This book was definitely a page turner! I read it in a little over 24 hours. I love the main character Emily.....but there were a few things that I find lacking now that I finished it.

The killer that Titus knew about - Bernard - that just wrapped up and we didn't find out any other details? About his killing the girls, or killing Titus and his parents?
Where did the parents get 3 million dollars in cash from?
How did Bernard know there was cash? I think they said he opened the safe deposit box, but is that possible without both keys?
How did Joseph go from the brink of pulling the plug to opening his eyes so quickly?
Why was Bernard after Solange? Simply for the mystery money? Or so she never caught him?
How did Titus know it was him?

I look forward to more books from this author because she tells a great story and I love medical examiner topics, but you have to suspend your disbelief quite a bit, and I was really unsatisfied with the wrap up of so many details......

law-enforcement, murder-investigation, family, family-dynamics, family-history, small-town, Lower Michigan, friendship, frustration, colleagues, stalker, grief, grieving, unputdownable, secrets, lies, medical-tourism, tense, suspense, multiple-murder*****

A tense and convoluted dramatic investigation complicated by personal problems and madness. Riveting.
I requested and received an EARC from Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

Thank you, NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the copy of Last One Alive by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush. I didn’t realize this was the third book in a series. It didn’t really matter, but I hated how this one ended on a cliffhanger, probably to entice the reader to anticipate the next book. I would be much more excited to read the next book if I had been captivated by the writing, but the writing was a little stilted for me. I liked the story, but there were so many coincidences it wasn’t very believable. If you’re already loving this series, you will probably love this book.

I have enjoyed the previous book in this series and was super excited to receive this latest one as an eARC. The story itself was really good, BUT like others, I found all the grammatical errors distracting. It upset the flow of the writing. Hope it all gets corrected before the final book is released.

Thank you #netgalley and #blackstonepublishing for the eARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I requested this ARC to review based on the description, somehow I didn't recognize the author's name as a writer ✍️ I had read before (one whose books I thoroughly enjoyed).

It was only at the end of this novel, as the author cleverly sets up the plot for the next cliffhanger when I immediately went to Amazon to check when it would become available (no projected date, of course, for the 4th in this series as this novel the 3rd in the Coroner's Daughter series won't be released until the end of October).

I own the first two books in this series, but one thing that made me not relate this book readily to the previous two in this series was that the cover picture was a huge departure from the other two (the earlier two you can tell at a glance that they belong to the same series, the artwork on this cover is a completely different style from the artwork on the earlier two books in this series. The cover for the Last One Alive was more intriguing, more standard/classic when it comes to mysteries and police procedurals it caught my attention as it almost a bit dark and almost brooding somehow... If you are a fan of this series, you will remember the cover of the other two books, where the focus is a blonde shown only from the back, with her as the primary focus, and I like this cover better, it makes the book appear to be more substantive somehow).

On to the story, this author has developed and carved out a unique and captivating series for herself, and after reading this one, I went back on Amazon to "follow" the author. I didn't remember the first two books as being outstanding, however I read hundreds of mysteries a year, so that could be part of the reason, but still, this author really comes into her own in this stellar book that delves into the tragic backstory of the main character of this series. Dr. Emily Hartford, as a woman whose youth was filled with tragedy, and a woman pushed farther by life's events than anyone could stand - to the point where vengeance is the only reasonable answer that will allow her to continue, and indeed, the only chance she even has of having an unthreatened future.

I highly recommend this book, not only for the author's impeccable research and attention to factual and accurate detail, but also to her amazing perception of the "human condition" and her perfect understanding of what makes both evil selfish beings and multi-faceted caring and relatively selfless individuals "tick".

After finishing this book, I am going back to my library where I have the other two books in this series so that I can reread them, as either I misjudged her talents in the beginning, or she has evolved into a blockbuster when it comes to penning captivating mysteries.

Either way, dear readers, you should do yourself a favor and block out a weekend on your calendar and pick up a copy of this book, I guarantee you will rapidly become involved in the "lives" of the characters of this novel. By the time I put this book down, I felt as though I was leaving new friends behind.

I personally will be anxiously awaiting the author's next entry in this series, and hopefully it won't be TOO long of a wait! ❤️

What a great continuation of the “A Coroner’s Daughter Mystery Series” where in this third offering
we find our hero in the continuing involvement in forensic medicine left behind by her Medical
Examiner Father, which she cannot seem to avoid.
Dr. Emily Hartford, a surgical resident in her last year of training’ again finds herself involved in a situation
created by a ME who was careless when performing examinations on a family murder for which there was
no arrest made because the sloppy work left the case open. When the only survivor contracted Dr Emily
Hartford, who is now back in Chicago and completing her program, Emily ups and leaves her life to help
clear up the murders of the family and the first thing she learns is that her father had not done the
autopsies, which is good. news and bad news.
Emily finds herself in several difficult and challenging romantic, family and professional situations that
are brilliantly presented by the Author,
Having read the previous books, I was delighted to have the opportunity to continue in this series.
And, this is not a spoiler, but just when you think you have everything neatly wrapped up in a nice
bow. well, we have to wait for the next book!
My sincere thanks to Blackstone Publisher via NetGalley for a download of this book in exchange for my’
honest review.

Dr. Emily Hartford has returned to Chicago to finish up her surgical residency. She’s contacted out of the blue by Solange, the only survivor of a decade old triple homicide. On her thirtieth birthday Solange gets the surprise of her life and is determined to solve her family’s murder. Solange wants Dr. Hartford’s help in solving the mystery of how her family was murdered. Solange wants Dr. Hartfords’ help because she is the daughter of the medical examiner who oversaw the case of her family. As the two set off to uncover the truth, they find themselves in immense danger.

This was my first book in this series, and it was so much fun! I adored it. This is book three of a series, but it was easy to read as a stand-alone. As I was reading the book, it was easy to see that the author brought firsthand experience to the writing. And, sure enough, the author is the daughter of a medical examiner. The pacing on this one was fast and held my interest. I couldn’t wait to put all the pieces together and figure out all the twists – and they were fun. I really enjoyed Emily and Solange characters. They were both fantastic women. Emily was a little tricky, but I did ultimately enjoy her character a lot. I also enjoyed the different points of view; it was fun to read the story from both Emily and Solange’s point of view. It really helped me stay engaged throughout the story.

If you are looking for a fun medical thriller, then I recommend you check this one out.

Thank you so much to Blackstone Publishing @blackstorepublishing, and Netgalley, @Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book falls right in with the rest of the books by Dornbush! It is a fast paced thriller and keeps you hanging page after page! It is packed with twist and turns and kept me up all night reading! Thank you again for this true Thriller!

This was a fast paced, tense, entertaining and twisty.
It was my first book from this author, and it is part of a series, which I could read as a standalone without a problem.
I enjoyed this book and I will definitely read more from her..
Thank you @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Coming out 10/24/23.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advance eCopy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

Pub Date: 24 Oct 2023

This book is the final novel in the Coroner’s Daughter series, featuring Dr Emily Hartford set in Chicago and rural Michigan.

I did not know this book was part of a series and was seriously list during certain points. Although this can be read as a stand alone novel, I would recommend reading the previous novels first.

The book is a fast paced novel and a quick read. I enjoyed reading both Emily and Solange’s points of view. They were both engaging characters.
It was a very entertaining read.

There is a lot of action, mystery and bloodshed. I did not care for the cliffhanger ending and, as this is the last book in the series, I suppose I will never know the ending unless there is a spinoffs series.

The book was worth the read.

This manuscript is in desperate need of proof-reading! Completely understand that this was an ARC and of course a few errors will slip through, but there should've been at least a couple of rounds of edits done at this point - instead this reads like a first draft. The story itself is compelling and some of the writing is great but there are constant distractions because it seems that on every page there's a typo, spelling mistake, repeated word or just the wrong word ("would of" instead of "would have"; "petal to the floor" instead of "pedal to the floor).
The finished version of this book could be great but it really, really needs some more work before it's ready for publication.

Back in Chicago, finishing her surgical residency, Dr. Emily Hartford is contacted by Solange McClelland, the sole survivor of the decade-old murder of her family. Recognizing the name as one of the cases Emily’s coroner father died without solving, she determines to pursue the truth.

On her thirtieth birthday, Solange comes into possession of her family’s safe-deposit box. Inside she discovers bittersweet mementos, four million dollars, and disturbing questions about those she loved. Despite having built a new life in Detroit with her husband, Solange knows she’ll never truly move on until she learns what happened to her parents and brother.

Jennifer Graeser Dornbush’s Last One Alive delivers a mystery with two, not always converging, threads. Essentially, it left me in a love-indifferent relationship with the book.

We have Solange who has endured unimaginable tragedy. She is tough, yet loving; broken, yet resilient. Her thread kept me riveted and eager to know the answers of what happened to her family. I devoured her parts of the story, rooting for her all along. I loved her and her husband.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Emily, the recurring character in this series. She doesn’t know what she wants and strings everyone along be it in her romantic or work life. I found her unlikable and skimmed her sections. Other than to justify making this book part of the Coroner’s Daughter series, Emily seemed mostly superfluous to the story.

Frigid and snowy Freeport delivered a great backdrop for this cold case. The McClelland’s home vividly came to life before my eyes. Despite being book three in the series and never having read the first two installments, I had no trouble following the story.

Last One Alive
Jennifer Graeser Dornbush
Pub Date October 24, 2023
Blackstone
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ArC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I am hesitant to recommend this book until I see the final print version. There were many errors in the ARC which distracted me from my reading, I had to reread to make it clear. Good book,

I would like to thank Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advance copy of Last One Alive, the third novel in the Coroner’s Daughter series, featuring Dr Emily Hartford set in Chicago and rural Michigan.

Emily is finishing her residency in Chicago and making plans for her future when she is contacted by Solange McClelland looking for help. Solange is the only survivor of her family’s massacre when she was seventeen and came into a large inheritance on her recent thirtieth birthday. Her family’s death was recorded as a murder suicide by her dad, she doesn’t believe it and now she has the money to find out the truth and wants Emily to re-examine her father’s coronial records as a first step.

I enjoyed Last One Alive as it is a fast moving read with plenty of incidents and developments. The novel is designed for entertainment rather than realism as some of the developments and characters’ actions are difficult to swallow as are the way some of the clues are serendipitously discovered. It certainly works as entertainment with one event after another.

The novel starts with Emily and Solange trying to work out what happened to the McClelland family and why. From there it morphs into something much bigger until it ends in a literal bang with a bit of post solution clean up and a cliffhanger for the next novel, I assume to round it off. There is non stop action as it moves along with more bodies and Solange under threat. This action comes at the expense of depth, because it moves on so quickly. It is, however, very American with Solange believing that a gun will keep her safe, hint it doesn’t, and some very anti-Chinese views that quite frankly belong on a conspiracy theory site.

I didn’t get very enthusiastic about the characters. The novel is told from both Emily and Solange’s points of view, so the reader gets a close view of both. Solange is a bit of a nutter, to use a technical term, and takes some very dodgy decisions. It ramps up the action but they are hardly credible. Emily is a woman who doesn’t know what she wants. She has recently bought a medical practice in Chicago that turns out to have some problems, but she’s too busy gadding about Michigan investigating things that have nothing to do with her, to take any interest in solving said problems.

Last One Alive is a readable novel.

I absolutely love this Author and the medical books she writes. This book is awesome! Fast paced thriller!! Pick this book up and you'll soon love her stories too. A one night read for sure! You don't be able to put it down!

Jennifer Graeser Dornbush's " The Coroner's Daughter" Series should be high on every mystery./thriller enthusiast's reading list! After a particularly stressful time in her life, Emily Hartford has left her family home in Michigan to finish her surgical residency in Chicago. After completion, she and her ex-fiance Brandon, will be taking over a surgical center practice in the city - once owned by their mentor. However, Emily cannot help but feel drawn to her Michigan home that has so many unanswered questions and a few of her father's unsolved cases. One of those was the murder of a mother, father, and their son - whose twin survives because she was out of their lake home at the time. Solange reaches thirty and inherits the contents of her parents' trust and vows to find whoever killed her family. Her path neatly intersects with Emily's as they review her father's old records, as well as make some new discoveries of your own. Last One Alive will keep you turning the pages well after your bedtime as it is so well written and the characters are truly very special Thank you to Ms. Dornbush and Blackstone Publishing for an advanced reader copy of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

In LAST ONE ALIVE, surgical resident Dr. Emily Hartford is dragged into a cold case by the sole survivor of the triple homicide, a case Emily’s father failed to resolve, and finds herself in the crosshairs of a diabolic killer determined to finish what he began a decade earlier. A relentless thriller that will grab you and not let go.

This was my first Jennifer Graeser Dornbush novel and certainly not my last.

This is the third book in the Coroner's Daughter mystery series. The series follows Dr. Emily Hartford who is finishing up her residency and looking to move on from the past when she suddenly gets an unexpected request for help.

Solange McClelland contacts her regarding her family's decade-old murder case. Solange was the only survivor of her entire family's murder. It was a supposed "open and shut case" of murder-suicide by the police and medical examiner, however, Solange doesn't believe it was a murder-suicide. On Solange's 30th birthday, she gains access to a safety deposit box with a lot of money, enough to finally pursue her family's killer. Since her family's murder, she has married her husband Joseph and together they have a successful business, but she's unable to move forward with so many unanswered questions still looming. Dr. Emily Hartford agrees to look into the case and finds out that the medical examiner botched the examination. The two together hunt a killer.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and didn't feel lost picking this up series. The novel was action-packed, had twists and turns, and suspenseful. Dornbush also sets up the ending of the novel for the next book in the series, which I really enjoyed.

A massive thank you to Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, Blackstone Publishing, and Netgalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

#LastOneAlive #NetGalley

Last One Alive by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is the first book I've read by this author.
The book is about Dr. Emily Hartford, who is back in Chicago, ready to move forward and leave the past behind until an unexpected request for help sends her deep into an investigation.

I enjoyed the author's writing style; the writing held my interest. The author did a good job unraveling the story and including enough red herrings and action to keep me turning the pages.

The story was well thought-out and had good twists and some action-packed scenes. I would read more by this author.

#LastOneAlive #NetGalley @BlackstoneAudio

Great book and series! This book had a bit of everything! It had high suspense, intrigue, action packed, murder, serial killer, a great who done it and so many crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! I can't wait for more! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!