Genealogical Mystery Authors

After reading Nathan Dylan Goodwin's Hiding the Past, a genealogical mystery novel, earlier this year I wondered whether there were other authors who were writing genealogical mysteries.  I thought that Goodwin may have created this mystery sub-genre. However, I have since located additional authors who write stories in this mystery sub-genre.

Dan Waddell's first novel, The Blood Detective, is one of them.  M. J. Lee writes the Jayne Sinclair Geneological Mystery Series.  The Irish Inheritance is the first of six book to be published so far in the series. Susan Finlay writes the Tangled Roots Historical Mystery Series.  There are three books in the series to day and they include Bloodlines, Barbed Wire and Breadcrumbs and Bombs. GG Vandergrift is writing the Alex and Bridge Geneological Mysteries. Cynthia Raleigh writes the Pirri Seamore Mystery Series which includes Drawing the Past, Poison Branches and Buried Roots.  Finally, Steve Robinson is writing the Jefferson Tayte geneologist series which currently has 6 books published to date.

I am exited to locate these new to me authors.  Forensic geneology is now one of my favorite mystery sub-genres and I am looking forward to reading these six authors. 

Green Lantern: Legacy

I did not read the original Green Lantern series as I was not yet interested in comics when it was published. Green Lantern Legacy is an off-shoot of the series and fuses the past storyline of the series with a brand new story.  The author, who is a Vietnamese American, has featured an Asian American hero in Tai Pham. Tai Pham is thirteen years old and lives in an apartment above his grandmother's store, the Jade Market. After she dies, Tai Pham learns about a big secret that his grandmother had and it changes his life. After he inherits her jade ring, Tai suddenly discovers that it inducts him into a group of space cops called Green Lanterns. As he learns how to use its power, Tai meets many new characters as his friends encourage him to use the ring wisely.  He also discovers that his neighborhood is overrun with racist bullies.  He is not sure if he can overcome them but begins to learn how to harness the ring's power to defeat them.

I really enjoyed this comic.  While it was written for young readers, this sixtysomething reader found it enheartening.  It's a story of overcoming disadvantages in life and how to deal with racism but told in a friendly, non-threatening way. The brightly colored illustrations also give this serious topic a light feel. The age old American idea that with power comes responsibility is also seen here. There are many lessons young readers can learn from this book. I highly recommend it.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Girl She Wanted

The Girl She Wanted is an engrossing psychological thriller that will satisfy all mystery lovers. The main characters are sisters Carrie Parsons and Alexa Ford. Alexa and her husband Perry have a one year old daughter named Florence.  Carrie adores Florence and spends a lot of time with her, especially since Carrie moved in with the Fords eight months ago after her marriage fell apart. Perry, however, wants Carrie to move out. Carrie is an ER nurse at a local Nottinghamshire hospital. After a junior doctor files a complaint with the hospital management over two mysterious deaths in the ER, Carrie is arrested as a suspect in the deaths and suspended from her job.  An eighty year old man and a one year old baby died in the ER. Soon thereafter Carrie disappears with baby Florence. The plot then thickens as many twists and turns uncover a myriad of of secrets and lies.

I loved the connection between the two sisters.  Alexa is a timid woman who relies on Carrie to help her raise her daughter.  Alexa is afraid to go outside on her own and only goes out with Florence if Carrie is with them.  Their abilities to handle stress become reverted as Alexa gains in confidence and Carrie seems to have internal problems. The tension between the two sisters ratcheted up throughout the book. Of course, there were other strong characters and all of them were women!  Carrie's two best friends are also nurses at the hospital and one of them has a secret too.  

I loved this thriller.  5 out of 5 stars.

The Cipher

 

FBI agent Nina Guerrera escaped a serial killer's trap when she was sixteen-years-old.  Eleven years later when she is jumped in a Virginia park, a video of the attack goes viral. Thousands of new Nina fans are not the only ones impressed with her fighting skills. The man who abducted her eleven years ago was watching also. Determined to reclaim his lost prize, he commits a grisly murder designed to pull her into the investigation. However, he also uses the Internet to invite the public to play along. The killer's coded riddles have made him a social media star dubbed "the cipher." In Nina's eyes he is a monster who preys on vulnerable women. Partnered with the FBI's most prominent mind hunter, Jeffrey Wade, Nina tracks the killer across the country. Nina follows each clue as she races to stop the killer while the world watches online.  

The Cipher is a by-the-seat-of-your-pants crime thriller. It's frequent plot twists keep you reading from the first to the final page. It is a great start for a new series featuring Nina Guerrera as the heroine. While being repeatedly assaulted throughout the book, she quickly bounces back and continues her fight to save other women from the killer. I particularly enjoyed reading about all the different forensic analyses done by the FBI as well as trying to figure out all of the killer's riddles.  

It's about time we had a serial killer mystery that involves social media. It makes the genre more contemporary and believable.  We all know that in today's society social media plays a role both in resolving crimes but also in committing them. Writing social media into novels is a must for the twenty first century author.

I loved this crime thriller. 5 out of 5 stars!

The Cold Millions

Jess Walter's newest novel follows the adventures of two brothers, Gig and Rye Dolan. Their story is set in Spokane, Washington during the free speech protests that occurred in 1909 and 1910.  The Dolans live by their wits, jumping freight trains to apply for day jobs at crooked employment agencies.  These agencies demand money from workers up front for the possibility of obtaining a job.  Rye wants a permanent job and a home but Gig is more interested in doing work for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).  Gig's fight for better pay and working conditions gets him into a lot of trouble with the company owners and the politicians.  Dubious of Gig's idealism, Rye is drawn to19-year-old activist Elizabeth Gurley Flynn.  However, Gig has a relationship with a vaudeville actress Ursula the Great.  Ursula introduces both brothers to mining magnate Lem Brand who uses both Ursula and Rye in order to maintain control over the success of his company.  After Gig winds up in jail, facing a six month jail sentence for union activity, Rye becomes a willing spy for Brand.  He reports back to Brand on union activity in exchange for his brother's release from jail.  The story continues with the fight between the company owners and the IWW.  The book was published in October 2020.  

What struck me most about this book was that the dialogue sounded like a John Wayne movie.  It was a little off-putting to me in the beginning but I did begin to enjoy the book as the action increased.  However, this historical fiction novel read more to me like a western which is not a genre that I like.  When I selected this book to read, I thought that the author was female. I expected more of a traditional historical novel.  That said, I believe that reading the book would be beneficial to a younger audience who might not be familiar with stories of the Gilded Age or the founding of the unions in America.

3 out of 5 stars.