Father Unknown

Near the start of Sampson’s enjoyable fourth mystery featuring British amateur genealogist Suzy Fewings (after 2010’s Those in Peril), Suzy, who’s been concerned about the odd behavior of her 14-year-old daughter, Millie, finds a pregnancy testing kit in Millie’s waste-paper basket. When Millie responds to her parents’ questions defensively, Suzy turns for help in this delicate matter to American widow Prudence Clayson, whom she’s befriended while assisting Prudence in researching an English ancestor who turns out to be a “base child” (i.e., born out of wedlock). While Millie opens up to Prudence, the girl’s revelations raise more questions about the circumstances of her pregnancy—and the father’s identity. A disappearance appears to elevate a family crisis into a matter for the police. Sampson does a nice job of offering multiple candidates for the mantle of bad guy, and the twists will keep most readers wondering what’s actually been going on. (Jan.)