The Missing Father by M.J. Lee

 

First Line: March, 1943, Chungkai Camp, Thailand. It was a day just like any other.

 

It's a week before Jayne Sinclair will board a plane for Australia, but when her next-door neighbor, 80-year-old Alice Taylor, asks her if she will help find answers to Alice's questions about her parents, Jayne agrees. Yes, Alice will be taking care of her cat while she's gone, but Jayne honestly enjoys her work as a genealogical investigator. 

Alice was adopted in 1942 when she was three years old. She was never told about her birth family, and her adoptive parents even changed her Christian name. Now Alice wants to know (1) Who were her birth parents? (2) How did her mother die? (3) What happened to her missing father? Since these events occurred during the chaos of World War II, Jayne has her work cut out for her-- especially with that Australian trip looming ever closer.

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I have found M.J. Lee's Jayne Sinclair series to be the perfect blend of history and mystery, with the added bonus being the fact that Jayne's life is very seldom ever in danger. (Sometimes I just don't want any blood and guts in the mystery I'm reading, thank you very much.)

Jayne is very close to her stepfather who moved to a nursing home when he was diagnosed with dementia. Once there, he met, fell in love with, and married another resident, and Jayne spends as much time with the pair as possible-- even planning this trip for all three of them to enjoy.

The Missing Father proves that it's never too late to learn about your ancestors, and Jayne takes readers through all the various methods to learn about your family history. Alice Taylor's case is a bit trickier since she was adopted and her name was changed but Jayne has many tricks up her sleeve and learns the truth. Finding out what happened to Alice's parents is more difficult, and I really began to wonder if Jayne was going to get the job done before the plane took off for Australia. 

The Missing Father takes readers into the chaos of World War II and the fall of Singapore to the Japanese, and although Lee doesn't gloss over the facts or the horrors of war, he never goes over the top. (I do like it when authors let readers' imaginations fill in the blanks.) In one book after another, Lee has found fascinating little-known chapters of history to bring to life, and that's one of the many reasons why I enjoy this series so much. 

If you like reading mysteries closer to the cozy end of the spectrum that also have a strong dash of history, consider reading M.J. Lee's Jayne Sinclair mysteries. Although it's better to read them in order, it's not absolutely necessary. Start anywhere, and don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for the earlier books in the series.

The Missing Father by M.J. Lee

ASIN: B09VXJYMY9

Independently Published © 2022

eBook, 314 pages

 

Genealogical Mystery, #9 Jayne Sinclair mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

The Christmas Carol by M.J. Lee

 

First Line: December 19, 1843. Devonshire Terrace, London. Charles Dickens sat at his desk, the pile of new books stacked in front of him.

 

An extremely rare first edition of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol has been found in a charity shop. Its auction price will skyrocket if more information can be found about the man named in Dickens' handwritten dedication. Genealogist Jayne Sinclair is given three days to locate information on the man with nothing more to go on than his name, a place-- Victorian Manchester, and a date-- December 19, 1843. Can she do it?

Facing a Christmas alone, Jayne accepts the challenge, little knowing that she'll find the true meaning of Christmas along the way.

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When I picked up M.J. Lee's The Christmas Carol, I knew I was guaranteed an enjoyable read. After all, I've been a fan of this series since the very first book (The Irish Inheritance). What I didn't expect was a mystery that's also perfect holiday reading.

Lee is a master at finding fascinating yet little-known nuggets of history that he can weave into his story, and incorporating Dickens and his inspiration for and writing of one of the most famous books in the world-- A Christmas Carol-- is a gold mine. As familiar as I am with the story, having both read it and watched many film adaptations, I knew very little about the story's roots in Manchester, England. As the story danced between Dickens in 1843 and Jayne Sinclair in the present day, I was almost mesmerized as the author was taken on a walking tour of Manchester. I felt like a little girl exclaiming over treasures-- That's his inspiration for Scrooge! There's Tiny Tim! There's Scrooge's long-lost love! 

 

And watching Jayne try to identify the man to whom Dickens inscribed a copy of his book was just as special. The actual work she did to locate information was fascinating, and while she raced against the clock, she also found herself contemplating the path her life was taking, a perfect thing to do considering Dickens' story.

If you like a little mystery with your holiday reading, I've found the perfect choice: M.J. Lee's The Christmas Carol. No violence. No murders. No cheating spouses or corrupt policemen. Just a mystery and the thrill of the chase. While it will definitely put a smile on your face, don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for the other books in this series. It's one of my favorites.

The Christmas Carol by M.J. Lee

ASIN: B08K2Q6Y65

Amazon Digital Services © 2020

eBook, 309 pages

 

Genealogical Mystery, #8 Jayne Sinclair mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.