In the Blood by Steve Robinson Published by Thomas & Mercer on March 18th 2014
Genres: Police Procedural, Mystery
Pages: 392
Format: Audiobook
ISBN: 1477818529
ASIN: B00IK05JVM
Goodreads
Two hundred years ago a loyalist family fled to England to escape the American War of Independence and seemingly vanished into thin air. American genealogist Jefferson Tayte is hired to find out what happened, but it soon becomes apparent that a calculated killer is out to stop him.
In the Blood combines a centuries-old mystery with a present-day thriller that brings two people from opposite sides of the Atlantic together to uncover a series of carefully hidden crimes. Tayte's research centres around the tragic life of a young Cornish girl, a writing box, and the discovery of a dark secret that he believes will lead him to the family he is looking for. Trouble is, someone else is looking for the same answers and will stop at nothing to find them.
In the Blood is the first in the Jefferson Tayte mystery series.
Buy on Amazon
Buy on Barnes and Noble
#Genealogy #FamilySecrets #WhereAreTheBodiesHidden #JeffersonTayte #FirstInSeries @SteveRobinson01 @SimVan
In the Blood, the first book in author Steve Robinson’s Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mysteries caught my eye for two reasons. First of all, we know people who are what I would consider genealogy nerds and I like the idea that someone would make a profession of something our friends and family do for fun and to satisfy their curiosity. The second reason is a purely personal preference for Simon Vance as a narrator. Jefferson Tayte is a man who does genealogical research to help people who have an urgent need to know their family history for whatever reason. As we learn, JT has more than a professional interest in genealogy as he continues to search for information about his own family history. His research into the Fairborne family takes him to Cornwall and the author’s description of the countryside and the lifestyle provide a well-written backdrop for a storyline with mysteries, danger, and intrigue in both the present and the past. JT’s challenge is not only to find the information his clients are looking for in a timely manner but to stay alive while he’s trying. Not exactly the job this rather shy man who is afraid to fly signed on for.
As usual, Simon Vance doesn’t disappoint. It’s always a joy to listen to one of his performances. He captures the voices and the accents of the author’s characters with his usual expertise. I really love his voice for Julia, a woman JT meets while trying to keep his sanity on a plane flight. Mr. Vance successfully portrays Julia as both the annoying person you don’t want to be trapped with on a lengthy flight and the professional who later proves to have the expertise and connections to play a vital role in solving a mystery.
If you’ve ever researched your ancestry or if you’ve jumped on the current bandwagon and had your DNA analyzed, I think you will find In the Blood an entertaining listen which has a satisfying conclusion. The Fairborne family history takes JT to a multilayered level of family dynamics that will keep listeners guessing as to who did what to who, why they did it, and where the bodies are hidden. The series is up to 6 books so far and I understand each one can be read as a standalone for those of you who don’t want to get stuck in another cliffhanger Hell.
About Steve Robinson
Steve Robinson drew upon his own family history for inspiration when he imagined the life and quest of his genealogist-hero, Jefferson Tayte. The talented London-based crime writer, who was first published at age 16, always wondered about his own maternal grandfather—”He was an American GI billeted in England during the Second World War,” Robinson says. “A few years after the war ended he went back to America, leaving a young family behind and, to my knowledge, no further contact was made. I traced him to Los Angeles through his 1943 enlistment record and discovered that he was born in Arkansas . . .” Robinson cites crime writing and genealogy as ardent hobbies—a passion that is readily apparent in his work. He can be contacted via his website www.steve-robinson.me or his blog at www.ancestryauthor.blogspot.com.
Leave a Reply