“Here, Where Death Delights” is Dr. Mary Jumbelic’s thoughtfully rendered literary memoir. She relays scenes from a lifetime of encountering death, from losing her father at an early age to a storied career in criminal forensics and mass disasters. As the dead spoke through her scalpel, Jumbelic worked with law enforcement and the courts to provide reports and testimony. A medical doctor by training, Jumbelic shares her learnings on the job and their impacts on her personal life. As she honed her investigation skills working on criminal cases in Chicago and Syracuse, she became a well-sought-out forensics expert for her ability to examine evidence closely to unmask the causes of death.
The author began her career in forensics before the use of DNA evidence became commonplace. Jumbelic relied on her intimate knowledge of human anatomy, critical thinking, and keen intuitive skills to tell an objective, evidence-based story. Jumbelic writes in a straightforward way about her experiences at crime scenes and what she uncovers at the morgue. While definitely a page-turner, “Here, Where Death Delights” is not an easy book to read. I found that I could only read so much about unresolved suffering before I needed a break to reflect on the shortcomings of the justice system.
At its core, Jumbelic’s memoir tackles trauma, violence, and grief. Readers in the helping professions, or those who have suffered loss, would find solace in understanding the great care that medical examiners and forensic experts put into their work. One also senses the cathartic purpose of the book as the author recalls her thoughts and reactions to the difficult process of uncovering the truth.
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