Lucy Lancaster, genealogist extraordinaire, is polishing her video and presentation for the Sutton family at a family hotel in Austin. A talented historian and a tad nosy, when a dying man presses a pen in her hand, she puts her talents to use in unravelling this mystery. Engaging characters and an interesting plot with an historical perspective back to WWII.

I can't get enough of this series! I love Lucy and the stories she uncovers are so amazing! This was a great mystery with a ton of different layers to it. I could not put it down and read it in one day. When is the next one coming out?

Lucy Lancaster, professional genealogist and amateur detective is back, this time with a job for a local hotel heiress. Lucy is invited to stay at the hotel while presenting her genealogy research to the extended members of the Sutton family, an invitation she is eager to accept with the upcoming Christmas holiday. However it is hard to stay in a festive mood when bodies start landing, quite literally at her feet. A mysterious man drops dead after attempting to slip a secret code to Lucy hidden inside a Montblanc pen. Intrigued, and slightly terrified as well, Lucy feels compelled to get to the bottom of this mystery. With the help of her grandfather, Lucy discovers that the pen holds secrets to the past, relating to an Allied spy ring formed during WWII. As Lucy starts researching and attempting to uncover hidden connections, a skill she is most suited for, she quickly realizes just how close the danger lurks. After her grandfather is involved in a hit and run accident, Lucy knows she must hurry to find answers before she, or her grandfather, become the next victims.

Fast paced, intricately plotted, but still cozy, Lineage Most Lethal is sure to appeal to a wide range of mystery lovers. It is clear early on that the author has done her research, and the slow, steady unraveling of clues, along with hidden connections from the past, has the feel of ancestry research, without all the dead ends. Lucy's profession as a professional genealogist is a new and much needed breath of fresh air to the cozy mystery genre. Lineage Most Lethal links a present day mystery to secrets dating back to WWII expertly, with plenty of covert missions, puzzles, and hidden codes to keep you guessing. While the first half of the book reads like a cozy mystery, the pace picks up a bit in the second half, giving the book the feel of a thriller without losing any of its earlier charm. I highly recommend Lineage Most Lethal to cozy mystery lovers, genealogy lovers, history buff, or those looking for an intriguing summer read.

A strong addition to an engaging series. The way the author moves between past and present to solve mysteries is a beautiful thing to be lucky enough to witness. One would think you would get lost in the details, but that is definitely not the case. An enjoyable read from start to finish.

I enjoyed this book as much as the last. I love how the genealogy, the characters and the mystery all come together in a great cozy mystery. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

I liked this book. I was kept guessing about the ending the entire time! I liked catching up with the characters, they felt like old friends. The Wold War 2 history was interesting and added component to the storytelling. I felt the plot was interesting and encompassing. I really liked the history aspect of the story. The story was engaging and fun. I will continue to read this series as it comes out!

Lineage Most Lethal is the second book in the Ancestry Detective series written by S. C. Perkins. After the author's very successful win of a Malice Domestic award, she had a lot to live up to with this next book... and I can easily say she's done a fantastic job. Given my personal hobby of genealogy and love for the cozy mystery, this series couldn't be a better fit, and I'm glad to share my review of this latest tale.

Lucy Lancaster is a genealogist not too far from Austin, Texas. She's been hired by Pippa Sutton, early 20s, to trace the Sutton family history. After the death of her father and grandfather, Pippa's looking to bring her family together, especially for the sake of their high-end hotel business. Lucy arrives to present the research to the family, but something goes very wrong. A stranger dies in their hotel after trying to slip a secret object to Lucy. To make matters worse, when Lucy tells her grandfather about it, he steals the object himself. WOW! Talk about family connections... now Lucy must figure out what's going on with the Suttons and how it might relate to her grandfather's role in the military during WWII.

To start off with, the setting is great. A wonderful old hotel. A family with tons of branches. A mother with a secret. A strange hotel manager. A chef who seems to be hiding something... everyone's related, somehow, and Lucy can't figure out all the connections. It's a perfect, intricate crime, and it kept me guessing throughout the book. The first half is the lead-up to the backstory. We see the murder, we get to know the players, and we learn all about Lucy's grandfather's history as an important wartime asset. There's a cryptic set of clues regarding information about a group of 8 people who banded together to keep a secret in the 1940s. Some are still alive, but when the descendants of a few begin to die in weird ways, Lucy realizes she could be in danger.

The second half of the book reads more like a thriller. It's fast-paced but still cozy. Characters have critical roles, and some we don't even get to meet. We just hear stories about who they once were, then decide how they fit into the puzzle, or who might be their current descendant today. Like the art and science of genealogy, this plot is meant to be slowly studied... you can't guess too quickly because not all the data is available. And then you hit a brick wall. You're left making strange connections, researching odd angles, getting lost and making wrong turns, but then... you find the truth.

What a way to weave this story. Kudos to Perkins for making the actual structure of the story feel like the actual ancestry research I'm often finding myself in the middle of. The characters are well drawn, the mystery is ripe with clues and red herrings, and the family dynamics are spot on. I can't wait to see where this series goes; it's full of potential. While you can read them out of order, I always recommend starting from the beginning. That said, have at it... and you'll find it's pretty awesome!

Genealogy fans will enjoy this new cozy mystery in the Ancestry Detective series. I loved the first chapter where genealogist Lucy instructs a starry-eyed but confused family researcher in the proper way to treat old gravestones. Important information, folks!

The story is interesting and clever in places, especially in the backstory of Lucy's grandfather. The writing is breezy and uncomplicated, and the solidly plotted mystery is enhanced with lots of information on family history research and a cast of likable characters.

This will be a good book to read while on your porch this summer. Recommended.

Lineage Most Lethal by S.C Perkins. (Ancestry Detective #2). 4.5 stars

Murder Once Removed (2019) was a fabulous entry onto the mystery scene and this years follow up “Lineage Most Lethal” does not disappoint.

Genealogy, family secrets, WWII, spiders and traitors OH MY!

You have a complex plot, codes that need to be deciphered and many copies of “The Thirty Nine Steps” to examine. I.didn’t have a hint as to the identity of the villain until the latter part of the book. I loved the relationship between Lucy and her grandfather, the humor and love came through very clear. Lucy’s office mates did not have a big role in this book, but Flaco and his tacos were memorable. I wish there was a Big Flaco’s Tacos where I live. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Who knew genealogy could be so dangerous? Lucy Lancaster gets involved in a new case when a mysterious man dies in her arms while she's working on a commission. To complicate matters, the important men in her life are keeping secrets--her grandfather about his war work and her boyfriend about everything. Great addition to the cozy genre.

Lucy is a geneologist and is researching the family tree of a prominent local family. As part of her fee she's been invited to stay at the family hotel where she's going to present her findings to the extended family. Unfortunately, a man dies at her feet telling her to keep them safe, Lucy has no idea who he means. The mystery man leaves behind a pen which she shows to her Grandfather who is a collector.

The relationship between Lucy and her Grandfather is lovely. There are spies, secrets and plenty of red herrings/suspects to keep you guessing. it's a fun read.

I enjoyed this book as much as the first one in the series. I like the characters and the mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this clever, intriguing mystery. It starts off in a cemetery and the mystery ramps up from there. Lucy is given something and shows a family member and is then embroiled in a historical mystery. This is the second book in the series but I dont feel like I missed anything.
The humor and characters are great! Definitely a winner!

Lineage Most Lethal was a fun read. Lucy has been working on a family's heritage when a mysterious man gives her a Montblanc pen. Lucy show the pen to her grandfather who has a strange reaction. What follows is a tale of WWII mystery, secrecy, codes, betrayal, redemption, and truth. I liked Lucy's grandfather getting so much of the story line, he was an interesting character. I liked the plot amd the characters. Another win win mystery.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it straight through in one night. It hooked me from the beginning and didn't let go to the end. I really liked the characters, I felt like I knew them. It's such an interesting story. The reveal with Mrs P. being the killed was exciting and scary, for a minute I didn't think the good guys would prevail. I really liked the ending where the FBI agent shows up and it turns out he's been part of it too. #LineageMostLethal #NetGalley

Is that spies hanging out in family trees? Texas genealogist Lucy Lancaster returns in this fun follow-up to Murder Once Removed. It started with a strange death on the doorsteps of her client’s beautiful hotel and spa just ahead of New Year’s Eve, but this murder mystery has ties to a group of World War II spies that included her own grandfather. This twisty fun cozy, brings back my favorite characters from the last book--including tantalizing visits to Flaco’s Mexican restaurant, and introduces another interesting cast. Genealogy, mystery, and even a touch of romance--everything I was hoping for.

This is the second book in this series and it's another excellent cozy! The author does a great job of creating really likable characters and infuses them with unique identities, and there is a lot of great humor trickled throughout. Exactly the way I like it - the first page grabs you tight and the dead body shows up promptly! Just like in the first book though, I really wanted more genealogy research tidbits.

This is a well written cosy mystery with an interesting main character who works at deterring ancestry for clients. All the supporting characters are believable and likable and while this is a cosy it is a very involved plot line reaching back to WWII. The end surprised me which is always a good thing and I look forward to reading more in this series. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

This is the second book in this series and I received an advanced reading copy from NetGalley. My thanks to them and to the author for letting me read this book. I enjoyed the first in the series and was glad to see there was a second one. It does not disappoint. Lucy Lancaster is researching the ancestry of the family of the owner of a boutique hotel in Austin, Texas. When a man literally drops dead at her feet with a mysterious message, she feels compelled to find out what is going on. It is interesting how the sins of the fathers can affect what happens to their descendants and this is what Lucy finds out as she follows the clues. When Lucy isn't researching, she is hanging out with her best friends eating Mexican food at her favorite spot. Being a Texas girl myself raised on Mexican food, I wish I could taste some of the dishes the author writes about. Again, this was a fun book to read and, if you are into genealogy, I would highly recommend it. I can't wait for the next one.

I love the pacing and the comfortable tone set in this well-crafted mystery. The author did a great job in staging this whodunit with secrets from the past and the role they played and it was up to Lucy to decipher and put it all together before another person faced harm. With descriptive narrative and engaging dialogue, it was easy to follow along with what the author intended. I like how the author had strategically placed twists and turns that ratcheted up the suspense and intrigue and I could not put the book down until I knew who was behind it all and the why. I enjoyed seeing all that goes into genealogy research and the author made it all come alive on the page as the history co-mingled with the present. It was good to see the other secondary characters, her grandfather, Pippa, and Ben, whose interactions with Lucy added to my reading enjoyment. A terrific read and I look forward to more adventures in this pleasant appealing series.