Frozen Lives

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.