What do you think?
Rate this book
Hannah Ives Mystery #17
Tangled Roots
Can Hannah Ives untangle the roots of her ancestry to solve murders from the past and present?
Hannah Ives's sister, Georgina, has some astonishing news. A DNA test has revealed she is part Native American, and Hannah's test has similar results. The link seems to come from their late mother. But how?
As Hannah dives into constructing her family tree, she uncovers a heart-breaking love story and a mysterious death, while DNA matching turns up two second cousins, Mai and Nicholas. Hannah and her niece, Julie, are eager to embrace their new relatives and learn about their surprising ancestry, but Georgina's husband, Scott, isn't so keen. Are there more shocking revelations to come? And can Hannah untangle her family roots to uncover the truth behind a devastating tragedy?
Hannah Ives's sister, Georgina, has some astonishing news. A DNA test has revealed she is part Native American, and Hannah's test has similar results. The link seems to come from their late mother. But how?
As Hannah dives into constructing her family tree, she uncovers a heart-breaking love story and a mysterious death, while DNA matching turns up two second cousins, Mai and Nicholas. Hannah and her niece, Julie, are eager to embrace their new relatives and learn about their surprising ancestry, but Georgina's husband, Scott, isn't so keen. Are there more shocking revelations to come? And can Hannah untangle her family roots to uncover the truth behind a devastating tragedy?
- GenresMystery
192 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2019
6 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Marcia Talley
66 books54 followersMarcia Talley is the Agatha and Anthony award-winning author of DEAD MAN DANCING and six previous mysteries featuring amateur sleuth, Hannah Ives who, like the author, is a breast cancer survivor.
Marcia is author/editor of two star-studded collaborative novels, NAKED CAME THE PHOENIX and ID KILL FOR THAT set in a fashionable health spa and an exclusive gated community, respectively. Her short stories appear in more than a dozen collections including With Love, Marjorie Ann and Safety First, both Agatha award nominees, and the multi-award-winning Too Many Cooks, a humorous retelling of Shakespeares Macbeth from the viewpoint of the three witches. A recent story, Driven to Distraction won the Agatha Award, was nominated for an Anthony, and was reprinted in THE DANGEROUS BRIDE AND 21 OF THE YEARS FINEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES.
Marcia is immediate past president of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, serves as Secretary for Sisters in Crime National, and is on the board of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America. She divides her time between Annapolis, Maryland and an antique sailboat in the Bahamas.
"
Marcia is author/editor of two star-studded collaborative novels, NAKED CAME THE PHOENIX and ID KILL FOR THAT set in a fashionable health spa and an exclusive gated community, respectively. Her short stories appear in more than a dozen collections including With Love, Marjorie Ann and Safety First, both Agatha award nominees, and the multi-award-winning Too Many Cooks, a humorous retelling of Shakespeares Macbeth from the viewpoint of the three witches. A recent story, Driven to Distraction won the Agatha Award, was nominated for an Anthony, and was reprinted in THE DANGEROUS BRIDE AND 21 OF THE YEARS FINEST CRIME AND MYSTERY STORIES.
Marcia is immediate past president of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, serves as Secretary for Sisters in Crime National, and is on the board of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America. She divides her time between Annapolis, Maryland and an antique sailboat in the Bahamas.
"
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 7, 2019
DNA has been in the news lately because of the many cold cases being solved. The 17th book covers two of the results that can happen. One is the possible surprise of your forefathers' ancestry and the second problem using the same sperm in several cases.
The Ivey family is startled when Georgina's ancestry test comes back showing she has 25% of Native American genes. Hannah sends her own to check re results and came back agreeing with Georgina results. About the time of results are back Georgina's husband is found MURDERED. The twists and turns will teach you about DNA. Where did the Native American genes come from? What tribe? The ending was a surprise for me.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.
Disclosure: Thanks to Severn House for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
The Ivey family is startled when Georgina's ancestry test comes back showing she has 25% of Native American genes. Hannah sends her own to check re results and came back agreeing with Georgina results. About the time of results are back Georgina's husband is found MURDERED. The twists and turns will teach you about DNA. Where did the Native American genes come from? What tribe? The ending was a surprise for me.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.
Disclosure: Thanks to Severn House for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
August 10, 2020
Meh. It’s OK if you just need something to read ... or a primer in fiction of how Ancestry.com (artfully renamed “Gen-Tree”) works. It includes lots of currently trendy news themes : DNA, genealogy, protest politics, and sperm-spamming donors who beget dozens of children, along with a slick-slimy mega church pastor, and the requisite murder. I did like the characters, but found the didactic diction they were forced to assume extremely annoying and the plot disconnected. Not a winner in my book.
July 15, 2019
Another enjoyable Hannah Ives treat, this time exploring DNA test results and family secrets. Ms. Talley deftly weaves her research into a satisfying mystery sprinkled with local color which I especially enjoy. This book is just the thing to beat the heat of a humid summer weekend!
April 23, 2019
Hannah Ives is spurred to investigate her family tree. Her sister Georgina has received some surprising results from her DNA test and wants some answers.
The main problem with this book is that it should have been 2 books. We have two main stories – Hannah tracing her family tree and discovering native American blood in her DNA. There is a complete story in this thread – the meeting of the distant relatives, finding their history and the mysteries of the past. It could have been dealt with in considerable depth with plenty of detail of the Native American way of life in the past and present.
Tenuously linked to this is the murder of Hannah’s brother-in-law & Georgina’s husband, Scott. There are DNA issues within this story but they are totally separate to the ancestors of Hannah, Georgina & their other sister, Ruth. There is a murder mystery here which was interesting and deserved more depth and a book of its own.
The consequence of having these two large stories in one book is that neither is given enough time and depth. There are plenty of themes to be explored but none is done in much depth. The characters are quite shallow and cardboard as none is given enough time to develop as a person. This made it hard to get involved with this book as I wasn’t able to be sufficiently interested in the characters.
I really don’t feel that the author has done justice to the stories she has created in this book. I wish that I could have read two in depth, well researched and well constructed books. What I actually read was a shallow and undeveloped book with too much crammed into it and nothing developed properly.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.
The main problem with this book is that it should have been 2 books. We have two main stories – Hannah tracing her family tree and discovering native American blood in her DNA. There is a complete story in this thread – the meeting of the distant relatives, finding their history and the mysteries of the past. It could have been dealt with in considerable depth with plenty of detail of the Native American way of life in the past and present.
Tenuously linked to this is the murder of Hannah’s brother-in-law & Georgina’s husband, Scott. There are DNA issues within this story but they are totally separate to the ancestors of Hannah, Georgina & their other sister, Ruth. There is a murder mystery here which was interesting and deserved more depth and a book of its own.
The consequence of having these two large stories in one book is that neither is given enough time and depth. There are plenty of themes to be explored but none is done in much depth. The characters are quite shallow and cardboard as none is given enough time to develop as a person. This made it hard to get involved with this book as I wasn’t able to be sufficiently interested in the characters.
I really don’t feel that the author has done justice to the stories she has created in this book. I wish that I could have read two in depth, well researched and well constructed books. What I actually read was a shallow and undeveloped book with too much crammed into it and nothing developed properly.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.
April 6, 2021
Anyone who has participated in genetic testing or otherwise had their DNA analyzed will be familiar with a general disclaimer. The results may include something you are not aware of, and could be upsetting. Naturally, when Hannah Ives gets a call from her sister Georgina that her DNA test results indicate a 25% Native American heritage, the sisters are taken aback. They’ve grown up hearing about their family background, with its Puritan roots that make them a shoe-in for DAR membership. This little wrench, then, raises all kinds of questions about the truth of their grandparents.
Tangled Roots presents Hannah’s attempts to figure out whether the results are a fluke or if they do indeed have Native American heritage and a family they’ve never known. Along the way, they deal with a shady death closer to home that threatens to wrench the family further apart and unable to trust anyone. From their quiet lives in the suburbs of Maryland to protests in the nation’s capital and visit to a remote Native American reservation, this story goes all over, both in plot and locale.
As someone who is familiar with genealogical research, I found the descriptions of Hannah’s research redundant. However, someone who is not at all familiar would likely find this approach critical to understanding what is going on. That being said, Talley does a good job at presenting the myriad resources and techniques available to those beginning their genealogical journey, particularly through the use of DNA analytics. And as the story unfolds, there are several events that feel like they’ve been ripped from the headlines over the last decade. To that end, key parts of the story are completely plausible which made reading it more enjoyable.
The book centers a single family, so there’s a range of characters, ages, and experiences. I didn’t always find their responses or dialogue completely relatable, but it was never so jarring that it took me out of the moment. Some lines of conversation, particularly around genealogy, were too on the nose. It was clear the author needed to explain something in order for the plot to move forward, but dialogue provided wasn’t always the best vehicle.
This book is #17 in the Hannah Ives series, but it did not feel like it. There is one obvious mention to a previous incident that I assume occurs in a preceding book, but it’s not salient in this story. As a result, Tangled Roots works as a standalone. What works less well are the two competing stories in this book. Hannah’s research into her family history would easily have been its own book; the secondary story about a mysterious murder absolutely should have been its own book. Because they’re both pushed here, the stories aren’t as developed as they could be, and the resolutions to both feel rushed and superficial.
Tangled Roots was a quick, engaging read for me. It has room for improvement, but it works on its own merits. I recommend it to lovers of cozy mysteries or genealogy enthusiasts who like a little drama and crime, but aren’t looking for tense suspense or to be emotionally drawn to the characters. I read this in less than a day, so it might be perfect to bring along on a day trip or a long evening out on the deck.
Tangled Roots presents Hannah’s attempts to figure out whether the results are a fluke or if they do indeed have Native American heritage and a family they’ve never known. Along the way, they deal with a shady death closer to home that threatens to wrench the family further apart and unable to trust anyone. From their quiet lives in the suburbs of Maryland to protests in the nation’s capital and visit to a remote Native American reservation, this story goes all over, both in plot and locale.
As someone who is familiar with genealogical research, I found the descriptions of Hannah’s research redundant. However, someone who is not at all familiar would likely find this approach critical to understanding what is going on. That being said, Talley does a good job at presenting the myriad resources and techniques available to those beginning their genealogical journey, particularly through the use of DNA analytics. And as the story unfolds, there are several events that feel like they’ve been ripped from the headlines over the last decade. To that end, key parts of the story are completely plausible which made reading it more enjoyable.
The book centers a single family, so there’s a range of characters, ages, and experiences. I didn’t always find their responses or dialogue completely relatable, but it was never so jarring that it took me out of the moment. Some lines of conversation, particularly around genealogy, were too on the nose. It was clear the author needed to explain something in order for the plot to move forward, but dialogue provided wasn’t always the best vehicle.
This book is #17 in the Hannah Ives series, but it did not feel like it. There is one obvious mention to a previous incident that I assume occurs in a preceding book, but it’s not salient in this story. As a result, Tangled Roots works as a standalone. What works less well are the two competing stories in this book. Hannah’s research into her family history would easily have been its own book; the secondary story about a mysterious murder absolutely should have been its own book. Because they’re both pushed here, the stories aren’t as developed as they could be, and the resolutions to both feel rushed and superficial.
Tangled Roots was a quick, engaging read for me. It has room for improvement, but it works on its own merits. I recommend it to lovers of cozy mysteries or genealogy enthusiasts who like a little drama and crime, but aren’t looking for tense suspense or to be emotionally drawn to the characters. I read this in less than a day, so it might be perfect to bring along on a day trip or a long evening out on the deck.
July 22, 2019
Is it always wise to find your genealogical ancestry?
In an America governed by Trump, Hannah receives a phone call from her younger sister, prompting her to take a DNA test. According to Gen-Tree, her sister, who spat into a tube, is 25% Native American. This puzzles all the siblings as they can’t remember their grandparents having Native American features. All those who may know their story have passed on. Hannah decides to investigate and is drawn into her genealogical history, which subsequently leads to a reservation in the heart of Sioux Indian territory. Here she meets a 102-year-old woman who provides clues to a fascinating discovery and a sad story. But as Hannah starts to untangle the roots of her ancestry, there is a family murder. Hannah is faced with the knowledge that her genealogical research could possibly have led to the brutal deed.
I am uncertain about this read as I don’t enjoy a colloquial style, but the novel presents the possibilities and dangers around DNA testing, which I found quite fascinating. For me the book lacked fluidity - one becomes engrossed in the protagonist’s discovery of her genealogical roots, suddenly a murder takes place, and the plot veers off into a whodunnit. Although Talley does tie it all together in the end, I felt that the plot was divided. What I enjoyed most was her incorporation of Native American culture and customs. Their legends are beautiful and worth discovering.
Ange
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
In an America governed by Trump, Hannah receives a phone call from her younger sister, prompting her to take a DNA test. According to Gen-Tree, her sister, who spat into a tube, is 25% Native American. This puzzles all the siblings as they can’t remember their grandparents having Native American features. All those who may know their story have passed on. Hannah decides to investigate and is drawn into her genealogical history, which subsequently leads to a reservation in the heart of Sioux Indian territory. Here she meets a 102-year-old woman who provides clues to a fascinating discovery and a sad story. But as Hannah starts to untangle the roots of her ancestry, there is a family murder. Hannah is faced with the knowledge that her genealogical research could possibly have led to the brutal deed.
I am uncertain about this read as I don’t enjoy a colloquial style, but the novel presents the possibilities and dangers around DNA testing, which I found quite fascinating. For me the book lacked fluidity - one becomes engrossed in the protagonist’s discovery of her genealogical roots, suddenly a murder takes place, and the plot veers off into a whodunnit. Although Talley does tie it all together in the end, I felt that the plot was divided. What I enjoyed most was her incorporation of Native American culture and customs. Their legends are beautiful and worth discovering.
Ange
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
June 26, 2019
Hannah Ives’s younger sister Georgina has taken a DNA test and is shocked to learn that she is 25% Native American. She convinces Hannah to take the test and weeks later, Hannah’s DNA test has similar results but who in their family was Native American? Hannah dives into constructing her family tree online and DNA matching turns up second cousins, Mai and Nicholas Johnson in South Dakota. Hannah and her niece Julie are eager to embrace their new relatives and learn about their surprising ancestry, but Georgina’s accountant husband Scott isn’t so keen.
Hannah's ancestral sleuthing is halted when Scott is found murdered in his backyard. A neighbour's security camera seems to capture one of Scott's sons having a discussion with him on that fateful afternoon but that's impossible since the boys were away on a summer vacation. So who was the doppelganger that visited Scott? Hannah gets an email that reveals that Scott had been a sperm donor during his student days in Chicago and that his daughter Julie has 15 half-siblings that she had not known about! The relations are getting together in Illinois for a reunion and Hannah and Julie go to find the doppelganger and some answers.
A lame kind of motive and clues leads Julie to help Hannah identify Scott's killer.
Finally at the end of the book, Hannah and sister Ruth search their father's storage container and find their late grandmother Charlotte's scrapbook that provides the answer to their Native American ancestor's identity.
I received an eARC via Netgalley and Severn House with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.
Hannah's ancestral sleuthing is halted when Scott is found murdered in his backyard. A neighbour's security camera seems to capture one of Scott's sons having a discussion with him on that fateful afternoon but that's impossible since the boys were away on a summer vacation. So who was the doppelganger that visited Scott? Hannah gets an email that reveals that Scott had been a sperm donor during his student days in Chicago and that his daughter Julie has 15 half-siblings that she had not known about! The relations are getting together in Illinois for a reunion and Hannah and Julie go to find the doppelganger and some answers.
A lame kind of motive and clues leads Julie to help Hannah identify Scott's killer.
Finally at the end of the book, Hannah and sister Ruth search their father's storage container and find their late grandmother Charlotte's scrapbook that provides the answer to their Native American ancestor's identity.
I received an eARC via Netgalley and Severn House with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.
June 26, 2019
This is a quick read could have easily been longer- and thus more rewarding. An impulsive DNA test opens up a lot of questions for Hannah and her sister Georgina. There's clearly a family secret because they had no idea that they are 25 percent Native American, which means someone fairly close to them in time. Georgina's husband is murdered and well, of course, Hannah investigates. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. I read this more or less as a standalone (I've read one previous Ives book). Talley has picked a topical issue to focus on and it deserved more.
December 31, 2020
This mystery won’t be for everyone. The first half of the book is mainly about DNA testing and the genealogy research that’s involved in creating a family tree. The murder doesn’t occur until halfway through the book and the second half of the book is a combination of genealogy and trying to solve the murder. I would only recommend this if you have an interest in genealogy, otherwise I think it would overwhelm most readers.
August 17, 2019
I decided to read this book because it involved DNA. I am really familiar with autosomal dna testing and unexpected results. Marcia Talley did a really good job describing autosomal dna testing, building family trees, and researching records. I was impressed. I really enjoyed the book sans plan on reading more of Marcia Talley’s books
May 9, 2020
This story sucked me in immediately! This was my first Hannah Ives story so now I will definitely be reading the first 16. I am knee deep in genealogy research myself and this title caught my attention, I was not disappointed. I read it in one night, and it wove the mystery of ancestors and murder together perfectly without making anything obvious. Wonderful read.
April 11, 2019
ISBN 978072788882. I enjoyed this story of the unexpected consequences of tracing family using DNA. It moved along at a brisk pace, weaving in a suspicious death and the coincidental uncovering of a major clue.
June 29, 2019
I was very taken with this book, which involved genealogy, DNA, and Native American ancestors, but halfway through a new plot featuring a murder and sperm donation, which made the remainder of the book a little disjointed. Liked overall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2019
A nice mystery. The death of Georgina's husband Scott seemed like an afterthought. The main point was the mystery in the family's DNA. I think that the DNA mystery could have been fleshed out and stood on it's own.
Read
October 22, 2019Fun little book....I liked it at first because I thought it was going to be about DNA testing/new found family members, but it that was just the side story...it was a murder mystery, but kind of light hearted. I'll probably look for other books by this author.
May 9, 2020
I zipped right through this one, enjoying the family history bits as well as the more traditional mystery elements, but the ending seemed very abrupt. I'd have liked to have had one loose end wrapped up concerning the present day murder mystery.
November 21, 2021
Light and fun with a cracking pace and a sudden swerve to different topic halfway through. I didn’t realise, but regular readers will know, that is because this book is number 17 in the Hannah Ives Mystery series. I was happy just to sit back and enjoy
July 20, 2022
This book pegs itself as a mystery, but the murder didn't happen until halfway through. I did enjoy untangling the roots of the family tree, and I thought that would be the main focus of the book, the mystery so to speak, but the murder seemed unrelated/unnecessary to the main plotline.
June 30, 2019
Even though the book is well written I couldn't connect to the characters and the book fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
October 9, 2019
Was pretty boring.. very slow read. Did not get better.
December 17, 2019
Total waste of time
May 28, 2019
Completing DNA testing and an online family tree can open doors your never knew existed and can give a whole new meaning to the concept of family, as is exemplified in the latest Hannah Ives mystery. Will innocently completing family geology and digging into the family tree unearth secrets long past? Can Hannah and her sisters reconcile new truths with their preconceived notions about their ancestry? Talley continues to captivate readers as reveals Hannah’s personal journey of family history and identity, with a little murder tossed in the mix. Talley’s fast-paced storytelling gives intricate details to issues of the day while also delving into lush character development. Talley finds the perfect balance between amusing character quips and serious self-discovery. The descriptive writing style and engaging plot is a sure bet for readers of Mary Kay Andews, Rita Mae Brown or Elizabeth Peters.
I truly did not care for the depiction of sperm donation. I found it to be a rather strange take on the process and did not think it represented what many donor children/parents believe.
I truly did not care for the depiction of sperm donation. I found it to be a rather strange take on the process and did not think it represented what many donor children/parents believe.
April 11, 2019
#TangledRoots #NetGalley I was interested in this book as it tackled a completely new and very topical subject. I was also intrigued as I have recently undertaken my own DNA Ancestry tracing! The storyline was interesting with different subplots that were interwoven into the main story. Early on in the book, I did think there was too much narrative relating to the complexities of DNA testing and I did skim read a bit of it. There were a lot of abbreviations/acronyms that weren't explained as well - they may have been familiar to an Amercian audience but not for me. Also I found that the ease in which Hannah delved into tracing elements of her family tree, were not, in reality, my own experience!! The second half of the book focused more on the action and really picked up the pace and kept me reading until I finished it. Overall, a very interesting read.
May 27, 2019
I recently read the first book in the Hannah Ives series (Sing It To Her Bones), and was immediately hooked on this character. When the opportunity came from NetGalley to read the most recent entry, I jumped on it even though I hadn't read the rest of the series. Unlike some series, where it feels like you're the newcomer in an old group of friends with a shared history, I was able to jump from the first book to the latest without any sense that I was lost. While characters overlap between books and time passes, I was able to enjoy Tangled Roots without feeling that I'd missed the backstory. Hannah is an appealing amateur sleuth, prone to jumping in with both feet without looking first (but if she didn't, there wouldn't be a story, would there?). Highly recommended, especially if you're looking for new series for a book-binge!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews