When genealogist Lucy Lancaster was hired by Pippa Sutton to research her father’s family tree, she thought she was just putting together a family tree for a young woman who had taken over her family’s hotel dynasty. She didn’t realize that she was getting involved in a mystery that went back to World War II.

After spending weeks researching the Sutton family, Lucy has put together a presentation and a video to present to the family, who will all be gathered at one of the Sutton family hotels for New Year’s Eve. But when a man stumbles up to Lucy standing in front of the hotel, hands her a pen and implores her to, “Keep them safe,” Lucy finds herself drawn into a series of questions that can only be answered by deciphering a code from the spies of World War II.

At first, Lucy doesn’t know what to do about this stranger dying at her feet. But her inquisitive nature and her love of research win out. With the help of her grandfather, her two best friends and office mates, and her trusted network of genealogy researchers, Lucy is finally able to decode the names of the descendants of the WWII spies who are now in danger. But did she figure it all out in time to make a difference, or is the killer so far ahead of her that it simply be too late?

Lineage Most Lethal is the second in the Ancestry Detective series by S. C. Perkins. The series takes place in Austin, and that unique Texas flair can be felt, and practically tasted, with how much time they spend at a taco restaurant that I would love to try out myself! I really loved the character of Lucy and her resourcefulness as she tried to solve the mystery. She’s smart and feisty, and she knows (usually) when to ask for help.

I like to be honest in these reviews, so I will say this: there is something with this cover that I find off-putting. But a publicist recommended it to me, and I am so grateful that they did. While I might not have picked up this book based on the cover (I know what they say about that, but honestly, I’m always judging books by their covers! Artists put a lot of time and energy into making them appeal to the right readers), I am so glad I read it. It’s a wonderfully written cozy with an inventive story and characters that are fun to hang out with. What more could you ask for? So if you’re like me and unsure about the cover, just stop looking at it, preferably by opening the book to chapter one, and start reading. You won’t be sorry (except when you notice how much you’re craving chips and guac as you read it).

Egalleys for Lineage Most Lethal were provided by St. Martin’s Press (Minotaur Books) through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This is a tough review for me to write - I didn't hate this book. I didn't even dislike it. But there are aspects of it that I am just not a fan of - it is about 50-60 pages too long [there is a LOT of blathering about stuff that just doesn't matter] and in this one, there was just one story-line too many for my liking [though they were both interesting, it would have been neat to have them BOTH as separate books as I like Pippa and it would be cool to see her as a recurring character]. Apparently I need a more plot-driven story-line so when it wanders away and blathers, I get distracted and turned off.

That said, even though I didn't love it [and had my dislikes], I did like it for the most part - I loved Lucy's grandfather. What a great addition to the story. He [and his story-line] was just fantastic and I kept praying throughout the book that he wasn't going to get killed. I would have been seriously unhappy then. And even though we don't see them as much in this book, I like Lucy's besties as well. And Flaco's Tacos. I seriously need one of those places near me. Heavenly. And I really did like Pippa and her story-line. And the whole genealogy thing is very cool. Just less blathering please.

I knew who the killer was in the second chapter, though to be fair, I just thought ''Oh that person would be a great murderer", never thinking anything past that. But by the 5th or 6th chapter I knew for certain and then it just had to unravel [and that might be my reasoning for thinking it was too long and had too much filler]. The reveal was excellent though and the end was really perfect. So there is that too. I would read a third one should she write it. :-)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press/Minotaur Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh I really enjoyed this second book, even more than the first one. I just loved Lucy's grandpa and his stories about being in the war. I guess because it's about spies and stuff like that, it kept my interest a lot more than the first book. I liked that it was more Lucy-family-centered with the client's history overlapping and tying in, but not overpowering and being the main story.

The showdown was so exciting and nail biting. I loved how it wasn't just one person who saved the day too. The ending was just what I'd hoped for, and I do love how everything was wrapped up in a neat package with all the explanations given. I'm very glad I decided to continue reading in the series! I just hope that Grandpa is back in the next books.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Professional genealogist Lucy Lancaster’s latest client is hotel heiress Pippa Sutton. One of the benefits to this latest project is getting to mix business with pleasure at one of their local luxury hotels. Lucy barely gets checked in when an unknown man gives Lucy an expensive pen and a cryptic message, and then collapses and dies. The man’s death has an unexpected connection to her grandfather and soon Lucy is researching the family trees of several other people in order to solve a mystery and save lives.

I really like that the premise of this book is so unique. Some of my favorite parts of the book are when Lucy is doing genealogical research, either for a client or when investigating with her grandfather. I wish there was even more since I learned a lot from those scenes. Lucy is a likable character and I love the close bond she has with her grandfather. Spy stories aren’t my favorite, but eventually the “project” Lucy and her grandpa work on ties in with her work for Pippa. Although Lucy’s work for Pippa is complete, I really like that character and think she would make a great addition to future books. Lucy’s two best friends make an appearance, but don’t add a lot to the story.

The pace of the book is a little uneven but there are several exciting and suspenseful scenes. The resolution relies too much on coincidences which makes it hard to take seriously. However, I enjoyed the book and the very end, taking place on New Year’s Eve. Saying more could spoil it, but it was very sweet. This book is the second in a series, but stands alone for readers who didn’t read the first book.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Minotaur Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

4.5/5 stars!
The mystery to solve is who killed Hugo Markham and two others. Lucy doesn’t expect to end up all entangled in a war era high espionage mission but that’s just what happens once she starts investigating. In terms of figuring out the main culprit I did zero in on the right one as there weren’t too many suspects to choose from. At first, I didn’t really think I’d be right but little clues kept leading me that way, but why? There seemed to be no good reason why this person would be guilty. For the why, we need to travel back to WWII and find out more about some key players and their descendants. Then everything becomes much clearer in time for the grand finale, which was wonderfully dramatic.

The historical elements are really well-worked in. There is need for the author to explain certain settings, events and procedures. These explanations are seamlessly delivered as part of the narrative or dialogue and never felt heavy or lecture-y. Sometimes, more towards the beginning, there were some too long descriptions of buildings or decor but that doesn’t occur often enough to become annoying.

I did struggle a little through the first 10 percent or so as I tried to get a sense of the characters and setting. However, by the time Lucy’s grandpa appears and the beginnings of intrigue show their talons, I found myself hooked into the tale and excited to find out more.

Lucy is a great protagonist. She’s smart, caring, doesn’t take herself too seriously and tries to curb any judgmental tendencies… although I’d say judge away when it came to assessments of certain people! As lovely as Lucy is, its her grandpa, George, who steals the book and my heart. Such a spry and cheeky 90 year old! I hope my mind can be half that sharp at that age. The scene in the police department where he tries to pass himself off as going senile is possibly my favourite of the novel!

Overall, this story checked several of my cozy boxes: intriguing mystery, lovable characters, fun setting and a sweet romance. I’m definitely continuing with this series.

This is the second book in the "Ancestry Detective" cozy mystery series by cozy author S.C. Perkins. This is a delightful series with the focus on ancestry. I have read the first book and enjoy returning to this series . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own. This was such a fascinating mystery I cannot wait for the next in series !

Lucy Lancaster is a ancestry genealogist from Texas. Her unique job is one she enjoys and is very skilled at. In this next installment in the series she is in Austin Texas to present her final research work to her client a hotel heiress. When she arrives a bedraggled man approaches her and gives her a Mont Blanc pen tells her to keep it safe and drops dead. Lucy is fascinated to solve the mystery and contacts her Grandpa who is shocked when he sees it. She suspects the pen is tied to his secret past in WWII. When her hotel room is broken into she has suspicions that the pen is connected.

This was such a wonderful mystery, so well crafted and designed with fascinating historical aspects. I loved how the author incorporated the past and present . The plot is fascinating as the author brings to life spies and history of WWII . This is one of my top favorite cozy mysteries and I look forward to the next in series.

This mystery is a family affair for Lucy as pretty early in her grandfather is drawn into the plot and all kinds of family secrets start coming to light. I enjoyed that the focus was on Lucy and her family a bit and I adored meeting her grandfather who was a very much front and center character.

I love love love the genealogy angle here and while the plot was a touch farfetched I enjoyed the book itself enough that it didn't bother me. I couldn't wait to see how everything unraveled and I this was an easy book to pick up and dive into. I had enjoyed the first book but felt like it had some pacing issues and I feel that while this book isn't perfect I really felt like I saw a lot of improvement there. Lucy isn't my favorite cozy mystery sleuth - she's still just a bit immature - but I enjoyed the side characters enough to get past that.

If you enjoy genealogy and love a cozy mystery this is a series you really must try!

Having enjoyed the first in the Ancestry Detective mystery, Murder Once Removed, I was eager to read Lineage Most Lethal. Some series suffer a sophomore slump but this second entry is, in my opinion, even better than the first. Lucy Lancaster lives in Austin,Texas and does genealogy, this time her research is for her client, Pippa Sutton and takes her into the era of WWII. As soon as she presents her work to her client a death occurs when the victim slips something to Lucy. Then things get very interesting. I won't divulge any more foe feat of spoilers.
Not only was the mystery very complex and satisfying, the main characters of Lucy, her grandfather, her best friends, Josephine and Serena, and others added lots of depth to the story. Her grandfather especially has major role in the mystery. This series has earned its place on my TBR list of books not to be missed.
My thanks to the publisher, Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lineage Most Lethal is the second entry in this author's mystery series.  In an interesting twist,  our protagonist is a genealogist.  This adds a bit of history to the mystery.


The story begins at a hotel in Austin.  Lucy has been researching heiress, Pippa's, family tree and is ready to report her findings when she encounters a death.  Who was the victim? Why did he hand Lucy an Montblanc pen before he died?  What does Lucy's grandfather know?

Readers know that all will be resolved and that they can relax and enjoy the story along the way.  The author excels in both her characters and plot.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.  I also recommend the author's prior book, Murder Once Removed.

This story picks up a few months after the first book ends. While the subject matter is separate, the characters are not. So much background is given in the first book, I highly recommend reading it first but it is not necessary in order to enjoy this book.

Lucy Lancaster is a genealogist who is researching the family tree of Pippa Sutton. Pippa is the owner of the Sutton luxury hotel chain and is hosting her family for a get-together at New Years. The day is to cap off with a presentation of their shared family history.

While Lucy is finalizing the last of the information, a murder occurs. She finds herself drawn in via her grandfather, who has an incredible secret that he shares with her.

Lucy is determined to find the murderer and investigates by delving into the past. The past holds the key to the present events but it puts Lucy, her loved ones and Pippa right in the crosshairs of the murderer.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

This second book in the new series about a genealogy detective in Austin, Texas is another entertaining one. I live in Texas and it is fun to read about it. The author has created a clever protagonist in Lucy, who gets herself involved in all sorts of crazy plots. Highly readable and fun.

I absolutely loved this book. I didn’t want it to end! I love the mix of history and genealogy and to spice things up a bit of old school espionage. This book had me hooked from the beginning. The main character Lucy is so very likable and the supporting cast, especially her grandfather are amazing. There’s just enough mix of mystery and romance to make this a perfect summer read. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

This is the first book I have read by this author. I was invited to review a digital galley prior to publication.
It took me a little bit to get into the story. There was a large cast of characters to introduce and background to provide. But when I understood the components and cared about what Lucy was doing, the book took off for me. The story is intricate with many moving parts.
Genealogy with an eye to helping people find their family’s stories is a fun premise for a cozy mystery. Where the rubber meet so the road is when it gets applied to the mystery. In this case, a man dies and a pen he gave to Lucy contains secrets and leads to puzzles and secrets.
As the plot unfolds, you get more and more anxious to find and stop the murderer, so that more people don’t die or experience injury. I did suspect the culprit quite a while before the reveal. The motivation though was a bit different than I expected.
If you stick through the introduction bits, I think you will thoroughly enjoy Lineage Most Lethal.
I haven’t read the first book in the series and I was able to follow what was happening so I wouldn’t say reading the series in order is required.

S.C. Perkins' Ancestry Detective mystery series is turning out to be delightful. Lucy Lancaster is one bright woman who, after the events in the first book in the series (Murder Once Removed), took a CPR class, a self-defense class, and went to a counselor. So many amateur sleuths never seem to take these precautions, so I always appreciate it when I see it happen. Lucy also keeps going to the police with the information she uncovers even though she's not being taken seriously.

Readers learn quite a bit about Lucy's grandfather in Lineage Most Lethal. It seems the old man has been keeping quite a few secrets under wraps. There are even codes to decipher which I always enjoy. Having helped my mother and grandmother with our family history, I was intrigued by Lucy's use of something called Soundex, a phonetic algorithm for indexing names by sound as pronounced in English. If my mother had known about Soundex, she might have been able to trace a very elusive family name. Who says you can't learn anything by reading mysteries?

World War II, spies, secret missions, microdots, codes, and a lead character who makes me smile. I can't wait to see what Lucy Lancaster gets up to in her next adventure.

Lineage Most Lethal by S. C. Perkins is the 2nd book in an Ancestry Detective mystery series, and another great book. Lucy Lancaster is the genealogist who just finished a two month project for hotel heiress Pippa Sutton in Austin, Texas. While out walking a man gives her a Montblanc pen to keep safe, than fall dead at her feet. Now Lucy's research starts with the unique pen. This book has a lot of suspects along with many twists and turns, which kept me reading page after page. I found this book to be a quick read with well developed plot and characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book, you won't be disappointed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lucy Lancaster has been hired by Pippa Sutton, a young woman assuming leadership of the family hotel business to research the genealogical history of the Sutton family. Lucy will conclude with a detailed video presentation including interviews with family members and their memories.

Upon her arrival at the hotel, however, a man hands her an object as he collapses and dies at her feet with a plea to "keep them safe." When she recovers the object, a pen, she recognizes it as a very valuable antique and asks her grandfather to have a look at it. Almost immediately, he makes a trip to her location to work with her regarding a highly classified and long-buried World War II mission.

There are multiple characters, each with their own agenda and sometimes it seems that only Pippa is genuine. Lucy's grandfather, George Lancaster, is well developed. He sits her down to tell her about a spy ring he worked with. The two must decipher a code to recover names. The genealogist has extensive knowledge on how to search and recover information.

It is a well-plotted and paced narrative with puzzle pieces gradually drawn together. There are additional murders (off page) and it's apparent they must work to save the remaining members of the WWII team.

I found Lucy just a tad annoying, but loved how she so quickly caught on to nuances and gradually warmed up to her and her love for her grandfather as well as her two besties. The conclusion wrapped up all the ends, though seemed just a bit verbose, the antagonist being apparent fairly early. This was easily read as a standalone and was quite engaging, entertaining, and enlightening.

Receiving this digital download free from the publisher and NetGalley did not affect my opinion of the book or the content and this is my honest opinion. As a cozy, I expected a recipe or two for those luscious Tex-Mex dishes described. Didn't happen. Recommended for any who enjoys a good mystery. 4.5/5 stars

Book #2 in the Ancestry Detective series takes place in a hotel where a group of extended family members has gathered for a holiday getaway and the culminating report of Lucy’s research into their genealogical history. Mystery readers will recognize the setting and expect a certain plot to follow, but they would be mistaken. Instead, we are introduced to endearing new characters and taken on a rich journey of espionage and danger dating back three generations. My only complaint is the reveal: it is painfully unrealistic in its execution, to the point of eye-rolling at times. If the endings are cleaned up, this series has the potential for some exceptional reading.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series so was looking forward to Lineage Most Lethal. This is turning into a very entertaining cozy mystery series! All the genealogy information is really interesting and I love this group of characters (though I missed seeing Lucy's friends as much in this instalment). The romance is a good one (who doesn't love a love interest described as Professor Indiana Jones?!) and the mystery was a nice mix of history and modern day sleuthing. Plus reading these books makes me really want tacos. I'll be looking for book three!

One of the things that really captured my interest was the premise of this series. The main character, Lucy Lancaster, is unlike any other cozy mystery MC I’ve read before. Not that I mind similar books (I do love me some bakers, bookshop owners and librarians!) but it was such a refreshing change to read something new and totally different to me.

I loved the background info on researching family trees and also the handy-dandy family relationship chart (I now know what cousin “once-removed” means!). The book doesn’t spend too much time in the nitty-gritty of genealogical research, which is fine by me – it’s an interesting part of the story but it doesn’t bog the mystery-solving down.

One thing that I missed from the first book was Lucy’s two best friends and office mates, Serena and Josephine. The gals were fun and quirky and I really enjoyed their interaction. They did pop up once or twice in this story but didn’t add much to the mystery investigation. I missed them and found it odd that they weren’t around – I hope they make it back into the story in the next book.

Another character that didn’t show up much was FBI Special Agent Agent Ben Turner – someone I hoped Lucy would be getting closer to after their love-hate relationship in the first book.

There were several new characters added though, including two memorable ones – Pippa Sutton and Lucy’s grandpa, George. Pippa is a great addition to Lucy’s group of friends and she makes a great mystery-solving-partner for Lucy. But it’s Lucy’s grandpa that makes this story special. He is mysterious, caring, cunning and has such an interesting backstory that I’m really hoping he makes appearances in future books.

What has stayed the same, of course, is the main character, Lucy. It’s so easy to believe that a genealogist would be good at solving mysteries – they are born researchers and search out clues and old leads for a living. And Lucy is a very likeable character – she’s relatable, interesting and more than capable. Nothing she does seems out of character or even that unrealistic.

As the book synopsis alludes to – there are a lot of mysteries in this one – both in the past and in the present. I loved the spy-story interwoven into this cozy mystery – it was such an intriguing new angle and was part of the reason that I just had to finish the book. It was fast-paced and moved along quite quickly, which is not easy feat considering all the new characters and names that were introduced during the story.

One of the things I like most about cozy mystery series is that you start to get familiar with the recurring characters, so that it feels like going “home”. Unfortunately, pretty much all the characters in this second book are new, as Lucy’s friends from the first book make only the briefest of appearances. It felt like the start of a new series, to be honest, so it will be interesting to see which characters are involved in Book 3 (assuming there is a Book 3).

I was pleasantly surprised though that I loved this book even more than I enjoyed the first one and I think it was the addition of the spy story that really made this story interesting. I couldn’t put it down and I’m really looking forward to the next instalment!

Oh, and PS. If you do decide to read this series, be prepared for a serious craving for Tex Mex food. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

*** Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, for providing me with an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. ***

Lineage Most Lethal is the second book in S. C. Perkins’ Ancestry Detective Mystery series. Professional genealogist Lucy Lancaster has just completed a detailed family tree for heiress and hotelier Pippa Sutton and has been invited to stay at the Sutton House along with Pippa’s extended family for the New Year’s holiday. This is the culmination of her research where Lucy will present the lineage to the family as well as garner additional interviews from family members telling their anecdotal tales.

On her first evening at the luxury hotel, Lucy encounters a dying man who tries to pass her a strange pen and warns her to keep safe, but who is she supposed to keep safe? When she tells her grandfather, World War II vet George Lancaster, about the strange encounter and the odd pen, he becomes agitated and makes an immediate trip to see Lucy. From this point the story unfolds to a decades old spy story and a plot of revenge.

This is a smartly plotted mystery that leaves the reader guessing until the final chapters. With richly drawn characters and a fast paced storyline, I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!