L.A. Coroner: Thomas Noguchi and Death in Hollywood

California State University history professor Choi debuts with an enthralling biography of “coroner to the stars” Thomas Noguchi, who performed high-profile autopsies on celebrities including Marilyn Monroe, RFK, and the victims of the Manson Family. Born in 1927, Noguchi immigrated to the U.S. from Japan after WWII, only to encounter racism that limited his professional opportunities. The medical training Noguchi had received in Japan led him to seek work at the L.A. County Coroner’s Office, where he landed a job despite resistance from white colleagues. Choi covers Noguchi’s professional triumphs and most notable cases—including his autopsy of RFK, which gave rise to conspiracy theories after Noguchi determined the politician was shot from behind, rather than straight-on—as well as his challenges, including administrative backlogs, contaminated tissue samples, and the theft of valuable items from corpses under his watch. The author’s portrait of Noguchi is satisfyingly complex: she acknowledges his skill and pushes back against certain accusations of negligence, but doesn’t shy away from his notorious headline-chasing, particularly when discussing his public statements about the cases of Natalie Wood and William Holden. At once a lurid collection of true crime stories and an edifying glimpse at midcentury California, this fascinates. (Apr.)