Jennifer Graeser Dornbush publishes latest novel in ‘Coroner’s Daughter’ series
By KURT ANTHONY KRUG
A visit to her old college roommate Nancy DeJong in Wisconsin inspired author Jennifer Graeser Dornbush’s latest novel, “Walking on White” (Blackstone Publishing, $19.99).
DeJong’s son Case, to whom the book is dedicated, has MED13L syndrome, a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder. Common symptoms include developmental delays, speech and communication problems, low muscle tone that affects coordination and balance, and physical deformities.
“Case is non-verbal and has a lot of cognitive disabilities,” Dornbush said. “We were eating dinner, and he got really upset. He ran to the door, and there was a dead fly stuck in it. He would not let it go until that dead fly was taken care of. I thought it was really interesting.
“We started talking about him and what it’s like to raise a non-verbal child with cognitive disabilities who can’t speak or sign because his fine motor skills don’t allow him to use sign language,” Dornbush continued. “He’s not disabled completely; he’s got a very full life. He’s an absolute joy to be around, always wanting to show you things and be with you.”
Case’s condition features heavily in “Walking on White,” the sixth installment of the “Coroner’s Daughter” mystery series.
In the fictional town of Freeport, Michigan, the frozen body of high school senior and cello prodigy Ethan Quon is found wedged deep within a snowbank. Series protagonist Dr. Emily Hartford is called in to determine how he died, but her findings are inconclusive.
Soon thereafter, Hartford uncovers a web of lies and rumors about Ethan, forcing the citizens of Freeport to close ranks as tensions rise. Several of Ethan’s classmates begin receiving disturbing text messages sent from the deceased himself, which is impossible. Hartford learns the only person to witness the actual crime was teenager Jace Hill, who has MED13L syndrome.
On the surface, the book’s title refers to the ferocious snowstorm that completely blankets Freeport at the time of Ethan’s murder.
“I love weather as a character. I should’ve been a meteorologist,” Dornbush said, laughing. “If you think about it, weather dictates so much of our lives, especially in Michigan. Anything you do, you check the weather first. Had there not been a snowstorm that night, Ethan might not be dead. Weather’s a character in our own lives, always present.”
The title also refers to Jace, who will not step on snow because it’s white. According to Dornbush, Case has an aversion to anything yellow. He won’t touch anything yellow, nor will he eat anything yellow. In Jace’s case, he won’t touch anything white. He won’t walk on snow unless the sidewalk or driveway is plowed.
Jace creates intricate artwork out of snowflakes to communicate what he saw, making the literal canvas of winter — the “white” — the very medium through which the truth of Ethan’s murder is uncovered.
“I thought, ‘How interesting would it be if Emily had to solve a case and the only person to see what happened is this kid? How would he talk about it? How would he express it emotionally?’” Dornbush said. “I’m sure there’d be interesting answers. He can’t tell you about it. He can’t sign to you about it. He can’t draw it. He has to communicate in his own way, and Emily has to walk in his world and learn how to communicate with him because that’s the only way she can figure it out.”
The eldest of three daughters, Dornbush was born in Grand Rapids and raised in Fremont (the inspiration for Freeport). She splits her time between Los Angeles and Phoenix with Ryan, her husband of 31 years.
After graduating from Western Michigan Christian High School in Muskegon, she earned an undergraduate degree in English and communication arts from Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois, as well as a graduate degree in rhetoric from DePaul University in Chicago. Additionally, she holds certificates from the Forensic Science Academy in LA and the FBI Citizens Academy.
“I always knew I was gonna be a writer since I was a young girl, about 4 or 5. I’ve always been a storyteller. I have a great love for science and medicine, but I’m not cut out to practice in that field,” Dornbush said. “I love that world, I love studying that world, I love the people in that world — they’re very courageous and dedicated. To do it day in, day out, I’m just not built that way. I’m a storyteller.”
Her father, Dr. Ronald Graeser, was the medical examiner for Newaygo County. Dornbush and her two younger sisters would assist him on cases.
“There was an airplane fatality where three people died. The next day, we went with our dad out in the field, and he wanted to make sure his office didn’t miss anything since it was bright and sunny,” Dornbush recalled. “We ended up finding some brain matter and pieces of skull. He was like, ‘Look on the ground and tell me if you see anything unusual.’ He explained to us what the brain does. It was an anatomy lesson more than anything.”
According to Dornbush, the downstairs of her childhood home doubled as her father’s office. He kept tissue samples in a freezer next to the frozen food. Vials of blood sat next to six-packs of pop in the refrigerator. She and her sisters even transported corpses in the family Suburban.
“Dinnertime conversations were always about the case of the day. He’d always quiz us: ‘Why did this person die?’ ‘How do you think this person died?’ It was always like a game of Clue,” she said. “When he wanted to warn us that ‘smoking kills,’ he brought home a set of lungs in a jar of formaldehyde from an autopsy of a man who died of lung cancer.”
Her father served as the main inspiration for the “Coroner’s Daughter” series. Hartford is a composite of Dornbush and her sisters.
To date, Dornbush has written 11 books. She’s also contributed stories to three mystery anthologies. She’s currently working on the seventh book in the “Coroner’s Daughter” series, which will be out in late 2027.
“The seventh book is the first one in the series all from Emily’s point of view,” Dornbush said. “She’s really going introspective. She’s alone, facing a challenging case where everyone’s against her.”
The series has also been optioned for a TV series. Dornbush couldn’t give details about it, however.
“I’m in the process of writing the first season. Fingers crossed,” she said.
Visit jenniferdornbush.com.
