Blood Relations

Torie O'Shea #6

by Rett MacPherson

From Publishers secrets are brought to light when a drought hits the small town of New Kassel, Mo., the setting for MacPherson's sixth delightful Torie O'Shea mystery (after 2002's Killing Cousins). As the river goes down, the bones of the wreck of the steamboat Phantom are revealed, and soon the old stories of a cache of diamonds that went down with the ship in 1919 are drawing visitors to town. Among the curious are a slick television reporter and his cameraman and a team from a nearby junior college, who claim to be working on a documentary about the wreck. As an authority on local history and genealogy, Torie is naturally interested in the mystery, and when a murderer strikes, Torie and her friend, another reporter, are the first to find the body. While Torie digs for the truth, she's also dealing with the discovery that she has a half-sister, a fact that her charming and feckless father has neglected to tell her. Weaving the story and the characters into the believable minutiae of small-town life, MacPherson provides a stellar example of the traditional cozy.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction

250 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 7, 2003

About the author

Rett MacPherson was born in Saint Louis, Missouri. She is the author of the popular Torie O'Shea mysteries and helped to pioneer the sub-genre of genealogical mysteries. She is also a bead and fabric artist and loves wineries, cemeteries, genealogy, history and of course, books.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good book in the series. I think one of the things I like about this series is that it combines events from the past with modern day happenings. I enjoyed the sunken paddle wheel aspect and then how Torie uses genealogy to help piece together what happened. The ending was good and exciting.

[Peggy Clemens Lauritzen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but not as good

I loved the story; and I fell in love with all of the characters, both old and new, all over again.

But, this one had language and sexual innuendo that I elect to stay away from. Brett MacPherson is such an excellent storyteller that she doesn't need to slide down the slope many authors do.

Excellent book, but I could only give it 4 stars. My standards are higher.

[Crystal Toller · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a lady shows up on Torie's tour at the Gaheimer House and asks Torie to do her geneological chart Torie is surprised but has her fill out the form and tells her she will get back to her. While that is going on a local fire chief comes to Torie's office to tell her the stern and pilothouse is visible from The Phantom, a steamboat that sunk in the 1800's. Torie forgets about the geneological chart until the lady comes back and Torie discovers the lady is her half sister. Then a local community college professor and a newsman come to town to discover what they can about The Phantom. The professor is trying to use the discovery to find a bigger and better job and the newsman just wants to get the story. How Torie with the help of her reporter best friend discovers the murderer and solves the case of the professor being killed makes for a great story.

[Rhonda Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looks like Torie's family is growing -- she has a stepfather and new son, but that's not all... This was maybe my favorite book so far. But, like in a few other books, I found something that didn't make sense to me. How did William Wade get the diamonds in his possession long enough to hide them under the grave markers, but why didn't he make off with them? HOW did he remove them from the riverboat? And, maybe I'm wrong, but I thought the heiress was the one who had them (initially, as revealed by a prostitute, until Torie finds Samuel Higgins had brought them). Of course, Torie discovers the secrets left years ago, and one more recent that leaves her reeling.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first Torie O'Shea book I have read and it was an enjoyable mystery. The author, Rhett MacPherson has created some interesting characters and they were fun to follow as they unravelled the death of a visitor to their small home town. The heroine , Torie O'Shea was both serious and witty, she was a completely believable woman with real emotions and demonstrable feelings the reader can relate to.
Will certainly look for more books from Rhett MacPherson!

[Liz V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A drought has lowered the level of the Mississippi sufficiently to reveal the bulk of a river boat sunk more than 80 years before. Torie's historical knowledge is in demand as reporters and a college professor descend on the town in search of a story. There is an heiress whose body was not recovered and reputedly a chest of diamonds.

Torie has family history of her own to research when a half sister of whom Torie has no knowledge reveals herself by asking Torie to do a genealogical search.

[Katie Hilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Mississippi River level drops low enough to reveal the wreckage of an old steamboat, visitors swarm to Torie O'Shea's town. One of them is killed, and there's a mystery about diamonds that might have been onboard. Everything gets sorted out as Torie employs her research skills.

[Janice Burnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this series

Rhett MacPherson’s characters are becoming like family. Interesting mystery plots, and believable genealogical research - not to mention situations that me laughing out loud.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

The family is growing. A good story!

[JennyCash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep thinking this series will wear out its welcome but so far it hasn’t! Can’t wait to read the next book.

[Julie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Torie! And I loved the steamboat spin. Growing up on the river in Callaway County, MO I feel like I’m at home when I read this series.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good cozy

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love how she uses history to solve crimes!

[Crystal Dowdell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great genealogy mystery!

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Torie O'Shea is the resident historian/genealogist for the small town of New Kassel, MO. When a paddle-steamboat that sunk 80 years ago is uncovered because the Mississippi is very low Torie is drawn into the mysteries that surrounded the tragedy. The two biggest mysteries are why did the boat sink and is there really a fortune in diamonds missing?

Torie's life also has some turmoil, upsetting her own family tree. Sylvia, her boss, is still mourning the loss of her sister and has a much smaller role in this book than in previous stories.

This book was a lot of fun, Torie is dealing with a one-year-old son, a younger daughter who gets into trouble just because she has so much joy in life, and a pre-teen who is just hitting her stride in the whole "Mom, you just don't understand" world of teenagers the world over.

There were several parts of the mystery here that completely surprised me, yet when explained the whole thing made perfect sense, I love when that happens.

Looking forward to the next in the series.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sixth in the Torie O'Shea Mysteries. Torie is a historian who works for a historical society in small town New Kassel, Missouri. During a tour she meets a young woman who tells her that she is her sister. Reeling from that, Torie is taken again when she finds out that the Mississippi River has lowered far enough to expose a paddleboat steamer that sank eighty years before. Soon the town is overrun with reporters and townspeople and reporters alike are asking "Where are the diamonds?" that supposedly sank with the ship. On top of the mysteries of the ship, there's soon a murder and Torie, as usual, is in the thick of things.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Mississippi River gets low enough to expose the Phantom, a wrecked riverboat, genealogist Torie O'Shea finds herself delving into the mystery of the lost diamonds, believed to still be in the decades-old wreck. In addition, she is surprised by the existence of a new sister--one she knew nothing about for the last 30 years!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series (the Torie O'Shea series) is truly one of my favorites because all of the books are just so damn enjoyable to read. This book, the 6th in the series, had a few plot problems, but keeping a series strong is a challenge. I'm optimistic about the rest in the series— only five more to go! Sob!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for this entry in the Torie O'Shea series. A decent mystery was wrapped up in plenty of family and historical drama. The characters continue to evolve against a small town backdrop. Love the series. Recommended.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light, pleasant reading. I've read several entries in this series previously, so I know what to expect, and she never disappoints.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this series about genealogist Torie O'Shea. Since I love mysteries and I love genealogy, this series is a match made in heaven!

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Torie #6

[Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my full review here: http://bookmarked27.blogspot.com/2011...

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are so entertaining and light and more enjoyable than a Carol Higgens Clark or Selma Eichler one. It helps that I love genealogy and mysteries.

[Kristie · Rating 3 out of 5]

realistic main character
interesting historical aspects
genealogical angle

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Rett MacPherson! She always keeps me guessing!

[Grammyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really like this authors style and charters.Her story themes are really interesting and varied.

[Carol Bredeweg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the Torie books.

[Florence Lukac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book as well as her others. Once I started reading it ,I couldn't put it down. Was waiting for the next . Had to get them by mail, they are not at my library. Thank you liz

[Sarah Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Torie O'Shea mystery book. A lot of fun. I will read another.