A very good continuation of this series! It's definitely a must-read if you enjoy crime fiction and mysteries.I was intrigued and engaged from beginning to end. the excellent writing had me invested in this gripping tale of suspense and mystery. I do feel the need to mention that this one does end on a
cliffhanger.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This thriller takes you to the icy shores of Lake Michigan, where Chicago surgeon Emily Hartford returns to her hometown to unravel a terrifying mystery that weaves small-town secrets with a tale of abduction and deception. As Emily confronts her past and pieces together the twisted motives of a predator, the story delivers relentless suspense and emotional depth.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and author Jennifer Graeser Dornbush for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

** spoiler alert ** The next in the Coroner's Daughter Mysteries was worth the wait! Throughout this novel you learn more about Emily and her past, and her relationship with her best friend. When Emily's best friend's son goes missing, Emily will do anything to find him, even making her big city fiancé help look for him in her hometown. I did not like Emily's fiancé at all! And was more than happy when they broke everything off. It was obvious who the eerie texts Emily receives are from. And the ending was such a cliffhanger. I can not wait for the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Blackstone Publishing ARC of this book.

Frozen Lives by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush initially captured my attention with the intriguing premise of a coroner’s daughter who was practically raised in the morgue and now can’t seem to stay out of her small hometown or out of its local investigations, despite her big city career as a prominent surgeon. I wasn’t familiar with the series beforehand but the author’s engaging writing style easily drew me into the flow of this particular installment, giving me all the information I needed to feel as though I had been on board since book one. She achieves this by revealing the background layers organically to the characters & their conversations/activities, without straying into ‘info dump’ territory. Our protagonist, Dr. Emily Hartford, is relatable and vibrantly drawn, and it isn’t long before she feels like an old friend. Several compelling threads to her story do make me wish, however, that I’d met this character sooner, and I am already eagerly anticipating the next book. Especially with that ending!!!

The suspense in Frozen Lives is less ‘whodunnit’ (though there is that element at first) and more ‘how is this creep going to be brought to justice’ and ‘who will survive – and who won’t’. The varying points of view keep you absorbed in the plot and turning the pages, sometimes viscerally reacting to a scene or a chilling statement from the villain because you’ve forgotten that this is ‘just’ a story and not events you’re watching play out in front of you. It’s clear that Emily has forensics in her blood, as well as instincts made for investigation, and this push-pull between her life in Chicago and what her life could look like ‘back home’ in small town Freeport is yet another story element that compels you to keep reading.

Bottom Line: Frozen Lives by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is a tautly-penned thriller that reads quickly, thanks to the atmospheric setting and screenworthy plot development that immerse you fully in the story and its characters. Along with the elements of psychological suspense (that will wrap icy fingers of dread around your heart), the interpersonal relationships and the exploration of love, home, and trauma will have you biting your nails from start to finish. There are a couple of pretty stunning twists involved too, so don’t get too comfy with where you might think the story is headed. Emily Hartford is a smart and layered protagonist who deserves her happily-ever-after in life and in love, and I look forward to seeing where both take her in the next book.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

I loved this book. Physician Emily goes back to her hometown after her best friends son comes up missing. Emily has helped the county out before as a medical examiner in previous cases but hopes she will not have to with this case. You get to see and her relationship with her boyfriend and her best friend and family try and survive after her son is found . I don’t want to give up the plot but surprises happen and this book kept my interest all the way through.

Emily Hartford has to return to Freeport Michigan because her best friend and her eleven year old son go missing. The chapters are short with slight cliffhangers which make you want to read another chapter followed by another one.

This was my first book by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, although this is the 4th book in the Coroner’s Daughter series. I was totally enticed by the cover. I could feel the cold coming off of a frozen lake. I don't regret not having read any previous books at the moment, but I am sure having read previous books would contribute to heightened emotions.

I don’t want to give too much away but this is the perfect mix of thriller, police procedural and forensic science. I gave this novel 4.5 stars. I look forward to going back and reading more in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the free Advanced Reader’s Copy.

The following review was published or updated in several Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia newspapers and magazines in November and December 2024:

Booking a full year of reading

Review by Tom Mayer

If only us readers could just spend our days … reading. What would a year look like? Here, the editors of Home for the Holidays present their yearlong list of books, culled from the past 12 months of reading and reviewing. A few of the titles you’ll immediately recognize, and you’ll likely have more than few in your own library. But just in case you missed a title or two, we’re showcasing the whole year’s worth of books that we’ve read and reviewed, month by month.

Except for the first title, the list is simply a list. To find the reviews of many of these titles, visit our newspaper parent, The (Athens) News Courier at enewscourier.com — with a slight caveat. Our newspaper webmasters are currently working overtime to improve our content management system, the foundation of any website, and while many of our archives are now found there, it may be a few weeks before everything is fully re-uploaded — including the most recent editions of Limestone Life and Home for the Holidays. For now, though, enjoy our literary stroll through 2024.

And about that first title: Not every college professor can make statistical analysis approachable, let along interesting to their students and the general population, but Athens State University emeritus professor of psychology Mark Durm is not every college professor. After spending nearly five decades teaching thousands of students, the “ol’ psychology professor” decided that he’d best get around to writing the one book out of his nearly 100 published pieces that’s he always wanted to write. Call it a legacy piece, but what it really is is a “best of” Durm’s peer-reviewed, book reviews, non-peer reviewed and magazine articles from his 47 years in higher education.

The result is “Professional Publications of an Ol’ Psychology Professor” (Dorrance) with full previously published articles ranging from studies on the effects of glasses on a child’s self-esteem to his ever-popular parapsychology pieces, Durm presents his internationally recognized efforts with a twist.

“It’s a different kind of book because it doesn’t talk about the research, it presents the research,” the professor says from his second-career office at Durm Properties in Athens, about a half-mile from where he first presented that research in person. “I’ve spent hours on all of these articles, especially in the peer-reviewed journal articles.”

And so, articles on divorce, sex, religion and other topics now populate the pages of Durm’s most recent book in an effort to both continue his teaching and satisfy what has been a lifelong wonderment.

“You know, most people don’t understand statistics, so it’s all in there,” Durm said. “What I’m trying to do is a more critical approach to ‘just don’t believe everything you’re told.’ … It’s things that were in my life that I wanted to see if they were so, by using a psychological analysis.”

And like any good professor, Durm didn’t do that research on his own — or take all of the credit. Among the co-authors of many of his articles in the book were students — many of who he’s lost touch with, but all of whom who he credits by name in his acknowledgements and for each of who, if they look up their ol’ mentor, he has a signed book ready to hand over. For the rest of us, you can find the book at any online bookseller — just as you can with the remainder of our list, presented by the month in which the book was published, read and reviewed.

JANUARY

Unbound (Blackstone) by Christy Healy NG/F

The Devil’s Daughter by Gordon Greisman NG/ARC

FEBRUARY

Almost Surely Dead (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Amina Akhtar NG

The Chaos Agent (Gray Man 13) (Berkley) by Mark Greaney NG

The Lady in Glass and Other Stories (Ace) by Anne Bishop ARC

A Haunting in the Arctic (Berkley paperback) by C.J. Cooke NG

Ghost Island (Berkley) by Max Seeck

MARCH

Hello, Alabama (Arcadia) by Martha Day Zschock

The Unquiet Bones (Montlake) by Loreth Anne White

I am Rome: A novel of Julius Caesar (Ballantine Books by Santiago PosteguilloMarch 5: Murder Road (Berkley) by Simone St. James

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry (Holiday House) by Anna Rose Johnson

Ferris (Candlewick) by Kate DiCamillo

After Annie (Random House, Feb. 27) by Anna Quindlen

Crocodile Tears Didn't Cause the Flood (Montag Press) by Bradley Sides The #1 Lawyer (Little, Brown and Company) by James Patterson, Nancy Allen

Lilith (Blackstone) by Eric Rickstad

Life: My Story Through History (Harper One) by Pope Francis

APRIL

Matterhorn (Thomas & Mercer) by Christopher Reich

Friends in Napa (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Sheila Yasmin Marikar

City in Ruins (William Morrow) by Don Winslow

The House on Biscayne Bay (Berkley) by Chanel Cleeton

Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week (Peachtree) by Sarah L. Thomson

For Worse (Blackstone) by L.K. Bowen

A Killing on the Hill (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoini

The Clock Struck Murder (Poisoned Pen Press) by Betty Webb

The Book That Broke the World (Ace) by Mark Lawrence

The Forgetters (Heyday Books) by Greg Sarris

Lost to Dune Road (Thomas & Mercer) by Kara Thomas

Warrior on the Mound (Holiday House/Peachtree) by Sandra Headed

Pictures of Time (Silver Street Media) by David AlexanderBare Knuckle (Blackstone Publishing) by Stayton Bonner

Murder on Demand (Blackstone Publishing) by Al Roker

Home is Where the Bodies Are (Blackstone) by Jeneva Rose

MAY

Matterhorn by Christopher Reich

The Hunter's Daughter (Berkley) by Nicola Solvinic

The House That Horror Built (Berkley) by Christina Henry

In our stars (Berkley) by Jack Campbell

Freeset (book 2) (Blackstone) by Sarina Dahlan

Southern Man (William Morrow) by Greg Iles

Camino Ghosts (Doubleday) by John Grisham

JUNE

Specter of Betrayal by Rick DeStefanis

Lake County (Thomas & Mercer) by Lori Roy

Serendipity (Dutton) by Becky Chalsen

Shelterwood (Ballantine) by Lisa Wingate

The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra’s Needle (Holiday House) by Dan Gutman

Jackpot (Penguin) by Elysa Friedland

The Helper (Blackstone) by M.M. Dewil

Winter Lost (Ace) by Patricia Briggs

Shadow Heart (Blackstone) by Meg Gardiner

Lake Country (Thomas & Mercer) by Lori Roy

The Out-of-Town Lawyer (Blackstone) by Robert Rotten

Love Letter to a Serial Killer (Berkley) by Tasha Coryell

Sentinel Berkley) by Mark Greaney

JULY

Three Kings: Race, Class, and the Barrier-Breaking Rivals Who Redefined Sports and Launched the Modern Olympic Age (Blackstone) by Todd Balf

The Night Ends with Fire (Berkley) by K.X. Song

Echo Road (Montlake) by Melinda Leigh

It’s Elementary (Berkley) by Elise Bryant

You Shouldn’t Be Here (Thomas & Mercer) by Lauren Thoman

Back In Black (Blackstone) edited by Don Bruns

The Recruiter (Blackstone) by Gregg Podolski

AUGUST

You Shouldn’t Be Here (Thomas & Mercer) by Lauren Thoman ARC

Not What She Seems (Thomas & Mercer) by Yasmin Angoe NG

Fatal Intrusion by Jeff Deaver/Isabella Maldonado

Death at Morning House (HARPERTeen) by Maureen Johnson

Fire and Bones (Scribner) by Kathy Reichs

Some Nightmares Are Real (University of Alabama Press) by Kelly Kazoo

The Brothers Kenny (Blackstone) by Adam Mitzner

Blind to Midnight (Blackstone) by Reed Farrel Coleman

The Wayside (Blackstone) by Carolina Wolff

Enemy of the State (Blackstone) by Robert Smartwood

You Will Never Be Me (Berkley) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice (W.W. Norton) by Adam Kirsch

We Love the Nightlife (Berkley) by Rachel Koller Croft

Talking To Strangers (Berkley) by Fiona Barton

An Honorable Assassin (Blackstone) by Steve Hamilton possible interview see email

Dungeon Crawler Carl (1 of 6 but see next two months) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

SEPTEMBER

Fatal Intrusion (Thomas & Mercer) by Jeffrey Deaver and Isabella Maldonado

When They Last Saw Her (Penguin) by Marcie Rendon

American Ghoul (Blackstone) by Michelle McGill-Vargas

First Do No Harm (Blackstone) by Steve Hamilton

A Quiet Life: A Novel (Arcade) by William Cooper and Michael McKinley

One More From the Top (Mariner) by Emily Layden

No Address (Forefront Books) by Ken Abraham.

Tiger’s Tale (Blackstone) by Colleen Houck

An Academy for Liars (Ace) by Alexis Henderson

Rewitched (Berkley) by Lucy Jane Wood

Gaslight (Blackstone) by Sara Shepard and Miles Joris-Peyrafitte

Counting Miracles (Random House) by Nicholas Sparks

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society (Ace) by C.M. Waggoner

The Hitchcock Hotel (Berkley) by Stephanie Wrobel

In the Garden of Monsters by Crystal King

Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (2 of 6 see next month also) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

OCTOBER

The Hushed (Blackstone) by K.R. Blair NG

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer (Berkley) by Maxie Dara

On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice (Norton) by WSJ Weekend review editor Adam Kirsch

Framed (Doubleday) by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey

This Cursed House (Penguin) by Del Sandeen

The Puzzle Box (Random House) by Danielle Trussoni

Two Good Men (Blackstone) by S.E. Redfearn

Dark Space (Blackstone) by Rob Hart and Alex Segura

This Cursed House (Berkley’s open submission)by Del Sandeen

Vindicating Trump (Regnery) by Dinesh D’Souza

The Book of Witching (Berkley) by C.J. Cooke

The World Walk (Skyhorse) by Tom Turcich

The Waiting Game by Michael Connelly  ARC, possible interview see email

Beyond Reasonable Doubt (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoni

Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook (3 of 6, with bonus material) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

Frozen Lives (Blackstone) by Jennifer Graeser Fronbush NG

Vincent, Starry Starry Night (Meteor 17 Books) intro by Don McLean

Paris in Winter: An Illustrated Memoir (PowerHouse Books) by David Coggins

NOVEMBER

The Waiting (Little, Brown) by Michael Connelly

The Teller of Small Fortunes (Penguin) by Julie Long

Shadow Lab (Blackstone) by Brendan Deneen

Trial by Ambush (Thomas & Mercer) by Marcia Clark

Devil Take It (Heresy Press) by Daniel Debs Nossiter

SerVant of Earth (Ace) by Sarah Hawley

All the other me (Blackstone) by Jody Holford

The Perfect Marriage (Blackstone reissue re-edit) by Jenny Rose

DECEMBER

Trial By Ambush (Thomas & Mercer) by Marcia Clark

The Close-Up (Gallery Books) by Pip Drysdale

The Silent Watcher (Thomas & Mercer) by Victor Methos

Leviathan (Lividian Trade HC) by Robert McCammon

The Silent Watcher (Thomas & Mercer) by Victor Method

Assume Nothing (Thomas & Mercer) by Joshua Corin

One example link:
https://enewscourier.com/2024/11/29/in-review-booking-a-full-year-of-reading/

Frozen Lives by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is the fourth book in her The Coroner’s Daughter series. This was my first book that I have read by her. I am definitely going to go back and read the first 3. It can be read as a standalone. The author did very well with filling you in on the back story of the characters.
In this series Emily’s best friend Jo’s son Jeremiah is abducted and found safe but things aren’t adding up. Then when Jo and her son go missing Emily comes back from Chicago to Freeport, Michigan to aide in finding her.
This story is full of mystery, suspense, friendship, marriage issues, drama, abduction and engaging.
I received this as an ARC read and this is my honest opinion. Thank you to the Author, NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing. This is a must read series. I really hope since it ended with a cliff hanger that there will be another book!
Release date was Oct 29

This is a great thriller that captivated me from page 1! It begins with young Jeremiah trapped in a cellar somewhere and later we see his younger sister and mother terrified as 8-year-old Jessica had left him for a minute and saw him walking on the pier at Lake Michigan. Thinking he might have fallen in, authorities search the lake but find no trace of him except for a mitten.. His mother, Jo and her friend Emily begin a new search , hoping he's alive. And then things take a turn for the worse! This book moves at break-neck speed so make sure you have time to read in big chunks!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

With a mix of drama, romance (will there be a wedding or not?), friends and family this is a rollercoaster ride for book four of The Coroner’s daughter mystery series. Much of the action takes place in Chicago and focuses on the kidnapping of the main characters best friend … however this is just the start of a lot of complicated stories interweaving. My favourite part of this book by far is the ending; but obviously you’ll need to get to that point to know why! Definitely a teary moment. I really want to know more about the ending so hope there will be another book in the series. Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for this copy in exchange for review.

Frozen Lives by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is a fast-paced psychological thriller about a woman named Dr. Emily Hartford, a coroner, who returns to her home town of Freeport after receiving news that her best friend’s son is missing. Even after having been gone for ten years a building a new life with her boyfriend/ex-fiance in Chicago, Emily finds herself caught up in feelings of nostalgia that comes with being truly home. Emily is quickly thrust into helping alongside the investigation which turns into something more sinister once the child returns home.

I could not put this book down. I loved that the strong female lead was well crafted. Emily took charge and was respected for her medical knowledge but also showed a vulnerable, caring side when with friends and family. This story was a good mix of all the things I love in a good book: a solid storyline with well developed characters and exhilarating plot twists. I highly recommend this book to others! Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you so much @partnersincrimevbt @blackstonepublishing @jgdornbush for an advance copy of this book!

3.5⭐️

✨ 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 ✨
This is book 4 in the Coroner’s Daughters series but can be read as a standalone, as it gives background information throughout the story! I read book 3 last year, and wanted to see how the main characters story would continue.

Dr. Emily Hartford returns to her hometown in Michigan because her best friend’s son has gone missing. She helps with family tension and search efforts, along with her Chicago boyfriend Brandon.

Emily’s best friends son luckily has been found safe but the mystery continues with his story of what happened. The local authority asks for Emily’s help with the case at hand and Brandon is wary of Emily getting overly involved in the case.

You could feel Emily’s constant pull to her small hometown that loved her and supported her. Emily is right in the middle of the case and her friend’s family tensions, and you could feel the unknown questions weighing down everyone as they searched for answers.

The ending had a surprise cliffhanger that will make you eager for book 5!! If you have read previous books in the series, you won’t want to miss the next one!

✨ 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
♦️ Small Town Mysteries
♦️ Police Procedurals
♦️ Complicated Family Dynamics
♦️ Suspense and Unexpected Twists

Frozen Lives is book four in The Coroner's Daughter Mysteries series by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush.
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.
Very well written with an engaging plot and unforgettable characters. There were a few twists and turns that kept me on my toes until the unpredictable ending.

Thank You NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this gifted arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 4th book in The Coroner’s Daughter series and of course I had no idea it was part of a series, not having read the first three. But it was still easy to follow and it could definitely be read as a standalone.

It was a great read and intrigued me from the very beginning. The writing was very well written and kept me turning the pages the whole way through, making me wanting to know what was coming next. It had so much suspense and mystery, and certain parts were even chilling to read, knowing that this kind of thing can happen in real life and has already, it’s even more chilling to think about.

If you like mystery, crime, and suspense, this is a great book to read. Especially during the winter months coming up.

What a wonderful new-to-me series! Frozen Lives by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is a mystery with plenty of suspense, investigation, and family drama. Dr. Emily Hartford is a successful surgeon in Chicago, Illinois along with her boyfriend Brandon. However, she grew up in Freeport, Michigan where she was the daughter of the local coroner and helped him out when she was younger.

When Emily gets a call from her friend Jo Blakely that Jo’s son Jeremiah is missing, Emily leaves for Freeport. Arriving there, she immediately goes to the police station to talk with Detective Aditson. Jeremiah turns up a few days later, alive and seemingly unharmed. However, his account of what happened doesn’t sound right. On top of this, Jo and her husband are having marriage problems. However, the situation rapidly gets worse.

Emily is an excellent surgeon, but she’s also a great medical examiner. She has a sense of curiosity and is a bit of a risk taker, except when it comes to relationships. She has a sense of curiosity and doesn’t easily let go of her small-town connections. Brandon loves the city and doesn’t understand why Freeport appeals to Emily or why she rushes there to be with her friend. Many of the other characters are also well-defined and have depth.

The story quickly hooked me with a gripping prologue. A feeling of deep anxiety became prevalent as the story progressed, even though readers learn the identity of the antagonist halfway through the novel. The antagonist’s mental illness has a terrifying realism that is memorable and chilling. This riveting mystery kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. What an ending! It was foreshadowed and I guessed what was coming, but I was happy to see I was right despite a bit of a cliffhanger ending. I can’t wait to see where the author takes the story next. Threads include marriage, missing individuals, friendship, romance, family drama, and much more.

Overall, this was an intense, suspenseful, and engaging mystery. Exceptional characters, intense and emotional events, and multiple conflicts kept me rapidly turning the pages. The story exceeded my expectations. While this is the fourth book in the Coroner’s Daughter series, it can be read as a standalone. However, it does have some spoilers that might affect the enjoyment if you plan to read the earlier novels. Despite this, I want to read the others. They should add depth to Emily’s background and relationships with those in Freeport. This new-to-me author has me hooked on the characters, solid mysteries, and her excellent writing. Readers who enjoy mysteries with great characterization and excellent writing will likely enjoy this series.

Blackstone Publishing and Jennifer Graeser Dornbush provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for October 29, 2024. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

What! Wow! Cliffhanger! Loved it! Need more!! Had a moment at the end Ahhhhh!!!

Full disclosure- I jumped in at Book 4. Read it easily as a stand alone and with cliffhanger at the end I knew I had to get more to tide me over until Book 5 comes out.

This was my first book by Jennifer Graeser Thornbush and it will not be my last. I immediately became so invested in Dr Emily Hartford, her family, friends, community and the people around her in Freeport, MI. All of the pieces that make her whole seem to be keeping her there.

This time, Emily is going the extra mile for her best friend Jo and her son Jeremiah have been abducted and must be found. This a fast paced read with perfect timing. There are sub plots that follow along as well (loved it) that keep the series going.

I need the characters in a series to grow with each book. I do not like redundancy in a series,playing catch up or things being on repeat. I need each book to wrap most things up and who doesn’t love a cliffhanger? This series checks all of the boxes for me.

Firstly. That ending?! Are you kidding me?!
I'm most definitely going to need the rest of this series.

I enjoyed this book so much! It was fun and fast paced but it was also emotional. The loss of your parents creates a pain in you that you carry with everything that you do. Emily is aware of that and because of that she holds the people she loves closer and holds them a little tighter. So when her best friends son goes missing she is present and ready to help.

I loved the emotion that this story carried. It was heavy on loss, mental illness, and found family. I love how this story developed and the raw emotion that you saw in each character. (Although let me say, there's this one character who is such a whipped mommas boy that I wanna fight him in a dark alley-_-)

Basically, Ive now ordered books 1-3 and I am already praying I get approved to read the 5th book because that ending was horrid.

I enjoyed this mystery set in the cold north of Michigan. I like Emily as an amateur sleuth who has the help of a friend, an ex-FBI agent. Emily is sort of a non-heroine. She is a good support but it is really others who do the actual work on the abduction. I did not like Emily's over managing her relationship to Brandon. I rarely hope a romance will not happen but I did so with this novel. There was quite an emphasis on that relationship in the novel. In that respect, this novel is for readers who like about as much on the personal life of the main character as on the suspenseful mystery.

One aspect of the novel that captured my attention was how kids responded to the disappearance of a classmate. Speculation was rampant and the possible explanations were imaginative. That this novel deals with the abduction of a child may be a trigger situation for some potential readers.

I like Dornbush's writing style. She has included secondary characters to add depth to the main kidnapping plot. This is the latest in a series but it is the first I've read and I felt it read well on its own. Reading the earlier books in the series would help to better understand Emily's relationships with others in her home town, however.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

FROZEN LIVES (Coroner’s Daughter Mysteries Book #4) by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is an edge-of-your-seat crime thriller/amateur sleuth mystery featuring Chicago surgeon Emily Hartford who gets pulled back to her small hometown of Freeport, Michigan when her best friend and son go missing. This is easily read as a standalone crime thriller and the author does a great job of intertwining Emily’s life from the previous books, so I never felt lost with her current relationships.

Emily is happy sharing a surgical practice in Chicago with her boyfriend, but she just cannot let go of her small town roots and all of her friends in Freeport, Michigan. She receives a call for help when her best friend Jo’s son, Jeremiah, goes missing. He is discovered a few days later unharmed, but the man who took him is still free. With accusations only ramping up the tensions in Jo’s crumbling marriage, Emily feels the need to support her friend.

As they all try to get back to a normal routine, no one knows the danger has not passed them by and it is about to become a race to find a twisted kidnapper and rescue Emily’s friends from a possible watery grave.

I could not put this book down and I am surprised that I had not read any of this series previously. If you have not either, this is a good book to jump in on because the author does a great job of giving the reader enough of Emily’s past and relationships so as not to be confusing. That said, I will be going back to read the previous three books because I enjoyed the author’s fast paced crime plot and hope the other three are just as interesting and well written. Even knowing who the kidnapper/killer is does not distract from the increasing tension and emotional involvement as the book races to a climax. I am excited to read the next book now that Emily has accepted the role she was born to have and to see what happens with her surprise personal ending.

I highly recommend this crime thriller/amateur sleuth mystery and look forward to reading more in this series.

What a terrifying story - it could've come out of today's news! Jo's two eldest, Jeremiah and Jessica are left at the beach park while she goes off to get her nails done.
While she is gone, Jeremiah goes off towards the icy pier to touch the nearby lighthouse, a dare done by many children.
But there is a stranger there too, he grabs Jeremiah and takes him to a boat in the harbor as a prisoner, Jeremiah is heard singing and is rescued, but his nighmare has just begun...