DNA Never Lies

DNA Never Lies is the first book in a new series featuring Karen Copperfield as a genetic genealogist. Karen helps people make sense of the dark family secrets that are revealed by DNA tests as they ask: ‘what happens when nothing you believed is true?’ It was published in 2022.

The publisher's summary:  

As an ambitious young woman in the years following the Second World War, Barbara made some hard choices, decisions changing everything that came after. She had to fight for what she wanted; then the stakes got so much higher.

A continent away, and decades later, Barbara’s daughter hires genealogist Karen Copperfield to make sense of the family’s DNA tests. Nothing about the results ties in with what Barbara’s children believed, and the shock is tearing the family apart. Barbara seems to prefer death to revealing the truth, and Karen soon discovers there is more than one secret she intends to take to her grave.

But when threats start to come from both sides of the Atlantic, it soon becomes clear that Barbara is not the only person who wants the past to stay that way.

I was hooked on this story from the first page. It is told in an alternating format from California in the 1950s and England in 2018. The story begins with ninety-year-old Barbara Pendleton and her three adult children receiving DNA testing kits for Christmas. It was meant to be fun and if the family learned something new about their national origin it would be worth it. No one was expecting any controversial information to be revealed except for Barbara. Consequently, she threw her test kit in the garbage.

As the story continues we read about Barbara’s past as well as a girl named Jean Woods, an artist wannabe. Jean grew up in Lake View, California in a traditional post-war nuclear family. Church attendance was a must and alcohol forbidden. After high school graduation, Jean enrolls in a local college for art classes. She still lives at home, though, and continues to be sheltered by her parents. The lives of these two ladies are told as well as that of Barbara’s daughter Lynne.

I have read several geneology mystery series in the past but they are about historical research genealogists. This series delves into genetic geneology. I don't know how this type of geneology is done but am intrigued. Can I presume it's similar to murder mysteries where genetic information is used to solve crimes? Maybe. Nevertheless I am excited to learn more about it through this series.

DNA Never Lies is a page turner. I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.