Hear a coroner’s secrets tonight at Auntie’s

For the past several years, some of the most popular shows on television have involved forensics. And crime scene investigation. And one of the integral parts of CSI involves the coroner, whose medical expertise aids the investigators in their attempts to ascertain the how and why of death — particularly murder.

That's television. In real life, coroners are far less expert than their fictional counterparts. And one person who is well aware of the limits facing real-life coroners is Robert West, former physician-coroner in Kootenai County, Idaho, and author of the book "It Can (and Does) Happen Here" (Abbott Press, 170 pages, $13.99 paperback).

Here's a short synopsis of West's book provided by the publisher: "When a loved one dies in a mysterious manner, we rely on coroners and medical examiners to tell us what happened. The stakes are high: Coroners seek justice for the dead, exoneration for the wrongfully accused, and closure for the families of victims. They are always on call and work closely with law enforcement."

Smith will read from his book at 7 tonight at Auntie's Bookstore.