When an unannounced stranger comes calling at Morton Farrier’s front door, he finds himself faced with the most intriguing and confounding case of his career to-date as a forensic genealogist. He agrees to accept the contract to identify a man who had been secretly living under the name of his new client’s long-deceased brother. Morton must use his range of resources and research skills to help him deconstruct this mysterious man’s life, ultimately leading him back into the murky world of 1950s international affairs of state. Meanwhile, Morton is faced with his own alarmingly close DNA match which itself comes with far-reaching implications for the Farriers.
My Review
Morton Farrier is a lucky man. His occupation as a forensic genealogist allows him to do what he loves best, research family history. His skills and experience make him very successful and like a terrier he doesn’t give up easily. I have enjoyed previous novels in this series, but this is the most compelling tale, of Morris Duggan, a man who had adopted a false identity. Perhaps his reason for this was a link with MI6 but will the redacted files Morton seeks out, give any useful information. Alongside Morton’s investigation, we move back in time to Duggan’s life in the Middle East during the 1950s Suez crisis.
The thrilling tale of Duggan’s escapades in Beirut, Egypt and London are convincingly described while the careful examination of evidence in Family Record Offices and online, ring true. I was also intrigued by Morton’s personal discovery of an extremely close DNA match on Ancestry which cause him to wish he had never embarked along this route.
Another delightful thread within the book is Morton’s family life with his wife Juliet, a police officer, and their daughter, little Grace, always into mischief but loving to play Peppa Pig with her daddy. A pleasant relief from some of the more dangerous escapades within the book. The final chapter, set in 1944, links the characters in a satisfying conclusion.
The Sterling Affair can be found on Amazon UK
My Review of The Lost Ancestor Book 2 of this series
Lizanne lost in a good book 