I'd read the first five Jefferson Tayte books when they came out but wen't off them. After picking this one up I'll be back on them as I realised I did like this series. This one was quite a chase of a book.

I had never read anything by this author (thank you Net Galley for introducing me!) and I think this one was a great beginning! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It started off strong, and never really let up. There was just enough explanation of the genealogy stuff to keep me interested without boring me, and plenty of twists and turns, both predictable and unexpected. I would absolutely recommend this book, and I look forward to checking out some of his other stuff.

This was an ok read but I found it difficult to relate with the characters. JT seemed weak and it made it unbelievable that his intellect was so sharp. I thought there was a lot of detail throughout the book but it didn't always add anything to the story. Unfortunately I won't be recommending this to friends or family

The 'Dying Games' by Steve Robinson is the most twisted, intricate and suspenseful thriller I have read in a long time. Throughout the whole book it reminded me of why I loved the "Saw" movies as a teenager. That will they/ won't they escape? never gets old.

This novel is #6 in the Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery series and it carries more than enough punch to be a stand alone novel. I must of been living under a rock as I hadn't heard of Steve Robinson or this series before reading the 'Dying Games' and I am most certainly now a huge fan.

So who is Jefferson Tayte? He is a Genealogist or in layman terms the guy who helps you trace your family tree and roots. So when dead bodies start turning up and the only thing they have in common is their connection to Jefferson Tayte he has to put all his training and problem solving skills to the test to prove his innocence and to try to save the next victim.

If that wasn't difficult enough the murderer has a vendetta against Tayte and is leaving him puzzling clues at the crime scenes but isn't always willing to play by his own rules.

It is a story of cat and mouse with many ugly twists and it will keep your heart racing right until the very end.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Enjoyable read, gave the reader lots to think about and had an unexpected end.

I didn't want to put this down once I started reading! From the first moment, you're pulled into the twisted web of a dangerous serial killer. Genealogy was never so exciting.

What can I say but WOW! I haven't read a book this exciting and physiological draining as this, in I don't know when. I'm surprised poor J.T., didn't have a massive heart attack caused by the suspense and deaths of so many innocent people especially considering the amount of coffee, chocolate and food he was consuming at the same time. The plot was amazingly electric, suspenseful with all the puzzles, innocent victims, and of of course the very likeable protagonist J. T. Steve Robinson is not only an amazing writer but must be an incredible genealogist too!
This series has been a favourite of mine and continues to get better all the time. Each time a new one comes out, I feel this is the best yet..and then the next in the series comes out and I am blown away with that book. Interest in genealogy is not necessary for the reader, but if you are interested in Genealogy/ Family History well here is the expert you would want to help you on your research, Jefferson Tayte
/ Steve Robinson.

This is another author I hadn't encountered before and probably wouldn't have discovered if it wasn't for Netgalley.

The writing reminds me of Thomas Harris in the style of the narrative but doesn't set out to be a carbon copy of those novels.
It was a book I found difficult to put down as I was totally emersed in the story. I will definitely be putting Steve Robinson on my authors to watch (or rather read) list.

Great story which I enjoyed reading. Looking forward to reading more.

I loved all Steve Robinson's books in the Jefferson Tayte series, and this one is no exception. However, I did feel this one to seem a bit slower-paced and less exciting.

This is by far the best in the Jefferson Tayte series. That is saying something because all of the rest of them are beautifully written with characters you can relate to and empathise with.

This is very fast paced and makes you think. It takes you on a journey weaved with suspense and keeps you guessing right up to the very last few chapters.

I genuinely hope there are more in the JT series!

This book was fast paced and kept me riveted. Even more impressive was the fact that the novel completely changed up about halfway through and became even better while going in a new direction. I was shocked by the sudden transformation of Tayte but it fit well with the novel. It's unusual to find a protagonist so uprooted and vulnerable in a series like this so it was an interesting direction. I've enjoyed the evolution of this series and Tayte. Am I the only one wondering if this is the end of the series? I would love to see more of Tayte but I wonder based on the ending if the author intended this to be the final one.

Finally the sixth instalment in the Jefferson Tayte series.
Steve Robinson has once again written a storyline that captivates you from the first word to the last. Putting you on a roller coaster ride with twists and turns, that are equally exhilarating and terrifying, certainly a book that once picked up you won't want to put down.
Roll on book seven, can't wait.
Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and Steve Robinson for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I had not read the earlier books in this series (thanks Netgalley for the introduction) but this is a well written mystery that is fine as a standalone. It's got a clever, twisty plot with a new sort of angle on the traditional serial killer theme. Tayte is a darn good detective; he's the sort of guy you hope is working cases. Try this one if you like the genre - it's a page turner.

This is book #6 in the series featuring genealogist Jefferson Tayte. He’s got a gift for ending up in sticky situations while & in this outing some of his old cases come back to haunt him.

Jefferson is enjoying some down time in the UK with fiancée Jean when he gets a call. FBI agent Jordan Reese would like him to return to Washington DC…..now. You see, someone is killing people in truly heinous ways & at each scene they leave a clue connected to one of the families Jefferson researched.

In alternate chapters we travel with the bad guy & it’s clear he won’t stop until he’s ruined Jefferson’s life. This is personal. At the same time, there are some odd coincidences popping up. Which are connected & which are red herrings is only gradually revealed as Jefferson chases down clues from the UK to the US & back again.

This book is a little different in that it centres around the MC & the people in his life. There’s still a lot of genealogy but it takes a back seat to his personal story. Despite the multiple murders, it’s a very clean read (no swearing, sex, etc.) & most of the characters would be right at home in a cozy. It’s just a matter of personal taste but I really enjoyed previous books where a large part the story was set in historical periods that brought to life the people Jefferson researched while digging into a family’s past & I missed that here.

There are plenty of twists to keep you guessing & Jefferson’s life is changed forever by the end. It’ll be interesting to see where the author takes him next. If you’re a fan of traditional mysteries & genealogy, add this to your list. And just an FYI: as of this date, books 1-5 are all $2 or less on amazon.ca/com & under £4 on amazon.co.uk.

I have to admit that this is the first in Robinson's Jefferson Tayte series with which I've been disappointed, and it all begins with the plot. I was horrified at the game the killer created in which so many innocent people died horrible deaths. Normally when I have strong emotions like this, they transfer to the killer and heighten my desire to see the person brought to justice. But that transference didn't happen with Dying Games, and I'm not quite sure why.

The character of Jefferson Tayte himself didn't help matters at all. More than one scene had him losing his temper and behaving foolishly when people's lives were at stake and the clock was ticking. The man has shown in previous books that he knows better.

I found myself reading and hoping that Tayte would get his act together. Stop reacting and use his brain to find the actual killer and get ahead of him. Stop playing the killer's game. Unfortunately, it took him forever. He seems to be the type of character who, once he has a happy and fulfilling personal life, starts having trouble keeping his professional life together.

By book's end, Tayte experiences a major change in his personal life, and I wish him well. The previous five books in this series are very enjoyable, and I'm wondering what the future holds in store.

Jefferson Tayte is a genealogist and is spending time in the UK with his British fiancée Jean. Then the FBI call him - he needs to go back to Washington DC as soon as possible - someone is killing people connected to some of his former clients and leaving genealogical clues with each body. Who could have so much hate for Tayte that they are willing to kill to get to him? Entertaining story from start to finish. Will look for more from this series now.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Steve Robinson for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The genealogical expert Jefferson Tayte is back! I love this series which has taken me back to historical eras I know little about while telling a cracking story in the bargain. In this latest episode the majority of the action happens in the present day but the seeds of this action belong firmly in the past. In Washington, DC the FBI are interested in Jefferson Tayte, aka JT, so he breaks off his Scottish trip with his fiancée to return to answer their questions.
It seems that there is a serial killer on the loose, a serial killer who isn’t content with straightforward killing. Oh no, this killer comes up with inventive, and tortuous ways to dispatch his victims. JT examines the latest scene where twin brothers have been drowned in a Perspex box filled with water, an elaborate murder which indicates that this killing is as much about capturing attention as anything else. For JT finding out his former research is somehow linked to the killings is more than a little disquieting. And then comes a clue, genealogical in nature, which the FBI can’t solve without his help.
The race against time as JT uses all his skills, and his files provide the reader with facts as well as almost non-stop action with the pace relentless throughout this episode. The killer wants JT involved in the chase, but why? As the authorities have to release warnings to everyone who has employed JT’s family history services in the past, his reputation is in tatters. Living in a safe house with only a FBI agent for company it is easy to sympathise, JT is forced to try to save the chosen victims while his professional and personal life is shredded by his association to the horrendous crimes being committed.
This was absolutely brilliant, Steve Robinson has produced a real puzzle within this thriller! Or perhaps I should say lots of mini puzzles which require different aspects of genealogical research to solve. This will ensure that those readers who have hit a brick wall in their own family history research can put things into perspective; unless you are in the unlikely position of having to find a particular person’s details otherwise someone else may die!
Steve Robinson hasn’t forgotten the overall story arc which began with JT searching for his own origins following his adoption and so not only does Jean, his fiancée, play a role in Deadly Games, but another superb character that JT made contact with in Kindred also makes a substantial appearance at just the right time!
JT himself has grown and developed depth as a character throughout the series with his emotional development handled with a light but sure touch keeping the reader’s attention without being overwhelmed by navel-gazing.
I really can’t recommend this book highly enough, whilst you will be missing out if you haven’t read the previous books in the series, this will also work as a standalone novel for lovers of puzzles, mysteries and a rollercoaster of a ride.
I’d like to say a huge thank you to Steve Robinson who provided me with an ARC for this, the sixth book in the JT series, this unbiased review is my thanks to him and Thomas Mercer. Dying Games has decisively knocked To The Grave as my favourite read in this series from the top spot!

I'd heard about Steve Robinson's books, because they've been reviewed on a genealogy website but I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. Within a few pages I was hooked! The story was fast paced, with lots of twists and all the more interesting because of the genealogical references (though an interest in genealogy is definitely not a prerequisite to enjoy the story). I'll be looking for more Jefferson Tayte books!

Dying Games (Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery #6), by Steve Robinson

How deep are you willing to go for a revenge?

And which would be the trigger point for you to calculate a master revenge plan – developed inch by inch, names chosen carefully, and murder methods meticulously planned? Everything knitted in a way that there are no loose ends, and you suddenly see yourself in the middle of a tornado, having no idea of how you were put in there in the first place.

Jefferson Tayte saw himself in this very situation on “Dying Games”, and thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer, I was able to dive deep inside an avenger’s mind and participate in Tayte’s attempts to stop this serial killer from attacking a new victim.

It all started when Tayte received a call from the FBI summoning him back to Washington DC to help them with an investigation - two twin brothers had been found dead, and the killer had left a family history chart at the crime scene. What Tayte did not know was that those were not the first victims of a killer that had a peculiar taste for his targets: they or their family members were all connected to Tayte’s genealogic works in some way.

From that moment on, Tayte and the FBI had to work faster than the killer in order to save them.

The book is a page-turner, in all the senses of this expression. I was tense while reading it, and it reminded me a lot of Saw, with all the architecture behind the crimes and their executions. The rage the killer had against JT is also explored in details and in depth, what makes the plot intelligent and interesting.

I do recommend this book, and I would certainly buy it as a gift to someone who enjoys intelligent thriller plots.

Please check my blog for more reviews: mypapertrips.wordpress.com

See you soon!

Denise