A Comedy of Heirs by Rett MacPherson

Torie O'Shea takes the first week of December off from her job as genealogist with the local historical society to organize the family's reunion and get a head start on the upcoming holiday season. Amid a house full of relatives, she receives a letter pointing out the fact that her great-grandfather was murdered, and not accidentally killed in a hunting accident. Why has the family done nothing to clear up the murder in all that time? Torie begins to search for the truth through the gathered family members, through research in old newspaper articles, and through notes left from her great-grandmother. An uncle's death adds to her burdens and acts as a red herring, drawing the focus away from the great-grandfather's murder. A drugged cup of tea eventually leads to the killer. MacPherson provides Torie with a large family full of some wacky characters and dreary perfectionists. Her relationships with the myriad family members add background to both the main plot line and details about the other relatives. Memories are everywhere, effortlessly and quickly adding familiarity with the major players. The setting, a Missouri river town, shows that small towns can be blessings as well as irritations to those who live in them. The logical plot and real-to-life characters result in a compelling skeleton-in-the-closet story. Teens interested in their own family's history will appreciate Tori's mystery, and those who are unfamiliar with genealogy may find themselves looking more closely at their own kin.

Another great addition to this series!!!! This time Torie is investigating a 50 year old murder, I really enjoyed how it was a little different than trying to investigate a recent murder. I really like the history and genealogy aspect, as I mentioned in my review of the last book of hers I read. I just find it so intriguing, it makes me want to go out and trace my own roots and family tree!!!! The storyline progressed nicely and I enjoyed meeting Torie's crazy family. I find the character development of the main characters is really good from book to book, and I enjoy learning more about them all, as I open the pages of another book in the series. :) 4/5