Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: The Coroner
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.jenniferdornbush.com/
CITY: Los Angeles
STATE: CA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Daughter of a medical examiner.
EDUCATION:Studied at Forensic Science Academy.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and forensic specialist. Seminar and workshop instructor. Has consulted on various television programs; hosts webinars on crime writing with Writer’s Digest.
MEMBER:Writers Guild of America, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, American Christian Fiction Writers, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Entertainment Industry Association of Consultants and Educators.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is a writer and forensic specialist. She is the daughter of a medical examiner who worked from a home office, which brought her in close and regular contact with investigating death. She pursued this interest at the Forensic Science Academy and later turned to this expertise in her writing. Dornbush has consulted on television programs and hosts webinars on crime writing with Writer’s Digest.
God Bless the Broken Road
Dornbush published the novel God Bless the Broken Road in 2017. Amber Hill is mourning the death of her husband while he was on duty in Afghanistan. While struggling to raise her eight-year-old daughter and keep cordial relations with her mother in law, Bree, Amber meets stock car driver Cody Jackson while he is learning the trade from an experienced mechanic in the small town of Clarksville. Cody is impatient but offers Amber a nice respite from her troubles and sorrow, along with her friends and church community.
A Publishers Weekly contributor lamented that “shallow characterizations are painted with broad strokes that ignore the more delicate nuances of grief.”
The Coroner
In 2018 Dornbush published the novel The Coroner. When Dr. Emily Hartford was a teenager, she left the town of Freeport after her mother’s death. When she gets word that her physician father has suffered a heart attack, she leaves her career as a surgeon in Chicago to take care of him and take over as the town’s doctor. While mending her relationship with him, she also must deal with her ex-boyfriend, Nick, who is now the town sheriff. Nick involves Emily on the death of a state senator’s daughter, which brings them together again. But Emily is also conflicted on how she feels about Brandon.
A contributor to Kirkus Reviews suggested that if the author would “trust her own ability to convey insights via actions instead of explanations, readers might want to find out what happens next in the obviously planned sequel.” A contributor to the Book Reviews and More by Kathy website summarized that “The Coroner is a well-executed mystery with a clever plot and appealing characters. Emily undergoes quite a transformation after returning to Freeport and she is pleasantly surprised by her reaction to her homecoming. The investigation into Julie’s death moves at steady pace and Jennifer Graeser Dornbush keeps the perpetrator’s identity and motive for the crime carefully concealed until the novel’s rather exciting conclusion.” In a review on the Criminal Element website, Amber Keller opined that “Dornbush’s forensic training and knowledge of the medical-examiner world shine throughout this fantastic debut. The Coroner will keep you reading, desperate to know how it all will turn out and just who did it.” A contributor to the Carries Book Reviews website called the novel “a mystery read that felt a tad bit like reading a cozy but with a more forensic/scientific side to it with the main character being a doctor. The story was an interesting one and the characters likable enough but parts of this one just seemed a bit dry.” A Lesa’s Book Critiques blog reviewer reasoned that “The Coroner is a solid debut, an intense, riveting story that combines the coziness of small town familiarity with the sobering reality of drugs and murder.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2018, review of The Coroner.
Publishers Weekly, May 8, 2017, review of God Bless the Broken Road.
ONLINE
Book Reviews and More by Kathy, https://www.bookreviewsandmorebykathy.com/ (August 8, 2018 ), review of The Coroner.
Carries Book Reviews, https://carriesbookreviews.com/ (July 20, 2018 ), review of The Coroner.
Criminal Element, https://www.criminalelement.com/ (August 8, 2018), Amber Keller, review of The Coroner.
Elizabeth Van Tassel website, http://elizabethvantassel.com/ (June 22, 2017), author interview.
Jennifer Graeser Dornbush website, https://www.jenniferdornbush.com (October 12, 2018).
Lesa’s Book Critiques, https://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/ (August 11, 2018), review of The Coroner.
Pick of the Literate, https://bookrevues.blogspot.com/ (September 3, 2018), William Bentrim, author interview.
Sara L. Foust website, https://saralfoust.com/ (July 6, 2017), author interview.
Jennifer is a Screenwriter, Author, speaker, and forensic specialist creating diverse range of stories that shed light on the dark places of the human experience.
Jennifer's story creation is bred from a very unsheltered childhood as the daughter of a medical examiner whose office was in her home. She investigated her first fatality, an airplane crash, when she was 8 years-old and from there gathered decades of on-sight experience in death investigation and 360 hours of forensic training through the Forensic Science Academy.
The stories she creates stem from the unique range of human experiences. Because of her background, she does not shy away from telling stories about tough circumstances and how characters choose to deal with them.
Whether it’s a despairing war widow Amber Hill, who has lost her faith in her feature film, God Bless the Broken Road… a mistrustful detective, Riley St. James battling to solve a twenty-year old murder in her novel, Hole in the Woods… a brilliant doctor, Emily Hartford harboring deep-seeded anger at her father for not investigating her mother’s car crash in her mystery novel, The Coroner’… or a group of nuns posing as prostitutes to save sex trafficked victims in her Episodic TV show, Prey… Jennifer’s characters encounter light in their darkness… redemption where none seems possible… and bits of levity to sweeten the journey.
M E M B E R : Writers Guild of America, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, American Christian Fiction Writers, Society of Children’s Book Writers and IllustratorsScreen.
I was born into the forensic life. As the daughter of a medical examiner, whose office was in our home, I experienced my first death investigation - an airplane crash - at 8 years old. Since that first case, I went on to gather decades of on-sight death investigation, receive 360 hours of forensic training through the Forensic Science Academy, and study current and historical forensic science.
I now use these experiences to pen crime fiction for film, TV, and novels. My book, Forensic Speak, is used by cops, CSIs, and writers of all levels and hailed as the north star to crime writing.
On most days you'll find me in Hollywood penning TV crime dramas and launching mystery novels.
When I’m not writing I give seminars on forensics and crime writing all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe. I also teach screenwriting and mentor emerging writers through the Act One Program, Regent University, and Universita Catholica Milano.
I aim to help other writers and producers create high stakes, entertaining crime dramas while also employing current, authentic, and realistic forensic methods. My forensic advice has aided writers on shows like Suits, Prison Break, Rectify, and White Collar.
Jennifer has been teaching since 1997 and regularly leads seminars and workshops on screenwriting, crime fiction, forensics, and the creative life.
She has presented at: The Writers Store, Great American Pitchfest, Crime Writers Weekend, Sisters in Crime, Act One, Los Angeles Film Studies Center, Highbridge Film Festival, Scriptwriters Network, Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Story Expo, American Christian Fiction Writers, The Seymour Agency, Universita Cattolica Milano, Italy; Azusa Pacific University, Tobias Agency Retreat, Regent University, Northwest Writers Association, Willamette Writers Conference, and Write Canada.
Jennifer is a member of Entertainment Industry Association of Consultants and Educators (EIACE).
Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is herself the daughter of a medical examiner, whose office was in her home. She investigated her first fatality, an airplane crash, when she was 10 years old. Since that first case she has had decades of on-site experience in death investigation and 360 hours of forensic training through the Forensic Science Academy. Jennifer now uses these experiences to pen crime fiction for film and TV, with a feature film God Bless the Broken Road slated for release in 2018. She has consulted on shows such as Deception, Hawaii Five-O, Prison Break, Leverage, and more. Jennifer is also member of Sisters in Crime and hosts webinars on crime writing through Writer’s Digest.
Jennifer is a writer, speaker and forensic specialist creating diverse range of stories that shed light on the dark places of the human experience.
Her story creation is bred from a very unsheltered childhood as the daughter of a medical examiner whose office was in her home. She investigated her first fatality, an airplane crash, when she was 8 years-old and from there gathered a decade of on-sight experience in death investigation and 360 hours of forensic training through the Forensic Science Academy.
The stories she creates stem from the unique range of human experiences. Because of her background, she does not shy away from telling stories about tough circumstances and how characters choose to deal with them.
Whether it’s a despairing war widow Amber Hill, who has lost her faith in God Bless the Broken Road…. a mistrustful detective, Riley St. James battling to solve a twenty-year old murder in Hole in the Woods… Or a brilliant doctor, Emily Hartford harboring deep-seeded anger at her father for not investigating her mother’s car crash in The Coroner.
Jennifer’s characters encounter light in their darkness… redemption where none seems possible… and bits of levity to sweeten the journey.
Jennifer’s latest feature film, God Bless the Broken Road is slated for release in 2018. The novel version that she also penned was released in 2017 by the same title published by Simon & Schuster. She is currently scribing a mystery series for Crooked Lane Publishing and has a TV crime dramas series in development with Hoplite Entertainment and a feature film project in development with Anderson Media Group.
Wanting to share her love of forensics with other storytellers, she wrote non-fiction work, Forensic Speak: How To Write Realistic Crime Dramas, published by Michael Wiese Productions, hailed as a north star to creating authentic crime dramas.
As a forensic specialist she has consulted with TV writers on network and cable TV shows. She regularly leads seminars and webinars on forensics and crime fiction, teaches screenwriting, and mentors new writers.
Be a part of Jennifer’s community by signing up for her newsletter and YouTube channel at: www.jenniferdornbush.com
Member:
Mystery Writers of America
Writers Guild of America
Sisters in Crime
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
American Christian Fiction Writers
Manager: Zach Cox, Circle of Confusion
310.691.7056
ZC@circleofconfusion.com
Literary Agent: Julie Gwinn, Seymour Agency
615.957.3443
Julie@theseymouragency.com
Interview with Author Jennifer Dornbush
July 6, 2017
For my Summer Spotlight Series this week I have Author Jennifer Dornbush.
Jennifer is a writer, speaker and forensic specialist creating a diverse range of stories that shed light on the dark places of the human experience.
Her story creation is bred from a very unsheltered childhood as the daughter of a medical examiner whose office was in her home. She investigated her first fatality, an airplane crash, when she was 8 years-old and from there gathered a decade of on-sight experience in death investigation and 360 hours of forensic training through the Forensic Science Academy.
The stories she creates stem from the unique range of human experiences. Because of her background, she does not shy away from telling stories about tough circumstances and how characters choose to deal with them. Jennifer’s characters encounter light in their darkness… redemption where none seems possible… and bits of levity to sweeten the journey.
Her feature film, God Bless the Broken Road is slated for release in 2017 in conjunction with the novel released on June 6th by the same title published by Simon & Schuster.
Jennifer has several crime drama series being developed for television and a bi-lingual kid’s show, Team Abuelita, in production with Baby First TV.
Wanting to share her love of forensics with other storytellers, she scribed non-fiction work, Forensic Speak: How To Write Realistic Crime Dramas, published by Michael Wiese Productions, hailed as a north star to creating authentic crime dramas.
As a forensic specialist she has consulted with TV writers on network and cable TV shows. She regularly leads seminars and webinars on forensics and crime fiction and has taught screenwriting on the high school and university level and mentored new writers.
Sign up for her newsletter and YouTube channel at: www.jenniferdornbush.com
Jennifer’s first novel God Bless the Broken Road released on June 6, 2017.
God Bless the Broken Road is a heartwarming story about a grieving army widow who finds her way back to her daughter, her faith, and a new love. Amber Hill never imagined she would find herself a war widow and single mom. She feels robbed and is angry at God, and she doesn’t know how to help her nine-year-old daughter Bree through her grief. Where, Amber wonders, are the Sunday dinners, the picnics, the bike rides, the time together they should be enjoying as a family? Instead, Amber is left with a folded flag and an empty heart.
Cody Jackson has a death wish. Or at least that is what his manager thinks, as Cody pushes his race car and his luck in every race. Is he hiding something, or just daring God and other racers to end the path of destruction he finds himself on as he rounds the last turn? When Cody encourages Bree to join in a Derby car race for local youth, she finds a way to channel her grief into something good—and she likes that her mom and Cody are starting to become friends—or maybe something more.
Cody invites Amber and Bree to see him race, but as they watch Cody narrowly escape a devastating crash, she realizes she can’t lose another person in her life. It’s better to be alone than feel that type of grief again. But when Amber hits rock-bottom, she cries out to God and asks for help. With her faith, her life, her family, and her heart hanging in the balance, Amber is forced to decide between the broken road she knows so well and trusting that God will provide a new path. Based on the Rascal Flatts song, God Bless the Broken Road is a moving, heart-stirring story about the power of faith to change a life. The movie version is coming 2018.
I was instantly fascinated by the process of writing both a novel and a movie based on the same story line, so I asked her some questions, which she was gracious enough to answer.
Most of us only dream about our books becoming a movie, but you say you wrote the movie first and then the book? Can you tell us a little bit about that process?
GBBR actually began as a script three years ago. My friend and director, Harold Cronk, who is best known for the God’s Not Dead movies, called me one fine summer evening. He pitched me the seed of the idea and asked what I thought? I said I thought it sounded like a solid story. And then he asked if I wanted to write it with him. Of course, I said yes.
We finished the first draft of the script on Christmas Eve, 2014. Over the course of the next year we refined it while the producers rallied the funds. In the spring of 2016 Harold shot God Bless the Broken Road.
A few months earlier, as we finished the script version, I talked with the producers about penning a novel version. They thought it would be a great idea. So my agent, Julie Gwinn, put a pitch together and while we were filming I quickly wrote the first three chapters. Within two weeks Julie had procured a couple contracts. We happily chose Simon & Schuster. I spent last summer scribing the novel and here it is a year later. The film is also “in the can” as we say and will be releasing next year.
How exciting it must be to see your ‘babies’ in screen and book formats! What was your reaction when you got the good news?
I was in Michigan during the filming of the movie when we got the offers. I was giddy. I remember I was alone in the house where I was staying and I did a little dance. Then I called my husband, who was in Los Angeles. After that I immediately told the film producers. We were all pretty excited! After the excitement settled down, reality set in. I quickly phoned my good friend, Travis, who is a college friend and seasoned novelist and said, “Travis, help me. How do you write a novel?”
Do you have a favorite Bible verse? If so, what is it?
“For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 I have clung to this promise since high school. It’s such an encouragement when life sets you on detours.
Do you have special plans to celebrate the movie and/or book release?
I held a book release party on June 9th in Hollywood. Over 75 of my amazing friends and family attended. The film’s director and one of the producers were there. I was able to have four of the key film actors come and participate in the book reading. My dear friends did the catering, photography, and book selling. As a first time novelist, I felt so blessed to have so many people supporting me and the story!
There will be a big premiere and party when the movie releases next year. Those are always fun to attend because you get to see the audience reactions to your film.
Author Info:
Author Website: www.jenniferdornbush.com
Facebook: Jennifer Graeser Dornbush
https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.graeserdornbush
Instagram: Jennifer Dornbush
https://www.instagram.com/jenniferdornbush/
Pintrest:
https://www.pinterest.com/jenidornbush/
Twitter: @JGDornbush
https://twitter.com/JGDornbush
GBBR Book link:
https://www.amazon.com/God-Bless-Broken-Road-Novel/dp/1501159593/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497487120&sr=8-1&keywords=god+bless+the+broken+road+jennifer+dornbush
GBBR Audiobook link:
https://www.audiobooksnow.com/author/jennifer%20dornbush/
GBBR Movie Trailer link:
https://vimeo.com/191227455
Thank you so much for taking time to appear on my blog, Jennifer! I pray you the best of luck. I hope you readers will check out her book on Amazon now and excitedly await the movie release. I know I will!
Next week I will have Author Michelle Griep on my blog. I hope you’ll return to learn more about her!
When The Prodigal Son Visits with Author and Screenwriter Jennifer Dornbush
Posted June 22, 2017 ·
Jennifer Dornbush is a bit dazzling when you first meet her. Then you find out she’s a specialist in death. Whoa. And she knows how to investigate crime scenes and has consulted on TV and film dramas. When I met Jennifer, it was over breakfast at a conference far from home. All I knew at first was we were both Californians. Then I became fascinated at her specialty and have watched her career and books with great interest. As a resilience expert, I really connected with how she doesn’t back off from exploring challenging characters with tough circumstances in her stories and screenplays. And her latest book is coming out as a movie in 2018! She’s giving you a behind-the-scenes peek at her inspiration as part of the #LetResilienceArise guest blog series.
The Most Resilient Story Ever!
By Jennifer Dornbush
Early on in my writing career, I had a writing mentor in Hollywood who told me that writers tend to write about the same thing over and over and over. She encouraged me to discover which story archetype best embodied my beliefs and build my stories from there. She said it would save me time from trying to re-invent the wheel, and it would always give me a core theme to lean on.
It was genius advice. But at the time, a bit over my novice head. And quite honestly, I was determined that MY storytelling was going to be wholly original.
Of course, it’s not. And, of course, she was right.
It didn’t take me long to realize that the story I tell over and over and over is that of the Prodigal Son. I love this story so much. I’ve told it as a thriller, a mystery, an historical drama, a children’s book, and now an inspirational romance. Even after 15 years of noodling on this story, I still find it holds fresh meat for me to chew on.
The Prodigal Son is such an easy story for many to relate to, and a favorite of Jennifer Dornbush’s too.
If you are looking for an example of resilience, take a good gander at the parable of the Prodigal Son. The resilience of every family member in this story is noteworthy.
There’s the older brother, “the good son,” who stays at home with his father. He never rebels like his brother, but he ends up feeling slighted and bitter. Maybe you feel like that brother? You done everything right and along comes a situation that leaves you feeling cheated, unloved, or unappreciated. But before you go sinking into despair, the Father wants you to know, “Hey, I’ve always loved you. I’ve been with you all the time. And all my blessings are yours. So, go ahead, dig into them. See what you can find.”
And then there’s the Prodigal Son. The prideful one who took his inheritance and went out to party for a couple years. He blows everything and crawls back begging for forgiveness. That kind of repentance is steeped in strength and courage! Maybe you feel more like this Son? Life has given you some shifty, unfair, downright awful things. Maybe some of them you had a part in? Maybe some of your own bad choices caused this? You were exhausted, alone, ashamed, unworthy, and overwhelmed. But now you are turning your life around. This is resilient behavior, my friends!
Let’s not forget Father of the Prodigal Son who, despite everything his son has put him through says, “My son, I love you. Let’s be a family again. Come to the table and feast!” Maybe you feel like this parent who has endured years of angst, wondering, worrying, and hoping about some troubling situation. But guess what? Victory is on its way! Resilient people never give up. The Prodigal Father didn’t. And you won’t either!
My newest release, God Bless the Broken Road, is a total Prodigal Daughter story. But I didn’t fully realize this until my Facebook Message exchange with an old friend from Phoenix. She had just grabbed a copy of my new book and wanted to let me know what she thought.
Her: I’m enjoying the book, but I am arguing with Amber (my protagonist) throughout!
Me: Haha! Love it!
Her: It’s been a while since I had this reaction.
Me: That warms my heart.
Her: I have to admit, it’s a love-hate relationship. She ticks me off and I want to stop reading. But at the same time I have to read it to see when she is going to get it and let God work.
Me: So true… she was a tough character to write. She’s very stubborn! Like the prodigal son.
Her: Good way to say it. I probably get mad because I have had to swallow my pride many times in the last year.
Jennifer Dornbush tells the story of the Prodigal Son in new ways.
Ah ha! Amber is a prodigal daughter. I had done it again… without realizing it! Here’s what happens to Amber… (I promise, no spoilers!)
Amber Hill is a young war widow who has suffered the loss of her husband, Darren, in Afghanistan and is now raising their young daughter, Bree. Two years later, Amber finds her life spiraling down into depression and doubt. Much like the Prodigal Son, Amber turns her back on God, her church family, and her faith and insists on doing things her way.
Over the course of the story many people try to come to her aid– her friends, the pastor and his wife, her boss, and her mother-in-law. Her heart begins to thaw a little when she meets a new friend and race car driver, Cody, who starts to awaken her spirit again. But then she soon determines it’s too dangerous to get close to him. He might die in a car crash. She can’t take that.
Just as Amber’s life hits rock bottom, she experiences a surprising twist in the road when Private Nelson, a war veteran from Darren’s unit, reveals something to Amber that helps her see that her road is not as broken as she thinks it is. Like the Prodigal Son, she returns to God her Father and begs him to forgive her. Amber finds that God is quick to restore the tears she has shed, the loss she has experienced, and the bad decisions she has made. She is welcomed back into to the “feast table” of her family and community. And her life begins anew.
The Prodigal Son story is God’s love story to us. His faithful endurance and persistence to love us will never end. And that’s a story I will tell over and over and over.
Author and Screenwriter Jennifer Dornbush
Dornbush Bio
Jennifer is a writer, speaker and forensic specialist creating diverse range of stories that shed light on the dark places of the human experience.
Her story creation is bred from a very unsheltered childhood as the daughter of a medical examiner whose office was in her home. She investigated her first fatality, an airplane crash, when she was 8 years-old and from there gathered a decade of on-sight experience in death investigation and 360 hours of forensic training through the Forensic Science Academy.
The stories she creates stem from the unique range of human experiences. Because of her background, she does not shy away from telling stories about tough circumstances and how characters choose to deal with them. Jennifer’s characters encounter light in their darkness… redemption where none seems possible… and bits of levity to sweeten the journey.
Her feature film, God Bless the Broken Road is slated for release in 2018 in conjunction with the novel released on June 6th by the same title published by Simon & Schuster.
Jennifer has several crime drama series being developed for television and a bi-lingual kid’s show, Team Abuelita, in production with Baby First TV.
Wanting to share her love of forensics with other storytellers, she scribed non-fiction work, Forensic Speak: How To Write Realistic Crime Dramas, published by Michael Wiese Productions, hailed as a north star to creating authentic crime dramas.
As a forensic specialist she has consulted with TV writers on network and cable TV shows. She regularly leads seminars and webinars on forensics and crime fiction and has taught screenwriting on the high school and university level and mentored new writers.
Monday, September 3, 2018
An Interview with JENNIFER GRAESER DORNBUSH Author of The Coroner
Jennifer Dornbush is a writer, speaker, and forensic specialist creating a diverse range of stories that shed light on the dark places of the human experience. As a daughter of a medical examiner, she investigated her first fatality when she was 8. She has several crime dramas in development, and a feature film inspired by her novel, God Bless the Broken Road, is slated for release Sept. 21, 2018. She is also the author of Forensic Speak: How To Write Realistic Crime Dramas, hailed as a north star to creating authentic crime dramas. Jennifer teaches seminars and speaks on writing crime fiction for screen, forensic fundamentals, and death investigation. She hosts webinars on crime writing through Writer’s Digest; and has collaborated with The Writers Store and Script Magazine to produce a video on crime writing for writers. She also hosts a YouTube channel on forensics and the writing life. She teaches screenwriting and mentors aspiring writers through the Act One Program, Regent University, and Universita Catholica Milano. She is a member of the Writers’ Guild of American and the Mystery Writers of America.
1.Obviously being the daughter of a medical examiner had a big influence on you. Did you ever want to follow in your father’s footsteps?
As a teenager, I was rather grossed out and embarrassed about what my father’s job at M.E. These were the days before CSI and Forensic Files made death investigation exciting and cool. When my friends found out my dad did this, they took great interest, so that lessened the embarrassment on my part. And while I do love the sciences, I always knew my calling was to be on the storytelling side of crime solving.
2. You’re also the author of an inspirational novel and feature film about an Army widow, and a nonfiction book about the science of forensic investigation and crime dramas. How did writing a mystery differ?
Storytelling is storytelling no matter the genre. All genres follow the same story rules and arcs. I find it takes the same amount of time, effort, thought, energy, and research to develop a story whether its for book or screen. Creating a screenplay requires the same amount of story work as it does for a novel. The only difference is that I can write a screenplay in a fraction of the time it takes me to write a novel because most of the backstory and ground work never shows up as words on the page. Nonfiction is a whole different ball game. It requires a lot less emotional energy. And in that sense, it feels less exhaustive. I love the challenge and results of all of them.
3. Did you plan out the mystery before you started or did you see where you writing took you?
I’m a plotter. That comes from my screenwriting training. When I start a new mystery I pretend I’m the investigator and I create a case file for my “case.” From there I create a rough skeleton outline of the mystery plot. After that I flesh out the character’s arcs and emotional journeys, and B, C, and D stories surrounding the case. Then, I create a treatment. Workshop it. Then, a first draft. More workshopping. I’m a collaborative writer. It’s more fun, makes the project stronger, and gets the project done faster.
4. What is something that you frequently see the media portraying incorrectly in regards to forensics?
I have my top ten and they all have pet names. One of my favorites is what I call, “Sex Appeal.” You see this a lot on television. The good-looking, welldressed investigators show up in heels, skirts, or suit to a crime scene investigation. Their hair and make-up are perfectly done. They are fresh and well-rested. A lot of times they aren’t wearing any proper protective gear. It’s not a criticism. I understand it why they do this. Shows want to portray a certain sex appeal from their actors. But it’s not a reflection of how real life investigators show up to crime scenes.
5. Why did you decided to set most of the book in a small town?
The Coroner harkens to my experiences growing up in a small town and seeing how death investigation works in a rural area. I like to expose the reality that resources in rural areas are often limited and different than they are in big cities. I’m not saying they are not professional. They are. But the elements of staffing, equipment, education, experience, and budget all factor in and vary vastly from county to county. Secondly, I think it’s interesting to explore how small communities react when one of their own is taken from them. No one remains anonymous in small towns. Everyone plays a role. Everyone is affected. Everyone has an opinion and a stake.
6. The cliffhanger leads me to think we’ll be seeing more of these characters – can you tell us anything about their futures?
We’ll be continuing the journey of Dr. Emily Hartford as Coroner. Her love life becomes more complicated as she struggles with calling off her engagement, tests the dating waters, and explores any remaining sparks with Nick. And she will be have to solve a brutal cold case murder… much darker than the first book… with Nick as a key suspect.
This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.
Posted by William Bentrim at 2:53 PM
Dornbush, Jennifer Graeser: THE CORONER
Kirkus Reviews. (June 1, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Dornbush, Jennifer Graeser THE CORONER Crooked Lane (Adult Fiction) $26.99 8, 7 ISBN: 978-1-68331-623-7
When Dr. Emily Hartford learns of her father's heart attack, she leaves her promising Chicago surgical career and new fiance, Brandon, to return home only to be pulled into a murder investigation led by her old high school sweetheart.
Emily had abruptly left Freeport, Michigan, as a teenager after her mother's death. She felt that her father, Freeport's medical examiner, either couldn't or wouldn't tell her the truth behind the death. And although she had left a note for her boyfriend, Nick, who is now the sheriff in Freeport, he never found it. Now, shortly after arriving to take care of her father, Emily gets pulled into the case of Julie Dobson, a state senator's daughter. Julie was a brilliant horsewoman with a promising career until she was found thrown from her horse, dead from a head wound. Standing in for her father, Emily does Julie's autopsy, and when signs point to murder, both Nick and Emily struggle to find the truth. Meanwhile, Emily weighs her feelings for the almost too-perfect Brandon against her rekindled feelings for Nick, a quandary whose outcome the reader will never doubt. Although we are repeatedly told of Emily's many struggles, the reader is held at an emotional distance by prose that is adequate but not polished. Too, the use of "gonna," "wanna," and "gotta" may be phonetic depictions of how people speak, but its constant use in print is annoying.
If Dornbush will trust her own ability to convey insights via actions instead of explanations, readers might want to find out what happens next in the obviously planned sequel.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Dornbush, Jennifer Graeser: THE CORONER." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A540723387/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=2e33ebbc. Accessed 17 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A540723387
August 8, 2018 · 11:57 pm
Review: The Coroner by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush
Title: The Coroner by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Summoned from her promising surgical career first to her estranged father’s bedside, and then his post as medical examiner when his small town needs urgent help with a suspicious death, Emily Hartford discovers home is where the bodies are in this pitch perfect mystery debut.
Recently engaged and deeply ensconced in her third year of surgical residency in Chicago, Emily Hartford gets a shock when she’s called home to Freeport, MI, the small town she fled a decade ago after the death of her mother. Her estranged father, the local medical examiner, has had a massive heart attack and Emily is needed urgently to help with his recovery.
Not sure what to expect, Emily races home, blowing the only stoplight at the center of town and getting pulled over by her former high school love, now Sheriff, Nick Larson. At the hospital, she finds her father in near total denial of the seriousness of his condition. He insists that the best thing Emily can do to help him is to take on the autopsy of a Senator’s teen daughter whose sudden, unexplained death has just rocked the sleepy town.
Reluctantly agreeing to help her father and Nick, Emily gets down to work, only to discover that the girl was murdered. The autopsy reminds her of her many hours in the morgue with her father when she was a young teen—a time which inspired her love of medicine. Before she knows it, she’s pulled deeper into the case and closer to her father and to Nick—much to the dismay of her big city fiance. When a threat is made to Emily herself, she must race to catch the killer before he strikes again in The Coroner, expertly written and sharply plotted, perfect for fans of Patricia Cornwell and Julia Spencer Fleming.
Review:
The Coroner by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is an intriguing small town mystery.
Surgical resident Dr. Emily Hartford is shocked to learn her father Robert has had a massive heart attack. Although their relationship is strained, she rushes home to Freeport, the small town which she left twelve years ago. Virtually as soon as she arrives, Sheriff (and former Emily’s former boyfriend) Nick Larson pleads with her to perform an autopsy on high school senior Julie Dobson. Emily quickly acquiesces and much to both her and Nick’s surprise, she discovers Julie is the victim of foul play. With Emily’s assistance, Nick begins delving into the young woman’s past to solve her murder.
Following her mother’s puzzling death, Emily found it impossible to recover her formerly close relationship with her father. She left town to live with her aunt while she finished school and she has never returned for a visit. Recently engaged to fellow doctor Brandon Taylor, Emily rushes to her father’s side but the issues that have plagued them for years mar their reunion. Despite her intention to leave as quickly as possible, Emily cannot resist helping Nick investigate Julie’s troubling death.
By all accounts, Julie is a well-liked young woman with a promising future head of her. Since she is an excellent horsewoman, everyone is shocked that her death appears to be an accidental fall from her horse. After her death is ruled a homicide, Nick is scrambling to keep the media at bay while he begins his investigation from scratch. He and Emily work some aspects of the case together but Nick becomes frustrated as she strikes out on her own to find answers for some of their disconcerting findings. When Emily literally stumbles across the killer, will she become the next victim?
The Coroner is a well-executed mystery with a clever plot and appealing characters. Emily undergoes quite a transformation after returning to Freeport and she is pleasantly surprised by her reaction to her homecoming. The investigation into Julie’s death moves at steady pace and Jennifer Graeser Dornbush keeps the perpetrator’s identity and motive for the crime carefully concealed until the novel’s rather exciting conclusion. Although Julie’s case is completely wrapped up, there is a bit of cliffhanger that will leave readers hopeful there will be future books starring Dr. Emily Hartford.
Review: The Coroner by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush
By Amber Keller
August 8, 2018
The Coroner
Jennifer Graeser Dornbush
August 7, 2018
The Coroner by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is a pitch-perfect mystery debut where Emily Hartford discovers home is where the bodies are when she is summoned from her promising surgical career first to her estranged father’s bedside and then his post as medical examiner when his small town needs urgent help with a suspicious death.
Author Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is no stranger to the medical examiner field—she’s the daughter of one herself. So it’s no surprise that her debut, The Coroner, features a protagonist whose father is in the profession.
Emily Hartford is a surgical resident in Chicago where she lives with her almost-perfect, soon-to-be fiancé, Brandon. She escaped a small-town life years ago after her mother’s unexplained and sudden death, leaving behind her father and her then-boyfriend, Nick Larson. After finding out that her father’s had a severe heart attack, she rushes back to her childhood home in Freeport, Michigan. She assumes this will be a quick trip to make sure her dad is alright, but it ends up turning into so much more.
Dredging up old feelings and running into her old flame, Nick—who is now a handsome sheriff who still has feelings for her—Emily finds herself stepping into her dad’s medical examiner shoes to help with a local, high-profile murder case. Soon, she’s embroiled in the case, her own confusing feelings, and her father’s poor prognosis.
Emily’s relationship with her father has been troubled since her mother’s death. They used to bond over Emily’s love of her father’s medical examiner work—she even asked to accompany him on an autopsy for her 13th birthday. However, her mother’s death hit the family hard, and her father didn’t process it well, leaving a young Emily sad and alone. When Emily returns to Freeport, all that pain and emotion come flooding back.
“He’s anxious to see you.”
“Did he say that?” Emily asked.
“Listen, if it makes you feel better, just put on your doctor hat and tell him you’re here to ensure his medical welfare,” said Jo, flashing a smile.
“He’s going to tell me it wasn’t necessary to come all this way,” Emily replied.
“It’ll be okay, Em. You’re his daughter. He loves you.” Jo gave Emily’s arm a squeeze and headed back down the hall.
Loves me? Somewhere deep down, Emily sensed it was true. She had felt it in her childhood. And in those teenage years before her mom died, when she and her dad were teaming up on cases. But she hadn’t heard those words from him after that day in the emergency room. Emily’s last visual memory of her father was as a robust, but overworked, graying man hunched over his microscope in their home office, unable to verbalize his grief or connect with her anymore.
Emily is soon asked to step into her father’s position and attend the autopsy of a local horse-riding star teenager, Julie Dobson. What was suspected as a fall from the horse is actually determined to be murder. Julie’s head shows signs of blunt-force trauma, and her prize horse was found injured nearby. Murder in their small town is practically unheard of, and the town falls into a frenzy.
Emily feels a connection to the case due to the lack of answers involving her mother’s death so many years ago. When Julie’s sister, Sarah, forms a bond with her, Emily knows she must solve this murder and find the answers for Sarah that she couldn’t for herself. The longer she stays in Freeport, the more she finds herself enjoying the small-town life and settling back into a warmth and comfort she had almost forgotten.
Emily walked one side of the street and then crossed it to cover the opposite side. She passed a total of three people. When in Chicago could she ever walk around a single city block and encounter so few people? Never.
Halfway down the block, Emily found herself standing in front of an odd window display in Glassner’s Sports Shop. Inside, a happy deer family grazed on fake turf, completely oblivious to a mannequin hunter pointing a shotgun behind them. Emily found it ironic that this hunter was hoping to feed his family with theirs. It was an odd juxtaposition, much like the one she had stepped into last night. Trouble brewing beneath the surface of her hometown, and no one knew it was there. Yet.
Nick obviously still has feelings for Emily. When she left town, she departed without any explanation. When Nick sees her again, it all comes rushing back. Emily tries to stay committed to Brandon, but as her feelings for Nick begin to grow again, she worries she’s making a mistake and questions returning to Chicago at all. Nick and Emily’s love story is very warm and sweet, providing enough tension to keep readers interested in how it will turn out.
Emily and Nick team up to solve Julie’s murder and are committed to seeing it through to the end. Before long, she finds herself in the crosshairs, eventually coming face to face with the killer. Will Nick be able to get there in time to save Emily and solve the case?
I hope this is the first book in a series because the ending left much to be said. I was a little frustrated because I loved the story and wanted to read more! Dornbush’s forensic training and knowledge of the medical-examiner world shine throughout this fantastic debut. The Coroner will keep you reading, desperate to know how it all will turn out and just who did it.
Saturday, August 11, 2018
The Coroner by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush
I wonder if I can entice you to try a debut mystery called The Coroner by telling you about the author. The author's bio on the back of the book says, "Jennifer Graeser Dornbush is herself the daughter of a medical examiner, whose office was in her home. She investigated her first fatality, an airplane crash, when she was ten years old. Sine that first case, she has had decades of on-site experience in death investigation and 360 hours of forensic training through the Forensic Science Academy." I think she's at least qualified to write about the medical examiner aspects of this mystery.
Emily Hartsford, a third year surgical resident in Chicago, is accepting a marriage proposal from a fellow surgeon when her cell phone goes crazy. Finally, she takes one of the calls and learns her estranged father had a heart attack. Of course, Emily heads to Michigan to the hospital.
She finds all kinds of surprises when she arrives in her hometown after a twelve-year absence. She didn't even know her father had just remarried. Emily's high school sweetheart, Nick, is now the county sheriff. With her father, the county medical examiner laid up, Nick desperately needs her help to investigate the death of a state senator's daughter, Julie.
Until Emily's resentment about secrets surrounding her mother's death drove her away at age sixteen, Emily hoped to follow in her father's footsteps. Now, when she steps in to help, the autopsy reveals Julie was murdered. What led to the murder of this promising young equestrian? Emily and Nick uncover threats made to the girl, and stories of teen drug use.
Emily is a realistic, believable character who is struggling. When her fiance doesn't rush to join her, and makes assumptions about their future together, she wonders if she made the right decision. She and her father still clash over her mother's death. And, her worries about her return to her hometown are not alleviated when the story ends with a possible tragedy.
The Coroner is a solid debut, an intense, riveting story that combines the coziness of small town familiarity with the sobering reality of drugs and murder. The author's background as the daughter of a medical examiner, and her knowledge, is evident in this novel that leaves room for a sequel.
Jennifer Graeser Dornbush's website is www.jenniferdornbush.com
The Coroner by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush. Crooked Lane Books, 2018. ISBN 9781683316237 (hardcover), 336p.
By Carrie on July 20, 2018 • ( 9 Comments )
The Coroner by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush #bookreview #mystery
Title: The Coroner
Author: Jennifer Graeser
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: August 7, 2018
Page Count: 336
My rating: 3 stars
About the book:
Summoned from her promising surgical career first to her estranged father’s bedside, and then his post as medical examiner when his small town needs urgent help with a suspicious death, Emily Hartford discovers home is where the bodies are in this pitch perfect mystery debut.
Recently engaged and deeply ensconced in her third year of surgical residency in Chicago, Emily Hartford gets a shock when she’s called home to Freeport, MI, the small town she fled a decade ago after the death of her mother. Her estranged father, the local medical examiner, has had a massive heart attack and Emily is needed urgently to help with his recovery.
Not sure what to expect, Emily races home, blowing the only stoplight at the center of town and getting pulled over by her former high school love, now Sheriff, Nick Larson. At the hospital, she finds her father in near total denial of the seriousness of his condition. He insists that the best thing Emily can do to help him is to take on the autopsy of a Senator’s teen daughter whose sudden, unexplained death has just rocked the sleepy town.
Reluctantly agreeing to help her father and Nick, Emily gets down to work, only to discover that the girl was murdered. The autopsy reminds her of her many hours in the morgue with her father when she was a young teen—a time which inspired her love of medicine. Before she knows it, she’s pulled deeper into the case and closer to her father and to Nick—much to the dismay of her big city fiance. When a threat is made to Emily herself, she must race to catch the killer before he strikes again in The Coroner, expertly written and sharply plotted, perfect for fans of Patricia Cornwell and Julia Spencer Fleming.
Emily Hartford grew up in the small town of Freeport, MI where she gained her love of medicine from her father. As Emily was a teen her dad would bring her in as he was performing autopsies to begin teaching Emily but after her mother’s passing Emily just couldn’t stay in Freeport and went to live with an aunt.
Now a decade later Emily has begun to become the doctor she always wanted to be and is in the third year of surgical residency in Chicago when she receives some horrible news, her father is in the hospital after a massive heart attack. Of course Emily immediately rushes back to town only to get pulled over by her ex who is now Sheriff in the small town.
After checking on her father Emily finds that he has business as a coroner that still needs attending so Emily agrees to step in and perform the autopsy. But as Emily concludes that the victim wasn’t killed by an accident as everyone thought and that she is actually the victim of a murderer Emily finds herself caught up in trying to catch a killer.
The Coroner by Jennifer Graeser is a mystery read that felt a tad bit like reading a cozy but with a more forensic/scientific side to it with the main character being a doctor. The story was an interesting one and the characters likable enough but parts of this one just seemed a bit dry and dragged a bit to me, perhaps due to the cozy feel without the lighter nature of a cozy. And I would also warn readers that the ending of this one seemed very up in the air but as far as I can tell there’s no definite indication of it continuing so that was a slight turn off otherwise it was a solid read.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
God Bless the Broken Road
Jennifer Dornbush. Howard, $15.99 trade paper (336p) ISBN 978-1-5011-5959-6
Dornbush’s debut novel reads much more like a screenplay than a contemporary inspirational romance. The novel follows the travails of Amber Hill, young mother to eight-year-old Bree, who’s still recovering from the sudden death of her soldier husband in Afghanistan. Her path crosses that of Cody Jackson, a stock car driver who lacks both patience and precision—which he’s been sent to the fictional small American town of Clarksville to learn from experienced mechanic Joe. As Amber struggles to surface from drowning in the details of life without her husband and a contentious relationship with her mother-in-law, friends and faith community members attempt to buoy her with their love. Unfortunately, what might play well on the big screen desperately struggles on the page. Atmospheric details and Amber’s perspective overwhelm an already loss-heavy narrative, obliterating any attempt at subtlety. Shallow characterizations are painted with broad strokes that ignore the more delicate nuances of grief and fail to capture the true weight of losing a loved one. Agent: Julie Gwinn, Seymour Agency. (June)
DETAILS
Reviewed on: 05/08/2017
Release date: 06/06/2017
Compact Disc - 978-1-5318-6654-9
MP3 CD - 978-1-5318-6653-2
Open Ebook - 288 pages - 978-1-5011-5960-2
Compact Disc - 978-1-5318-6652-5
Hardcover - 430 pages - 978-1-4328-4200-0