CONSEQUENCES: DNA DOESN'T LIE... OR DOES IT?

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In the past ten or twelve years a new fiction genre has gained popularity--genealogical crime mysteries. Some rely on historical research to solve modern day mysteries while others use modern research resources such as DNA to solve cold cases, and some, both. Some of the new literature is nonfiction as people present their search for family through adoption and other family dynamics.

As a result there is a wealth of entertaining reading material available.  By now, most of you are familiar with Nathan Dylan Goodwin and his Morton Farrier, Forensic Genealogist series which has its tenth book in progress. Nathan has also written two books in his Venetor series which focuses on solving cold cases with DNA. Nathan is presently researching for the third book in that series as well.

At this point you loyal readers are expecting me to list other authors and, if I do, I am sure to neglect somebody's favorite so I suggest you go online to your local library or Amazon books and search for the genre "Genealogical Mysteries" and dive in.



A relative newcomer to the genre is Heather Dawn Gray who has written three outstanding books in the last four years. Her first book was The Lie: When DNA Reveals the Family Secret.  Main character Jahanna finds through a DNA test that she is not who she thought she was. We follow her through the change of her life.





The second book was Where Truth Lies: Sequel to The Lie. We meet Omar who was introduced in The Lie, and follow his family dynamic.




Heather's third book is Consequences--DNA Doesn't Lie...Or Does It?  Paul had cleaned up his wayward youth and worked hard to establish a stable life as a loving husband and father. His college age daughter took a DNA test and uploaded her results to GENmatch where she very closely connected with DNA from a very old cold case. Paul was arrested for murder.

April, a relatively unknown defense attorney, steps up to defend Paul, revealing his questionable past and dealing with DNA that never lies...or does it?

Heather takes us through many unexpected twists and turns making this one of those books that you truly cannot put down.  And I want to know how April, Paul and the other dynamic characters handle the next parts of their lives.

With Heather's work, as with many of the prominent authors, I feel as if I am reading a lesson in doing research.  You know you are really hooked in a story when you want to go online to research the fictional characters!




I hope you will read and enjoy these books as much as I have.  Explore this genre and discover the many investigative genealogists and their techniques for solving mysteries.  

See our wiki page Books for Pleasure and Learning and remember to add your own favorites! 

MaryLynn Strickland    

 

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