The Overlooker

Suzie Fewings Genealogical Mystery #5

by Fay Sampson

Keen family-history researcher Suzie Fewings takes a trip to discover more about her husband's ancestors, but what she finds puts those she loves in danger . . .-Suzie Fewings, a keen family-history researcher, is delighted when her husband, Nick, catches the genealogy bug and whisks his family off to Lancashire to meet his oldest living relative, Martin, only to find him in hospital, too frail to receive visitors. Martin's daughter, Thelma, insists they stay, but her unsettling religious neighbour, Geoffrey, warns against their plans to research Nick's ancestors. It's not long before Suzie wonder if she should have heeded Geoffrey's ominous warning . . .

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 29, 2012

About the author

Fay Sampson graduated in Mathematics, and trained as a teacher. Combining teaching with writing, Fay's children's books were frequently featured in 'Children's Books of the Year'. When she became a full-time writer, she turned to writing novels for adults, based on history and legend. She now lives with her husband in a Tudor cottage in mid-Devon.

Reviews

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nick, Suzie, and their daughter Millie travel to Lancashire to visit Nick's cousin Thelma and her elderly father, Martin. Son Tom will join them from university on the weekend. But their arrival is saddened by the news that Martin has had a stroke and is in hospital. Nick has only recently caught the genealogy bug from his wife, and regrets the many lost opportunities over the years. While waiting to visit Martin, the family visits a mill museum, to see how Nick's ancestors once worked, and then finds their way to an old family house, where they suspect suspicious behavior, and report it to the police. Thus begins a strange, fast-paced mystery that is hard to put down.

[Jyv · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was disappointed that the apparent mystery had nothing to do with genealogy. The family history angle was just coincidental to the extremely dull story. I was so bored, both by the uninteresting events and the rather repetitive and simplistic writing, that I gave up after less than a quarter of the way through.

[Lesley Lambourne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing with only a cursory genealogical connection The family with their impetuous and thoughtless behaviour have become really annoying....

[Joyce Cottrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. A family decided to travel to another part of England to see where their paternal ancestors lived and worked. They ended up being targeted... But by whom and why?

[Lorraine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this book because of genealogy and family history but was disappointed. Kept reading hoping it would get better it didn’t. A bit boring and not well written.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genealogist Suzie Fewings and her family have come from the southwest of England to Lancashire, where her husband's family has only two remaining members, to explore his family history. Of course, a mystery ensues. The husband, usually in this series the voice of reason, seems very impulsive, not to say foolhardy, in this book. I enjoyed it because of the setting and the genealogy aspect.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Suzie Fewings is a long-time genealogist, but her husband Nick has just become interested in tracing his roots. They, and daughter Millie, go to visit Nick's surviving great-uncle, only to learn that he's in the hospital with a stroke. Waiting to visit him, they wander the tourist attractions of the Lancaster countryside, with an emphasis on the cotton mills where Nick's ancestors worked. They observe something suspicious, and--though warned off--report it to the police. It's no spoiler to say that despite hints on the jacket, this does not connect back with the genealogy theme.

[Louise Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an interesting idea to mix local history and a thriller - although the two were not connected. It was written in a very simple style - too simple for me. I think I mostly stayed with this book because it is set in an area I know & it was fun working out where they were talking about. There's a list in the back as well. I wouldn't read another book by this author. It might be just the job if you had flu and didn't want to think.

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fifth book in the Suzie Fewings Genealogical Mystery series. The series is set in England. The main character, Suzie Fewing, loves to learn about the family tree. This book concerns a living member of her husband's family.

[Tracey Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok kind of detective story, easy to read and quite a short book. I may read another of this author again for a second try.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story is interesting enough, but the characters are pretty one-dimensional. This is the only book I've read in this series and it wasn't good enough to make me want to read the rest.

[Jean]

Good mystery wth lots of avenues to search.