‘The America Ground’ by Nathan Dylan Goodwin is based on a fascinating piece of local history, indeed Goodwin’s own family history, and made into a historical thriller. On April 28, 1827, a woman is murdered in her bed. Eliza Lovekin is the second to be killed, Amelia Odden is to be next. This is the story of Eliza, her daughter Harriet and a piece of ground in Hastings, East Sussex, which for a short period of time was claimed as a piece of the United States of America.
Forensic genealogist Morton Farrier is on the trail of his own adoption story, the identity of his birth father. But a visit to his adoptive father seeking answers sets him instead on the trail of a new mystery. The portrait of a woman from the 1800s: ‘Eliza Lovekin, Hastings, 1825’. Morton’s client is the proprietor of an antiques business who wants a potted family history of Eliza to add value to the painting before it goes up for sale at auction. Initially resenting time away from researching his own family, Morton is soon captivated by Eliza’s story. In the 1827 story strand, we follow Harriet Lovekin, teenage daughter of Eliza, as she longs to be treated as an adult. Unfortunately the day arrives when she is, and she doesn’t like it.
The build towards the climax is deftly handled, though the book starts slowly and I would have liked a more even balance between historical exposition and action in the first half. Originally I was unsure why we were following Harriet’s viewpoint rather than Eliza’s, but all becomes clear towards the end. The build towards the climax is deftly handled, though the book starts slowly and I would have liked a more even balance between historical exposition and action in the first half. Originally I was unsure why we were following Harriet’s viewpoint rather than Eliza’s, but all becomes clear towards the end. There is one point when, in order to maintain the secret as long as possible, the author goes back a couple of days; that jolted me out of the story.
I particularly liked Goodwin’s use of local dialect with a light touch: ‘a low fubsy moon’, ‘a-going’ and ‘a-hurting’. As a genealogist and local historian, he knows his East Sussex locations well. As the action moves around the county, I found myself wishing there was a map to refer to.
Morton Farrier is a great protagonist – thoughtful, brave but scared too, a bit of a geek who has a sharp edge – though as my father used to say about Jim Rockford, it’s dangerous being around him; everyone he knows gets threatened, murdered, attacked or abused. And Morton’s own adoption heritage story continues from book to book.
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Once again we are fortunate to have received a review copy of Nathan Dylan Goodwin’s latest Morton Farrier Genealogical Crime Mysteries. The America Ground is the third in the series and is just as gripping as the previous ones. His writing has tightened up some, making this one all the more enjoyable. I found it very
difficult to put down, cheering Farrier on as he uses genealogical records and deductive reasoning to solve an almost 200 year old mystery. The settings are very evocative and I could just see myself in the research rooms he describes. I recommend borrowing this book from our Member’s Lending Library Shelf and see for yourself.

Nathan kindly sent me a review copy of his latest genealogical mystery, The America Ground - the third book in the Morton Farrier genealogical crime mystery series. Once I started reading it was hard to stop.

The book was attractively presented with an appropriate cover illustration, the paper was light enough that the book was easy to hold up in bed and the font a decent size for old eyes. I did find the narrow margins disconcerting and would have liked a bit more white space around the edges of the text.

I was quickly hooked by the story although at times I found the prose a bit stilted and thought that there was an overuse of adjectives in some places. But it's really all about the story and that hooked me in.

Having read the first two books in the series I have become fond of Morton Farrier, the larrikin genealogist, and his long-suffering fiance. Will she ever get him to the altar? It was nice to reconnect with these characters but this book is suitable for anyone to read as a standalone. Anyone who likes a good whodunnit (not just genies) should enjoy this tale.

The story moves in time between 1827 and the present day with a short visit to the 1980s. I did not find this at all confusing as one does with some time travel tales. From a very early stage I was hooked by the story and just had to keep reading to see how Morton solved the mystery that was presented. With a few murders, some kidnapping and a touch of romance this novel kept me in suspense until its last pages. The subplot of Morton's search for his biological father added an extra dimension to the story. An added bonus for we genies is that Morton talks our talk and hangs out in the places we like to visist.

I would certainly recommend this book to fellow readers. Thanks Nathan for sending me a copy to read. I'm now hanging out for Book 4.

The America Ground is available as an ebook from Amazon Australia. I was pleased that I received a hard copy edition which it appears that Amazon.com will ship to Australia. ( )