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Gene Stratton, is a recognized genealogist, Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists and a historian. He is known for his various published works of non-fiction. "Killing Cousins," his first foray into the world of crime fiction, demonstrates the author's substantial skills as a writer. The novel is one of meticulous research and detection, carefully blended with the rising pressure of need to solve past crimes in order to head off future murder. Although the narration of the story is told almost entirely in the calm, almost matter of fact tone and attitude of the researcher who is used to spending considerable amounts of time alone in musty library stacks and arcane records, Stratton manages to infuse much of this narration with a sense of urgency. Leavened with dollops of potential romance, a few drinks and a classical mystery "Killing Cousins" is a satisfying novel. Protagonist, Mortimer Sinclair is an eminent genealogist. He's a consultant and has developed a reputation as a crime solver. Not all kinds of crime, just those which fall within his particular expertise. He travels to Fogge Island, somewhere off the East Coast, to assist the Bay City police department 's efforts to solve a series of murders. Although it is fictional, Fogge Island is certainly rooted in historical fact--an island settled in the seventeenth century by a small number of settlers and now peopled by the descendants of those founding families. With a young female police detective working her first case as lead, Mort Sinclair delves into the history and the lives of five principal families. His attempts to find motive for the baffling murders, naturally arouses the resentment of current residents of the island who are afraid of what he may discover It is inevitable that he uncovers unseemly and seedy and even illegal activities. Many readers will identify closely with the story. Who among us can say that among their many prior generations of their families there are no scandals, no peccadilloes? Although the language occasionally slides into a more academic tone than one usually finds in crime novels, the pace is good, the characters distinctive and consistent, the story interesting. Even the packaging is appropriate. The end papers contain a simple map of Fogge Island and reveal what looks very much like a cell about to divide.
Reviewed by Carl Brookins, April 2002
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