Malignant House

Suzie Fewings Genealogical Mystery #2

by Fay Sampson

The second in a fascinating new mystery series - Suzie Fewings, a keen family history researcher, is delighted to be given access to a chest of old documents at the local stately home, Hereward Court. She tries to ignore disturbing rumours about the owner, Floridus Hereward, but when she’s threatened by a sinister visitor to the house, the police are bafflingly unhelpful . . .

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

208 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2010

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]

3.5 stars. When Suzie Fewings learns that the Hereward family at the local manor house has a chest of old records about the area, she asks if she can see them. Not only is she invited over, but allowed to take something home each week to copy and post online. But while Suzie is making her genealogical discoveries — discoveries that may connect her to the Hereward family — something sinister is happening in the woods around the manor.

[Judith Rainbow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really enjoying the Suzie Fewings series. Very well written. Captivated right throughout the book.
Didn't quite understand Flo Hereward's involvement in the racism group but was satisfied it was his doing.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a well-written and even exciting story, but it only gets two stars from me because I found the main character rather irritating. Suzie is a dedicated genealogist, who gets the chance to post on the internet some data from a local manor house. Suzie gradually accepts her son's theory that the manor house, and its owner, are part of an unpleasant and dangerous plot. But she's obsessed with proving that she's related to the lady of the manor, and continues to search even after she realizes that she and her family are in danger.

[Grey853 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Suzie is a genealogist who gets a chance to review and computerize some rare records from a local manor house. Despite the fact that she believes her family might be in danger from a group that lives at the manor, she's so obsessed with tracing her roots and connections to the lady of the manor that she fails to have any common sense about the matter.

While the book is well written in detailing what it's like to use census reports and other records to trace a family chart, it's a big letdown when it comes to the actual story mystery.

[Donna Crow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susie Fewings is invited to do family research at a nearby manor house. What she learns about her family is only the beginning of the excitement.

[Marge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked it. It combined so many of my likes--England, English stately homes, genealogy.