Steve Robinson is a new author for me and this is the first in his series of novels about American genealogist Jefferson Tayte. I warmed to JT quickly, he’s not a typical hero and seems very real. His assignment – to uncover the truth of what happened to a family who set sail from Boston to England in August 1783 – takes him across the Atlantic to Cornwall.

There are two parallel timelines, the ship voyage in 1783 and JT’s trip to England set in the present day. The story weaves back and forth between the two, in fact I enjoyed reading the eighteenth century strand and would have liked more of the Fairbornes’ story. JT’s search, initially for documents, suddenly becomes dangerous when local woman Amy discovers a wooden box. Now Amy’s life is in danger too. But who stands to gain from a mystery 200 years old, and which Cornish locals can JT trust?

At times I wished there was a cast list at the front of the book as I got a little confused between the family connections, but as that is what JT was researching I guess it was inevitable.

If you like reading mysteries, try this. It’s an intriguing mixture of history, mystery, genealogy, set in Cornwall which is a beautiful backdrop. There’s lots about the countryside, Cornish history, wreckers and smugglers.

For more about the Jefferson Tayte series, crime novels with a genealogical twist, click here for Steve Robinson’s website.

If you like ‘In the Blood’, try:-
‘Did You Ever Have a Family’ by Bill Clegg
‘I Belong to No One’ by Gwen Wilson
‘Seeking John Campbell’ by John Daffurn

‘In the Blood’ by Steve Robinson [UK: Thomas & Mercer] Buy now

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
IN THE BLOOD by @SteveRobinson01 http://wp.me/p5gEM4-1PM #bookreview via @SandraDanby