Bloodline

See my review of the same author's Pale As the Dead.
This book deals with some of the nastier uses to which genealogy has been put. I thought it was very good and hope that the recent appearance of a more "literary" novel by Ms. Mountain doesn't mean the end of the Natasha Blake series.

Having read and enjoyed Pale as the Dead, the first novel by Fiona Mountain to feature genealogist Natasha Blake, I was very keen to read Bloodline, also featuring the same main character. Although a loose sequel to Pale as the Dead, Bloodline can be read as a standalone story quite easily.

The story this time involves the death of a man for whom Natasha was compiling a family tree, except it wasn't his family that she was researching. She finds herself more and more drawn into the investigation as she is asked by the dead man's son and the police to carry on researching to help them try and solve the mystery of why he was killed.

I enjoyed this book immensely. Not quite as good as Pale as the Dead in my view, but still an excellent read. show more It's nice to read a crime book that features historical research and genealogy and I really wish Fiona Mountain would write more in a similar vein. I found it fascinating to read as the story unfolded and Natasha fitted together more and more pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. Recommended to anybody who likes history with a contemporary setting. show less

I was drawn to this book because the mystery involved genealogy and looking back to World War II as it impacted rural Britain, and on both counts Bloodline delivered a fairly good storyline. But I wasn't as enamored of genealogy detective, Natasha Blake, as I expected to be. Part of that, or maybe most of it, had to do with the constant references to her health (sleeplessness, headaches, tiredness, etc.), which, combined with the constant reminders that she was adopted, was what seemed to pass for character development. Neither added much of anything to the story as far as I was concerned.
On a more technical note, I was surprised at the number of typos in the edition I read (Orion trade paperback 9780752841137), and the number of show more run-on sentences and fragments in Ms. Mountain's "beautifully written and atmospheric storytelling." I think standard grammar and punctuation would serve her readers better, but that's just my opinion.
An okay book, but nothing I'd go out of my way to recommend. show less

Natasha Blake is a British genealogist working on a report for a client named Charles Seagrove who suddenly turns up dead. Natasha, Richard Seagrove, and the police both believe that the reason for his death can be found by her continuing to work on the project. What happened during this community during World War II is of key importance in the investigations. It's a well-written story but the plot gets bogged down in a few places. I really cannot vouch for historical accuracy in the book, but the author's bibliography shows she used extensive research in developing this plot. I learned a few things about British-German relations during the war and additional information about Germany's eugenics program that I will have to research show more further when I get a chance. I debated on whether to give this a 3.5 or a 4 and decided to give it a 3.5 because it was a book that didn't hold my attention as well as it could have. show less

Natasha is employed to trace the family tree of the fiance of the granddaughter of her client. She gives him the completed tree, with a couple of skeletons in the closet, and the wedding is all but off. Soon after, the client is found dead, and Natasha is drawn deeper into the mystery.

There is a personal resonance for Natasha, when it becomes clear that the family is not all it appears to be. What are the links with a German WW1 soldier, met by the client's father in Nomansland?

This is a combination of genealogical mystery, murder investigation and historical examination of the Nazis. ‘Bloodline’ by Fiona Mountain, the second Natasha Blake mystery, covers a lot of ground from its seemingly innocuous starting point when Natasha hands in her report to a client. But nothing is mentioned lightly in this book, everything has a meaning. Natasha is not sure why Charles Seagrove requested this particular family tree, but knows he is unrelated to any of the people featured.
The real reason for Seagrove’s interest in genealogy is at the heart of this storyline. There are many dead ends and I admit to losing track of who was who at one point but Mountain ties all the loose endings together so there is clarity at the show more end. At first, Natasha is simply conducting another genealogical research but everything changes when she receives an anonymous note, ‘Cinderella is in the bluebell woods at Poacher's Dell’. Once her client is murdered with his own shotgun, Natasha feels threatened as well as puzzled.
There are many storylines to be connected including Charles Seagrove’s grand-daughter Rosa and her father Richard, Second World War land girls, and two soldiers – one German, one English – who meet in the trenches during the Christmas truce of 1914. This is a lot to handle but Mountain manages the complicated history with ease and I enjoyed trying to work out the solution.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/ show less

Boodline by Fiona Mountain is another ingenious genealogical novel set in rural England prior to easy
computer access to historical records. There is a likable young professional genealogist, lots of slogging through records, interesting plot twists, in short, everything necessary to hold the interest of genealogists. It is available on our Member's Lending Shelf.