Review: The Missing Man
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The Missing Man: A Morton Farrier Novella
By Nathan Dylan Goodwin
Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 2017
Website: http://www.nathandylangoodwin.com/the-missing-man
144 pp.
How I Got Hooked on Genealogy Crime Mysteries
My introduction to the genre of genealogical mystery books began many years ago with The Famous DAR Murder Mystery by Graham Landrum. As a DAR member myself, I couldn’t help but enjoy the story of four little, old ladies (your stereotypical DAR members) who stumble upon a modern-day corpse and become embroiled in a dangerous mystery.
A few years later, as a new Kindle user trolling for books about genealogy, I stumbled across Patricia Sprinkle’s Death on the Family Tree, the first book in her Family Tree Mysteries series. I eagerly devoured the 3-book series, then moved on to Steve Robinson’s Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery books.
After finishing those, I wanted more! I eventually found my way to Nathan Dylan Goodwin’s Morton Farrier: Forensic Genealogist series, and I’ve been a Morton Farrier fangirl ever since.
Who is The Missing Man?
Forensic genealogist Morton Farrier is “a stubborn, determined man who uses whatever means necessary to uncover the past.” Based in East Kent, England, Morton gets himself into all sorts of life-and-death situations while making the job of a forensic genealogist seem very exciting!
In a somewhat ironic twist, Morton himself is an adoptee. Having solved dozens of difficult cases for others, the painful reality is that uncovering his own family history is the one case he may never be able to crack.
The Missing Man is the 6th book in the Morton Farrier series. Unlike the previous books that take place in England, The Missing Man crosses the pond and is instead set in the United States.
Armed with little more than a few unopened letters written by his biological father to his mother in 1976, Morton and his new wife Juliette head to Massachusetts for a three-week honeymoon, in hopes of finally solving the mystery of Morton’s parentage:
“It was to be the most important case of Morton Farrier’s career in forensic genealogy so far. A case that had eluded him for many years: finding his own father. Harley ‘Jack’ Jacklin disappeared just six days after a fatal fire at his Cape Cod home on Christmas Eve in 1976, leaving no trace behind. Now his son, Morton, must travel to the East Coast of America to unravel the family’s dark secrets in order to discover what happened to him.”
My Impression
With the exception of the novella The Orange Lillies, The Missing Man is about half the size of Goodwin’s previous books, clocking in at just 144 pages. But don’t let that fool you because a TON of juicy action is packed into those pages!
Honestly, from page one I was hooked and could hardly put the book down. I initially sat down just to read a few chapters… but before I knew it, I had read half the book. By the next day, I was finished.
And wow, I did not see that coming!
As a genealogist myself, what I love about these books is that I feel as if I am right there alongside Morton making his discoveries with him. We all know that thrill of finding a genealogical clue: the vital record naming unknown family members, the newspaper article explaining what happened, the will that tells who got what… or didn’t.
Goodwin’s books are rich with details that will leave you feeling the same excitement as his characters.
I cannot wait to find out what Morton gets up to next!
Where to Find It
The Missing Man is available from Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats. Visit the book’s page on Amazon to read a sample online, download a sample to your Kindle, or listen to an Audible audiobook sample.
Reader reviews are overwhelmingly positive, so don’t just take my word for it – check them out!
About the Author
To learn more about genealogical crime mystery author Nathan Dylan Goodwin, please visit his website.
I loved browsing through his Pinterest board, which is full of photos taken on his trip to Massachusetts to do research for the book. Caution: spoiler alert!
Books in the Morton Farrier series include:
- Hiding the Past
- The Lost Ancestor
- The Orange Lillies (novella)
- The America Ground
- The Spyglass File
- The Missing Man
- The Suffragette’s Secret (short story)
- The Wicked Trade (Read my review)
- The Asylum
- The Sterling Affair
- Morton in Lockdown (free online, interactive story)
What are YOU reading this month?
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of The Missing Man from the author for review. All opinions are my own and were not provided in exchange for the book.
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