A great, thrilling read, which will keep you entertained throughout. A good one sitting read, get the nibbles ready, close the door, and read!

Fabulous plot which I could not put down. Brilliant characters, and twists and turns. Highly recommend to other fans of this genre!!

When her father had a heart attack and dies, Dr. Emily Hartford is coming back to Freeport. Then a construction crew digs up a skeleton and She stays to find out what happened. The skeleton is identified as a highschool girl that disappeared 12 years ago. Emily's childhood friend and Sheriff of Freeport Nick Larson soon becomes a suspect. It was a good story, with likeable characters and I enjoyed reading it.

A vivid riveting story filled with secrets , resentment , betrayal , old bones and unforgettable characters ! I loved this book and highly recommend ! Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this book ! The opinions are entirely my own ! #Netgalley #CrookedLaneBooks #SecretRemains

A great roller-coaster ride of a book that had me excited from the first page to last. I knew not what I was getting into when I started this, but to be a coroner had been one of my wishes years ago. With much gusto, I started reading.

Emily had come home after being estranged from her father for 12 years, just to see her dad dying with a secret about her past on his lips. On the day of his funeral, bones had been found in a construction area which belonged to a girl who disappeared a decade ago. The sheriff was the last seen person, and Emily had to work hard to prove his innocence…or probably his guilt.

My first book by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, and a secret thrill gripped from the very first chapter. The entire town though friendly seemed to be enveloped in secrets. The pack had its own rules. I love a book with secrets. Each page turned brought a new reveal until Emily got to investigating.

Jennifer’s writing had me in a thrall, come on, who doesn’t get excited by dead body and bones? OK… Just me probably. This had me in glee when twists too were enmeshed in the investigation. I would have liked more of investigation and less of her personal life. But that’s small town county for you. And of course, the author ended it brilliantly with an expectedly unexpected ending.

Overall, a delightful read over breakfast where I was at peace after reading a few cutesy books. This got me right there – in my thriller-y heart.

“Secret Remains” is such a great book. This is a sequel so if you haven’t read “The Coroner” you will be a little lost. Emily is a strong female character going to a lot of life changes at once. The Sandi Parkman case is very interesting with a bit of a twist. Be ready for a fun ride.

Emily Hartford comes home to her Dad and while she is there he has a heart attack and dies. She is left with his house and his business of medical examiner and coroner for the county. She has to debate with staying and taking over these jobs or going back to the Chicago and finishing her surgical residency or a college position. While she is thinking about her future there is a victim found and the local Sheriff Nick Larson wants Emily to look at the victim and find out if it is a friend of his from years ago.
This was a very interesting book and I really liked the characters. I would definitely read more in the series.

This was a book well worth the wait. I thoroughly enjoyed the first in the series, The Coroner and knew I had to read the sequel. It didn't disappoint me in the least. Emily had dropped everything in Chicago, literally - left her surgical residency, her now ex-beau, everything - to return home when her estranged father suffers a heart attack.. She steps into his shoes and fills in as coroner figuring she will stay until he recovers and then she will go back to her life plans. As this mystery opens, her father has suffered a second, fatal heart attack. while in the ambulance racing to the hospital he manages to impart some very puzzling clues to their past. One about her mother's fatal car accident and the other about a woman connected in some way to her father's past. Emily is adrift, full of questions and then comes word of a skeleton unearthed by a construction crew, the remains of a young girl who went missing years ago. If that wasn't enough, the prime suspect becomes Emily's friend, the Sheriff Nick Larson . As coroner, Emily searches for the killer but knows that there is the possibility that Nick is the killer. If he isn't then trouble will arrive in town as the real killer along with various other residents, work hard to keep their secrets hidden from sight.
The characters are people I wouldn't mind having as neighbors. The mystery is well crafted, full of twists, turns and red herrings, very satisfying. Emily has a lot to juggle in her life beyond the murder mystery. She is at a crossroads in her life with so many questions that need her to find their answers. I raced through to the end and now I'm looking forward to spending more time with Emily in the town of Freeport, Michigan. I hope I don't have to wait too long.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The second book for this character takes an interesting turn when old bones are discovered and Emily is once again pressed into service as coroner while needing to make many life decisions and discover who the mysterious woman is that her father left part of his estate to. This book picks up exactly where the first leaves off so it is like reading an extended novel. I liked that unique aspect quite a bit. The characters are very interesting and I think will develop into excellent ones to follow if the series continues. The plot was very intriguing, interesting and entertaining. It definitely picks up and starts moving better once Emily gets a handle on what she wants rather than treading water about her future.

Secret Remains is the second book in the Coroner's Daughter series. While it picks up immediately after the first book in the series (The Coroner), it is not necessary to have read the first book in order to enjoy Secret Remains. In fact, I would have enjoyed Secret Remains much more if I hadn't read the first book (without revealing spoilers, there is a continuity issue between the two books that, while not relevant to the mystery, was major enough to be a niggling annoyance throughout the second book!).

This is the story of a missing girl and the impact secrets have on a small town where people's lives are interconnected. Emily Hartford has just buried her estranged father, and is thrust into covering his coroner's duties. In the meantime, she's dealing with a former fiance in Chicago, a leave of absence from her surgical residency, and suddenly multiple prospective beaus and job offers. Understandably, she's a little overwhelmed.

Good to read as a standalone mystery or as a follow-up to The Coroner's cliffhanger ending.

I received a digital ARC via NetGalley.

This book was just OK for me. I felt that it was predictable and a little too drawn out at times. I kept waiting for the big surprise but it never really came. It felt more like a diversion rather than a surprise.

An engaging page turner. Sorry I haven't read the first in this series. Not that it is necessary prior to reading this one, but I think it would have enhanced my experience. I do look forward to reading the next one. Some great realistic characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

Secret Remains is the second book in a series. Unfortunately, I had not read the first before this, but I still found it easy enough to follow and didn't feel like I was missing much.
Main character Emily is a surgical resident/coroner in the small town. A body is discovered which leads to some intense discoveries.

The book has plenty of twists and turns and keeps you guessing for sure!

Secret Remains is the first of Jennifer Graeser Dornbush’s books that I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. The second book in A Coroner Daughter’s Mystery series, Secret Remains was fast-paced with several twists and turns to keep me intrigued. The main character, Emily, is a smart and witty surgical resident dragged into small town Freeport’s crime solving world as their reluctant coroner. When a body is discovered, the past is uncovered revealing a mystery from many years prior that sheds doubts on local men as a possible murder. But when one of those men is close to Emily, she must weigh her duty as an unbiased party with her friendship in order to solve the crime.
Ms. Dornbush kept this story moving and the clues flowing. I thoroughly enjoyed Secret Remains and would highly recommend it.

Who killed and buried Sandi, whose bones have just been dug up? She disappeared 12 years ago, when she was in high school; she was a classmate of Emily, who is now acting as coroner, and Nick, who is the sheriff. Freeport, Michigan has a lot of secrets, some of which came out when Emily returned home (in the first book) after her father, who had been coroner, had a heart attack. Sadly, he suffers a second, this time fatal, attack as this novel opens. Emily, while dealing with her anger and grief, also has to deal with the fact that Nick, who was her high school guy, is a prime suspect (but would he have really buried her with his jacket?). Old high school cliques and issues reappear as Emily works through the possibilities. No spoilers but know that the person you think did it, didn't. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is the second in a series but it's fine as a standalone because Dornbush gives you enough back story to appreciate the characters and their motivations.

I started to read this book, but stopped. I realized there was a first book. The Coroner. I quickly bought it and read it. I'm so glad I did!! I absolutely love this mystery/thriller series!!! I could not put these books down!!!! Absolutely wonderful!!!! I was sad to end this book!! I can't wait for the next one!!

This is the second book in The Coroner's Mystery series. I did not read the first book, and I didn't have any trouble following the plot and learning enough about the characters that I did not feel lost, so I feel it works well as a standalone. .

The story is complex, filled with interesting developments, and is written in a way that kept me turning pages late into the evening. Some of the characters were more likeable than others, which always adds more layers to the book. The character development is very good, as how each lives and the experiences that shaped them are shown as the story evolves. I thoroughly enjoyed the two main characters, Emily and Nick and would enjoy reading more books starring them.

This much-anticipated second book in "The Coroner's Mystery" series does not disappoint. Dornbush skillfully develops a new plot involving Dr. Emily Hartford, the acting coroner for Freeport, MI, following her father's death. In the midst of mourning and settling her father's affairs, Emily is called in by Sheriff Nick Larson (who happens to be her high school sweetheart) to consult on the discovery of bones in a new housing development. When the bones are identified as those of a missing high school student who disappeared 12 years ago, a murder investigation ensues. Working to find justice for the victim, Emily is faced with a complicated list of suspects and unpleasant secrets involving Nick and a group of his high school friends. Riding an emotional roller coaster of romance, suspicion, and uncertainty about her future, Emily will not stop until she has answers. It is an exciting ride for the reader, and it ends with an uncertainty of what lies ahead for Emily. I hope there is a 3rd book in the series.

Secret Remains is the second book in A Coroner’s Daughter Mystery series by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush. In the first book of the series surgical resident Dr. Emily Hartford is called home from Chicago to her hometown of Freeport, Michigan, when her estranged father, Dr. Robert Hartford, doctor, coroner, and medical examiner, suffers a severe heart attack. As the second book begins, Emily’s father suffers a second heart attack, this one fatal.

As Emily is involved with her father’s funeral she is called upon by one time boyfriend and Freeport sheriff Nick Larson to take over as coroner/ME when skeletal remains are found in a new housing development. With help from Dr. Charles Payton of the University of Michigan, the remains are identified as those of a teen girl who had disappeared 10 years ago. When clues are discovered that link Nick and others to the crime, Emily pulls out all stops to clear him.

This is a well written mystery with many twists and turns to the plot. Just when you think you have it figured out you will find you’re wrong. In fact, it isn’t until the end that the last twist comes at you. This is a very good mystery and I did enjoy it!

Fast paced mystery thriller.

"Societies get the criminals they deserve"

Dr Emily Hartford is devastated when her father dies of a heart attack. They have just started bonding again. On the same day as his funeral, bones are discovered when excavation starts for a new housing development and she is called in to help. Together with her childhood friend Nick Larson, who is the county sheriff, they have to figure out who was buried here and what happened to this person. What secrets are buried in this little town and who can you trust in the end?

It was 1 of those books I loved but also felt irritated with at times. It was a very fast read and I couldn't put it down but certain things felt rushed. She finds out Nick was involved with what was called a pack and immediately after her best friend phones her to tell her she found out her husband was part of the pact. She also meets up several times with Dr Payton, who was called in to help identify the body, and even invites him to meet her half sister but she always refers to him as Dr Payton. That just didn't make sense.

All in all it was a very good read and I'm maybe over critical.
You can also see that the author is very knowledgeable when it comes to forensics.
A definite 3.5 ⭐ rounded to a 4.

Thank you to #netgalley and #crookedlanebooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.