Here, Where Death Delights - by Mary Jumbelic (Hardcover)

About the Book

A literary memoir of an extraordinary female forensic pathologist who brought grace to the complex process of death investigation, comfort to those left behind, and hope to her own life.

Book 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.

Review Quotes

"In each case she describes, Jumbelic makes an intriguing or poignant observation...the author compares herself to Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta, and the series' fans will enjoy this memoir. But it is when Jumbelic intertwines her personal life with her professional one that her writing is most powerful...An intimate yet wide-ranging and absorbing look at a professional life devoted to death." Kirkus Reviews

Semi-finalist in Literary Nonfiction Book Prize Contest, 2022, River Teeth

"Dr. Mary Jumbelic is not only one of the country's top forensic pathologists, but in Here, Where Death Delights, she shows that she is a remarkable writer and a chronicler of her frequent confrontations with death and grief." Dr. Michael Baden, Former Chief Medical Examiner of New York City and Author, American Autopsy

"Here, Where Death Delights is a lyrical narrative that goes beyond clinical cases, bringing compassion and grace to stories of disaster and trauma." Georgia Popoff, Poet Laureate of Onondaga County, NY