Title:  Relatively Dead

Author:  Sheila Connolly

Format:  Kindle

Published:  2013

Synopsis: (from Amazon) 

Abby Kimball has just moved to New England with her boyfriend and is trying to settle in, but the experience is proving to be quite unsettling, to say the least. While on a tour of local historic homes, Abby witnesses a family scene that leaves her gasping for breath—because the family has been dead for nearly a century. Another haunting episode follows, and another, until it seems to Abby that everything she touches is drawing her in, calling to her from the past. Abby would doubt her sanity if it weren’t for Ned Newhall, the kind and knowledgeable guide on that disturbing house tour. Rather than telling her she’s hallucinating, Ned takes an interest in Abby’s strange encounters and encourages her to figure out what’s going on, starting with investigating the story of the family she saw . . . and exploring her own past. But as Abby begins to piece together a history that’s as moving as it is shocking and unravels a long-ago mystery that nearly tore her family apart, she also begins to suspect that Ned’s got secrets of his own, and that his interest may be driven as much by a taste for romance as a love for history.

My Rating: 

Sheila Connolly is an experienced and bestselling author, best known for her two mystery series, Orchard Mystery and Museum Mystery.  While I haven’t read either of the series yet (on my To Read list!), I was pretty confident, given her credentials and following, that this stand-alone novel would be great.

I was half right.  It’s another genealogy mystery with a paranormal twist, this one taking place in Massachusetts, so I was really looking forward to the read.  The first half of the book was great.  I was really into the story, and I kept thinking how nice it was to read a well-written, good genealogical mystery (some I’ve read recently weren’t that great, so this was a nice change of pace).  The historical aspect was also interesting and appreciated.

However, at about the halfway point, I started to notice a few issues with the genealogy aspect…part of that was the name Samuel being used for two direct ancestors and I think they got mixed up in the writing.  I can overlook that, but as the story continued, I found that I wasn’t as engaged as I had been at the beginning.  It started to become predictable.  And the end was like walking off a cliff…I swiped the page on my Kindle, expecting a new chapter, but that was it.  I mean, I understood the ending, but I wanted a bit more closure than what was given.

Overall, it’s a well-written book, that flows well.  The story itself was fun and interesting, but as I got to the last half or so of the book, I felt it lacked the same charisma as the first half.  Still, it was an enjoyable read and I still plan to read Sheila’s Orchard Mystery and Museum Mystery series.

Purchase Relatively Dead on Amazon:  Kindle.