S.C. Perkins's Fatal Family Ties is the captivating third mystery in the Ancestry Detective series, in which Texas genealogist Lucy Lancaster deals with murders in both the past and present. Lucy is just about to tuck into a plate of tacos at her favorite Austin joint, Big Flaco’s, when she gets an unexpected visit from her former—and least-favorite—co-worker. Camilla Braithwaite hasn’t gotten much friendlier since the last time Lucy saw her, but that doesn't stop her from asking a favor. In her hand is a newspaper feature on an ancestor, a civil war corporal—and a liar, according to the article. Charles Braithwaite is depicted as a phony and a deserter, and Camilla wants Lucy’s help clearing his name. Lucy would prefer to spend her free time with her new beau, special agent Ben Turner, but takes the case, making no promises that Camilla will like the outcome of her investigation. Camilla leads Lucy to the Texas History Museum, where their first clue is a triptych painting, passed down in the Braithwaite family for generations, one panel of which has disappeared. But before Lucy can get much further, a member of the Braithwaite family is murdered in his own bed, and another panel of the painting found missing. There are no shortage of suspects among the Braithwaite clan—including Camilla herself. This case will take Lucy to Houston and back again as she works to find the truth, and catch an elusive killer.

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.

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 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.

r s1mily Ties provides a vivid and accessible introduction to the dynamics of life in English families of all ranks from the mid-sixteenth century to the end of World War I. Sections on methods, approaches and sources allow readers new to the study of the past to explore some of the historian's fundamental concerns: cause and effect; continuity and change and the nature and reliability of evidence. The chronological and thematic organization of the book enables readers to examine a number of sub-themes such as the history of childhood or of marriage. Combining extensive contemporary quotations and an unusual variety of illustrations with a wide range of written and material sources, the book provides a fascinating insight into the history of the family and encourages the reader to become a sceptical and imaginative investigator, prepared to venture beyond the historian's traditional documentary sources.

A brutal drug cartel. An estranged daughter. Can she confront dangerous secrets from her past and survive? Sergeant Evelyn “Mac” McGregor has finally found her place. Promoted to master sergeant rank due to her last two cases, the dedicated Latina returns home to New Mexico to help with four military members who have vanished. But even though she quickly connects the problem to a local narcotics ring, she hits roadblocks with a hostile OSI agent. Fearing the case is only racing towards a bloody, corpse-littered conclusion, she’s filled with dread when her sister calls crying about her kidnapped little girl and fiancé. And when human remains are discovered at the border, she’s pulled back into the ruthless criminal family she escaped from years ago. Can this determined investigator bring anyone out alive? The Fatal Family Affair is the explosive third book in the Sergeant Evelyn “Mac” McGregor Thriller series. If you like strong-willed women, fast-paced drama, and shocking surprises, then you’ll love Julie Bergman’s terrifying mystery. Buy The Fatal Family Affair to sever the ties that bind today!

After weeks of prodding by her cousin and best friend Sarah Abbot, Elizabeth Barrett agrees to submit a DNA sample to Ancestry.com. Never in her wildest dreams, could Lizzie have imagined how her life and the lives of those she loves would change with the arrival of the test results. Instead of providing sought after answers, additional questions are raised, long-hidden secrets are revealed, and unexpected relatives are discovered. Searching for the truth about her grandmother’s hidden past, Lizzie and Sarah travel from Arizona to the Czech Republic where they’re confronted with the horrors of the past, a time when, under Nazi rule and later Soviet oppression, Prague’s Jews were forced to make life-altering decisions that still impact their lives almost eighty years later. Family Ties will keep you on the edge of your seat as you join Lizzie and Sarah in their efforts to solve the many mysteries of Lizzie’s family history and, at the same time, make important decision about their own futures. Throughout the book, you will learn about the history and experience the sights of Prague. As well, you’ll be immersed in the ups and downs and the joys and disappointments of an ever-growing family with whom you’ll find an instant connection.