Month: August 2025

Book Review: HERE, WHERE DEATH DELIGHTS: A LITERARY MEMOIR by Mary Jumbelic, M.D.

| Jessica Crawford

Here, Where Death Delights: A Literary Memoir by Mary Jumbelic, M.D. is a 302 page book self-published in 2023.

Genre:

Nonfiction, Memoir

Synopsis:

Mary Jumbelic has been obsessed with death since the loss of her father when she was 13. The sudden departure of her dad, the mother left behind, and her position as an only child led her to grow up quickly. Yet the why and how of her father’s death plagued her. She chose to view an autopsy at the age of 15 and discovered a science that explained the process. Becoming a forensic pathologist wasn’t a given. She struggled before deciding on a career as a medical examiner.

For 25 years, she analyzed corpses and explained to families what had happened to their loved ones, something that hadn’t been done for her. She faced blood, gore, violence, and grief in urban and country morgues and internationally in mass disasters. This daily confrontation challenged her to re-live her own loss. She became an advocate in recognizing preventable injuries to help reduce fatalities. Dr. Jumbelic developed a way to honor the person’s life by speaking for them in courts, classrooms, and interviews. How did she finally integrate death into her own life so filled with hope?

This is her journey.

My Thoughts:

I find forensics fascinating. There was a time in my life when I was headed down the path of becoming a forensic anthropologist, before veering off into nursing instead.

A few weeks ago my library hosted a local author event featuring Dr. Mary Jumbelic, a forensic pathologist. I learned that, although now retired from government work, she had previously been the Chief Medical Examiner for my county for many years. I was stoked to attend her talk at the library!

Since retiring, Dr. Jumbelic has now self-published two nonfiction books about her work as an ME. She is currently promoting her new release, Speak Her Name, but I figured I would start at the beginning, and purchased this literary memoir from her. Some of the chapters have been published previously in various scientific journals. There is no cohesive overall narrative present, just a collection of what amounts to vignettes of Dr. Jumbelic’s experiences, some personal along with the professional. They vary in length, but are all fairly short. And reader, I was hooked! There is plenty of grim material, of course, but as I said I find the subject matter very interesting and I plowed through this book in two sittings!

Some of the stories leave us all wanting satisfaction (but then what happened?!), but that’s the nature of the work. Not all crimes receive justice tied up in a neat bow. Additionally, the author often juxtaposes her professional life against her life as a mother of three children, and how difficult it can be to separate the two realms in your mind, and she doesn’t offer anything prescriptive – there is no tidy lesson about how to go about doing this, just glimpses of what she dealt with.

An added layer to my personal stake in this book: I would be reading the start of a new chapter and think, “This reminds me of that girl I went to school with,” and then because Dr. Jumbelic is local to me, OF COURSE it was the girl I went to school with being discussed! She isn’t named, but the story is clearly the same.

Also included are stories of the author’s work while attempting to identify the dead after large-scale disasters, such as after Hurricane Katrina and 9/11.

Ultimately, I knew I would find this book interesting, but was surprised by just how compelled I was to keep flipping pages at the rate I did. Her newest book apparently focuses on some of the stories of violence against women she has witnessed, again some of which I recognize as they happened in my own sphere (for example, the gynecologist I saw in place of my own one time who has since been convicted of his wife’s murder). I plan on getting my hands on Speak Her Name as soon as I can!

Goodreads

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Book Review: HEMLOCK & SILVER by T. Kingfisher

| Jessica Crawford

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher is a 368 page standalone novel published in 2025 by Tor Books.

Genre:

Fantasy, Fairytale Reimagining

Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.

Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.

But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.

Or it might be the thing that kills them all.

Opening Line:

I had just taken poison when the king arrived to inform me that he had murdered his wife.

My Thoughts:

Five isn’t a lot when it’s grains of rice, but a great deal when it’s bites of hemlock or forty-foot monsters.

Another lovely story from one of my autobuy authors! This one includes:

➼ A thirty-something big and tall scholarly female main character
➼ The mystery of how a twelve year old princess is getting poisoned
➼ Frightening magic mirrors (just wait until you meet the mirror-gelds!)
➼ A dash of romance
➼ A very special and cryptic cat

Hemlock & Silver is a reimagining of the story of Snow White (not the Rose Red version, although this Snow does in fact have a sister named Rose). Kingfisher’s signature wit is on display as she weaves her tale about an expert in poisons and antidotes being brought in by the king to try to save his daughter. The scope of this fantasy story is limited to a city called Four Saints and a private villa called Witherleaf, but there is plenty of worldbuilding in regards to the theology and customs of the land. And, of course, some laugh out loud lines sprinkled throughout the narrative.

There were no severed limbs and faces lying on the ground below, which was a relief, and also not something that I’d ever had to worry about before.

I have to admit, though, that the pacing of this one felt a bit off to me. I grew a tad bored at times. Additionally, I had a hard time following some of her descriptions of how things worked with the mirror world, so just had to shrug and go along for the ride. But things got exciting by the end, and when I was finished with the book I had the urge to to hug it–always a good sign!

Maybe the point of gods and saints is that they can make the monstrous choices that people can’t.

Kingfisher’s autobuy status continues!

Goodreads

Book Review: THE ART OF A LIE by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

| Jessica Crawford

The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson is a 304 page standalone novel published in 2025 by Atria Books.

Genre:

Historical Fiction

Subgenres:

Mystery, thriller

Synopsis:

In 18th-century England, a widowed confectioner is drawn into a web of love, betrayal, and intrigue and a battle of wits in this masterful historical novel from the author of the USA TODAY bestseller The Square of Sevens.

Following the murder of her husband in what looks like a violent street robbery, Hannah Cole is struggling to keep her head above water. Her confectionary shop on Piccadilly is barely turning a profit, her suppliers conspiring to put her out of business because they don’t like women in trade. Henry Fielding, the famous author-turned-magistrate, is threatening to confiscate the money in her husband’s bank account because he believes it might have been illicitly acquired. And even those who claim to be Hannah’s friends have darker intent.

Only William Devereux seems different. A friend of her late husband, Devereux helps Hannah unravel some of the mysteries surrounding his death. He also tells her about an Italian delicacy called iced cream, an innovation she is convinced will transform the fortunes of her shop. But their friendship opens Hannah to speculation and gossip and draws Henry Fielding’s attention her way, locking her into a battle of wits more devastating than anything she can imagine.

Opening Line:

Nine times out of ten, when a customer walks into the Punchbowl and Pineapple, I can guess what will tempt them.

My Thoughts:

This author’s previous novel was my favorite book I read in all of 2024. This one wasn’t as much of a homerun for me.

The writing style is quite good, and it is evident that a lot of research went into bringing 18th century London to life upon the pages here. From Hannah Cole’s confectionary shop to the various parks, grand homes, and gambling houses, the details all rang as authentic and do an admirable job dropping the reader directly into the setting. This story is a decent one featuring widows, murderers, con artists, and one satirical novelist turned crime-busting magistrate based off of a real historical figure. There is a mystery that largely stems from not knowing which information you can and cannot trust.

However, I found myself kind of annoyed spending time with the main characters. The story alternates between two points of view, and while the reader knows when one person or the other is being lied to, it can be quite frustrating when the characters themselves are unaware of this. You spend your reading time wondering if and when things will come to light for them, or if their part of the tale will continue to see them reacting to false pretenses. This set up had me feeling kind of angsty, and knowing what I knew as the reader sort of left a bad taste in my mouth as I read on.

Many other reviewers seemed to really appreciate the ending, but I have to say that to me it seemed rather sudden and underwhelming. Especially considering this author’s other work, I was expecting the rug to be pulled out from under me in much more dramatic fashion at the last moment. There were still unexpected twists throughout, but the final one didn’t really wow me the way I think it was intended to.

But in all this is still well written historical fiction with some twisty mystery for added spice. I just had difficulty enjoying my time with the characters in this one.

Much gratitude to NetGalley for the eARC.

Book Review: THE COMPOUND by Aisling Rawle

| Jessica Crawford

The Compound by Aisling Rawle is a 292 page standalone novel published by Random House in 2025.

Genre:

Dystopian Fiction, Suspense

Synopsis:

Nothing to lose. Everything to gain. Winner takes all.

Lily—a bored, beautiful twentysomething—wakes up on a remote desert compound alongside nineteen other contestants on a popular reality TV show. To win, she must outlast her housemates while competing in challenges for luxury rewards, such as champagne and lipstick, and communal necessities to outfit their new home, like food, appliances, and a front door.

The cameras are catching all her angles, good and bad, but Lily has no desire to leave: Why would she, when the world outside is falling apart? As the competition intensifies, intimacy between the players deepens, and it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between desire and desperation. When the producers raise the stakes, forcing contestants into upsetting, even dangerous situations, the line between playing the game and surviving it begins to blur. If Lily makes it to the end, she’ll receive prizes beyond her wildest dreams—but what will she have to do to win?

Addictive and prescient, The Compound is an explosive debut from a major new voice in fiction and will linger in your mind long after the game ends.

Opening Line:

I woke up first.

My Thoughts:

Well, I simply devoured this suspenseful dystopian tale!

The overall message is a condemnation of consumerism and late-stage capitalism. Sure, there’s the sexy story of a bunch of young people living in a compound together, forced to pair up with a member of the opposite sex at night if they want to avoid banishment from the reality TV show, alternately cooperating to complete challenges and scheming to oust one another in order to earn ever more desirable rewards (these are often luxury items, but sometimes things necessary for their survival, isolated as they are out in the desert).

But this story isn’t just trashy fun – where it really sings is in the creeping dread it steeps the reader in as it continues to hint at how bleak things are in the outside world without ever describing things explicitly (peep the fires outside of the compounds boundaries on the cover – such a good detail!) What exactly are these people trying to escape that has them so willing to put themselves through this absolutely bonkers experience?

As more contestants get eliminated, the tension ratchets up as the remaining characters lose themselves more and more to the idea of “winning” the chance to continue putting off real life. Ultimately the main character (and the reader) must decide which is more important in an imperfect world: luxury, or meaningful human connection?

I admit I was expecting a bit more of a bang at the end, which was rather more of a whimper. But I still loved this story, which was bananas in all the best ways!