pasaje al paraíso [Trunk Music] (1997); El vuelo del ángel [Angels Flight] (1999); Más oscuro que en la noche [A Darkness More Than Night] (2001); Ciudad de huesos; [City Of Bones] (2002); Luz perdida [Lost Light] (2003); Cauces de maldad [The Narrows] (2004) (continuación de El poeta [The Poet]); Último recurso [The Closers] (2005); Echo Park [Echo Park] (2006); El observatorio [The Overlook] (2007); El veredicto [The Brass Verdict] (2008) (principalmente Mickey Haller); Nueve dragones [Nine Dragons] (2009); La revocación [The Reversal] (2010) (principalmente Mickey Haller); El quinto testigo [The Fifth Witness] (2011) (una breve aparcición de una página); Cuesta abajo [The Drop] (2011); La caja negra [The Black Box] (2012); The Gods of Guilt (2013)  (una breve aparcición de una página); La habitación en llamas [The Burning Room] (2014); Del otro lado [The Crossing] (2015); The Wrong Side Of Goodbye (2016), y Two Kinds Of Truth (de próxima publicación en octubre de 2017). Para los fans de Michael Connelly, este año nos trae el primer libro de una nueva serie.

Antecedentes de Harry Bosch: Nacido en 1950 en Los Angeles de Marjorie Phillips Lowe. Fue bautizado como Hieronymus Bosch el mismo nombre del artista holandés del siglo XV y apodado “Harry.” Huérfano desde los 11 años cuando su madre, una prostituta, fue asesinada. Creció en un centro social juvenil y en hogares de acogida. Se alistó en el ejército y sirvió en dos ocasiones en Vietnam. Harry regresó a Los Angeles e ingresó en el departamento de policía de los Ángeles (LAPD) en 1972. Tras cinco años de patrulla consiguió alcanzar el grado de detective.