Steve Robinson (1)

In the third book, we’ve got a 300-year old secret society bent on changing the Royal lineage in England. Basically Jacobites. I like the history there, even though it was a bit baffling to me as an American. The heirlooms were interesting, although ultimately doomed and I liked that Jean drove a motorcycle; a BMW even. Having owned 3 of them (R1100RS, R1200RS, K1200S) it added a personal touch to Jean’s character. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of her in future books. And the show more villain who gets away; I bet we see him again. A lot of the other people who came into the plot had no real reason to be there. MI5 agents, politicians in the background and a pair of brother psychopaths; they’re all extraneous and it got messy. And ultimately there isn't a solid resolution. That was disappointing.

A theme common to the series is the great value and the great harm that modern technology has on genealogical studies. Physical paperwork is vital to stringing the past together; birth and death certificates, church records, military records, letters, calendars, diaries, even tombstones provide relatively permanent artifacts of the past. While digitizing these items is a good idea for preservation and ease of access, some characters bemoan the fact that it isn’t as fun. They’d rather be sifting through moldy documents in a dank cellar rather than typing away in an air-conditioned office. Also that with more and more of our communication becoming digital it is hard to track a person’s life and connections. We don’t write letters or keep physical diaries or even family bibles anymore. So now how will grandchildren find out about great grandma, through her twitter account? Facebook?

It grates on me more and more that Jefferson is an American. He doesn’t talk like one. He hardly spends any time there and the little bits about the Washington Redskins and Hershey’s miniatures just aren’t enough to convince me. Oy. Robinson should have made him a Brit and left it at that. And for a fat guy with no social skills he sure has stamina and can come up with just the right glib response to get into someone’s good graces. I wish he’d act like himself more often than trying to be James Bond. At least he hasn’t picked up a Walther yet. show less

Like in the first book, the body count is high. No one is safe and being JT’s friend is especially hazardous to your health. Deep conspiracies are afoot and are entertaining. The second one was quite different in approach because a huge part of the narrative takes place in the past and every time Jefferson appears in the present, it’s a bit of a jolt. The story is good and I wonder if maybe it wouldn’t have been better served in a stand-alone book. The characters are well done and the show more misunderstanding/miscommunication is painful. Mena’s mother is particularly wicked and she’s not even a step!

A theme common to the series is the great value and the great harm that modern technology has on genealogical studies. Physical paperwork is vital to stringing the past together; birth and death certificates, church records, military records, letters, calendars, diaries, even tombstones provide relatively permanent artifacts of the past. While digitizing these items is a good idea for preservation and ease of access, some characters bemoan the fact that it isn’t as fun. They’d rather be sifting through moldy documents in a dank cellar rather than typing away in an air-conditioned office. Also that with more and more of our communication becoming digital it is hard to track a person’s life and connections. We don’t write letters or keep physical diaries or even family bibles anymore. So now how will grandchildren find out about great grandma, through her twitter account? Facebook?

It grates on me more and more that Jefferson is an American. He doesn’t talk like one. He hardly spends any time there and the little bits about the Washington Redskins and Hershey’s miniatures just aren’t enough to convince me. Oy. Robinson should have made him a Brit and left it at that. And for a fat guy with no social skills he sure has stamina and can come up with just the right glib response to get into someone’s good graces. I wish he’d act like himself more often than trying to be James Bond. At least he hasn’t picked up a Walther yet. show less

If you love a little history with your mystery, you're going to love Steve Robinson's Genealogical Crime series. If you're also interested in family history, well that's just the icing on the cake. Robinson knows how to spin generations of begats into an edge of your seat experience.

Jefferson Tayte is a genealogist who often finds himself in the UK researching his clients' family history, and you can learn a lot about the process from reading these books. (Don't grimace, it's far from being show more dull!) Tayte is much more forthright in his business life than he is in his personal life, and much of the reason for that stems from the fact that-- although he can seem to find all his clients' ancestors-- he's never been able to find his own parents. He can make waves when it comes to the people for whom he works, but he hangs back in his personal life. No wonder Marcus felt the need to set him up with Jean-- who turns out to be just the sort of partner he needs for this hair-raising investigation.

Robinson creates the perfect genealogical puzzle with Queen Anne and her inability to produce a living heir who would continue the Stuart line on the throne of England. It's just as much fun to watch Tayte and Jean work to solve it as it is thrilling to watch them dodge bullets and traps. Who knew Queen Anne still had the power to make some people so bloodthirsty?

This series continues to get better with each book. Robinson is becoming adept at blending history, characterization, and thriller-type action into an immensely enjoyable read. I'm certainly looking forward to reading book #4! show less

Steve Robinson's books just keep getting better. Inspired by his own family history, To the Grave is told in alternating chapters and time frames. In the here and now, we watch Jefferson Tayte as he wades through old documents and speaks to as many of Mena's family members and contemporaries as he can. As interesting as Tayte's chapters are, I was quickly hooked by young Mena's story during World War II. Mena's smart and good-hearted, but her family life leaves much to be desired. Her mother show more is judgmental, cruel, and completely immersed in her religion. Her father is a very loving but passive man who's learned to survive with a modicum of peace by letting his wife have total control over the household. Mena's older sister is already doing her bit for the war effort, and Mena wants to do hers, too-- especially since that would mean she gets to escape the oppressive atmosphere at home.

So many mysteries center around long-buried secrets that genealogists make perfect sleuths. It's refreshing to watch someone solve a crime by researching old documents and talking to the elderly rather than with guns, handcuffs, and forensics. Jefferson Tayte still manages to find more than his share of danger, but he's learned from his experiences in the first book. (Oh oh. I mentioned the first book in the series. Do you have to read it in order to make sense of this book? Absolutely not. To the Grave stands alone very well.) What I found exceptionally well done was Mena's story. Robinson made that era come to life, and I almost regretted the times when the action switched back to Tayte.

After reading To the Grave, I'm really looking forward to the next book, The Last Queen of England. I wonder if I can sign on as Jefferson Tayte's research assistant? show less