Ancestry Detective Mystery 2

Welcome to the second book in this series about Texas genealogist Lucy Lancaster.

Lucy is crazy busy trying to wrap up a project for Pippa Sutton of Sutton Hotel fame. After months of work, she is ready to present her results to Pippa and the rest of the Sutton family. And it's just a week before New Year's Eve.

After a day of research, she comes back to the hotel but before she reaches the steps a man stumbles towards her and shoves something in her hands before dropping dead. Whispering a cryptic message to "keep them safe".

Looking at her hand she sees it is a Mont Blanc pen and while her grandfather is a collector Lucy doesn't understand what the man meant, so she calls in grandpa and all of a sudden Lucy is wondering what in the world she has gotten herself into!

After speaking with him, things get very interesting! And Lucy isn't sure who her grandpa is anymore, but boy is he interesting!

A really good mystery here. Spies, murder, an old vendetta based on a lie. It's all here! Enjoy!

NetGalley/ July 21st, 2020 by Minotaur Books

This is the second book in the Ancestry Detective Mystery series and while you don’t necessarily need to read book one, it is mentioned numerous times and I did feel like I was missing certain things.
Lucy Lancaster was hired by hotel heiress Pippa Sutton to find the ancestry of the Sutton family. Staying at Hotel Sutton for the week between Christmas and New Year’s, she’s going to get some much needed rest while talking to relatives of Ms. Sutton to complete the family tree. She’s armed with lots of documents and a video presentation for Ms. Sutton and the rest of the Sutton family, and can’t wait to add more to what she has.
Coming across a strange man who collapses at her feet, was not something she expected. Especially when he hands her a special pen and tells her, “Keep them safe” before dying at her feet.
When she involves her grandfather, a WW1 vet who happens to collect Montblanc pens, she’s shocked to discover that her grandfather was actually an American spy during and after the War. With secret missions, spy tools, and ciphers, Lucy, her grandfather, and others need to stop the person who’s set their cap to kill the descendants of the people involved in the mission before they complete their mission.
This was such an interesting story, even though I’d figured out who the killer was quite early on, I couldn’t ever figure out the reason behind their actions. There are many great side characters, an interesting story line, and a hint of romance that runs through. Remember to pay attention to all the details, they’ll be important later on.
** I was granted an ARC of this story through NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

The second installment in the Lucy Lancaster Ancestry Detective Series does not disappoint!

Lucy has been contracted by Pippa Sutton, hotel heiress, to trace her family history. Lucy is wrapping up the project and is staying at the Hotel Sutton to give her final presentation to the Sutton family. Just after Lucy arrives at the hotel, an elderly gentleman stumbles towards Lucy, mutters 'keep them safe', hands Lucy a Montblanc pen, and dies at Lucy's feet. Lucy takes the pen to her grandfather, a World War II veteran who has a valued pen collection. Her grandfather, who immediately recognizes the pen, shares a long kept secret with Lucy that he was a spy during the war and the mystery pen was part of a mission in which he was involved. It seems that the pen contained a microdot reader that was needed to read the microdot the dead man must have left behind. The microdot is recovered by Lucy and her grandfather and upon reading the microdot they discover that it contains a list of names of the ancestors of Grandpa's fellow spies. With several people on the list recently deceased, and Grandpa being seriously injured in a hit-and-run, Lucy is determined to decode the three remaining names on the list, and find the murderer.

Using her research skills and connections, Lucy deciphers the code and finds the killer, all while completing her work for Pippa Sutton. Through her research Lucy finds a connection between Pippa, Pippa's family, the spies, their ancestors and the killer.

This book contains history, a compelling mystery, plenty of twists, wrong turns, and a surprise for Lucy close to the end of the book. Not only is this a great mystery, but it is one in which the reader will definitely learn something!

Great second in the series and I look forward to many more.

A very clever mystery that blends past and present! Lucy is a genealogist and she's been working for Pippa Sutton, a young hotel heiress. When a man passes Lucy a MontBlanc pen, tells her to "keep them safe and then drops dead, she doesn't know what to think but she knows her grandfather George might at least give her some info about the pen. What she didn't expect was that her grandpa would tell her that there's a microdot in the pen and that the man's mysterious message is related to WWII. Turns out Grandpa and others were part of a spy ring during the War and now they need to be concerned about their ancestors. Then- yikes- Grandpa is injured in a hit and run and things get serious. Lucy, Pippa, and Lucy's sweetie Ben work to figure out who is really who, who is at risk, why the threat, and the identify of the villain. This is more than a cozy = its got some solid historical fiction chops. The characters are good, the mystery twisty, and it's fun. Readers of the first will welcome Lucy back but note that there's less info about genealogy this time out. Those who missed the first one will be fine with this as an entry to what will hopefully be a long running series. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good one!

Lucy Lancaster is a genealogist. She’s working for the Sutton family who owns an elite chain of hotels. She’s researched the genealogy and is recording family histories. This will culminate in a New Year’s Day presentation to the family. On her way into the hotel, a man collapses in front of her. Lucy is intrigued by a pen he drops as he dies and involves her grandfather in the investigation. The mystery ties into an old World War II secret mission.

This was an enjoyable story. I enjoyed Lucy and look forward to read more.

The second in the Ancestry Detective series. Set in the Hill Country of Texas between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Lucy Lancaster is spending the week at the Sutton’s hotel in New Braunfels, TX. Pippa Sutton is her client and Lucy has a presentation or two to give to the family after Pippa clears it.

Before Lucy makes it to her room, a strange man comes staggering toward her and presses a pen on her. He tells her to keep them safe. Unfortunately, the man dies and it was not an accident. So, Lucy and her grandfather are onto another search for a murderer.

I liked the intrigue, the characters and the plot. Plenty of twists and turns and mis-directions to keep the reader guessing. The second half of the book reads like a thriller but without the gore.

I also liked the cemetery tips for reading old gravestones.

Looking forward to the next installment. I was given an advanced reader’s copy. I am not required to leave a positive review.

Lineage Most Lethal by S. C. Perkins is another beautifully done historical book. I loved reading it and learning things about World War II that I never even thought of could exist.

Can Lucy figure out what is so significant about this pen?

Lucy Lancaster
Lucy Lancaster is back once again to solve a mystery that she stumbles upon unknowingly. She has been working diligently with this one client, but then once again, she gets wrapped up in another mystery. Just this mystery happens to also go into her own families' past, and Lucy is learning new things about her grandfather, then she thought possible. I loved how Lucy is shocked by what her grandpa was telling her and how that information helped Lucy solve the crime. Lucy is an excellent sleuth in that she solves crimes by looking into the past first before looking into the present. Doing this helps Lucy in so many ways. Especially if the past helps with the motive. What I like about her is that she knows that she isn't great at a lot of things but gives her something related to both history and genealogy; she is good to go. Another thing that I like about her is Lucy's relationship with her grandfather is everything. I still haven't found anything to dislike about her.

The Mystery
The mystery is in several different parts, but is each related, or are they all separate?
• The first murder happens to be of the guy that gives Lucy the pen that started this whole investigation on her part.
• The second murder didn't happen until the next day with someone else.
• In between those two was a woman who died on her walk.

There are a lot more things going on, but most of it is spoilers. But wow is this mystery very multifaceted, which is probably why it was hard for me to tell who the killer was. I didn't see who it was because I did fall for a red herring, but then once that red herring was cleared, I had no one else to look at as the potential killer. Let's just say that Ms. Perkins has this mystery writing trick down well.

Five Stars
Lineage Most Lethal by S. C. Perkins is fabulously written and so well thought out. I loved how Ms. Perkins dug up information that I never thought could be true about World War II. At least with the spies. Learning about history even in a fun way of trying to solve a cozy mystery in the present that links to the past are super cool. Ms. Perkins does a great job of doing this with her books. Taking all of that into account and the fact that I was so into the mystery that I didn't catch the right clues right away that I am giving it five stars and recommending it to anyone that loves cozies.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Lineage Most Lethal by S. C. Perkins.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

I loved this book! The combination of history and modern day mystery works so well. Her profession makes logical sense for her to investigate. The surrounding characters are so fun and supportive. I look forward to more in this series

This book definitely fits the mystery/ thriller genre but it also mixes in many pieces of other genres that it's very hard to give a definite classification to. But that is far from a bad thing. Lucy is a talented genealogist. SC Perkins gives Lucy's character skills and abilities that would serve her well in this career while giving her intelligence and caring that will serve her well as she investigates the death of a stranger that seems to be someone her grandfather knows. As the mystery continues, watch for the clues scattered throughout. I missed a few and had to go back to look for them. A truly enjoyable read that has added another author to my FOLLOWED list.

Who among us hasn't been curious about our roots and our family history. Do we come from heroes or traitors? When Lucy is tasked with digging into a hotel heiress' family tree she finds connections to WW2 like many of us would if we did our own digging. As Lucy arrives back at the hotel after finishing up for the day she is confronted by a man who hands her a pen and tells her to keep them safe then falls dead. She has no idea what he means but knows her grandfather collects the pen she was given so she calls him for answers. This opens up a whole new story into WW2 and what role many ancestors played in it.

I enjoyed this book very much. I am like many people interested in my own family history and what roles they played in history.

In the SECOND book of the Ancestry Detective Lucia is back to getting herself into trouble solving a mystery tied to the past. When a man collapses and dies in front of her, Lucia isn’t sure what to make of his final words...”keep them safe”, and why did he try to give her a pen? She knows something is up when her Grandfather shows up the day after she sends him pictures of the pen. Can she solve this WWII mystery before the killer finishes their list?

Being a genealogy nerd myself, I was drawn to this series for that reason, but the writing keeps me coming back. Lucia may be a genealogist, and not a cop, but her character stands out because she comes across level-headed and smart. She puts a lot of thought into the case as opposed to bumbling through it. The writing is smooth and flows well. The history and genealogy aspects are well researched. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and I look forward to the next book!

DISCLAIMER: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! I love genealogy so this was right up my alley. It’s a quick, light read and I would recommend it to others.

An older gentleman, looking quite distressed, approaches genealogist Lucy Lancaster, pushes a Montblanc into her hand imploring her to “keep them safe” as he collapses.

The gentleman dies, a murder victim. Lucy is in the middle of researching the family tree for client Pippa Sutton. Still, curiosity about the dead man and his message motivates her to call her grandfather, who knows a lot about Montblanc pens. Quite quickly, the story takes off with Lucy juggling her Sutton family project with helping her granddad investigate the murder.

S. C. Perkins constructs a complex and complicated mystery with well-drawn characters, a few more murders, and a conundrum anchored in WWII. Lineage Most Lethal, the second Ancestry Detective Mystery, is an absorbing story that moves at a comfortable pace and is an intriguing read.

LINEAGE MOST LETHAL is the second book in the Ancestry Detective Mysteries by S.C. Perkins. While I thoroughly enjoyed the first in this series, Ms. Perkins finds her stride in this newest release and her writing shines. From memorable and well-developed characters to an intricate and well-paced plot to WWII intrigue to murder, the author weaves an entertaining tale. The protagonist, Lucy Lancaster, is a genealogist working on a family project for 24-year-old hotel heiress, Pippa Sutton. I love how intelligent Lucy is and the author is meticulous in inserting enough of the research process in tracking ancestors (through a variety of methods) into the story that gives it a feel of authenticity. She also includes an opening scene that promotes the preservation of ancient tombstones while still allowing a person to access the engravings without causing damage. I found it interesting, especially for those who might be fascinated in tracking down their ancestors. This added scene weaves in another layer of authenticity.

As I turned the pages and lost myself in the story, I often had to pause to admire the level of research Ms. Perkins had to undertake to create this book. I’m an avid fan of WWII historical fiction, especially stories of behind-the-scenes heroes and heroines who sacrificed to bring freedom to Europe. When combined with Lucy unraveling the history and the role her beloved grandfather played in the war, along with a current day mystery, I just couldn’t put the book down. Added to my admiration of how the murder mystery plot intertwines with the historical aspect, Ms. Perkins’ characters add enjoyment. Lucy’s two best friends, Serena and Josephine, bring lighthearted humor with their banter, while Lucy’s 92-year-old grandfather brings heartwarming moments. His zeal for life and his support of Lucy makes me hope he is featured prominently again in future books. As Lucy unravels the cipher left for her by the victim and as she follows the clues, she finds secrets that could be hiding the killer. With an edge-of-your-seat reveal, Ms. Perkins brings all the threads of the story together with a highly satisfying conclusion that has me waiting on pins and needles for the next release!

3.75 stars

Genealogist Lucy Lancaster is back for another Texas adventure. Lucy is putting the finishing touches on a presentation for a local family that owns and operates a luxury hotel in a former mansion. Unfortunately, Lucy trips over a dead body on her way into the hotel and it's the start of an amazing quest.

Soon Lucy and her beloved grandfather are embroiled in a case that reaches back to World War II and espionage escapades. Lucy learns things about her grandpa that she never suspected. Lucy can use the distraction since her new boyfriend/FBI agent has disappeared from her life.

This book moves along at a nice pace with lots of action and interesting tidbits about family history and research. Are there quite a few coincidences? You bet, but it doesn't attract from the fun. Great light escapist fare. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the first installment in this series, so I dove into this one with high expectations. And it was an enjoyable read with appealing characters and vivid writing. Throw in some WWII spying ramifications, a promising relationship that ended with ghosting, and Lucy's charming grandfather, and it's an enjoyable afternoon read.

What I didn't care for very much was how big a role coincidence played in the plot. I lost count of how many plot turns rested on two people happening to interact when they had historical ties to each other, known or unknown. "I could hardly believe it. I was being ___ by a descendant of one of the ___ who unjustly killed my ____." That's the problem. I could hardly believe it, either.

I like the genealogy angle, but better plotting is needed in the current day to make the mystery feel more believable.

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

Well written and entertaining detective mystery. Good plot and character development. I look forward to reading more books in this series. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Crossing back across the bond, we land in Texas, where family is at the heart of the mystery at hand. This is the first book of this series I have read and I would defintely call it 'mystery chic lit, with a side of cozy'. You have relationship drama, family drama, long helf beliefs, and a little mystery that seems unsolvable until our heroine does her genealogy magic and finds the solution that is at the heart of the murder mystery. For those who love genealogy, its a fun read, and for others it will be a new take on a cozy mystery.

Cozy Mystery in Austin
This book really grabbed me. It features a genealogist researching a family that owns a chain of 4-star hotels. It involves WWII espionage, ciphers, and spies. The author does a great job weaving the story through the generations and making it all seem relevant. I particularly love the patriotism shown by both the older generation of spies and the younger generation of citizens. I love this book so much that I am going to go read the first book in the series. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

So glad I finished reading before it was archived on the 25th of June! I received a free digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I loved the book. I loved the British connection. Lucy is a professional genealogist. The 24 year old hotel heiress, Pippa Sutton, hires Lucy to do genealogical research. After Lucy arrives at the hotel, a guest walks up to Lucy and says "Please save them", giving her a fancy pen, just before dying. Lucy's grandfather George arrives at the hotel and helps Lucy. Yes, it was murder.

Throughout the book, there are several murders and attempted murders. It has something to do with what happened during the Second World War.

This is a wonderful read!