The Lost Empress (Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery Book 4)

I hate reading Steve Robinson's books. You've got two days' worth of laundry and cleaning to do, but instead you have to let it all pile up around you as you stay up far into the night so you can see what else is happening to Jefferson Tayte and his tan suit. The Lost Empress is no exception. JT has a locket and photograph of a client's grandmother, Alice Stilwell, but oddly enough she is thought to have perished on the Empress of Ireland while still a young woman. His first assignment is to discover if it is indeed the same person. But if so, why would a young mother of two allow herself to be believed dead, leave her little children behind, and start a new life?This line of inquiry takes JT first to the centenary of the Empress of Ireland's sinking in Canada and then to England to investigate--where there's been a recent murder that may be connected to his case. The Surgeon General needs to label the UK as hazardous to his health, because whenever he goes there, it's clear that someone(s) doesn't want him poking around. I'll leave the rest to your reading pleasure--the action and story never flag, and, yes, JT's tan suit does come near to ruin.Steve Robinson is adept at switching back and forth between 1914 and present day. He gives a lot of rich historical detail without getting bogged down in it. You get to learn little interesting things, such as the difference between a "Kentish man" and a "man of Kent," as well as feeling the sorrow and humanity for those lost in a shipwreck--one so large but that most people don't know about. I felt in this novel that the historical narrative was slightly stronger than the present day, but maybe that's just because I got so caught up in Alice's story. My only other teeny tiny quibble is that JT sounds a bit more British than American (I've noticed this in the previous novels also, but actually less so in this one).So, yes, I hate reading Steve Robinson's books--especially because as soon as you finish one, it takes a long while to find another book as good. Not to mention--now there's the interminable wait until he writes the next installment.

A really good mystery that had me hooked from the get go. You'll need to keep your wits about you as you try to figure out how events today relate to events that occurred in pre-WW1 England.

Another great genealogy mystery solved by Jefferson Tayte. An American Woman hires him to find out if her grandmother, Alice Dixon, is any relation to Alice Stilwell. His client has a locket belonging to her grandmother but the name on the locked is Alice Stilwell not Dixon. So, Tayte travels to London to investigate. He attempts to visit the Metcalf home since that was Alice Stilwell's maiden name, but he is turned away at the gate by a rude and boisterous grandson of the current resident, Sir Reginald. According to the family stories, Alice Stilwell ran off and left her two young children to be raised by her parents. She was believed to be a spy for Germany and as such, the family wanted nothing to do with her. But, Tayte was not to be deterred. He went to the next person on his list, Leonard Scanlon, only to find that Scanlon was murdered two weeks earlier. While driving to visit Scanlon, Tayte is run off the road and winds up working with a Detective who is trying to solve the murder. The book goes back and forth between today and the 1914 world leading up to WW I. There is intrigue within Alice's parents house. Alice's husband Henry is kidnapped and she is forced to spy to protect his life and her children's lives. She runs away and sails to Canada in an attempt to save her husband only to find an even bigger surprise. It is a good story and Tayte is his usual self, picture Colombo in a tan suit instead of a coat. As in usual Tayte style, he solves the mystery and continues to seek his roots. This is a great series. Simon Vance narrates and he is the voice of Tayte. The audible version puts life to the words.

I, like so many other readers, have been eagerly looking forward to Jefferson Tayte's latest adventure. AND, I wasn't disappointed! Steve Robinson has written another exciting, interesting (both historically and dramatically) story for anyone to read. Character development is excellent and the whole story is written in a way to allow the reader to see every character and every scene as clearly as if you are right there. Changing scenes from 1914 to the present was handled in such a way that the reader never once felt confused as to where the action was taking place. Being a mother myself, I felt true empathy for Alice and her dilemma - to save her family and betray her country or take a chance with her family's lives. She was an extremely brave, young woman!Then there was the murder in the present time that was unexpectedly tied to a hundred years ago and the beginning of World War I. JT seems to get himself in sticky situations in every book but he always manages to come out on top. This time, I wasn't sure it would end in a good way. A little romance, lots of excitement, some real surprises toward the end and you have another winner written by Steve Robinson. I never get enough of Jefferson Tayte so, Steve, keep him alive for more adventure and entertainment!

I was thrilled to see another novel about Jefferson Tayte, genealogist and sometime detective. Sometimes in a series, later books can turn out to be a little disappointing, but not these, they just keep on delivering! Jefferson doesn't go looking for trouble, he doesn't need to, it usually finds him! There is nothing he would like more than to solve the riddles thrown up by his genealogical research without finding himself on the wrong side of a killer, something he does seem to make a habit of!Actually there IS one thing he would love above all else and that is to be able to find a starting point to research his OWN family background. For a genealogist to know nothing at all a his own family must be a very bitter pill to swallow, but JT doesn't even know who his parents are. That presumably contributes to his notable lack of social skills, his awkwardness with other people, and preference for his own company. JT appears to be a clever detective, talented at what he does with the ability to read between the lines to further his investigations. In this book he arrives back in England seeking further information for his latest case. It is obvious almost from the moment he lands on British soil that someone doesn't want him heere but that isn't going to stop him. What is the connection between events which occurred 100 years ago as Britain stood on the cusp of what came to be known, among other names, as the Great War, and murder in the modern age?Steve Robinson once again delights and entertains in this excellent book. I loved it and have been stealing time to read it all day, getting through it in under a day. The story is split across two timelines a hundred years apart but flows together smoothly without jarring.Do not hesitate over this book, it represents great value in terms of both the cost and the time invested in it. I seriously doubt any reader would regret making those investments, it is a great read and ends with hope of more to come.

I don`t often give up on a book but life is too short to finish this. Is it a spy story which relies on genealogy or a beginners guide to genealogy put across in story format? Either way it fails, the narrative is boring, the characters unbelievable, the double time-line is not well done. If this is a novel why the need to explain how family history research is done with numerous references to the online data available?--very distracting.From the title and reviews I thought this was going to be an interesting historical novel but it`s really boring and long winded.

Once again I have returned to read about professional genealogist, Jefferson Tate or JT as he likes to be called. Hailing from the States he frequently finds his investigations take him to England, even though he hates flying.  He is a very human character, who loves chocolate, has few social skills but is prepared to put himself in danger, in order to solve the mysteries which his clients present him with. The Lost Empress is a dual time novel, leading up to the tragic sinking of the ocean liner.  We join young mother and Admiral's daughter Alice Sitwell who is driven to engaging in espionage against her country, to protect her husband and young children. The more she tries to extricate herself, the tighter the noose tightens and we wonder whether Jefferson will solve the mystery of her death or disappearance.Both Alice and JT are at risk of losing their lives but both act bravely if rather foolishly.  This is a particularly thrilling episode of this series which I seem to be reading in random order but that has not spoilt my enjoyment due to the clear characterisation. A novel which will entertain those who enjoy family history, thrillers or historical novels.

Another fascinating novel from Steve Robinson. In this one J.T. must solve a mystery woven through generations of a family covering a hundred years. There are situations in his own life that must be resolved too. There are many adventures along the way, the story is quite twisted. I found it fascinating.Some reviewers say that the story is unbelievable, far fetched etc. I would remind them that the truth is often much stranger than fiction.Some years ago I started my own search for someone closely related. The obstacles seemed insurmountable, until a stroke of luck moved me onwards. Just when I was about to achieve my goal, unexpected situations stalled my search and I nearly gave up. However there followed a chain of seemingly unrelated incidents that changed everything and led me to the person I was looking for. I will not explain more as a well known personality is involved. But if these truths were written down in the form of a novel readers would laugh and say it was unbelievable.Throughout my search people warned me that I may find only heartache at the end. Sadly this was true for me, there isn't always a happy ending. But I felt compelled to keep going regardless.Remember the old saying: "be careful what you wish for, you may just get it."

I absolutely love those stories by Steve Robinson. The amount of research and the painstaking task of gong through archives is quite something, especially when you get to read about the history of it all, and this one was no exception. To take an incident that actually took place, as in the sinking of The Empress of Ireland and use it as the back drop for a novel is brilliant. I for one had never heard of it but it certainly was a tragedy. It actually took place just before WW 1, which is part of the setting for this novel in which JT heads to England to discover if his clients grandmother was who she says she was, or not. In doing so he has to delve into the past by about 100 years for answers and discovers murder and espionage. As with most of these novels I love how the story is told between past and present and how it neatly comes together at the end. A thoroughly enjoyable read and highly recommend it!