Murder Once Removed by S.C. Perkins is the first in the promising Ancestry Detective cozy series. Set in Austin TX, I loved the culture & history sprinkled throughout and I especially loved local restaurateur Juan "Big Flaco" Medrano (what a great character!) but unfortunately the writing style was lacking for me. So much of the story focused on fashion details and an unhealthy obsession with characters' midsections. I wish that authors/publishers would leave out discussion of weight/body mass unless important to the story. I do believe the series has promise but it is just not for me. I will recommend it to my readers who like history/genealogy though in their mysteries.

Murder Once Removed by S.C. Perkins

Lucy Lancaster is Austin Texas genealogist she is hired by a wealthy family whose son is running for office. She discovers that the great grandfather of Gus Holloran was murdered in 1849 with an old photograph and journals from a witness to prove it. Only problem is that the guilty party could be one of two culprits with the initials C.A. After Gus points a finger at a descendant of one of the C.A.-suspects, Lucy finds herself in trouble. The FBI shows up at her door. There's a robbery in her office as well as her computer was hacked and her friend who is restoring the photographic proof is murdered. Someone really wants information on this murder to go away.

Will Lucy figure it out or will more people die in pursuit of figuring out this mystery. I really enjoyed the story it was different for me as far as a cozy mystery and i like the characters and the plot. I will be reading more from this author. I was really entertained by the story.

If you are a fan of cozy mysteries this one is definitely for you. I gobbled this up so fast it was quick read and page turner. I am looking forward to finding what adventure Lucy goes on next.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a free copy of this book for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love mystery and I love genealogy! This book gave me a great family mystery and what I always seek in a book - I learned something new. I felt as if I was one of the family members finding out all of the fun twists and turns. :)

I was looking at some family history lately and remembered that I really need to read this book! I'm glad I did - it was a pretty good mystery, and I also learned about what some researchers can do. The technology was current and intelligently used, and I finally learned what "once removed" means!

Lucy is a professional researcher who discovers a murder that happened many years in the past. Sadly, it seems to have some current impact as well, when things start getting stolen, and someone gets killed.

I liked Lucy and her friends a lot - and one standout scene for me was the Halloween Party - the names of the treats, the costumes, etc. - makes me want to do that!

I felt like this book was written just for me! I'm a fan of romance & this is a mystery with strong romantic elements. I'm also a genealogy nerd who happens to be a multi-generation Texan, so this Austin-set series featuring a professional genealogist was extremely appealing to me. I was slightly nervous that there might be unrealistic genealogical accomplishments, but the author has done her research and nothing really struck me as majorly off in the realities facing those who pursue genealogy research as a hobby or a profession! Very appealing series - I've since read the second book in the series & eagerly await the third!

I received this book as an advanced reading copy from NetGalley and, even though it took awhile for me to get it read, I am grateful to them. I really enjoyed this book. Using genealogy as the premise of the mystery is fascinating to me and I got really involved with the family history and solving a murder which happened so long ago. This was definitely a cold case with the murder happening in 1849. Lucy Lancaster uses her skills to unearth the murder and then solve it. If you enjoy genealogy to find out about your family history, this is a fun book to read.

First sentence: The knife had pierced Seth Halloran’s heart, exactly at the spot that would stop it cold. Poor guy would’ve dropped right where he stood. I hit speed dial and tucked the phone between my ear and shoulder. “Got a report for me yet, Lancaster?” Gus asked. “Our witness,” I said, not taking my eyes off the body. “The portrait photographer. He heard yelling and ran to investigate.” “Tell me something I don’t know,” Gus said. “I’ll do you two better,” I replied. “One, the witness finally has an ID. His name’s Jeb Inscore.” “Inscore, huh? Not a name you hear often.” I agreed. “Secondly, Jeb hid in a nearby alley, where he saw two unknown men standing over the victim. One of them was holding a knife. Jeb saw blood on it.” “That’s not what said he said the first time.” “Nope,” I said. “At least not on the official record. Gus, this wasn’t an accidental death. Seth Halloran was murdered.” Gus snorted, though I knew he was intrigued. Murder had certainly been the rumor. “How do you figure that?”

Premise/plot: Lucy Lancaster, our heroine, is a professional genealogist and an amateur detective. Solving mysteries--particularly murder mysteries--isn't part of her day to day routine. In fact, this may be her first temptation to be an amateur detective. But the crime, well, it was committed in 1849...and she discovered it while researching for a client. She was just wanting to find out MORE about Gus Halloran's ancestors...but what she discovered was a dead body and a crime that might carry over into the present.

It soon becomes clear that SOMEONE is out there and posing a very real danger to those closest to the case. Even the FBI is involved...Lucy doesn't want to follow any modern, contemporary clues...but how can she stop researching the past, the families involved?!

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I can't say that I loved, loved, loved it. I didn't quite. I loved the Texas setting. I really liked Lucy. I really liked Ben. There was good tension throughout the book. I enjoyed the genealogical aspects of this one. Though it really TRULY annoyed me when she referred to finding people in the 1890 census!!! (There is NO 1890 census. Leaving many mysteries behind for family researchers to this day.)

I can't say that the characterization was especially deep and amazing. But it was light and though not beyond the surface, it wasn't unpleasant.

Outstanding book and great start to a new series! Definitely can't wait to read the next one! The premise of the story is unique and unlike any other of which I'm aware. This book has a little something for everyone - first and foremost the myster, but also genealogy and history. Some stories have a hard time bouncing back and forth from past to present, but this was done seamlessly and very well. Lucy and her friends are likeable, well-thought out characters. Definitely a book you do not want to put down once you start reading it!

An interesting fun debut but A LOT to figure out and keep track of. A full cast of characters in past, present, lots of stories that intertwined in sometimes improbable ways. Good mystery.

What a fun read! There are so many people now interested in their family history because of DNA testing sites and online records, this is a great way to incorporate a new passion (for some) - genealogy with an old - reading mysteries [or vice versa].

I love the characters and look forward to the next book.

A professional genealogist?! Making a living at something so interesting?! I have received my share of glazes looks from friends as I ramble on about the latest find, and I don't have much time to actually spend on it. Lucy is just finishing up a family record for a long time Texan and local billionaire. She discovers some old photos that reveal first hand information about the death of his ancestor. Naturally, the story doesn't end there, as in the present day, politicians with much to lose seem to be the obvious suspects for a historian's death. The local Austin atmosphere and food are well described, quirky as always. FBI agent Ben Turner adds a bit of a Maddie/David element to the story. I love that Lucy's friends support her and how Lucy's acknowledges how these distant people become real for a while.

This cozy mystery just did not work for me. I enjoyed the genealogical background. The characters however were just too immature to be taken seriously. They acted like teenagers instead of professional women. The amateur sleuth put herself in danger a lot for no reason. The mystery was very easy to solve. Overall I was disappointed.

This book was cute! I enjoyed the colorful characters. Plus, I learned more about genealogy. Now I know what “once removed” means! I am definitely looking forward to the next installment.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

Murder Once Removed by S.C. Perkins is the first book in the Ancestry Detective series. Lucy is a genealogist who goes the extra mile for her clients. She is researching the family history of a billionaire and finds proof that his great-great-grandfather was murdered. Lucy is even close to solving the very cold case when an unknown person sets out to stop her no matter what. I loved the genealogy aspect of this book although the once removed stuff still baffles me. The characters fell a bit flat, but I expect this to change as the series progresses. The mystery was strong, and the series has great promise!

A wonderful first in series! This author has delivered a well rounded mystery with some unique elements that will keep you guessing until the very end. If you're interested in genealogy then this cozy mystery will keep your attention until the very end.

Murder Once Removed is unique to other cozy mysteries series out there. You don’t normally read about a genealogist landing in a murder investigation, but Lucy Lancaster certainly found herself right in the middle of one.
I don’t know a whole lot about genealogy so after I requested this book I began to worry that it might be a bit too deep in genealogy for me, but the author explains very well so I never got lost.
I really liked how the author tied the history to the present day, but for me, the murderer just didn’t have a good enough excuse for so much hate to cause such a fuss over. I was expecting something totally different for the murderer, but I could be one in a few that really thinks that.
Still, this is a good read for anyone that likes a different take on a cozy mystery.

I’ve read a lot of cozy mysteries and I love discovering new series that might end up being a long time favorite. The trick seems always be finding something new and different.

This book is the first in a new series featuring Lucy, a genealogist. I had to pause and reread this particular part. I was very intrigued by the genealogist part and was curious to see how that played out in the mystery.

My mom is really into genealogy and I have to say that it’s not the most exciting filed of study in my opinion, but I do love history and uncovering unique characters in family lineages is always fun and exciting. In this case, Lucy discover a murder in a family tree, but I was curious to see how that was going to be relevant in the modern story.

Summary

According to her friends, Lucy Lancaster, Austin, Texas genealogist, has never been drunk. Tipsy, sure, but drunk? No way. So when she arrives back at her office from a three-martini lunch three sheets to the wind, it’s a momentous occassion. Even more momentous is what she’s announced on live television while blotto: Texas senator Caleb Applewhite might be responsible for the murder of Seth Halloran.

Of course, Lucy is a genealogist, so the murder in question would have taken place in 1849. But the descendents of the two families, Daniel Applewhite and Pearce Halloran are, are in the midst of a competitive race for the US Senate, and this news does nothing to calm tensions. Lucy is determined to either prove or disprove Caleb Applewhite as the murderer, but when her curiosity puts her at the scene of another murder—this time, in the present-day—she realizes that the branches of some family trees are too gnarled and twisted to unwind (summary from Goodreads).

Review

I thought the genealogy bit was an interesting approach to not just a historical murder, but a modern day one as well. I loved trying to see how the two were linked and unravel a unique mystery. I didn’t realize a professional genealogist was actually a thing anymore with all the modern technology and DNA tests, but I thought it was a unique profession and offered an interesting perspective for Lucy’s character.

This was a super quick read for me. I don’t know that it was a huge page turner for me, but it was well written and had a quick pace. I was able to read it in about two sittings and found it enjoyable and different. There was a lot of history about Texas which I wasn’t really into and I didn’t really see the need for in this book, but it wasn’t a huge distraction over all.

While I thought Lucy showed promise as a detective and for future books, I felt that she was a little too immature at times. Her and her friends gushed about guys a little too much and were a little too into partying and for me it just felt out of place and unnecessary in this book. I will be excited to see the direction Lucy goes in future books.

Overall I went with a 3 star rating. It’s a great introduction but at times I felt like it lacked some polish and maturity in some of the characters.

My grandfather gave me a love of history and family history, and I’m fascinated with the field of forensic genealogy and ancestry detectives. So, picking up Murder Once Removed to review was a no-brainer!

Before I go too much farther, I must mention my absolute favorite character in the story – Lucy’s cat Neil Patrick Housecat. Even though I rarely love cats – in fiction or in real life – the name won me over immediately. How can you not love a cat named for NPH?

The rest of the characters didn’t quite grow on me yet – they seem immature for their 30-something ages but maybe I’m just getting old LOL. I am intrigued by the potential romance budding between Lucy and Ben (the FBI agent), and I did really enjoy Big Flaco of Big Flaco’s Tacos too. He’s a great fatherly figure to Lucy and just a bigger than life personality that, interestingly, is the only character to show any noticeable depth.

While the characters may not have grabbed me, the mystery totally did. A murder over 100 years ago, an old daguerreotype of the body, two possible suspects (from the past) with big ramifications in the present. And at the center of it all is Lucy and her genealogical research. I enjoyed a lot of the technical details since I love this field but at times it did bog down the story a bit, especially for people who aren’t as into ancestry detectives. (Also, I need that chart that Lucy keeps handy that makes figuring out the whole first/second/third cousins once/twice/three times removed labyrinth.)

Bottom Line: This isn’t my favorite cozy mystery I’ve read lately, but it has enough elements that I did like that I’ll definitely keep following the series. The historical mystery that affects the present is well-plotted and an intriguing premise all the way around. However, some of the overly-detailed descriptions of trivial information (clothing, partying, etc.) simply took up too much space in the narrative without contributing much overall and I ended up skimming chunks of the story at times. Mixed feelings about this book, but I did like it – and Neil Patrick Housecat for the win! 😉

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I recei

I can't really accurately review or rate this book because I only read a small part of it. I will say that the plot line intrigued me, being a amateur genealogist and loving a good mystery. However, after reading just a few chapters I had to put the book down. The writing and hokey "Texas slang" was just too much for me and distracted me from the rest of the book. Also I felt like the author was trying to hard to tell people how to do genealogy - yet there were magically all these resources available to her to solve this mystery. It felt very unrealistic.

Princess Fuzzypants here: They take family very seriously in Texas, particularly if the roots go way back. So when Lucy uncovers proof that the fore bearer of one of the prominent families was murdered by the fore bearer of another prominent family and both are vying for political office, it gets pretty heated. But it defies logic why someone should be willing to kill about a crime that was committed in the 1800’s.
While that is baffling, it is even more so when the FBI get involved. Everyone seems to want to find out what Lucy’s source material is hiding that transcends the decades.
Lucy is a fascinating character as is her genealogy research. I can see why she gets so immersed delving into the past. She’s very smart at what she does but she manages to stumble into situations beyond her skill set. The reader knows from the outset that as she clashes with the FBI guy, there are going to sparks of a different kind before the end of the book. The story is filled with some fabulous supporting characters, including the owner of a Mexican restaurant who “knows” people. Her friends and office mates also add extra oomph.
The villain came out of the shadows as did his partner in crime. It made for an intriguing yet fast read. This is another good vacation read.
Four purrs and two paws up.