Nathan Dylan GoodwinCritiques

A genealogist uncovers the secret of his client's father's first marriage and a possible reason for the first wife's death.

Interesting novella to start a series. I will keep my eye out for further installments.

Forensic genealogist Morton Farrier looks into a 1911 disappearance for a dying man who wants to know what happened to his grandmother's sister. While Farrier explores archival, online, and other resources such as interviews, someone is determined to make sure he doesn't find out. He fairly quickly determines his life is endangered, but he does not know the threat's source. Readers also learn the story of Mary, the woman who disappeared, along the way with the dual storyline of which I'm not a fan. It did work a little better in this book than in many.½

I read this latest in the Morton Farrier series with interest as, at the end of the previous volume The Spyglass File, the character was about to travel to the USA and try to find his father, the eponymous character of the title here. Morton, a genealogist, had discovered as an adult that he was adopted by his mother's brother and wife, and that his 'aunty' was really his mum. His father was an American who had visited England as a young lad and never knew that he had fathered a child. For Morton's father disappeared shortly after a fire which burned down the family home and killed his father - or so it seems.

The story was as the last volume, quite a good page-turning read, where the author switches between time zones - in this case, the 1970s when his father, Jack, was a young man starting to suspect that his parents have been living a lie, the 1950s when Jack's parents were participating in events that would lead to eventual tragedy, and 2016 when Morton is in the USA researching, while on a 3 week holiday with his tolerant policewoman wife Juliette.

I enjoyed this novella almost to the end, but then there was what I can only consider a cheat - Morton had found a record of his grandfather's divorce from his first wife, and he even protests such when he is eventually told there was no divorce, but the person who tells him does not explain how that record could exist. It would have made sense if Jack's parents had been in a witness protection programme - then false records could have been created. As it was, I just couldn't credit the reasons lying behind the behaviour of Jack's parents, and it was all a bit too melodramatic. Hence only a 3 star rating this time.

I hated it.

Fascinating, complex, superb examples of genealogy, DNA, intriguing crime solving!

I did not enjoy the book as much as I expected. The subplot concerning the spies was complex and while I normally love spy thrillers, I missed the simplicity of the earlier novels which focused on how Morton went about his genealogical research. As someone who enjoys doing this kind of research, the earlier novels hit my spot. That said, both of the book's subplots were intricately woven and well researched. I can see how Goodwin has improved his writing.

Nathan Dylan Goodwin has done it yet again! The Sawtooth Slayer is the second in his new series, Venator Cold Cases. There's a little more tension this time but more important is all the wonderful how-to information about doing genetic genealogy research on a professional basis. It's a fun way to hone your skills and to be entertained at the same time. We also learn more about the personal lives and problems of the Venetor staff. While the professional task is resolved, there are plenty of personal stories to carry over into future books. Look for it on the member's lending shelf.

Probably a good story line, but incredibly dry and ponderous .

The Spyglass File is book 5 in Nathan Dylan Goodwin's Morton Farrier Genealogical Mystery Series. I have read several books in the series and, to date, all have been awesome. This book counts as a selection for the 2022 What's In A Name Reading Challenge in the compound word category as well as The Cloak and Dagger and Finishing the Series Challenges.

When the story begins, Morton Farrier is no longer at the top of his game. His career as a forensic genealogist is faltering and he does not want to accept any new cases. Morton prefers to spend time working toward locating his biological father. However, when an intriguing case appears, Morton is compelled to help a woman find the relatives that she lost during the Battle of Britain in WWII. He soon discovers that the answer can only be found in a secret document called the Spyglass File.

As always, I enjoyed reading about the methods Morton uses in his geneological research. Every step he takes forces him to look in different places for information. This is how we get the twists and turns of the story. The mystery element is provided by Morton going from up to down and vice versa in his research.

The Battle of Britain has been well researched by the author. It was fascinating to read about this particular battle. I don't believe I have ever read any WWII historical fiction novels that focused on just one battle. All the others cover the entire period of the war. It was a treat to learn all of the details about it. What made it even more interesting was that one of the characters in the book worked for a spy agency.

The Spyglass File is an extraordinary tale. I highly recommend it and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Orange Lilies is the 4th Morton Farrier, Forensic Genealogist story. In this installment of the series Morton's own family history comes alive when he visits his Aunt Margaret. Before the death of Morton's father earlier in the year, Morton was told that he was adopted and that his birth mother was actually Aunt Margaret. Morton brings girlfriend Juliette along for the visit. Being afraid to ask Margaret the important questions, he is glad when Margaret opens up to him freely. She explains that she was raped when she was sixteen-years-old and sent to visit her grandmother in another part of England until she gave birth. The Farrier family insisted that she let her older brother and his wife adopt the baby. They were married, owned a home and had a good income. Margaret does as she is told and returns to her home after she recovers from the birth. However, before she leaves, her grandmother tells Margaret about her own grandparents. This information is also discussed between Margaret and Morton during his visit with her. The family history is that Morton's great-grandfather, Charles Ernest Farrier, died in a trench in WWI. Morton finds, though, that there is something off about the story of Morton's conception as well as his great-grandparents' lives.

The Orange Lilies is a fascinating story with many twists. As Morton researches his family, he takes the reader through his online research. Morton shares the genealogy clues (the twists) with his aunt as together they look at old family photos and documents. Morton also talks every day with her about how his digital research is progressing. As Aunt Margaret learns the ins and outs of genealogy research, the reader likewise learns how to conduct research. There are also several surprises along the way that keep the reader wanting to read.

The story has three alternating plots: 1914, 1974 and 2014. The 1914 plot concerns Charles Ernest Farrier, the 1974 plot concerns Margaret and her grandmother during Margaret's pregnancy and the 2014 plot is about Margaret and Morton. All three plots are fully developed and fascinating in their own right. I would not be able to pick a favorite one. They were all entertaining. I love this series. I am an amateur genealogist and enjoy reading about Morton going to this office and that office in order to find information. We see the tedium that genealogy research can be but also the excitement when a fact or person is found.

If there are any mystery fans out there who have not yet read this series, I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Nathan Dylan Goodwin has done it again! The Foundlings is #9 in the Forensic Genealogist Series and this time Morton Farrier is working to find the biological mother of three women, abandoned as babies, who share DNA. One of them he has identified as his own half aunt. It is an intriguing story with lots of twists and turns and is full of recognizable places in England. Genealogists continue to love the clear explanations of where to find relevant records and how to analyze them.

Good for a genealogical short story, but I wanted it to be longer!!

Morton Farrier is a forensic genealogist - A researcher into family history. He has been employed by Gerald Peacock to research his family. This brings up a few surprises.
An enjoyable story

Nathan an author who is very creative and a great story teller.

A great read especially for the genealogist. Have read a few of his books and eager to read more

A good enough mystery for a quick read. I had high hopes that I'd learn something about genealogy along the way. Mostly what I learned is that it consists of poring over old books, and hoping the ones you need are archived somewhere. Or that you have connections who give you the answers.
I couldn't understand why Morton and Juliette were a couple, they didn't seem to have that much in common, but at least they got along.

Loved this book;

As a member of the Nathan Dylan Goodwin Fan Club with many other genealogists I have been anxiously waiting for the debut of this work. Now that I have read it I am disappointed that I will have to wait for Nathan to recharge his batteries and research and write another tale.

This book was Nathan's best work yet. It is an improvement on his other works on so many levels. I have been critical of the covers for Nathan's earlier books but I loved this one, it set the scene for a real page-turner that held my attention from the first to the last word.

Between the covers I found a believable story populated with interesting characters and many story lines that ended with a couple of cliff-hangers allowing for future works in the series. I felt for the main character Maddie, owner of a genetic genealogy firm who, in spite of issues in her personal life, was able to rally and support her team in identifying through DNA the serai killer in a cold case.

As a genealogist I appreciated the detailed description of the methodologies used to solve the case. Nathan who is an Englishman must have been on a steep learning curve as he learnt about all the resources during the research for the book. To his credit he deferred to some of the top genealogists in the US for assistance. For this Aussie with little knowledge of US resources reading this book gave me a sugar-coated way of learning more on that subject.

I loved that the work was set in the geneamecca of Salt Lake city, a place I have visited on many occasions. Nathan's descriptions of the weather and the areas around Salt Lake were spot on. I noted that he named one of his characters, Kenyatta. Was that a nod to US genealogist Kenyatta Berry? One of the homes he described in South Jordan sounded similar to a genealogists's home I have visited there! Those who haven't been to Salt Lake will get an accurate picture of the place from reading this story.

This work is easy to read with many descriptive phrases. Nathan's prose in US English lends authority to the story and made the characters more believable. Nathan's writing has certainly developed since his first novel.

This book was unputdownable, a riveting story combined with a lesson in genealogy research and a discussion of issues facing family historians.

Highly recommended for family historians, those who love a good mystery and people inquisitive about DNA.

I read the eBook version of this work from Amazon that was priced at just $AU7.50 - great value for 4 hours entertainment, I look forward to the arrival of my hard copy that I will read at a more leisurely pace.½

Morton Farrier finally begins researching his own family after learning his aunt was his biological mother. When he goes to visit her, she brings out boxes of family treasures that tell an unexpected story. While I enjoyed this short story, one thing really bugged me. When he opened an Ancestry DNA kit received as a gift, he pulled out a swab. Ancestry kits contain a vial into which one spits and not a swab. Other than this error, Goodwin seemed to know a bit more about professional genealogy sleuthing than many who write the genre. I plan to read more of this series in the coming year.½

8/10 (very good): Like all of Nathan Dylan Goodwin's books, this is a solid low-key thriller (so, thankfully, no over-the-top drama) that is well-researched and offers good insight into the period. The characters are well-drawn and developing nicely over the series, and the series is definitely the best in the admittedly niche genre of genealogical mystery. I look forward to the next release.

The Sterling Affair is the 8th book in the Forensic Genealogist series by British writer Nathan Dylan Goodwin. Like all of the previous books, it features the character of Morton Farrier as he solves yet another intricate puzzle using genealogical research methods. This particular story revolves around many official documents and news stories during the end of WWII and the subsequent years of the cold war. Goodwin cleverly uses the material to flesh out the stories of his many characters. With each book, Goodwin seems to be getting better and better as a writer. While especially appealing to genealogists, the story has plenty of twists, turns, and surprises to keep lovers of mystery stories fully engaged. His fans have been following Goodwin's adventures in research on his Facebook for many months in anticipation of publication.

Morton Farrier finds an additional marriage for a client's father; however, he initially did not research it since the client told him not to research more recent generations. When the client adamantly denies the previous marriage and Morton's present work load allows him time, he retrieves the marriage record and death certificate for the first wife. The client wants to learn more about the first wife who died in an asylum. One must always prepare for unexpected discoveries, and this case illustrates the lesson. Genealogical ethics once again seem a bit problematic. Farrier discusses his case more openly than a professional genealogist should without written client authorization. I understand why the author had him discuss it with the person he did, but I don't think the story would suffer with the omission of the unethical behavior. Still I enjoyed this short story.½

Another great adventure for Morton Farrier. I got thru this one within 24 hours. Nathan Goodwin captures you within the first few sentences, and he doesn't let go until the final word.

There are 2 other authors who do this as well, Dean Koontz and Stephen King.

loved this series

Loved this series