Paging the Dead: A Family History Mystery

Genealogists Sophreena McClure and Esme Sabatier make their debut in this innocuous first in a new cozy series from Bonner (Echoes from the Past and five other novels as Ellen Harris). The Morningside Village, N.C., duo make an odd pair; Sophie, who is part Asian, barely reaches five feet, while Esme, a Creole with an uncertain gift as a spiritual medium, towers at six foot two. When client Dorothy Pritchett Porter, whose family tree they’re researching, is discovered slain and a valuable family ring goes missing, the pair suffer from both police suspicion and town rumors. Thankfully, there are plenty of other suspects, since Dorothy, one of the town’s movers and shakers, had offended plenty of people, including some of her relatives. Bonner adds a nice mix of genealogical scrapbooking info and mild romantic entanglements, but telegraphs too many clues that weaken the mystery. Agent: Cynthia Manson, Cynthia Manson Literary Agency. (Mar.)