ML CondikeRezensionen

This e-book woudn't load into my Kidle app on my desktop. Went to the Kindle app on my Ipad and it worked. This book wasn't what I expected. Really good.

An engaging books filled with twists and turns. Strong characters and wonderful settings accompany a genealogical mystery loaded with history. A very enjoyable read guaranteed to pique one's curiosity about the past.

The story seems simple, perhaps even boring: forensic genealogist RaeJean “Rae” Hunter accepts a case to help confirm the identity of some old bones near a university campus. But early on you get the feelings things are just not right especially when a fellow forensic genealogist quit without reason.
The story starts slowly, but the author quietly draws you in before you know it. Strange men following Rae, and family members who refuse to talk, piques her interest. Before you know you are having a hard time putting it down.
RaeJean's sensibility and no-nonsense attitude and her sister Caitlin add just the right touch to the story as well as the other characters that Rae encounters through the story.
The story was well-paced and the blend of the mystery with Rae's emotional state was in balance. Her personal story added to the total experience of the novel, and added color to the mystery, without overtaking the story. If you love a good mystery that has historical background and allows the female characters to be the hero, this is for you. thank you to LibraryThing for the ebook.

Won from Early Reviewers.
My favorite things all wrapped up in a book, history, mystery, genealogy. This was a very good read. I had a hard time putting this one down.
If I had any complaints, it would be that the book was a little bloated, could have used some editing lengthwise and also that it could have used a family tree chart to help in keeping the players straight, especially the historical characters, they kind of ran together, But all told I would read more if this becomes a series. Enjoyed.½

I was given this to book to review and enjoyed the pacy read. The book follows a forensic genealogist search to identify 180 year old skeleton. Gaining of an antique desk, as part payment, and the possibility of solving the mystery of the person's death adds to the alure of taking on the contract. RaeJean the center of the story, hits misdirection and blackmail similar
to the previous investigator who dropped the search, which hardens her resolve to complete the contract.
As the story is dealing with various families and their histories, there are a lot of names to put together, but this soon settles down and becomes easier to follow. I haven't read a story with this theme before and enjoyed it.½

The story follows the painful details of someone doing genealogical research. Our MC drives to community libraries to sift through old papers, and to wander through cemeteries. All the lengthy family descriptions are shared with the reader who is bombarded with names from last century. There were hints to a paranormal element, which I do not care for. There is also frequent mention of our MC’s grief over her recent loss. I gave up at one third when she decided to follow a hunch that her new desk was connected with the genealogical mystery that she was working on; there was no logic to it.
I won a free copy of this book (thanks to the author & publisher!) and am voluntarily providing an honest review.

This book is a mystery within a mystery, both stories running concurrently through the novel. The first story is a search by RaeJean Hunter, a forensic genealogist, to determine if a 180-year-old corpse is that of Mary Rogers, whose death in 1841 in New York City was the basis for Edgar Allen Poe’s story “The Mystery of Marie Roget”. The second story lies within the first and is RaeJean’s efforts to determine the cause of death, or solve the murder, of Mary Rogers. What follows is a convoluted tale of family secrets, blackmail, kidnapping, and other crimes reaching from the 19th to the 21st century. This book snagged from the beginning and never let me go! I look forward to the author’s next Genealogy Mystery.

Try not to be surprised by what you find when delving into family history!

The Desk from Hoboken is the debut novel in M.L. Condike's riveting new Genealogy Mystery series, in which long-buried family secrets threaten the present. Who knew research into family history could be so fascinating … or so dangerous?

The main character, RaeJean O'Leary Hunter, is an accomplished and skilled forensic genealogist with numerous successes to her credit. She accepts what she thinks will be a straightforward case of research to provide primary source documentation of the identity of the 180-year-old remains of an unknown female: her first commission after a tragic personal loss. Despite the red flags that indicate someone doesn't want old secrets uncovered, she's dogged in her pursuit of the historical records that may contain the proof she needs. I liked that, for the most part, she plays things safe and narrows the windows of opportunity the villains have to cause her harm. However, they had a lot of luck on their side, and she still gets in trouble. She also calls on contacts to provide backup to help lessen her risks. Her struggle with her recent loss was affecting, and I really felt for her and Sam.

The plot is complex and intriguing, expanding as the scope of RaeJean's research hits one brick wall after another, only to open up another avenue of inquiry. I enjoyed her travels to locations that played a pivotal role in her subject's life, the story she was trying to build, and reading about her research methods.

I enjoyed the desk's connection to the investigation into Mary Rogers's identity and fate. The supernatural aspect was appealing, and I wanted more every time this came up. I look forward to further books in the series to see how the spirits associated with the desk fit in.

You would think that this story would be all about sitting in various library basements squinting at fragile, crumbling, hard-to-read records, and there is some of that, but for the most part, you would be wrong. This well-paced story includes a lot of face-to-face investigation and questioning of descendants interspersed with edge-of-your-seat, heart-pounding action. I recommend THE DESK FROM HOBOKEN to mystery readers who enjoy a historical cold case theme, genealogical research, and a touch of the paranormal.

historical-research, grief, grieving, E. A. Poe, pet-dog, cozy-mystery, sleuthing, depression, genealogy*****

As a cozy mystery, it's basically fair. As an exploration of grief and depression, it's excellent. As a historical deep dive into genealogy, it is the greatest fun to learn with (history geek here).
RaeJean is a forensic genealogist and former asst to FBI agents but has a personal tragedy that sidelines her. She is asked to assist with a rather messy investigation into the lineage of a recently disinterred body with an apparent connection to a story by E. A. Poe. Very unusual.
I requested and received an EARC from Harbor Lane Books, LLC via NetGalley. Thank you!