'The scalpel goes down. The gown is discarded. The chatter stops. Heads turn expectantly like fledglings in a nest waiting for a tasty treat. 'Well, Doc, what happened? Have we got a murder on our hands?' Meet Doctor Marie Cassidy. For more than thirty years bodies have been her business. The lucky ones have died peacefully in their own bed, surrounded by loved ones. But it's not always like that. In her internationally-bestselling first book, duck under the police tape with her. Walk carefully in her footprints and follow her into the scene. But don't touch anything, just look. Remember: every contact leaves a trace. Marie Cassidy was Ireland's state pathologist from 2004 until 2018. During that time, she was involved in the most high-profile cases in the country. In Beyond the Tape, she invites us into the world of forensic pathology and shares her remarkable personal journey, from working-class Glasgow to becoming Ireland's head pathologist. A fascinating, behind-the-scenes account of real-life forensics, the intricate processes central to solving modern crime and the stories from behind the crime tape.

The Number One bestselling memoir from Ireland's former state pathologist In 1997, Dr Marie Cassidy arrived in Dublin from Glasgow. There to discuss a possible deputy state pathologist post with Professor John Harbison, instead she was whisked by police escort to a Grangegorman murder scene. There was no turning back. She became Ireland's State Pathologist from 2004 until 2018, her image synonymous with breaking news of high-profile cases - a trusted figure in turbulent times. Here, with the scalpel-like precision and calm authority of her trade, Marie shares her remarkable personal journey from working-class Scotland into the world of forensic pathology, describing in candid detail the intricate processes central to solving modern crime. She recounts her work following the tragic deaths of Rachel O'Reilly, Siobhan Kearney, Robert Holohan, Tom O'Gorman and others - along with the Stardust exhumations and lesser known cases from her long career - outlining the subtle methods by which pathology and the justice system meet. Beyond the Tape is a unique behind-the-scenes journey into the mysteries of unexplained and sudden death - by turns poignant, stark and deeply compelling.