Death on the Family Tree

I loved this novel because I could relate my own life to it. No, I don't have a husband who is a lobbyist. However, I am married to a retired Navy man and I too spent entirely too much time solving problems and raising 2 children while my husband was away. My career was being a Mom and a Navy wife. And, I too was left with an empty nest and a "now what?" time in my life. In fact, I'm still finding my way, like the heroine in this novel. The mystery is entertaining and the introduction to genealogy is interesting, but the real jewel of this book is the story of Katharine's awakening to find that she is more than someone's wife, mother, or daughter.

Excellent new series and better written than her other books. E. Ferraro

"Death on the Family Tree" is a great mystery and a little darker than your normal cozy. The main character, Katharine Murray, has much room for growth throughout this series. She is only beginning to question who she is now that her children have left the house, & her husband is away most of the week on business. She is a real delight to watch, & I am sure we will be seeing more of Hasty, her love interest from high school. I am excited to see how Katharine comes to terms with her marriage & her feelings for Hasty.

I love both genealogy and mystery novels, so was tickled to find a book that combines the two. What I didn't expect was such a sympathetic protagonist -- a middle-aged woman who literally wakes up one day to realize that, having lived to care for children, husband and aged relatives, she is suddenly in a position to "live for herself," and she isn't sure just how she wants to go about that! Katharine also reacts surprisingly (for a mystery novel!)realistically to the events with which she is confronted... if she goes to question someone, it is because the author provides her with a legitimate reason to do so, not just because she is nosy and it is the only way to advance the story. I mean, don't you sometimes get tired of the amateur sleuth that shows up on the doorstep of a complete stranger to question him even though its none of her business, and dangerous, besides? Also, Katharine shows some actual emotional maturity in her relationships and observations about others that is very refreshing... just because she's been a homemaker most of her life doesn't mean she is naive or empty-headed, a novel approach. I love Katharine Murray and can't wait to find out what she does next... do we really have to wait a whole YEAR, Ms. Sprinkle????

On her forty-sixth birthday, Katherine Morrow wakes up feeling alone and unwanted. Her husband works during the week in Washington DC and her children have grown up and left leaving her with nothing to do. She has a beautiful home in the Posh Atlantic superb of Buckhead but nobody to share it with. Her dull life suddenly gets more interesting when a box containing a necklace and a diary is delivered from the nursing home where her aunt recently died. She learns that her aunt had a brother that she never knew about who owned the two items she just received. He got them in Austria when he visited there in 1938. Katherine makes no secret about the items but someone obviously wants the diary because her home was broken into while she was there. The robber never saw her but he stole a collection of jade and the diary. Katherine feels lucky that she made copies of the diary but her house is broken into again and this time was totally destroyed. She believes thieves are looking for the necklace and the diary. Two people who knew about the objects were murdered and if Katherine isn't careful, she could be the next victim. Patricia Sprinkle who writes cozies that have no violence in them has started a new mystery series that is every bit as good as her Judge MacLaren Yarbrough and Sheila Travis series. The protagonist copes in one week with more traumatic incidents then most people do in a life time. She earns the admiration of the audience by her actions and the way she copes single handedly with events that are very frightening. The storyline is totally absorbing and the fast paced plot will keep readers turning the pages. Harriet Klausner