Patricia Sprinkle’s DEATH ON THE FAMILY TREE is a Southern cozy mystery with a capital C. So cozy, in fact, that the author is shown on the inside back cover with a teacup in her hand. But it’s a little too cozy in that the super-leisurely pace gets tedious and can provoke a nap.
Katharine Murray is a fairly well-to-do homemaker who is now suffering from empty nest syndrome. Her husband travels to D.C. throughout the week, and her son and daughter have both left home. The only thing to occupy her time is that she has just received 10 boxes of her recently deceased Aunt Lucy’s belongings, most of which is junk. But Katharine finds a rare piece of Celtic jewelry and a diary in German among the knickknacks.
And then, in the midst of an already complicated family tree, she discovers another uncle – an uncle who no one ever discussed. This uncle is the one who seems to have been the previous owner of the jewelry, but how did he get it? Was it stolen?
Sprinkle’s style isn’t terrible, but she takes a good long time (page 85!) to really get the reader involved in the story. The pedestrian accounts of Atlanta’s Buckhead district may be of interest to Southern readers, but what is most intriguing is the use of genealogical research as a peg on which to hang the story.
Known for her MacLaren Yarbrough, Sheila Travis and Job’s Corner series, Sprinkle is obviously setting this up as another new series, and there’s some promise in the idea. The things one can find out through genealogical research are nothing short of amazing, and could provide real meat for a good mystery series.
But Sprinkle really doesn’t do much with the idea. She discusses a few genealogical tools, yet her account of research outside of that is a little light. It would be intriguing to really see someone at work in the archives, slowly piecing together clues until the revelation occurs. Instead, it’s a tawdry family mystery with characters who act in very frustrating ways.
For instance, a history teacher out of Katharine’s past seems a nasty piece of work, but we’re encouraged to view him as someone who will continue in the series as a dear and close friend. Eeee. A few less characters and a tighter plot would go a long way to making this would-be series more interesting. –Mark Rose
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