Murder Once Removed

Professional genealogist Lucy Lancaster, the heroine of Perkins’s fun debut, is hired by Gus, the patriarch of Texas’s Halloran clan, to delve into his family history, but what she finds is proof that Gus’s great-great-grandfather’s death in 1849 was no accident. The incriminating evidence points to someone only identified as C.A., whom Lucy has narrowed down to two suspects, one of whom is the great-great-great-grandfather of present-day Senator Daniel Applewhite, who happens to be running for reelection against Gus’s son, Pearce. For all her hard work, Gus treats Lucy to a sumptuous meal where Lucy over-imbibes and, combined with her antihistamine, ends up completely blotto. Gus drags her into an impromptu press announcement, prematurely naming Applewhite’s ancestor as a murderer. This unlocks a chain of events that endangers Lucy, involves the Feds, and leads to a murder. Lucy’s officemates and other quirky friends add spice to this delightful cozy. Readers will look forward to Lucy’s further adventures. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Mar.)