Murder Once Removed

Written by S. C. Perkins

Narrated by Nina Alvamar

S.C. Perkins' Murder Once Removed is the captivating first mystery in the Ancestry Detective series, in which Texas genealogist Lucy Lancaster uses her skills to solve murders in both the past and present. Except for a good taco, genealogist Lucy Lancaster loves nothing more than tracking down her clients' long-dead ancestors, and her job has never been so exciting as when she discovers a daguerreotype photograph and a journal proving Austin, Texas, billionaire Gus Halloran's great-great-grandfather was murdered back in 1849. What's more, Lucy is able to tell Gus who was responsible for his ancestor's death. Partly, at least. Using clues from the journal, Lucy narrows the suspects down to two nineteenth-century Texans, one of whom is the ancestor of present-day U.S. senator Daniel Applewhite. But when Gus publicly outs the senator as the descendant of a murderer-with the accidental help of Lucy herself-and her former co-worker is murdered protecting the daguerreotype, Lucy will find that shaking the branches of some family trees proves them to be more twisted and dangerous than she ever thought possible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980021674

S. C. Perkins

S.C. PERKINS is a fifth-generation Texan who grew up hearing fascinating stories of her ancestry and eating lots of great Tex-Mex. Her first book, Murder Once Removed, was the winner of the 2017 Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery competition, and an Agatha Award Nominee. She resides in Houston and, when she’s not writing or working at her day job, she’s likely outside in the sun, on the beach, or riding horses.

Reviews for Murder Once Removed

[murderbydeath · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This sat on my TBR for ages, and then I started reading it in April and it started off slowly enough that it languished bedside for almost 4 months. Everything else I wanted to pick up yesterday qualified for Halloween Book Bingo, so I decided to just finish this one off. This book ended up being much better than I expected.Lucy is a professional genealogist, researching the family tree of one of the more prominent Austin families when she stumbles upon evidence that a long ago ‘accidental’ death of one of her client’s ancestors was actually a murder, paid for by a man with the initials C.A. As she tried to find out more about the people surrounding this 150+ year old crime she discovers that someone in the here and now is very much invested in what happened all those days ago.The story starts off slow, and frankly a little bit immaturely, but about half way through the story got interesting as it became apparent how the author was going to make a 150 year old crime relevant enough for someone to kill over in the present. The writing also got better; it’s standard cozy fare, but it’s better than average once you get past the frivolous party attitude prevalent at the start.The solution was, perhaps, trying too hard to be clever and Lucy’s little justifications of genealogy a bit tedious, but overall it was a mystery that surprised me. I had no intention of reading another one after the first 75 pages, but by the end I found myself willing to read the second one to see where it goes.

[whybehave2002 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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. :)

[debf56 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book combines two things I enjoy, genealogy and a good mystery. It pulls you along into the past and present in a unique way. When you think you have it figured out another wrench is thrown into the mix. This book has a good puzzle to figure out with many possible suspects and is a page turner for sure. I could not put it down.

[ethel55_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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 Texas 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.

[paradiseporch · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

#1 Ancestry Detective series. Timely as the Baby Boomers hit retirement and start tracing their family trees. I was a rebel who did that in my 20s and no longer actively take an interest. Though I still, obviously, will pick up a mystery with a genealogy theme.Enjoyable enough. Houston, Texas setting if that interests you.

[spencer28-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this new entry into the cozy mystery field. The premise of a professional genealogist solving murder mysteries--both past and current--is a new twist, and Lucy is an engaging protagonist. I look forward to following Lucy's further adventures.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When Texas genealogist Lucy Lancaster solved a 150+ year old murder, she didn’t expect it to lead to a 21st century murder or put her own life and the lives of her friends in danger. Her research seems to have unearthed secrets that someone would rather stayed buried. The problem is, there are still some missing pieces so Lucy isn’t sure who is willing to kill to protect the secrets or who might be next in the killer’s sights. With the help of her two best friends and reluctant assistance from a hunky FBI agent, Lucy just might be able to right a very old wrong.It took a while for me to warm up to Lucy. She started off on the wrong foot with some seriously unprofessional behavior. It’s not a good idea to get plastered at a lunch meeting with an important client. I was gradually won over by some of the secondary characters, including the FBI agent and the owner of the Mexican restaurant which is Lucy’s favorite hangout. I did spot a glaring error in Lucy’s genealogy research. She mentions finding someone in the 1890 census, but this census was mostly destroyed in a fire nearly a century ago. The person in question did live in a state for which a few fragments remain, but as frequently as Lucy boasted about her genealogical research skills, I think she would have bragged about her luck at finding the person in one of the fragments if the author was aware that most of the 1890 federal population census hasn’t survived.This review is based on an electronic advance reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

[cathyskye · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Murder Once Removed is the first in the promising Ancestry Detective cozy series set in Texas. Author S.C. Perkins used her setting to perfect advantage: not only did I want to book a flight to Austin for a visit, but she also made me crave Mexican food. (Thank heaven Big Flaco's Tacos isn't here!) Another strong part of her setting is the old office building in which Lucy shares space with her two best friends, Serena the personal shopper and British Josephine who's a translator. Perkins has set up a good supporting cast for Lucy which also includes Juan "Big Flaco" Medrano (the food magician, yum) and NPH-- Neil Patrick Housecat-- among others. The cast might get even larger if some of the family members who were mentioned return from their travels in future books. The mystery is a good one in Murder Once Removed, plenty of misdirection and red herrings, and I enjoyed trying to figure it out. But there were a couple of things that I didn't enjoy quite so much. Lucy is not supposed to be a fashionista-- preferring to wear jeans and t-shirts to work-- but readers are given a blow-by-blow description of everyone's physical appearance and wardrobe. All the needless detail slows down the pace of the book. There's also a rather run-of-the-mill romantic interest for Lucy-- the gorgeous law enforcement guy who rubs her fur the wrong way-- that really wasn't necessary. Just once, I wish the main character would fall for a homely guy who wasn't licensed to carry any deadly weapons, you know?Thankfully, the mystery, Lucy and her gang, and the Austin setting rose above the wordy descriptions and ho-hum romance. I'm looking forward to seeing what family tree Lucy shakes next.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Murder Once Removed is unique for cozy mysteries. Our main character, Lucy Lancaster is a genealogist who runs a company called Ancestry Investigations. She can uncover your ancestors, provide a family tree, obtain photographs, and so much more (I had no idea). Lucy can provide a beautifully bound book and a website for her clients is they desire. She uses land records, census records, journals, photographs and numerous other resources (there is a veritable font of information available if you know where to look). I would have liked more information on Lucy and for her to come across as a more mature main character (not the best idea to get blotto in front of a client). Though I do find it appealing that she is a Downton Abbey fan. There are two intertwined mysteries in Murder Once Removed. The death of Seth Halloran from 1849 and the current murder of Winnie Dell. I like how the two mysteries relate to each other and that they were wrapped up at the end of the book. There is action as Lucy evades the killer. She asks questions and does research to solve the two crimes. I do wish that the modern mystery had been laid out differently. It is the type that plays out with little opportunity for the reader to solve (which is my favorite part). There is interesting genealogical information and history included in the story (though I am still baffled by the once removed—there is a handy chart included). Special Agent Ben Turner was an interesting, handsome and charming character. His history background gives him plenty in common with Lucy who finds him attractive. There were sparks flying between the pair. I liked the humorous dialogue between them at the end (made me laugh). Murder Once Removed is an enticing new cozy mystery that will appeal to the history and genealogy enthusiasts.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lucy Lancaster, a professional genealogist, researches the family of Gus Halloran, uncovering a mystery surrounding the mid-19th century death of Seth Halloran. A photographer's journal states he was murdered by C.A. and then the scene was tampered to make it look as though he were trampled by horses. Lucy finds two candidates for C.A., but since enmity runs deep between the Applewhite and Halloran families, Gus focuses on that solution when he tells his family's story in a press conference. A page, possibly revealing the identity of C.A., was missing from the journal. As Lucy investigates, she runs into an FBI agent moonlighting as a history professor and into danger. I enjoyed the historic mystery; however, several things bothered me about the book. Lucy discusses research several times in very vague terms, making me wonder how familiar the author was with genealogical research. At one point Lucy tells another character about her flat rate package for researching "first family" Texas ancestry. Very few professional genealogists offer flat rate packages these days because it is nearly impossible to predict how long it will take to make a genealogically sound connection to a qualifying individual. Those who do offer such a package generally work for a larger firm rather than for themselves. Most charge an hourly rate plus expenses with a retainer collected up front. The balance is usually due before the final report is sent. The biggest error concerned census research. Lucy found results in the 1890 census. That census was mostly destroyed by fire. For the state in question, fragments of three enumeration districts in two counties exist as well as the Union Veterans schedule, which was small in a Confederate state. In the extent schedules, six families appear in one county; in the other county, four families appear in one enumeration district fragment and ninety-two families in the other district. Nowhere did Lucy mention the county to which the family moved and nowhere did she mention luck at finding the family. In fact the two counties were unlikely places for the family to reside based on comments about the family's life in the state. While widows of Union veterans were sometimes heads of household in these schedules, the information supposedly gleaned from the census makes it impossible the veterans schedule was what she consulted. While the mystery held great potential, the author's unfamiliarity with genealogical research hampered its effectiveness. If the series continues, I hope the author gets a professional genealogist to read the book to find errors in record availability and in practice. The other irritating flaw in the book was the author's unprofessional conduct in several instances. No instance's activity served to advance the plot in a way that could not be achieved through ethical means. The author needs to read Genealogy Standards by the Board for Certification of Genealogists and the Association of Professional Genealogist's Code of Ethics before writing additional installments. This review reflects the text appearing in an advance electronic copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.