A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Harbor Lane Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF 35%. This book has a great deal of focus on genealogy, which unfortunately for me made my eyes glaze over with all the names and family trees given. This isn’t the fault of the author, but simply that for me personally family genealogy has never been an interest and I wasn’t aware going into this book that such a large focus would be on this, and in such detail.

However, what I did read I found interesting, and the investigation ongoing for this supposedly “simple” case has a lot of potential. I also enjoyed the hints of danger lurking in the shadows for the main character - both from real and supernatural dangers.

I think this book would appeal to anyone who likes both mysteries as well as genealogy, as a large portion of this book was an investigation of this one particular family line. You can tell the author has done their research on this topic, and even with my confusion on family trees (I, personally, have never been able to follow them easily) I was mostly able to follow along with who was what, and how they were related. I just personally couldn’t focus when a great deal of the novel was simply tying in family trees, and honestly I found it a bit unbelievable that so many people know their own family history to the degree given in this novel. (But then again, maybe that’s me, who couldn’t tell you any further than maybe my grandparents’ names on one side of my family.)

Many thanks to both Harbor Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of The Desk from Hoboken. The expected publication date is March 5, 2024.

"After all, what truths have been hidden for 180 years that would be worth bribery, kidnapping, and even murder?"

The Desk from Hoboken starts when RaeJean is asked to investigate the puzzling death of the woman whose death inspired Edgar Allan Poe's "The Mystery of Marie Roget." Although I enjoy reading historical, as well as historical-fiction books, I became a wee bit tired of the repetition in this one. I probably would have enjoyed the book more if I had ever done any genealogy searches, myself.

The Desk from Hoboken has some very likable characters and some intriguing side stories. There was a touch of romance and paranormal, too. As one who knows nothing about genealogy, I still liked this book ... and I wanted to own the desk!!

This unique book will appeal to people with an interest in genealogy and mystery. The main character is RaeJean Hunter, who is a freelance forensic genealogist. She has suffered a personal loss and has not had the heart to take on new cases.

Then a body washes out of what was part of an old, nearby cemetery dating back to the 1800's. Rumors soon start that the woman could be Mary Rogers, who had died almost 200 years before. She was a member of a notorious family, and Edgar Allen Poe had written a short story believed to be based on her. RaeJean is interested enough to take the case, and soon some disquieting things begin to happen. She can't shake the feeling of being followed, and there is a man she spots too often in her vicinity.

I believe anyone interested in history and genealogy will enjoy this story. Learning about the historical resources, and all the different occupations available to people in the history and genealogy fields was fascinating. I particularly liked the combination of history, genealogy, and STEM used to solve the mystery of Mary. With a little help from a possibly haunted desk.

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher Harbor Lane Books LLC via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

This was a great novel. Mystery combined with historical research. A exploration of grief as well, and going forward.

I enjoyed the detail in the historical research, and the searching for answers. Well done.

historical-research, grief, grieving, E. A. Poe, pet-dog, cozy-mystery, sleuthing, depression, genealogy*****

As a cozy mystery, it's basically fair. As an exploration of grief and depression, it's excellent. As a historical deep dive into genealogy, it is the greatest fun to learn with (history geek here).
RaeJean is a forensic genealogist and former asst to FBI agents but has a personal tragedy that sidelines her. She is asked to assist with a rather messy investigation into the lineage of a recently disinterred body with an apparent connection to a story by E. A. Poe. Very unusual.
I requested and received an EARC from Harbor Lane Books, LLC via NetGalley. Thank you!

A well written and researched book. It is not a book for everyone. The reader will have to like history, genealogy, no suspence, no shock factor. If these are not things you look in a book, I wouldn't read it.
I personally had a bit of a hard time, and I do love history.

I wanted to love this. I love genealogy and everything research and library related. But this book dragged on and on and on and it was so repetitive. The violence was silly and the characters were melodramatic. It was really more about pregnancy than real mysteries.
I thank NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

The ending was clever, but I wasn't thoroughly invested in the story until about half-way through. The whole 'murder' part was misleading. I might've missed it, but no one was actually murdered.

RaeJean and Sam's love for each other was sweet, but often times it felt a bit repetitive. I'm also not a romance person myself really (there are exceptions to that), but maybe that part of the book just wasn't for me.

The mystery itself was a nice spin on things, considering how RaeJean connected to Mary somewhat. Although the genealogy aspect was a nice touch, I would've liked to have seen a visual family tree. There were so many names that it became harder for me to differentiate between who was who. Overall, it was a decent story and mystery, but I personally don't have much interest in reading another one.

The Desk From Hoboken from ML Condike combines historical fiction, forensic genealogy, and a cozy mystery into a wonderful story about Mary Rogers. Mary's body was found floating in the Hudson River in 1841. Her death was never explained, yet it influenced Edger Allen Poe to fictionalize her death.
ML Condike also fictionalized her death in The Desk From Hoboken but with a modern twist. Condike uses today's technology to weave a story that would explain Mary's death and her history. The originality of the story sets it apart from other mysteries. Condike combines the action of the investigation with historical information to speculate a tale of intrigue and adventure. It was reminiscent of the movie National Treasure but with a focus on identifying a body, instead of finding a treasure.
Being a novice at genealogy, I was interested in reading this immediately. The intermingling of history and mystery kept me invested in finishing the book and I had great trouble putting it down. I would be thrilled if Condike evolved this into a series, with ReaJean continuing to solve genealogical mysteries. I think Condike could lose the religious references, the paranormal leanings, and tighten up the story as there was some dialogue that seemed repetitive. However, the story thrilled me and I enjoyed every minute of reading it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harbor Lane Books for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

In theory, I feel like this book should have been boring. After all, what exciting things can happen when researching archives, websites, libraries, and family heirlooms for connections to a 180-year-old body? In practice, it was one of the most interesting books I have read in the recent months, and not only due to the unique viewpoint of a genealogist.

The plot was marvellous, it had mystery, drama, suspense, fascinating leads and exciting twists and turns that you wouldn’t expect at first glance. ReaJean's life was masterfully integrated with the main plotline of the book, and all the characters felt fleshed out and real even if they appeared only a few times. Thankfully, Condike didn’t fall into the frequent bad family relationship trope, and I was glad to see the main character loved and supported throughout the book.

Of course, I must note the hours and hours of research that evidently went into this book. It was evident the author knew what they were talking about regarding the very real case of Mary Rogers and the terminology associated with genealogical field. Unfortunately, at times it was a bit hard to follow from the readers perspective, I feel the book would have greatly benefitted from a family tree in the appendix, or perhaps even throughout the book as RaeJean’s investigation progressed and it filled out.

Overall, I feel this book deserves a 5* rating.

Big thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for letting me read an early access version of The Desk in Hoboken.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

I really enjoyed reading this book. While researching my husband's birth family, I got into genealogy, so I found this story fascinating. I like that it was about something not many authors write about. I think you will have some major fans in the genealogy world.

The story kept me guessing and wanting to keep turning pages. I love how the main character's life also wound into the story in the perfect balance. I knew a lot about her background and got to know her as the book unfolded, but it didn't distract from the main story. Personally, Lillian wouldn't have made it past the first "incident." I don't think I could have stomached any other interactions with her. The only thing I wished for was maybe a family tree to keep all the family members straight, but that's just me and my old brain.

I am a fan and can't wait for your next book! I hope RaeJean Hunter becomes a recurring character. I have already requested that my library system purchase this book.

This book was a bit different from what I normally read! It was very interesting! I did enjoy reading this one! This book had the usual! It had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, abortion, a sort of who done it, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was worth reading! It wasn't one of my top favorite but I think that's because it was a bit different! Its still very interesting and worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

5 stars

RaeJean Hunter is recovering from a major loss and starting to think about returning to work as a forensic genealogist. She receives a phone call from a professor at the local college. He has the skeletal remains of a woman he suspects is Mary Rogers. Mary was supposed to have died sometime during the 1840’s Rae is intrigued and decides to take the case. It looks to be an easy one. Right?

Rae meets a wide variety of people during her searches. Some of them are simply delightful. Others are not so nice. She finds herself in trouble. The search for Mary is definitely an adventure. The descriptions of the scenery around New York and Connecticut are vivid. I’ve never been to either place, so I was drinking in the scenery as it went by.

While traveling around the East Coast, searching for information about Mary and her family, she comes across an antique ladies’ secretary. She is fascinated by it and must have it. Once she gets it home, she finds that it has some rather unique properties.

This is a delightful and fascinating book. The characters are well fleshed out and believable. I especially liked the relationship between the main protagonist, RaeJean Hunter and her husband Sam. The book is packed with action, twists and surprises. There are evil, selfish people trying to thwart Rae’s investigation.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harbor Lane Books for forwarding to me a copy of this remarkable book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

#TheDeskfromHoboken #NetGalley is the beginning of a new series featuring RaeJean Hunter, forensic genealogist.
RaeJean is healing from a personal loss, until a case comes up, and she finds herself intrigued by the mystery.
A nearby college has asked for help identifying the bones some students found, they may be 180 years old and they hope they can be identified as belonging to Mary Rogers, a young woman who disappeared in the 1840's.
The desk in the title plays a huge part in the story, and I was blown away with all the details RaeJean found important.
While I was a bit lost with the genealogy terms and specifics, I found myself glued to the pages, excited to see what would happen next.
Discovering a new author is always exciting for me and I'm happy to have found M.L. Condike and The Desk from Hoboken.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.