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Murder Once Removed

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Member Reviews

3 stars

Texas genealogist Lucy Lancaster makes a startling and fulfilling discovery about one of her clients’ great-great grandfather’s murder. The man for whom she is working is a very rich businessman in the world of Texas finance. He is thrilled with her discovery. What he doesn’t tell her – or at least she doesn’t remember him telling her – is that he had her filmed and is having a press conference. Lucy is both horrified and embarrassed at seeing herself on television.

She is startled to find and FBI Agent named Benton “Ben” Ronten at her door one morning. He asks her several questions but never says why. He figures large in this book.

Lucy goes about her business. When showing up for a meeting with an old friend and museum curator she finds her dead with her client kneeling beside the body holding what is apparently the murder weapon. He says he just showed up and didn’t see who killed Lucy’s friend.

Lucy gets way too involved in the subsequent investigation.

This is a well written little cozy mystery. I did not like it as much as I like the Jefferson Tayte genealogical mysteries. This book didn’t have the same pizazz. I didn’t like Lucy as much as I do Jeff. She and her friends and office-mates are too into “hot guys” and partying. (Boring!) The characters seemed more than a little stereotyped. However, this book is a very good first effort. My hope is that Lucy will grow up a little although I have to hand it to her, she is very intelligent and she is very dedicated to her work. I haven’t yet decided if I’ll read another of S.C. Perkins’ books.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for forwarding to me a copy of this debut book for me to read, enjoy and review.

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This is the first book in a new series by S.C. Perkins and the first book I have read by this author. I was initially draw to the book because of the profession of the protagonist and it sound like an interesting premise. Genealogy has been a hobby of mine since I was in eight grade so the subject matter was right up my alley so to speak.

This was a fun, easy read. It has a good pace and the mystery flows nicely through the story. For those who don't know much about genealogy, there are some parts that might be a bit more technical that they would like but I didn't think that it detracted from the story. Lucy Lancaster is a good protagonist. She is likable, independent, has spirit and uses her intelligence. She is surrounded by a cast of secondary characters that include her best friends and office mates, the owner of a restaurant that sounds like it makes amazing food, and one protective cat known as Neil Patrick House-cat (NPH) for short. These are characters that I want to read more about.

I liked that there were two mysteries that were very much intertwined. One is the murder of the ancestor of one of Lucy's clients and it connects with the current murder mystery of Lucy's friend, who played a role in helping her with the historical mystery. Lucy feels guilty about her friends murder so she tries to solve the historical murder in hopes it will lead to the identity of her friends killer. Lucy was a bit impulsive which caused her to get her self into more trouble that probably necessary. Both mysteries were well done and I liked how the genealogy research led to the identity of the murderer in the past as well as the present. There wasn't a large pool of suspects for the historical mystery but because the clues were shrouded in mystery it allowed the author to create doubt about the identity of the present day killer.

I really enjoyed this book and find that I am looking forward to reading more in this series. It was a nice change of pace for a cozy mystery in terms of the theme which I very much enjoyed.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for providing an advanced digital read copy of MURDER ONCE REMOVED by S. C. Perkins in exchange for an unbiased review. This is the first book in the proposed new Ancestor Detective series featuring Lucy Lancaster, a genealogist living in Austin, Texas.
Lucy, the protagonist is a barely thirty year old genealogist who has her own business researching people’s ancestry. In this first book, she has been researching for a prominent Texas family and uncovered documented proof that a over one hundred years ago, a family member was murdered. A news conference held by the Texas billionaire who commissioned Lucy to do the research results in his public accusation of a state rival as being a descendant of the murderer. In truth, there are two primary individuals who might be descendants of the murderer, and Lucy’s research is inconclusive in determining which of the two has the guilty forebear.
Genealogy research and historical research are both featured in this book along with an historical murder and how that has affected descendants in the present. There are more situations that occur for Lucy to evade than there are clues and red herrings for the reader to solve. Lucy is a thirty-something single woman who comes across as a bit immature in spite of her advanced academic credits.
Rounding out the likely on-going characters are two friends, both single and beautiful, a handsome FBI agent who provides a love-hate relationship for Lucy and a father figure taco restaurant owner, Big Flaco. Big Flaco is the most interesting of these characters with his oversized presence topped by his active moustache. Of all the characters in the book I found Big to have the most depth and unique personality.
As the first book in a proposed series, this may appeal to readers who have an interest in ancestry and genealogy research It also leans toward the romantic mystery in the budding relationship between Lucy and the FBI agent, which may appeal to a segment of the reading public. I found it difficult to develop an interest in Lucy and her friends as they seemed more two-dimensional than characters who typically appeal to me.

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Not as expected. Interesting premise but heavy on the genealogy jargon and slow paced. A little more thriller than cozy.

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a new mystery series featuring genealogist Lucy Lancaster the plot was easy to follow, and narrator Lucy was a genial and clear guide through the mysteries set both in the present day and in the past a good start to a the series

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Murder Once Removed
Wow loved this first book with Lucy Lancaster as a Genealogist.
With a combination of a mystery murder and genealogy is my ideal of heaven.
Good strong characters and a brillent story line .
If I could give this book 10 stars I would. A perfect book for me
Many thanks to St Martin’s press and Nettgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this first book by SC Perkins.

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I enjoy this author some years ago. I was delighted to see is starting the Ancestry Detective series. The series is set in Texas. Lucy Lancaster, a genealogist along with two friends have rent a flat in. Each has her own office. Lucy has been working with Austin billionaire, Gus Halloran
researching his ancestry. She has found a daguerreotype photograph and a journal that proves his Great-great grandfather was murder in 1849 and even tell him who was the villain. While Lucy was informing the Halloran family, the information is shown on TV and accused Senator Daniel Applewhite that his Great-great Grandfather was the killer.
Senator Applewhite is running for reelection and his opponent is a Halloran.
Lucy feels she must look into what happened in 1849 and begins to trace the ancestry of the individuals involved. A friend of Lucy is MURDER and the daguerreotype is missing. The twists and turns that occur as Lucy begins tracing the individuals involved in the killing. Will Lucy find daguerreotype? I highly recommend this book.

Disclosure: Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martens Press for a review copy. The opinions expressed are my own.

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I love the idea of a past family member mystery along with a current one. I look forward to the next book.

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Murder Once Removed ⭐️⭐️⭐️S.C.Perkins

I enjoyed this book somewhat. The character of Lucy Lancaster was a tenacious genealogist on the hunt for families ancestry and proves a murder back from 1849.

That being said. The book was a mired with such technical terminology I found myself quite lost.

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This was a smart, interesting read! I'm no genealogy fiend, and there were a couple of times where the narrator lost me with explanations. But in general, the plot was easy to follow, and narrator Lucy was a genial and clear guide through the mysteries--both present-day and in the past! I'll be looking for the next in the Ancestry Detective series.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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MURDER ONCE REMOVED is the delightful debut novel by S.C. Perkins and I was fascinated by the premise of this first book in the Ancestry Mystery series! Protagonist, Lucy Lancaster, uses genealogy (combing through websites, library archives and DNA) to solve a long ago murder mystery while tracking down a current day killer. Lucy is the epitome of southern sassiness with a big ol’ side helping of creative intelligence. I adore her interaction with her best friends, Serena and Josephine along with the purported former drug lord turn restaurant owner, Flaco of Big Flaco’s Tacos (whose food descriptions will have you drooling). Their repartee gives opportunities for some humorous one-liners and laugh out loud moments which kept me highly entertained. Ms. Perkins has created great character development and descriptive voice even for minor characters. She effectively uses the flavors of food, language, and the historical sites of Austin to bring the setting to life and make the reader feel like they’re right there.

The book grabbed my attention from the very first sentence and kept me glued to the pages. The murder plots from both 1849 and current day are well entwined. I was fascinated with the amount of research the author obviously has done to understand and explain the process of genealogy, without making it complicated for the reader. Ms. Perkins also interjects some interesting history about the State of Texas without detracting from the pace. As the threads of the story are woven together and suspects are considered and then abandoned, Lucy finds herself working with the FBI, particularly a handsome agent who is also a history professor. This is a fun twist to a potential romantic attraction. The exciting reveal was fast paced, keeping me on the edge of my seat, yet never felt rushed. I can’t wait to read the next installment in this well-written debut!

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I thought this was a very interesting book. I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it. It had a lot of historical information about Texas, which I didn’t exactly care about but it was interesting, and it had lots of information about genealogy which I really liked. I am not sure how I feel about the way the author presented information that Lucy learned during her investigation. Sometimes it seemed that she turned up with new information but there was no segue to lead you along as she gathered facts. The connection between the Ayers and Applewhites was a little hard to follow as they began to be intermingled. Ultimately the bad guy was just not that interesting and it was a stretch to believe that he carried a grudge that went back so many generations. Overall it was well written and the ongoing interaction between Lucy and Ben was fun. Not sure I would recommend this but if someone asked me I would tell them it was a quick read that doesn’t leave a big impression.

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Having been a genealogist for many years; this story was great. Research leads to death, cousin connections, romance, and the past effecting the present. Family tree strategy leads answers to a murder committed in the 1840's. Lucy Lancaster races to evaluate the past and help the FBI with a present crime. "A copy of this book was provided by St Martin's Press via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

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A strong start to a new series. I love it when an author can delve into something a bit different character and plot wise. This author definitely doesn't disappoint! With a strong, unique main character, a setting that makes you feel you are right in the thick of it, and a perfectly executed mystery, this is a book you will want to read again and again!

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Really liked the combination of mystery and genealogy, after all genealogy tends to be a big mystery once you get into it, I know my family's is!. Well written story that kept me entertained. Looking forward to more.

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This is a special type of mystery - a genealogical mystery that reminds us that what happened in the past continues to affect the present. Lucy Lancaster runs her own business, Ancestry Investigations, in which she researches family history. She is asked to undertake a major genealogical project for Gus Halloran, a member of one of the leading Texas families whose son is running for a U.S. Senate seat against a member of the Appelwhite family. The Hallorans had always believed that their great-great grandfather Seth Halloran was murdered and Lucy finds photographic and written proof that he was killed by someone with the initials C.A. , which could correspond to the Appelwhites. Lucy has given some of the historical documents to her friend Dr. Winnie Dell, a curator at the Hamilton Center and when Winnie is killed and her office ransacked, as well as break ins at Lucy's office, Lucy is determined to figure out just how the past is intruding into the present , despite the admonitions of a certain good looking FBI agent/history professor.
This is an entertaining and interesting book with a different slant on mysteries by combining it with history and genealogy. I was captivated from the very first page all the way through to the end and I hope that there are more of Lucy's adventures to follow.

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