In S. C. Perkins’s Lineage Most Lethal, the captivating second mystery in the Ancestry Detective series, Texas genealogist Lucy Lancaster grapples with a mystery rooted in World War II and espionage. It’s the week before New Year’s Eve and genealogist Lucy Lancaster is ready to mix work and play at the beautiful Hotel Sutton, enjoying herself while finalizing the presentation for her latest … presentation for her latest client, hotel heiress Pippa Sutton.
Freshly arrived at the hotel–and determined not to think about Special Agent Ben Turner, who went radio silent on her after one date–Lucy is stopped in her tracks when a strange man comes staggering toward her. She barely has time to notice his weak, sweaty appearance before he presses a classic Montblanc pen onto her hand, gasps, “Keep them safe,” and collapses at her feet, dead.
When Lucy shows the fountain pen to her grandfather, an avid collector and World War II veteran, she’s in for another shock. Not only does Grandpa recognize the Montblanc, he also reveals a secret: he was an Allied spy during the war and the pen is both a message regarding one of his wartime missions and the key to reading a microdot left by the dead man.
On the microdot is a series of ciphers, some decrypted to form names. Could they be the descendants of Grandpa’s fellow spies? When two from the list end up murdered–including the chef at the Hotel Sutton–and Grandpa’s life is put in jeopardy, Lucy’s sure she’s right. And with Lucy’s and Pippa’s names possibly on the list, too, she’s got to uncover the past to protect those in the present.
With a secret Allied mission, old grievances, and traitors hiding behind every corner, Lucy must use her research skills to trace the list’s World War II ancestors and connect the dots to find a killer in their midst–a killer who’s determined to make sure some lineages end once and for all.
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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!
This is a tough review for me to write – I didn’t hate this book. I didn’t even dislike it. But there are aspects of it that I am just not a fan of – it is about 50-60 pages too long [there is a LOT of blathering about stuff that just doesn’t matter] and in this one, there was just one story-line too many for my liking [though they were both interesting, it would have been neat to have them BOTH as separate books as I like Pippa and it would be cool to see her as a recurring character]. Apparently I need a more plot-driven story-line so when it wanders away and blathers, I get distracted and turned off.
That said, even though I didn’t love it [and had my dislikes], I did like it for the most part – I loved Lucy’s grandfather. What a great addition to the story. He [and his story-line] was just fantastic and I kept praying throughout the book that he wasn’t going to get killed. I would have been seriously unhappy then. And even though we don’t see them as much in this book, I like Lucy’s besties as well. And Flaco’s Tacos. I seriously need one of those places near me. Heavenly. And I really did like Pippa and her story-line. And the whole genealogy thing is very cool. Just less blathering please.
I knew who the killer was in the second chapter, though to be fair, I just thought ”Oh that person would be a great murderer”, never thinking anything past that. But by the 5th or 6th chapter I knew for certain and then it just had to unravel [and that might be my reasoning for thinking it was too long and had too much filler]. The reveal was excellent though and the end was really perfect. So there is that too. I would read a third one should she write it. 🙂
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press/Minotaur Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Having done my family’s genealogy since I was middle school, I picked up the first book in the series and very much enjoyed it. So, needless to say I was looking forward to this next book in the series. I love that the main character is a professional genealogist. I think it brings a different perspective and added dimension to her sleuthing. Lucy Lancaster is a terrific character. She is smart and curious, with a good mind that is able to put clues together. She is surrounded by a returning cast of characters in her grandfather and two office mates/friends. I like that so far, each book introduces us to new characters that are involved with Lucy’s current genealogy project.
The mystery in this book was well done. It involves some murders in the present that are driven by secrets from World War II. Lucy’s grandfather plays a large role in her investigation with plenty of references to the secrets and covert missions carried out during WWII. The author did a great job of weaving a couple of different mysteries together with the main whodunit and tied them all up nicely in the end. I have to say that I surprised myself by figuring out the culprit early on. That said, I wasn’t sure of motive until it was fully revealed in the end.
I am looking forward to more books in the series and given that I relate to the profession of the main character, the stories hold a lot of interest for me.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, through Netgalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
This series is becoming one of my favorites! Such an interesting topic and fun to learn how to go about finding out about your ancestry. This book was very intriguing with the storyline about a spy mission from World War Two. Lucy is working on a presentation for hotel heiress, Pippa Sutton, when a man stumbles up to her at the Sutton Hotel and tries to hand her a pen telling her to keep them safe and then drops dead. Lucy recognizes the pen as a Mont Blanc pen and video chats with her grandfather, a WWII veteran, who is a collector of these pens. Her grandfather later shows up at the hotel and swaps out pens. He shares with Lucy that the pen was one of eight given to spies of a specific mission and he thinks the man who died knew who she was and that there is a message on a microdot for her grandfather. An intriguing tale of spies, war, and ancestors of the spies. I was enthralled with this storyline. I loved seeing Lucy and her grandfather together and trying to figure out what the mission was and who the killer was. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lucy and hope to see more of a relationship between Lucy and Ben!
Lucy Lancaster is working on another fascinating genealogy for a local Austin heiress, Pippa Sutton. Their hotel will be the site of a large family gathering and festivities for the holidays, where Lucy will polish up her findings and treat everyone to the results. A stranger collapses near Hotel Sutton and Lucy inadvertently winds up with the deceased’s vintage Montblanc pen. She is surprised when her grandfather, a WWII vet and vintage pen collector, shows up after seeing the pen on Facetime. I really liked how this story merged the historical mystery of espionage with the modern mystery facing Lucy. Her grandfather is a hoot, and her officemates always up for an adventure too. I also enjoyed the genealogy tips and Lucy’s initial visit to the cemetery.
Lucy Lancaster’s on the case once again, and this time it hits a little too close to home when a man drops dead at her feet and she discovers that he’s connected to her beloved grandfather (who we learn was a member of an elite group of WWII spies!) Fast paced and full of clues and suspects, it was a wonderful read, and author S.C. Perkins has hit upon a refreshing idea for a cozy series – a protagonist who conducts genealogical research for a living opens up sooooo many great possibilities for future books! Loved it, and am rating Lineage Most Lethal 5 stars and A+++!
LINEAGE MOST LETHAL, the second book in S.C. Perkins’ Ancestry Detective series, is an excellent, smart mystery featuring genealogist Lucy Lancaster. It is sure to please both cozy and traditional mystery readers alike.
The series’ premise of a professional genealogist solving mysteries is fresh and, to me, pretty exciting. Perkins does an excellent job of weaving Lucy’s work into both a present day mystery and a tale of World War II era espionage. I like the Austin, Texas, setting. The characters, especially Lucy and her grandpa George, are so appealing. Since the pair is tightly connected to the mystery, I felt invested in the story from the first page. The story is well plotted and expertly executed. The pace is steady and leads up to a nail-biting climax.
I am so glad that I came across LINEAGE MOST LETHAL and look forward to many more adventures with Lucy and crew. Highly recommended!
With much gratitude, I received an ARC of this title through NetGalley from St. Martin’s Press and voluntarily shared my thoughts and opinions here.
I love family history and genealogy, so the whole premise of this book delights and intrigues me.
Genealogist Lucy Lancaster is spending the week before New Year’s Eve at the boutique Sutton Hotel in Austin, Texas. The hotel is owned by her client, a hotel heiress, and Lucy’s there to finalize and present two months of research. Lucy’s just arrived at the hotel when a strange man arrives, sweaty, staggering, with a broken tooth, and obviously ill. He presses a Montblanc pen into Lucy’s hand and whispers “keep them safe,” then immediately collapses dead at her feet.
In the chaos after emergency services arrives the pen disappears and Lucy forgets about it entirely until afterward. She tracks it down and retrieves it from her client’s dog. Lucy’s grandfather collects Montblanc pens so she decides to wait and show it to him before handing it over to the police. But grandpa’s response is odd, starting Lucy down an investigatory trail.
Lineage Most Lethal is a fun and fast-paced cozy mystery, with interesting characters I hope to see in future books. Lucy’s ninety-something year old grandfather plays a large role in the novel and is absolutely fantastic.
There is a spoiler for the killer from the previous book so I would recommend reading the series in order (this is book two).
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #LineageMostLethal #mystery #cozymystery
Lineage Most Lethal by S.C. Perkins is the second in the Ancestry Detective Series, featuring professional genealogist Lucy Lancaster. In this outing, Lucy is researching the ancestry of Pippa Sutton, a small hotel heiress in Austin, Texas, Lucy’s hometown. Lucy is just about finished with the six-week long project, spending New Year’s week at the flagship hotel, Pippa’s great-grandfather’s renovated home. She is there with much of the extended family, putting the finishing touches on a video she has completed for the family featuring not only genealogical information, but also stories told by family members. On her first night there, a man rushes out of the darkness, thrusts a Mont Blanc fountain pen at her, and drops dead at her feet. To say it was disconcerting would be a gross minimalization. Things get complicated from there, including her grandfather’s past as a spy during World War II. Tons of family history of several families.
Lineage Most Lethal is a terrific series full of compelling historical facts and genealogical techniques, as well as a good mystery with several deaths happening before Lucy figured it out. She has good friends and they make her life better and more entertaining. It is a totally entertaining and fascinating read. The characters are real people and the plot was good. I loved it. I recommend it.
I was invited to read a free ARC of Lineage Most Lethal by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #lineagemostlethal
This is the second book in the Ancestry Detective Mystery series by S. C. Perkins and is a solid follow-up to the first novel. In Lineage Most Lethal, genealogist Lucy Lancaster is hard at work putting together the family history of a young woman who has inherited her family’s fortune and turned the family estate into the flag-ship hotel of the family chain. The death of a man on hotel grounds initially appears to be an unwelcome, but accidental intrusion. However, Lucy, as she shares information about a collector’s quality Mont Blanc fountain pen with her grandfather, himself a collector, learns it is much much more.
In the process, Lucy learns much about her grandfather’s time in the military during WWII when, unknown to most of his family, he was a member of the intelligence branch with some top secret duties. His group had been issued pens matching the one carried by the murdered man so they could recognize one another, and thus the present starts to merge with the past.
Lucy’s grandfather is a charming character in the series, and his information is vital to solving the current mystery. There are also repeat appearances by Flaco, Lucy’s self proclaimed adoptive father and master chef of all things Mexican; her roommates, and a brief appearance by Ben, her love interest from the first novel. The book is self-contained and there is sufficient information for anyone to enjoy this one without having read the first in the series. However, if you are a lover of mystery series, you may want to read the first book and then this one as you will most likely want to continue as new books are published.
While I figured out early the identity of the murderer, it was no less enjoyable to read and see how Perkins included clues right in front of the reader’s nose that could easily be overlooked. Likewise, the importance of red herrings was cleverly touted while, in truth, having nothing to do with the murder. The entire story harkens back to occurrences from WWII, and thus seems a perfect setting for someone with Lucy’s interest and talent at doing historical research.
My thanks to St. Martin’s Press Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me an advanced digital real copy of the novel. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Having enjoyed the first in the Ancestry Detective mystery, Murder Once Removed, I was eager to read Lineage Most Lethal. Some series suffer a sophomore slump but this second entry is, in my opinion, even better than the first. Lucy Lancaster lives in Texas and does genealogy, this time her research is for her client, Pippa Sutton and takes her into the era of WWII. As soon as she presents her work to her client a death occurs when the victim slips something to Lucy. Then things get very interesting. I won’t divulge any more foe feat of spoilers.
Not only was the mystery very complex and satisfying, the main characters of Lucy, her grandfather, her best friends, Josephine and Serena, and others added lots of depth to the story. Her grandfather especially has major role in the mystery. This series has earned its place on my TBR list of books not to be missed.
My thanks to the publisher, Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Lineage Most Lethal is the second book in S. C. Perkins’ Ancestry Detective Mystery series. Professional genealogist Lucy Lancaster has just completed a detailed family tree for heiress and hotelier Pippa Sutton and has been invited to stay at the Sutton House along with Pippa’s extended family for the New Year’s holiday. This is the culmination of her research where Lucy will present the lineage to the family as well as garner additional interviews from family members telling their anecdotal tales.
On her first evening at the luxury hotel, Lucy encounters a dying man who tries to pass her a strange pen and warns her to keep safe, but who is she supposed to keep safe? When she tells her grandfather, World War II vet George Lancaster, about the strange encounter and the odd pen, he becomes agitated and makes an immediate trip to see Lucy. From this point the story unfolds to a decades old spy story and a plot of revenge.
This is a smartly plotted mystery that leaves the reader guessing until the final chapters. With richly drawn characters and a fast paced storyline, I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!
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.
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.
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.
5 Stars
Cozy Mystery in Austin
This book really grabbed me. It features a genealogist researching a family that 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.
352 pages
4 stars
I absolutely love the cover of this book!
I was despairing of the inanity of this story until I met ninety-two year-old Grandpa George Lancaster. He is priceless!
This is an involved story that mostly focuses on WWII spies and plots most foul and how one old “operation” carries into the present. It was very good and I appreciate the author’s fine talent for crafting such a story. Ms. Perkins managed to bring to life the characters and infuse them with interesting personalities and backstories. It was very well written and I liked that is didn’t contain as much of Lucy’s two office mates as did the previous book. I tire of them easily. I look very much forward to reading the next in this series.
I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.
I love Lucy Lancaster, a professional genealogist in Texas. Her character and profession are so interesting, even to someone that has never loved history. In this, the second book in the series, Lucy is working on the family tree for Pippa Sutton, a young hotel heiress who’s great grandparents both served in World War II. Lucy’s grandfather, George, also served in World War II and we get to meet him in this book. He is a very entertaining and interesting character with a wonderful personality and I hope that he will appear in future books. The way that Lucy researches, and brings the ancestors of her clients to life really makes the story and brings history to life. I especially love how she does a video documentary for her clients including family members telling personal stories of family members to preserve them for future generations. There are two mysteries in this book, one tied to the past and the other in the present. This is a must read for mystery lovers.
I won an ARC this book from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.