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Family Lies: Ellie McLellan Genealogy Mystery Series
In Percyville, storms have a way of stirring up more than weather.
When dark clouds roll in and the winds howl through familiar streets, the Heritage Harvesters find shelter together at the Cozy Corner Café. Surrounded by friends and memories, they pass the time the way they always have—recounting stories of storms survived and the resilience that defines their town.
But outside, change is already underway.
The sudden death of Patricia Linden—a woman few truly knew—sets unexpected events in motion. Her will places Ellie at the center of an enormous task: protecting a collection of historical archives filled with voices long forgotten. With time and circumstance working against them, Ellie and her friends must act quickly to preserve pieces of Percyville’s soul before they disappear forever.
Meanwhile, Phil embarks on a personal journey into the unknown, searching for the truth about his elusive Uncle Wayne. His quest leads him to reconnect with relatives near and far—and forces him to confront the silence between himself and his estranged son, Luke.
As lightning flashes across Percyville’s sky, secrets flicker to life, fragile bonds are tested, and the past refuses to remain buried. Because sometimes, it takes a storm to reveal what matters most—and to bring people back to where they belong.
When dark clouds roll in and the winds howl through familiar streets, the Heritage Harvesters find shelter together at the Cozy Corner Café. Surrounded by friends and memories, they pass the time the way they always have—recounting stories of storms survived and the resilience that defines their town.
But outside, change is already underway.
The sudden death of Patricia Linden—a woman few truly knew—sets unexpected events in motion. Her will places Ellie at the center of an enormous task: protecting a collection of historical archives filled with voices long forgotten. With time and circumstance working against them, Ellie and her friends must act quickly to preserve pieces of Percyville’s soul before they disappear forever.
Meanwhile, Phil embarks on a personal journey into the unknown, searching for the truth about his elusive Uncle Wayne. His quest leads him to reconnect with relatives near and far—and forces him to confront the silence between himself and his estranged son, Luke.
As lightning flashes across Percyville’s sky, secrets flicker to life, fragile bonds are tested, and the past refuses to remain buried. Because sometimes, it takes a storm to reveal what matters most—and to bring people back to where they belong.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 22, 2026
About the author
Beth Farrar
42 books42 followersBeth Farrar has been writing stories since her parents handed her a library card with which she always took out the allowed five books per week. From that moment on, her imagination was sparked. Encouragement from English teachers set her on a serious path of learning the craft.
From TV scripts to full length movies (none of which came to screen but were for pleasure and practice), she developed her writing skills by exploring various mediums. Filling notebooks with ideas, sketching characters and locations, and inventing sticky situations for the heroes and heroines to survive, is Beth's happy place (besides walking in cemeteries, but that's another story).
For fifteen years Beth wrote a monthly column, Living Country, in her local English language newspaper, Main Street, sharing interesting observations of living and raising her three sons in the country with her husband.
Having always loved genealogy, Beth melded two of her passions together and created the Ellie McLellan Genealogy Mystery series.
Beth's three sons now live in Montreal but she and her husband still live in their log cabin on a lake north of Montreal. They love the quiet and the bird song (sometimes way too early in the morning!). They’re not particularly fond of power outages in the deep winter months, the shoveling, or the mosquitoes in summer. But the rest = priceless!
For tips and tricks on how to write your own personal history story, head over to Beth Farrar – Author on Facebook for more information.
And being a Canadian author, please forgive the extra "l"s and wayward "u"s you may find in my work. Please don't report them, it's just the way we spell words here in the great north, eh!
From TV scripts to full length movies (none of which came to screen but were for pleasure and practice), she developed her writing skills by exploring various mediums. Filling notebooks with ideas, sketching characters and locations, and inventing sticky situations for the heroes and heroines to survive, is Beth's happy place (besides walking in cemeteries, but that's another story).
For fifteen years Beth wrote a monthly column, Living Country, in her local English language newspaper, Main Street, sharing interesting observations of living and raising her three sons in the country with her husband.
Having always loved genealogy, Beth melded two of her passions together and created the Ellie McLellan Genealogy Mystery series.
Beth's three sons now live in Montreal but she and her husband still live in their log cabin on a lake north of Montreal. They love the quiet and the bird song (sometimes way too early in the morning!). They’re not particularly fond of power outages in the deep winter months, the shoveling, or the mosquitoes in summer. But the rest = priceless!
For tips and tricks on how to write your own personal history story, head over to Beth Farrar – Author on Facebook for more information.
And being a Canadian author, please forgive the extra "l"s and wayward "u"s you may find in my work. Please don't report them, it's just the way we spell words here in the great north, eh!
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 20, 2026
Love genealogy
So, I love this series. So many secrets, mysteries, and even scandals. Just like in real life and family histories.
Well done.
So, I love this series. So many secrets, mysteries, and even scandals. Just like in real life and family histories.
Well done.
May 26, 2026
Family lies
I always love your books. I just wish I was able to flesh out my family the way you do in your books.
I always love your books. I just wish I was able to flesh out my family the way you do in your books.
April 29, 2026
As with the rest of this series it was a great read ! I can highly recommend this series of books !
May 12, 2026
A Happy Ending
And a mystery unsolved. Who was Uncle Wayne? Wills, trusts, and chicanery abound. I wish problems in the real world were solved as easily.
And a mystery unsolved. Who was Uncle Wayne? Wills, trusts, and chicanery abound. I wish problems in the real world were solved as easily.
May 25, 2026
I rated this one 4 stars! The Ellie McLellan Genealogy Mystery series continues to be such a fun read, and Family Lies was no exception. I’ve really grown attached to the characters and always enjoy seeing the mysteries the Heritage Harvesters take on.
When a storm rolls into Percyville, the Heritage Harvesters gather at the Cozy Corner Cafe, only for events to take an unexpected turn after the death of the reclusive Patricia Linden. Ellie soon finds herself responsible for an enormous task that uncovers long-buried secrets. At the same time, Phil begins digging into his Uncle Wayne’s questionable past and reconnects with estranged family members along the way.
One of my favorite things about this series is how Beth Farrar combines genealogy research with family drama and mystery. The family history aspects always feel believable and interesting, and the small-town setting adds so much charm. I especially enjoyed Phil’s storyline in this installment and seeing more emotional depth as family relationships were explored. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with genealogy twists, this series is definitely worth picking up.
When a storm rolls into Percyville, the Heritage Harvesters gather at the Cozy Corner Cafe, only for events to take an unexpected turn after the death of the reclusive Patricia Linden. Ellie soon finds herself responsible for an enormous task that uncovers long-buried secrets. At the same time, Phil begins digging into his Uncle Wayne’s questionable past and reconnects with estranged family members along the way.
One of my favorite things about this series is how Beth Farrar combines genealogy research with family drama and mystery. The family history aspects always feel believable and interesting, and the small-town setting adds so much charm. I especially enjoyed Phil’s storyline in this installment and seeing more emotional depth as family relationships were explored. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with genealogy twists, this series is definitely worth picking up.
May 8, 2026
I have read all the books in this series and have enjoyed every one. This book though as good as it is I thought ended too abruptly. No doubt Beth Farrar will take up where it was left in the next book.
Ill be waiting patiently!!
Ill be waiting patiently!!
May 6, 2026
Terrific!
Each book is better than the last one! I love Ellie, Quinn and the crew. This one had so many different stories woven into the main one, it was so enjoyable!
Each book is better than the last one! I love Ellie, Quinn and the crew. This one had so many different stories woven into the main one, it was so enjoyable!
May 3, 2026
Enjoyed
I enjoyed this book very much. It was a little slow getting started but once it got going it was interesting with all the subplots
I enjoyed this book very much. It was a little slow getting started but once it got going it was interesting with all the subplots
June 12, 2026
Great Stories Mysteries Intreque
As always the research ideas for ancestors demonstrated are very helpful in my own research. I am amazed at how many plots Beth introduces to weave her desired plot line through this book. She weaves them in as other family history searches. Some very old. Some current.
As always the research ideas for ancestors demonstrated are very helpful in my own research. I am amazed at how many plots Beth introduces to weave her desired plot line through this book. She weaves them in as other family history searches. Some very old. Some current.
May 31, 2026
Nice home spun stories but not exciting. As a genealogist myself its nice to read about someone else's research and get some other ideas for research, albeit I am not in Canada. Would recommend as a "cosy" read. The characters are all so nice and wholesome spending their time drinking coffee and eating biscuits in between researching and commenting on the weather and being nice to each other. Nothing wrong in that but it would be nice to see them involved in something other than cosy stuff. But maybe that's not the point of the series. The other books in the series are better, this one seems a bit too "safe" and just a tad predictable.
I will not go into the story you need to read and make your own mind up on that one .Enjoy!
I will not go into the story you need to read and make your own mind up on that one .Enjoy!
May 7, 2026
Patricia Linden dies and leaves her house and money to the Percyville Historical Society. The sprinkler system at city hall breaks and historical society records are drenched, but they move them to their new home. Mysteries are tackled on behave of friends and family members of the Heritage Harvesters.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews