Tangled Roots

At the start of Talley’s mild 17th Hannah Ives mystery (after 2018’s Mile High Murder), Hannah, a resident of Annapolis, Md., whose jobs over the years have included archivist and library temp, hears from her sister, Georgina, who has just gotten the results of a DNA test. Georgina can’t believe that they show she’s one-quarter Native American. When Hannah has her DNA tested and receives the same results, she begins to research this hitherto unknown side of her ancestry, uncovering a relative who died under mysterious circumstances long ago. Along the way, the reader receives a tutorial on Native American life, both past and present, as well as a genealogist’s treasure trove of websites, archives, and investigative techniques for tracing twigs at the top of a family tree. Only well into the story does Hannah discover a body; her subsequent sleuthing hinges on her physical resemblance to a local policewoman and a chance meeting with an artist. Talley offers no thrills or chills, but those who have grown fond of Hannah will be content with this latest update. Agent: Vicky Bijur, Vicky Bijur Literary. (July)