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The Hop-Pickers Murders

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Ron Strutt: Hops Garden Syndale Farm, Kent UK   Some things I have never thought to ponder: Hops by Pixnio Hops Hops plant growth Harvesting hops Post World War I economy Low income Londoners These are all things I learned about in The Hop-Pickers Murders , the latest crime mystery featuring forensic  genealogist, Morton Farrier.   Author Nathan Dylan Goodwin once again displays his genius by immersing his readers in a distinctive time and place.  This 11th novel in the Morton Farrier series introduces us to the unique time and place of hop-pickers in Kent, England after WWI before mechanization became the method for mass production.  Morton solves a mystery of theft, disappearance and murder for a client who discovered her aunt's journal. We catch up with Morton's personal life as well; he struggles to concentrate despite his 3-year-old's drum kit "practice" and the unknown menace bent on destroying his career.  Morton always gives a lesson in genealo...

Exploring Norwegian Genealogy, a Book Review

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It has been calculated from the 2000 U.S. Census that there are over 4.5 million people of Norwegian descent living in the United States . [i] Therefore, many genealogists do not have to go back very many generations before they encounter a Norwegian immigrant ancestor, since the largest numbers of Norwegian immigrants have come to the United States since the Civil War. Fortunately, Liv Birgit Christensen and Margaret Strand have compiled a guide to help us. The book follows families from a farm that may have been established around 500 AD. Written records are available from about 1615. Using these individuals to illustrate research examples provides continuity and increases understanding of the research technique the author is illustrating. For those who are just beginning Norwegian research, an overview of the history and geography of the country provides a foundation for understanding the types of records available and their ...