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Coroner's Daughter #1
The Coroner: A Coroner's Daughter Mystery
Summoned from her promising surgical career first to her estranged father's bedside, and then his post as medical examiner when his small town needs urgent help with a suspicious death, Emily Hartford discovers home is where the bodies are in this pitch perfect mystery debut.
Recently engaged and deeply ensconced in her third year of surgical residency in Chicago, Emily Hartford gets a shock when she’s called home to Freeport, MI, the small town she fled a decade ago after the death of her mother. Her estranged father, the local medical examiner, has had a massive heart attack and Emily is needed urgently to help with his recovery.
Not sure what to expect, Emily races home, blowing the only stoplight at the center of town and getting pulled over by her former high school love, now Sheriff, Nick Larson. At the hospital, she finds her father in near total denial of the seriousness of his condition. He insists that the best thing Emily can do to help him is to take on the autopsy of a Senator’s teen daughter whose sudden, unexplained death has just rocked the sleepy town.
Reluctantly agreeing to help her father and Nick, Emily gets down to work, only to discover that the girl was murdered. The autopsy reminds her of her many hours in the morgue with her father when she was a young teen—a time which inspired her love of medicine. Before she knows it, she’s pulled deeper into the case and closer to her father and to Nick—much to the dismay of her big city fiance. When a threat is made to Emily herself, she must race to catch the killer before he strikes again in The Coroner, expertly written and sharply plotted, perfect for fans of Patricia Cornwell and Julia Spencer Fleming.
Recently engaged and deeply ensconced in her third year of surgical residency in Chicago, Emily Hartford gets a shock when she’s called home to Freeport, MI, the small town she fled a decade ago after the death of her mother. Her estranged father, the local medical examiner, has had a massive heart attack and Emily is needed urgently to help with his recovery.
Not sure what to expect, Emily races home, blowing the only stoplight at the center of town and getting pulled over by her former high school love, now Sheriff, Nick Larson. At the hospital, she finds her father in near total denial of the seriousness of his condition. He insists that the best thing Emily can do to help him is to take on the autopsy of a Senator’s teen daughter whose sudden, unexplained death has just rocked the sleepy town.
Reluctantly agreeing to help her father and Nick, Emily gets down to work, only to discover that the girl was murdered. The autopsy reminds her of her many hours in the morgue with her father when she was a young teen—a time which inspired her love of medicine. Before she knows it, she’s pulled deeper into the case and closer to her father and to Nick—much to the dismay of her big city fiance. When a threat is made to Emily herself, she must race to catch the killer before he strikes again in The Coroner, expertly written and sharply plotted, perfect for fans of Patricia Cornwell and Julia Spencer Fleming.
334 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2018
About the author
Jennifer Graeser Dornbush
16 books735 followersJennifer Dornbush is a screenwriter, author, international speaker and forensic specialist. As she says, “I grew up around death.”
The television or movie screen is the closest most people will ever come to witnessing the forensic world. But Jennifer was raised in it. As the daughter of a small town medical examiner whose office was in their home. There were body parts in the fridge. She investigated her first fatality, an airplane crash, when she was 8 years old. Picking up pieces of skull with her father who simply saw it as an anatomy lesson. The first of many coroner lessons she experienced over two decades.
After exploring journalism and high school teaching, Jennifer turned seriously to screenwriting where she began to connect her coroner world to her writing. She sought out a degree at the Forensic Science Academy in Los Angeles to gain more forensic training and earned a unique kinship with LA’s top CSIs, fingerprint specialists, DNA scientists and detectives.
To share her love of forensics with the writing world, she authored the top selling non-fiction authoritative book, Forensic Speak, used by not only by show-runners and writers, but also crime investigators and law enforcement.
She created an Amazon top-selling mystery novel series, The Coroner’s Daughter. The first book in the series, The Coroner, released in 2018. The second in the series, Secret Remains, released January 2020. She is developing the series for TV.
She wrote the theatrically released film and novel, God Bless the Broken Road (2018). She has developed a TV crime drama series with Echo Lake and Hoplite Entertainment. Also she adapted a popular YA novel to script and sold a children’s show.
As a forensic consultant, she is frequently asked to consult with TV writers on shows such as: Bull, Conviction, Hawaii Five-O, Leverage, Suits and Rectify. She teaches screenwriting and mentors aspiring writers.
Jennifer is a member of the Writers’ Guild of America, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America and FBI Citizen’s Academy Alumni.
And she has a great sense of gallows humor.
Website: www.jenniferdornbush.com
Facebook: Jennifer Graeser Dornbush
Twitter: @JGDornbush
Instagram: @JGDornbush
Newsletter & Blog Sign up: www.jenniferdornbush.com
The television or movie screen is the closest most people will ever come to witnessing the forensic world. But Jennifer was raised in it. As the daughter of a small town medical examiner whose office was in their home. There were body parts in the fridge. She investigated her first fatality, an airplane crash, when she was 8 years old. Picking up pieces of skull with her father who simply saw it as an anatomy lesson. The first of many coroner lessons she experienced over two decades.
After exploring journalism and high school teaching, Jennifer turned seriously to screenwriting where she began to connect her coroner world to her writing. She sought out a degree at the Forensic Science Academy in Los Angeles to gain more forensic training and earned a unique kinship with LA’s top CSIs, fingerprint specialists, DNA scientists and detectives.
To share her love of forensics with the writing world, she authored the top selling non-fiction authoritative book, Forensic Speak, used by not only by show-runners and writers, but also crime investigators and law enforcement.
She created an Amazon top-selling mystery novel series, The Coroner’s Daughter. The first book in the series, The Coroner, released in 2018. The second in the series, Secret Remains, released January 2020. She is developing the series for TV.
She wrote the theatrically released film and novel, God Bless the Broken Road (2018). She has developed a TV crime drama series with Echo Lake and Hoplite Entertainment. Also she adapted a popular YA novel to script and sold a children’s show.
As a forensic consultant, she is frequently asked to consult with TV writers on shows such as: Bull, Conviction, Hawaii Five-O, Leverage, Suits and Rectify. She teaches screenwriting and mentors aspiring writers.
Jennifer is a member of the Writers’ Guild of America, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America and FBI Citizen’s Academy Alumni.
And she has a great sense of gallows humor.
Website: www.jenniferdornbush.com
Facebook: Jennifer Graeser Dornbush
Twitter: @JGDornbush
Instagram: @JGDornbush
Newsletter & Blog Sign up: www.jenniferdornbush.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 680 reviews
May 19, 2021
I just picked this audiobook randomly and was very pleasantly surprised. The narration was good and the novel kept my attention.
Emily Hartford, a surgeon in a residency program in Chicago, has been summoned home to small town Freeport, as her dad has had a heart attack. The two had been estranged for more than a decade. Emily had fled the small town when her mother died tragically in a car accident, she went to live with her aunt in Chicago at age 16. She went on to university and medical school in Chicago.
She has always felt that her father was somehow responsible for what happened.
As soon as she arrives there is a young teen found dead, supposedly from being thrown from her horse. She was found in a creek near a large boulder. The girl is the daughter of a senator and there is a lot of pressure to “get things done” find the killer and closure for the family.
Emily’s father was the town coroner for 40+ years. Since he is in the hospital Emily is asked to perform the autopsy on the teen, only to discover that it was a homicide.
While she is getting pulled further and further into the investigation, her fiance back in Chicago is none too happy. He is a control freak and even though they have only been engaged for days, his family already has the wedding date set and plans underway. Emily starts to rethink what her future might be like with him.
The sheriff in Freeport is Emily’s ex from high school and she finds that there are still strong feelings between them. They work together as a team to find out what happened to this aspiring young equestrian. He is even needed to help during the autopsy, which was a first for Nick!
There is quite a good mystery here and I enjoyed this audiobook quite a lot. I did put it on a faster speed at one point because the plot was a bit drawn out.
All in all still a good listen. This is the first in a series and I will definitely be listening to the follow up. I’m always a sucker for books that involve medicine and found all of the details of the autopsy, forensics and Emlly’s life growing up under her father’s guidance to be extremely interesting.
Emily Hartford, a surgeon in a residency program in Chicago, has been summoned home to small town Freeport, as her dad has had a heart attack. The two had been estranged for more than a decade. Emily had fled the small town when her mother died tragically in a car accident, she went to live with her aunt in Chicago at age 16. She went on to university and medical school in Chicago.
She has always felt that her father was somehow responsible for what happened.
As soon as she arrives there is a young teen found dead, supposedly from being thrown from her horse. She was found in a creek near a large boulder. The girl is the daughter of a senator and there is a lot of pressure to “get things done” find the killer and closure for the family.
Emily’s father was the town coroner for 40+ years. Since he is in the hospital Emily is asked to perform the autopsy on the teen, only to discover that it was a homicide.
While she is getting pulled further and further into the investigation, her fiance back in Chicago is none too happy. He is a control freak and even though they have only been engaged for days, his family already has the wedding date set and plans underway. Emily starts to rethink what her future might be like with him.
The sheriff in Freeport is Emily’s ex from high school and she finds that there are still strong feelings between them. They work together as a team to find out what happened to this aspiring young equestrian. He is even needed to help during the autopsy, which was a first for Nick!
There is quite a good mystery here and I enjoyed this audiobook quite a lot. I did put it on a faster speed at one point because the plot was a bit drawn out.
All in all still a good listen. This is the first in a series and I will definitely be listening to the follow up. I’m always a sucker for books that involve medicine and found all of the details of the autopsy, forensics and Emlly’s life growing up under her father’s guidance to be extremely interesting.
July 21, 2018
Emily Hartford grew up in the small town of Freeport, MI where she gained her love of medicine from her father. As Emily was a teen her dad would bring her in as he was performing autopsies to begin teaching Emily but after her mother’s passing Emily just couldn’t stay in Freeport and went to live with an aunt.
Now a decade later Emily has begun to become the doctor she always wanted to be and is in the third year of surgical residency in Chicago when she receives some horrible news, her father is in the hospital after a massive heart attack. Of course Emily immediately rushes back to town only to get pulled over by her ex who is now Sheriff in the small town.
After checking on her father Emily finds that he has business as a coroner that still needs attending so Emily agrees to step in and perform the autopsy. But as Emily concludes that the victim wasn’t killed by an accident as everyone thought and that she is actually the victim of a murderer Emily finds herself caught up in trying to catch a killer.
The Coroner by Jennifer Graeser is a mystery read that felt a tad bit like reading a cozy but with a more forensic/scientific side to it with the main character being a doctor. The story was an interesting one and the characters likable enough but parts of this one just seemed a bit dry and dragged a bit to me, perhaps due to the cozy feel without the lighter nature of a cozy. And I would also warn readers that the ending of this one seemed very up in the air but as far as I can tell there’s no definite indication of it continuing so that was a slight turn off otherwise it was a solid read.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Now a decade later Emily has begun to become the doctor she always wanted to be and is in the third year of surgical residency in Chicago when she receives some horrible news, her father is in the hospital after a massive heart attack. Of course Emily immediately rushes back to town only to get pulled over by her ex who is now Sheriff in the small town.
After checking on her father Emily finds that he has business as a coroner that still needs attending so Emily agrees to step in and perform the autopsy. But as Emily concludes that the victim wasn’t killed by an accident as everyone thought and that she is actually the victim of a murderer Emily finds herself caught up in trying to catch a killer.
The Coroner by Jennifer Graeser is a mystery read that felt a tad bit like reading a cozy but with a more forensic/scientific side to it with the main character being a doctor. The story was an interesting one and the characters likable enough but parts of this one just seemed a bit dry and dragged a bit to me, perhaps due to the cozy feel without the lighter nature of a cozy. And I would also warn readers that the ending of this one seemed very up in the air but as far as I can tell there’s no definite indication of it continuing so that was a slight turn off otherwise it was a solid read.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
August 19, 2018
I really liked the story. The characters are solid and the mystery was a puzzler. However, this book is, without a doubt, the most poorly proofed/edited book I have ever read. There are major errors throughout the whole text. If I had not been so engaged by the characters and story, I would have put it down by the third chapter. I hope the next book is handled better because the author is talented.
August 23, 2021
Warning!! Once you start reading The Coroner you will not want to put it down! I let everything slide so I could see how it ended. Dornbush's characters from Nick and Emily to her father and his new wife are well-drawn. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end. Dornbush is so knowledgeable when it comes to investigations and she writes with authority. Besides the mystery, there are relationships that have to be sorted out, and not just the love interest. If you enjoy a good mystery and suspense along with romance thrown in, you'll enjoy The Coroner.
December 13, 2018
This book was pleasant. Yup, like watching a Hallmark movie. If that's your thing. I'm a bit on the fence, however, since I love my crime novels to be a bit darker, more surprising and let's face it less romantic. I saw the plot, what would happen in Emily Hartford's life right from the start. Or, rather from the moment, she met her ex-boyfriend when Emily came back to the town. Her perfect life in Chicago suddenly didn't seem to be so great when her fiance kept surprising her with news about the wedding that his mother is now organizing. This romantic side story is so unoriginal. And, yet I kind of liked the book. I liked the little city, the characters and yes the crime mystery was good. So, it was a pleasant book.
Would I read a sequel? Yes, I would. Not least because the book ended with some loose threads that I want answers to. So, like crime novels with a romantic triangle drama? The go for this book!
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
Would I read a sequel? Yes, I would. Not least because the book ended with some loose threads that I want answers to. So, like crime novels with a romantic triangle drama? The go for this book!
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
September 1, 2021
This is a Mystery, and this is the first book in A Coroner's Daughter Mystery series. The mystery in this book was good, but the family drama and the town drama is what I really love in this book. I also enjoyed ending of this book because it made me want to pick up the second book in this series right away. The characters are so great, and I enjoyed getting to know all of them.
April 23, 2022
Dr. Emily Hartford is called home when she learns that her father has suffered a heart attack. From his hospital bed, he asks Emily to take over his job as the local coroner and do an autopsy on the body of sixteen-year-old Julie Dobson, daughter of a state senator. Julie's body was found on the banks of a stream. Emily performs the autopsy after her former high school boyfriend, Sheriff Nick Larsen, asks for her help. The autopsy shows that Julie was murdered. Emily is drawn into the investigation, much to the chagrin of her fiancé who is back in Chicago.
I found this book on Audible and thought I'd give it a try. The mystery was appealing. There were several suspects in the mix and I was happy to see where each piece of evidence would lead us. I also thought the narrator, Sophie Ames, did a great job. The downfall of this book was Emily and her personal life. Emily becomes engaged minutes before learning about her father's health scare. She hurries to her hometown and promptly forgets that she has a fiancé. She seemed to think his phone calls were getting in the way of her investigation. I also didn't like that the story ended with a cliffhanger. I'll probably read the next book just to see what happens. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
I found this book on Audible and thought I'd give it a try. The mystery was appealing. There were several suspects in the mix and I was happy to see where each piece of evidence would lead us. I also thought the narrator, Sophie Ames, did a great job. The downfall of this book was Emily and her personal life. Emily becomes engaged minutes before learning about her father's health scare. She hurries to her hometown and promptly forgets that she has a fiancé. She seemed to think his phone calls were getting in the way of her investigation. I also didn't like that the story ended with a cliffhanger. I'll probably read the next book just to see what happens. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
June 6, 2019
A puzzling who done it by an author I have never read before. It was not gory or gritty, but was still a pretty good story. It ends with a cliff hanger so I will be looking for the next installment.
March 5, 2021
This book needed a much better editor. I checked TWICE while reading to be sure I hadn't accidentally gotten an ARC from the library. There were several typos and punctuation errors, the dialogue was incredibly choppy, and the pacing was mostly very slow with the occasional "and then this happened" dropped in.
That being said - I already have the second book out from the library so I might as well read it. Maybe Emily and Nick will get together, that would make it somewhat better I think.
Coming back just a few hours later to add: at one point she randomly mentioned a sister named Anna. I assumed it was another typo and meant to say cousin or friend or something. But no! Spoiler alert, I guess: the second book introduces a sister she "never knew about" named Anna?? I dropped my review down from 2 stars to 1 because that is an insanely dumb mistake to keep in the first book!
That being said - I already have the second book out from the library so I might as well read it. Maybe Emily and Nick will get together, that would make it somewhat better I think.
Coming back just a few hours later to add: at one point she randomly mentioned a sister named Anna. I assumed it was another typo and meant to say cousin or friend or something. But no! Spoiler alert, I guess: the second book introduces a sister she "never knew about" named Anna?? I dropped my review down from 2 stars to 1 because that is an insanely dumb mistake to keep in the first book!
October 4, 2018
The Coroner is a story of a young woman, Emily Hartford, an up and coming surgeon and recently engaged is called home because her father has had a heart attack. Her father is a medical examiner in the small town that Emily grew up in. She and her father are estranged because of the death of her mother. Emily was never told how her mother died, all she knew is that she died in a car accident, but she knows that there is more to the story than what she was told by her father.
A young girl is found murdered and Emily is asked by her father to do the autopsy. She does this and finds herself drawn into the investigation. She renews her friendship with an old flame, the sheriff, Nick Larsen. Her fiance wants her to come back to Chicago to resume her life there with him, but as time goes on, Emily is not so sure she wants to. Emily is threatened and time races as she and Nick try to find the killer. This is a bit difficult as there are numerous suspects.
This novel is written as a good murder mystery, good plot and is exciting enough to keep the reader turning the pages. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more by this author! Love a good mystery? Then this book is worth taking a look at!
A young girl is found murdered and Emily is asked by her father to do the autopsy. She does this and finds herself drawn into the investigation. She renews her friendship with an old flame, the sheriff, Nick Larsen. Her fiance wants her to come back to Chicago to resume her life there with him, but as time goes on, Emily is not so sure she wants to. Emily is threatened and time races as she and Nick try to find the killer. This is a bit difficult as there are numerous suspects.
This novel is written as a good murder mystery, good plot and is exciting enough to keep the reader turning the pages. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more by this author! Love a good mystery? Then this book is worth taking a look at!
January 5, 2020
An intriguing plot that drew me in as well as kept me interested and invested in the outcome entwined around the lives of the characters that are involved. The characters were interesting and definitely starting to develop strong personalities by the end so I am very intrigued to read the next book in the series. I am curious to see where the author takes the characters next in their personal stories as well as what new or old mysteries may come up.
April 30, 2022
This book just irked me beyond belief.
First, it was cookie cutter and formulaic.
What really pissed me off about this book though was the author kept referring to a patient chart and carrying one around in the story. A physical patient chart had not been used in the US since before 2010. Doing an ounce of research would have shown this. There is a federal mandate that requires the use of a freakin’ EMR software for crying out loud. Can we mention, nurses and doctors use portable computerized work stations that require passwords to access the EMR system? Not to mention even if there was a chart, due to HIPPA, they wouldn’t just give the daughter her father’s chart IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.
This book was just dumb and sloppy!
First, it was cookie cutter and formulaic.
What really pissed me off about this book though was the author kept referring to a patient chart and carrying one around in the story. A physical patient chart had not been used in the US since before 2010. Doing an ounce of research would have shown this. There is a federal mandate that requires the use of a freakin’ EMR software for crying out loud. Can we mention, nurses and doctors use portable computerized work stations that require passwords to access the EMR system? Not to mention even if there was a chart, due to HIPPA, they wouldn’t just give the daughter her father’s chart IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.
This book was just dumb and sloppy!
May 1, 2018
It is a big day for Emily Hartford a 3rd year surgical resident in Chicago. She has just successfully completed surgery; it is her birthday; and then her handsome, rich (naturally) boyfriend proposes. Oh, and then she gets a message that her father the medical examiner in a small town (Freeport) has suffered a heart attack. Following the death of her mother 10 years earlier, Emily has not returned, nor been in touch with her Father. But return she does. Quick summary: her old boyfriend is now the sheriff; her Father has remarried: and a teenager’s body, the daughter of a Senator, has been found – and requires an autopsy. It is Emily’s lucky day!
I had high hopes for the book. Think Patricia Cornwall or Silent Witness. Then in my opinion, think again. I was disappointed to say the least. I found Emily to be a pain. Everybody not only remembered her but they were falling over themselves to spend time with her. For the life of me I can’t quite see why. I am whispering this (because after all it is only me view) she was boring. So was her fiancée who had a serious problem with his mother’s interference in his life.
Sorry, sorry, sorry – but Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.
I had high hopes for the book. Think Patricia Cornwall or Silent Witness. Then in my opinion, think again. I was disappointed to say the least. I found Emily to be a pain. Everybody not only remembered her but they were falling over themselves to spend time with her. For the life of me I can’t quite see why. I am whispering this (because after all it is only me view) she was boring. So was her fiancée who had a serious problem with his mother’s interference in his life.
Sorry, sorry, sorry – but Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.
March 6, 2020
The Coroner is a great start to a new mystery series. I thought that Emily Hartford was a very likable character. She is a 3rd year resident at a Chicago Hospital who returns to her childhood home in Michigan when her estranged father has a heart attack. Emily reluctantly assumes his coroner duties when a teenaged girl is found dead. After discovering that the girl was murdered, Emily is drawn into the case with her former high school boyfriend, Nick Larson, who is now sheriff.
I really liked the storyline in this one. It captured my attention right away and kept me interested. I'm moving right on to the 2nd book in the series.
I really liked the storyline in this one. It captured my attention right away and kept me interested. I'm moving right on to the 2nd book in the series.
May 12, 2018
Really enjoyed The Coroner. It was well written. Lots to keep you interested. You followed Dr Emily as she returned to her home town. Having moved away years ago. You learn she hasn't been speaking to her father due to some secrets when her mother died. Her fathers had a heart attack, so shes back to see how he is. Can she get to the bottom of all the secrets? Back in her home town faced with her 1st love and gets caught up in a murder. Loved the plot and all the characters
April 26, 2018
I was interested in reading The Coroner since I am a Patricia Cornwell fan. I was not disappointed! I enjoyed this book. Full of suspense, a little humor and romance, what’s not to like? I am hoping this is the start of a series.
May 2, 2018
A good story with good characters. This would be a great book for a start of a series but I felt it had too much of a cliffhanger for what I wanted from the story. That being said I enjoyed reading it.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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November 19, 2024DNF 40% what’s the deal with the sister who no one mentions and never shows up except in 1 blink and you’ll miss it childhood reminiscence?
December 16, 2024
Nice plot and nice narration.
This book reminds me of Kendra Elliot's novels.
This book reminds me of Kendra Elliot's novels.
July 14, 2021
Melodramatic and boring. It read like Hallmark movie and not in a good way. Also, I'm genuinely curious what happened to Emily's phantom sister, randomly referred to in a chapter and then never again?!
December 15, 2025
A romance novel with the backdrop of a murder investigation, a life changing heart attack of the protagonist’s father and her recent marriage engagement.
Dr. Emily Hartford rushes back to her small rural hometown to tend to her estranged father and is caught up in a murder investigation as the most financially reasonable alternative for the county to replace the local coroner, her father.
The eventual outcome was as predictable as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. The killer acted irrationally but fits the narrative in a practical manner. The details of how the murder was committed were brushed over, but that was secondary in the plot.
Regardless of its clear flaws it was a lighthearted entertaining read.
Dr. Emily Hartford rushes back to her small rural hometown to tend to her estranged father and is caught up in a murder investigation as the most financially reasonable alternative for the county to replace the local coroner, her father.
The eventual outcome was as predictable as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. The killer acted irrationally but fits the narrative in a practical manner. The details of how the murder was committed were brushed over, but that was secondary in the plot.
Regardless of its clear flaws it was a lighthearted entertaining read.
April 18, 2020
First time reading this author. An awesome thriller that keeps you wondering what will happen next. A very hard book to put down. Very well written with amazing characters. I loved every minute of the story.
January 31, 2024
I enjoyed this mystery/thriller set in small town Michigan.
Emily is called home, leaving behind her big city life in Chicago, when her dad, the coroner, has a heart attack.
She is tasked to step in on his behalf on a local case where a teenager died unexpectedly.
I liked the small town feel, the imperfect relationship between Emily and her dad, and how the people from Emily's past welcomed her back with open arms.
The characters made this book.
It's a bit of an oldie, but I chose to read it as I want to read book 3, which released late last year. Onto book 2 now!
It does end in a cliffhanger, not about the mystery, but something related to Emily. I didn't mind because I intended to move on to book 2 immediately.
Emily is called home, leaving behind her big city life in Chicago, when her dad, the coroner, has a heart attack.
She is tasked to step in on his behalf on a local case where a teenager died unexpectedly.
I liked the small town feel, the imperfect relationship between Emily and her dad, and how the people from Emily's past welcomed her back with open arms.
The characters made this book.
It's a bit of an oldie, but I chose to read it as I want to read book 3, which released late last year. Onto book 2 now!
It does end in a cliffhanger, not about the mystery, but something related to Emily. I didn't mind because I intended to move on to book 2 immediately.
March 5, 2019
As murder mysteries go, The Coroner is better than most. Sure, the plot is necessarily formulaic, but the characters are believable and interesting. The over-arching storyline was compelling enough to make me look forward to reading the next in the series.
I can't point out weaknesses in the plot without spoilers, so I'll nitpick the editing instead.
1. The book starts strong with medical descriptions that seem to be pulled straight from one of the better forensic/medical TV dramas. Technical enough to be interesting and make you feel smart, but not so technical to lose the lay-reader. The end of the book, however, goes the opposite way. There are clear medical crises going on, but we only get vague descriptions of their effects...which are substantial.
There is a line between being severely injured and being dead. I can't tell you where the line is, but a fictional character who performs both life-saving surgeries and autopsies should be able to. What happened to her medical expertise? Why can the narrator at the end of the book no longer explain what's going on? I'm guessing it was a deadline issue?
2. I am incredulous that the editor did not catch at least two misuses of incredulous. When the main character receives a text with unexpected information, the narrator tells us that "this was incredulous." Simple mistake. No big deal. But a few chapters later, it gets repeated when the narrator tells us, "It was incredulous to think that..."
I know this usage may be creeping toward respectability, but my Dictionary of Modern American Usage (admittedly from the previous century) tells me that amazing facts are incredible; people who are amazed to the point of being skeptical of those facts are incredulous.
I can't point out weaknesses in the plot without spoilers, so I'll nitpick the editing instead.
1. The book starts strong with medical descriptions that seem to be pulled straight from one of the better forensic/medical TV dramas. Technical enough to be interesting and make you feel smart, but not so technical to lose the lay-reader. The end of the book, however, goes the opposite way. There are clear medical crises going on, but we only get vague descriptions of their effects...which are substantial.
There is a line between being severely injured and being dead. I can't tell you where the line is, but a fictional character who performs both life-saving surgeries and autopsies should be able to. What happened to her medical expertise? Why can the narrator at the end of the book no longer explain what's going on? I'm guessing it was a deadline issue?
2. I am incredulous that the editor did not catch at least two misuses of incredulous. When the main character receives a text with unexpected information, the narrator tells us that "this was incredulous." Simple mistake. No big deal. But a few chapters later, it gets repeated when the narrator tells us, "It was incredulous to think that..."
I know this usage may be creeping toward respectability, but my Dictionary of Modern American Usage (admittedly from the previous century) tells me that amazing facts are incredible; people who are amazed to the point of being skeptical of those facts are incredulous.
January 1, 2019
This story had potential so I continued to read it, wanting to give the author the benefit of the doubt. As mentioned in another review there are glaring proofing errors to the point of causing confusion and re-reading, totally distracting and interrupting the story flow. One also has to wonder if the editors ever made an appearance. It's incredible that any competent editor would agree to a story ending in such a manner - "abrupt" doesn't approach it, "unfinished" is more accurate. I genuinely wondered if pages were missing at the end & actually double-checked the page numbers. The author's bio rather explains the whole structure of the book, revealing too much influence from simplistic one-hour TV crime programs; readers notice mismanaged details a lot more than TV watchers. Overall I was disappointed and aggravated I'd wasted the hours on it. If this is intended to be a series (although there's no mention of that except in one back-cover blurb), I wish Dornbush luck.
May 11, 2021
This is one of the most ridiculous books I’ve ever read. Suspension of disbelief is one thing, but this is too much. Since when does a doctor go around breaking into people’s houses trying to find evidence of murder to “help” a small town sheriff? Without even discussing how anything Emily touched or found would not be admissible in court, that would never happen. Also, telling minors personal and private information about someone else? Also, being head over heels in love and having zero problems in your relationship to him suddenly being an overbearing, selfish mama’s boy? The scripts don’t flip that fast just because you go back home and run into your high school sweetheart. Also.. you know what? Nevermind. There was absolutely nothing about this book I enjoyed. Even the narrator mispronounced too many words for me to let it slide. Pass.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2019
This book is so formulaic. There are too many "perfect wordings" and over the top comments. For instance, the main character is audio recording her observations during an autopsy and at same time has private personal conversation with a man. Her character is portrayed as smart, intuitive but is then written saying a completely ignorant things. Just poor consistency of character.
If you read more than 2 books a year, enjoy mystery and suspense, this book is not worth your time.
If you read more than 2 books a year, enjoy mystery and suspense, this book is not worth your time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2019
Not the public Broadcasting Series CORONER
Reads like a Hallmark movie script. Small town girl becomes a successful surgeon in Chicago and is called home for family emergency. Reconnected with high school sweetheart and helps him solve a murder. Has a crisis over whether to get back to her roots of return to a glamorous life with her brilliant,handsome,wealthy fiancee. I bet you can guess what happens next.
Reads like a Hallmark movie script. Small town girl becomes a successful surgeon in Chicago and is called home for family emergency. Reconnected with high school sweetheart and helps him solve a murder. Has a crisis over whether to get back to her roots of return to a glamorous life with her brilliant,handsome,wealthy fiancee. I bet you can guess what happens next.
June 20, 2019
I have to interrupt my reading to air a few grievances. The main character is so unlikable it's difficult to continue, the number on continuity errors is laughable, and the main character keeps contradicting herself it's getting ridiculous. I.e. not being able to share evidence "you know that" to being pretty open about telling unconnected people evidence. Shame
May 5, 2018
I enjoyed this mystery and the ending defintiely left me wanting more answers .... another in the series? I hope so .... I think this could be a really good series as the characters grow and evolve. *Actual rating would be 3.5 if I could.
Thank you #netgalley and #crookedlanebooks for the eARC.
Thank you #netgalley and #crookedlanebooks for the eARC.
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