FROZEN LIVES
by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush
October 7 - November 1, 2024 Virtual Book Tour
Synopsis:
A Coroner's Daughter Mystery
Dr. Emily Hartford is back in Frozen Lives, the next thrilling mystery from Jennifer Graeser Dornbush.
Chicago surgeon Emily Hartford has never quite shaken off the dust of her hometown in Michigan. She may be a professional success and have a princely boyfriend in the Windy City, but she can’t seem to let go of being “the coroner’s daughter” from Freeport.
Once again, she finds herself pulled back upstate during a wintery late March when Jeremiah, the eleven year-old son of her best friend, Jo, goes missing on the frigid shores of Lake Michigan. Emily immediately joins the search for the boy.
To everyone’s relief, Jeremiah turns up days later, alive and unharmed. But tensions remain high, and suspicions of every sort continue to grow. Jeremiah’s account of his abduction doesn’t add up and Emily worries about Jo’s unraveling marriage. Jeremiah’s recovery, it turns out, is not the end of their terrifying tale. It’s only the beginning …
For moving among them is a devious, malevolent force. Sowing panic while seeking to fulfill his own twisted needs, this wolf in sheep’s clothing leaves a trail of rack and ruin, negligent to the damages in his wake … and the bodies he leaves behind.
Emily solidifies her role as coroner’s daughter when she puzzles out this madman’s chilling machinations. Risking everything dear to her, Emily goes the icy distance to end his killing spree.
Praise for Frozen Lives:
"Fast paced, engaging, evocative."
~ J.A. Jance
"FROZEN LIVES is what a thriller should be—dark, twisty, and oh so scary. Lock your doors and enjoy."
~ DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Jake Longly and Cain/Harper thriller series and co-creator of the Outliers Writing University
"Jennifer Dornbush scares the living hell out of me. When I want to stay up all night, I just read one of her books, and Frozen Lives doesn’t disappoint. On par with Dennis Lehane’s Mystic River, Frozen Lives weaves a terrifying tale of evil, paranoia and when you go to bed at night make sure your doors are locked tight. A terrific story."
~ Don Bruns, USA Today Best Selling Author
"Chilling! Jennifer Dornbush has crafted a thriller that haunts the mind and can keep you deep in the pages into the wee hours! A not to miss psychological mystery with twists and turns throughout."
~ Heather Graham
Book Details:
Genre: thriller, suspense, female detective
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: October 29, 2024
Number of Pages: 350
ISBN: 9798212638364
Series: The Coroner's Daughter Mysteries, 4
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Blackstone Publishing
Read an excerpt:
Author Bio:
The television or movie screen is the closest most people will ever come to witnessing the forensic world. But Jennifer Dornbush 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, which she is currently developing as a series for TV. Her crime thriller, Hole in the Woods, is currently optioned for screen. She is a contributor to mystery anthologies, Hotel California and Thriller. She has also penned two true crime books.
As a screenwriter Jennifer wrote the theatrically released film and novel, God Bless the Broken Road (2018), adapted a popular YA novel to script, and sold a children’s show. She is currently developing TV drama series and feature films with various productions companies.
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, International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers Association, & the FBI Citizen’s Academy Alumni.
Catch Up With Jennifer Graeser Dornbush:
www.JenniferDornbush.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @jgdornbush1
Instagram - @jgdornbush
YouTube - @ForensicSpeakJenniferDornbush
Facebook - @JGDornbush
Review:
Compelling story as Dr. Emily Hartford tries to stop a kidnapper who may also be a serial killer.
Frozen Lives is the fourth book in author Jennifer Graeser Dornbush’s excellent Coroner’s Daughter Mysteries, but readers new to the series can easily catch up and enjoy this latest case. The author does a fabulous job smoothly establishing the characters’ backstories without slowing down the current action. With a strong, likable female protagonist and a riveting plot, I was so completely absorbed in what was going on that time flew by. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Successful Chicago surgeon Dr. Emily Hartford is smart and capable in her profession. With the extra skills acquired years earlier working side by side with her father, the coroner of her old hometown of Freeport, Michigan, she comes to the aid of her best friend, Jo, when her young son disappears from a local lakeshore playground. Jeremiah is found safe, but the circumstances surrounding his abduction remain shrouded in mystery, and there are indications that he may still be in danger.
After the events in previous books had put her engagement to her surgery clinic partner, Brandon Taylor, on hold, she has finally gotten to the point where she’s ready to get their relationship back on track, something he had been advocating for already. However, her involvement in Jo’s troubles elicited some odd comments and weird vibes from Brandon and had me questioning their fit as life partners.
Even before Jeremiah’s disappearance off the deserted beach, Jo’s life was becoming a hot mess. With three school-age children and a demanding hospital nursing job, she’s been living the tough life of a single parent because her husband, Paul, is on the road for business more than he’s home and shouldering his fair share of family responsibilities. (Later, readers will discover this situation is a common thread in the story.) Although he’s not happy with his work demands, he has refused to take steps to improve his situation, which I immediately thought was weak and suspicious. I was not a fan of Paul either.
The story is suspenseful and agonizing when young Jeremiah
is missing, and there are several shocking twists, including an ultimate
cliffhanger finale, that left me gasping. I recommend FROZEN LIVES to readers
of mysteries and thrillers, especially those who would enjoy a great small-town
Michigan setting and fans of the previous books in the series.
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Woohoo, thanks for sharing! This sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteTHanks so much for the time and attention and praise! I'm so glad you liked it.
ReplyDelete