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Torie O'Shea #1
Family Skeletons
When Victory O'Shea, the resident historian, genealogist, and tour guide for the town of New Kassel, Missouri, begins researching Norah Zumwalt's family tree, her client turns up murdered, and with the help of the local sheriff, she sets out to investigate the killing.
184 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
21 people are currently reading
653 people want to read
About the author
Rett MacPherson
18 books115 followersRett 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
February 26, 2011
Torie (called Victory by Sylvia, an older, somewhat grouchy older woman that Torie works for/with) is a genealogist and historical guide. She's an interesting investigator, especially paired up with both a sheriff she doesn't like because he arrested her for speeding (while trying to get a pregnant woman to the hospital) and her witty, perceptive mother, a wheelchair-bound woman who gives care (cooking, esp.) more than takes it. The story was different and well-told - Torie is approached by a woman who wants her to do her family tree ... she is curious about her father, who died in the war (or did he?) and who she's never met. Then Torie finds the woman brutally murdered. And the mystery is on. The characters are interesting, there are other back stories going on at the same time and there's a brief newspaper clipping at the end of each chapter that adds a bit more information, though most of it is light-hearted, not really any clues to the mystery. An enjoyable cozy mystery.
November 15, 2017
I enjoyed seeing how this series started. I've read other books in it, although it's been a few years so this was perfect. I like Torie and its fun seeing how she uses her genealogical research to help solve crimes.
May 31, 2015
Generally speaking I liked this book. While the first in the series it is not the first book of the series I have read. Knowing later books are much better I was a bit disappointed until I took into consideration that this was probably the author's first book. I found it suffered from a few glaring inconsistencies such as early in the book when Torie recalls attending a friend's mother's funeral then immediately attempts to blackmail that same friend by threatening to tell his mother something. I reread the page twice thinking I had missed something. Things like this remove me from the story and make me wonder how it slipped by the editor. Also lacking was clear motivation as to why the sheriff included Torie in his investigation. I found myself asking that question over and over. All in all, a fairly good book and I do have intentions of reading the few in the series I have missed.
June 7, 2023
Torie (Victory) O'Shea is a bit surprised when Norah Zumwalt approaches her at the annual Old German Days festival and asks her to research her family trees. Torie is New Kassel's resedent historian, genealogist, and tour guide for the historic Gaheimer house. Norah has always been a bit standoffish and Torie hasn't spoken more than about three words to her. But Norah tells the historian that her main objective is to track down her father--a father who never married her mother and never came home from World War II. She also wants to know about her ancestors, but it's her father she wants to find.
She gives Torie the last letters Eugene Counts wrote. Letters that say how much he loves Violet Pritcher and that he plans to come back to her. Why didn't he? Torie is intrigued and even though it's her busiest time of year as historian she agrees to do what she can. Given how little information Norah has about her father and his family, Torie doesn't expect to find anything quickly. But she has amazing luck and within a day she knows that Norah's father is still alive...and lives just down the road in another small Missouri town. She speaks to Norah on the phone and tries to tell her the news, but their conversation is interrupted when someone comes to Norah's door and she abruptly ends the phone call. When Torie tries to call her later, she's nowhere to be found--not at home and not at her antique shop where she was expected to show up and relieve the woman who was minding the store.
Torie is concerned...as particular as Norah was, it's hard to imagine that she wouldn't show up at her shop without calling her assistant. She decides to go to Norah's house and check on her, only to find the door ajar and Norah's brutally murdered body. She soon finds herself more involved in the murder investigation than either her husband or Sheriff Brooke would like. But her inquisitive nature won't let her leave it alone. Did Norah stir up trouble when she asked Torie to search for Eugene Counts? Or was it a coincidence that she was killed just after the request? Her son and daughter don't seem too upset about the murder and her boyfriend didn't even come to the funeral. Both her boyfriend and her ex-husband are beneficiaries on life insurance policies, so maybe money is a motive. Torie and the Sheriff work together to catch a murderer.
This is the first in one of the earliest cozy series featuring a genealogist. For a first mystery, it is nicely plotted with plenty of action and several suspects to choose from. It also has a good small-town setting and the historical festival adds to the background. However, it is evident that MacPherson is finding her feet with the series theme and genealogical research isn't really displayed to full advantage. Torie does a bit of scanning old newspaper articles and interviews a few relatives, but there isn't much beyond that. The most disappointing part of the mystery was that
It was interesting enough that I'd like to try another--just to see if genealogy plays a bigger role in future installments and also to see if the recurring characters grow on me. I'm not completely sold on Torie as an amateur sleuth or her interactions with other people (she's one moody lady...).
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
She gives Torie the last letters Eugene Counts wrote. Letters that say how much he loves Violet Pritcher and that he plans to come back to her. Why didn't he? Torie is intrigued and even though it's her busiest time of year as historian she agrees to do what she can. Given how little information Norah has about her father and his family, Torie doesn't expect to find anything quickly. But she has amazing luck and within a day she knows that Norah's father is still alive...and lives just down the road in another small Missouri town. She speaks to Norah on the phone and tries to tell her the news, but their conversation is interrupted when someone comes to Norah's door and she abruptly ends the phone call. When Torie tries to call her later, she's nowhere to be found--not at home and not at her antique shop where she was expected to show up and relieve the woman who was minding the store.
Torie is concerned...as particular as Norah was, it's hard to imagine that she wouldn't show up at her shop without calling her assistant. She decides to go to Norah's house and check on her, only to find the door ajar and Norah's brutally murdered body. She soon finds herself more involved in the murder investigation than either her husband or Sheriff Brooke would like. But her inquisitive nature won't let her leave it alone. Did Norah stir up trouble when she asked Torie to search for Eugene Counts? Or was it a coincidence that she was killed just after the request? Her son and daughter don't seem too upset about the murder and her boyfriend didn't even come to the funeral. Both her boyfriend and her ex-husband are beneficiaries on life insurance policies, so maybe money is a motive. Torie and the Sheriff work together to catch a murderer.
This is the first in one of the earliest cozy series featuring a genealogist. For a first mystery, it is nicely plotted with plenty of action and several suspects to choose from. It also has a good small-town setting and the historical festival adds to the background. However, it is evident that MacPherson is finding her feet with the series theme and genealogical research isn't really displayed to full advantage. Torie does a bit of scanning old newspaper articles and interviews a few relatives, but there isn't much beyond that. The most disappointing part of the mystery was that
It was interesting enough that I'd like to try another--just to see if genealogy plays a bigger role in future installments and also to see if the recurring characters grow on me. I'm not completely sold on Torie as an amateur sleuth or her interactions with other people (she's one moody lady...).
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
January 22, 2025
I hesitate to say what I think; especially because I am not an editor nor am I someone who studied English.
The sentence structure felt off. Almost like every two sentences could have been combined into one.
Descriptions were made about people, about the directions Torie took driving, or about a lineage that really didn't matter. The book would have held up just fine without them. There was one, I wish I still had the book on hand to quote it directly, that said, "Victory went to the basement." And then the next sentence was like the author changed their mind, but didn't have an eraser! Something like, "Actually, it was more like a cellar...." followed by descriptions of the boards, smell, and lack of light.
I will not be recommending this book. And I will not be picking up any more from this series.
The sentence structure felt off. Almost like every two sentences could have been combined into one.
Descriptions were made about people, about the directions Torie took driving, or about a lineage that really didn't matter. The book would have held up just fine without them. There was one, I wish I still had the book on hand to quote it directly, that said, "Victory went to the basement." And then the next sentence was like the author changed their mind, but didn't have an eraser! Something like, "Actually, it was more like a cellar...." followed by descriptions of the boards, smell, and lack of light.
I will not be recommending this book. And I will not be picking up any more from this series.
April 5, 2013
Torie is a dedicated, plucky, and tenacious investigator. Much like you have to be when working as a genealogist. The story is a unique one, and very detailed and filled out with subplots and nuances. I did enjoy the book overall, but found that the character of Torie herself was a little lacking. We see evidence that she loves history, her town, her family, but never experience any of that passion firsthand from her point of view. there was just a flatness about her that kept me from connecting to her character.
November 6, 2017
I love this time of year. November and December are my two months to primarily read cozies/amateur sleuth. I like finding new-to-me authors or series, meandering Mt Git'r'Read to see what I've stashed away. That's how I found this one, waaaay in the back of my closet version of Mt G'r'R. It's like my birthday sometimes when I start digging around the backstacks.
Glad I found it. A good start to a series with a cool premise. I like the idea of a genealogist with a family and a career. I always wonder how some of the authors will portray a woman who is a wife and mother with a career and likes to dig into an investigation. I've seen some where the kids are mentioned once or twice but that's about it. Who's taking care of them as the mom is out and about getting into sticky situations? That's not an issue here. Torie has a good support system with a mom who lives with them, a supportive husband who doesn't let Torie get away with too much like I think she'd like.
The mystery was good, the characters are nicely varied, a good setting. I'll look for more in the series.
I can recommend this book.
Glad I found it. A good start to a series with a cool premise. I like the idea of a genealogist with a family and a career. I always wonder how some of the authors will portray a woman who is a wife and mother with a career and likes to dig into an investigation. I've seen some where the kids are mentioned once or twice but that's about it. Who's taking care of them as the mom is out and about getting into sticky situations? That's not an issue here. Torie has a good support system with a mom who lives with them, a supportive husband who doesn't let Torie get away with too much like I think she'd like.
The mystery was good, the characters are nicely varied, a good setting. I'll look for more in the series.
I can recommend this book.
June 9, 2019
I love geneology and I was really hopeful that this book and series would combine two of my favorite things family trees and cozy mysteries. It really didn't do either. It was really slow moving and I didn't love any of the characters. Actually I am not sure who I liked the least husband who seemed bossy and who she was worried that he would get in a mood or interferring mother who kept saying I figured that out before her daughter had. The main character Victory was fine but nothing that drew you to her. The best character in the whole thing I thought was the sherrif except he couldn't do his job he said without the clues Victory had given him.
The story line seemed to drag and nothing seemed to happen to the main story the side story was more interesting to me than the actual murderer.
The story line seemed to drag and nothing seemed to happen to the main story the side story was more interesting to me than the actual murderer.
July 7, 2021
3.5 stars?
Read for a geographical challenge. I was dubious at first and wasn’t enjoying the protagonist. However it served well for getting a sense for the exurban/rural outskirts of St. Louis. The geography of fictional New Kassel, Missouri (seemingly located near the extant town of Festus, MO? but with aspects of St. Genevieve and Marthasville) feels very similar to the Skeet Bannon mysteries by Linda Rodriguez, which are set in a fictional town North of Kansas City, along the Missouri River.
And it turned out to be a decently complex mystery, even if one of the twists was visible from the very first mention.
Content notes: Casual criticism of other women’s bodies by the protagonist, kink shaming. However bonus points for casual inclusion of a named, intelligent, active, disabled character.
Read for a geographical challenge. I was dubious at first and wasn’t enjoying the protagonist. However it served well for getting a sense for the exurban/rural outskirts of St. Louis. The geography of fictional New Kassel, Missouri (seemingly located near the extant town of Festus, MO? but with aspects of St. Genevieve and Marthasville) feels very similar to the Skeet Bannon mysteries by Linda Rodriguez, which are set in a fictional town North of Kansas City, along the Missouri River.
And it turned out to be a decently complex mystery, even if one of the twists was visible from the very first mention.
Content notes: Casual criticism of other women’s bodies by the protagonist, kink shaming. However bonus points for casual inclusion of a named, intelligent, active, disabled character.
January 3, 2020
Torie has, as an historian, done some genealogy research, so she's not surprised by the request but is by the requester. Torie has seen antique store owner Norah around town but found her standoffish. Now Norah wants Torie to trace her father's family. Norah's mother had professed to know little about the family and shared less. Norah's father marched off to fight in WWII and never returned.
Torie quickly learns that Norah's father may be alive but their phone conversation is interrupted and, when Norah doesn't call back or turn up for work, Torie goes to check on Norah and finds her brutally murdered.
It turns out an absconding father is not the only skeleton in Norah's family, providing Torie with a host of murder suspects.
Torie quickly learns that Norah's father may be alive but their phone conversation is interrupted and, when Norah doesn't call back or turn up for work, Torie goes to check on Norah and finds her brutally murdered.
It turns out an absconding father is not the only skeleton in Norah's family, providing Torie with a host of murder suspects.
July 4, 2020
Victory “Torie” O'Shea is a genealogist and historian for the New Kassel, MO Historical Society. During the local German festival she is contacted by Norah Zumwalt, local antiques store owner, about doing a family tree, in particular, finding out about her father who never returned from WWII as is presumed dead. Before Torie has time to contact Norah about what she has uncovered Norah is brutally murdered. Torie informs the family that she will finish the genealogy as a gift. However, there is more death, threats and hidden secrets before the murderer is revealed. I liked Torie and look forward to more of this series. She is not afraid to speak her mind and admits to having a temper that gets her into trouble. I liked the side characters as well.
January 7, 2021
A solid 3.5 stars. I have been trying to find some genealogy-related mysteries available from my library (and it's various ebook sources) and this was the first I found. I know the book isn't very thick, and I felt it could do more to get into Torie's character. I suppose some first books in a series are a little dry/thin on character development (I also struggled with Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone at first). I would've liked to see Torie confide more in her husband, as well, and give her another set of eyes/ears to run her theories by... Norah's murder was described as a crime of passion, yet Torie and Sheriff Colin Brooke overlook the obvious suspect until -- suddenly, she's face to face with him. (Yeah, I think the end of the story was a bit abrupt.)
January 27, 2019
I enjoyed this mystery, it was a quick read.
I liked Victory as a character, but she did not come through as a real Mother. I was surprised she would take off with her friend for drinks, dinner and a movie without clearing the details with her husband or Mother in residence. Also surprised she drank more than was healthy for her.
The plot was nicely convoluted, with plenty of suspects and the killer tripped up by false alibi.
Chapters are interspersed with the local news. Very gossipy but of interest to the community.
I will read further in this series.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
I liked Victory as a character, but she did not come through as a real Mother. I was surprised she would take off with her friend for drinks, dinner and a movie without clearing the details with her husband or Mother in residence. Also surprised she drank more than was healthy for her.
The plot was nicely convoluted, with plenty of suspects and the killer tripped up by false alibi.
Chapters are interspersed with the local news. Very gossipy but of interest to the community.
I will read further in this series.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
June 25, 2021
This book was sheer fun! I love the characters, and it takes place not far from St. Louis where I spent over thirty years, so a lot of it is recognizable. Well do I remember sand-bagging! When I looked at the Meramec River from a bridge in 1995, it looked like the river was eight feet in the air with sandbag sides. Amazing! And flood water is truly yucky! The logic of the story line frequently had me raising my eyebrows, but I was enjoying myself so much, I didn't care. Looking forward to another in this series, although it appears to be another of those detectives who solve the crime accidentally more than by the clues uncovered.
January 13, 2019
I had read a later in the series book previously, so it was nice to go back to the beginning of this series. The story was good and the solution wasn't obvious from the beginning. Lots of red herrings and possibilities. The characters were fun for the most part, although Torie got a little too nasty with her family for me (I would have had to hit her). But her use of genealogy to solve crimes was very interesting for me. I will keep going with the series, assuming that they will get better as it progresses and I will enjoy them even more.
April 22, 2019
Not sure if this was macphearsons first foray into mysteries, but she did pretty well with just a few writing hangups. The story oozed sense of place, but I could have used some more fleshing out for the secondary characters - a lot of them are pretty one dimensional. The mystery was nice tho, I even got caught on the red herring guessing wrong until the very end. Will read the next in the series.
March 22, 2020
I got some helpful tips for my own research but it doesn't really have anything much that can't be found elsewhere.bi enjoyed the family stories but it's not really for telling you how to do your own research.
January 2, 2022
Avery good cozy mystery with a fairly believable protagonist living an authentic life. The mystery, never what i read these for, was actually pretty clever, even if it telegraphed the twist. Recommended.
unfinished
January 15, 2023Nope. Bad writing, full of "oh I really shouldn't eat that" and random descriptions of people and clothes and strange marital spats. I am curious what happened but not enough to hear any more about her shitty relationship with food.
May 18, 2023
Torie O'Shea is hired to trace Norah Zumwalt's family tree and find her father. But things change when she discovers Norah's body — she can't help but become involved in the investigation, since, like all genealogists, Torie is curious.
November 20, 2017
An interesting murder mystery investigated by a genealogist who lives in Missouri. This is right up my alley!
January 28, 2018
MacPherson is a good writer. She has the ability to pull you right in to the story. She is humorous and the story flows well. I have read all of the Torie O'Shea mysteries.
May 23, 2018
Fun book, took a while to get through but I'm glad to have read it.
June 17, 2018
First in a series...good mix of characters and reasonable story line. But too obvious on the "trap" at the end. Will see what the next one brings.
July 3, 2018
Lots of character development and suspense in the murder investigation, but very little actual focus on genealogy research, which is what I was looking for.
August 24, 2018
I love a good mystery, and this was a fun one. It's got a spunky main character, an old, small town full of quirky people, and a murder to solve...what's not to love?
November 1, 2018
I think this will be a fun series to read!
December 5, 2018
I’d read another one. I actually read this in paper, which is why it took so long.
January 13, 2019
A good amateur sleuth mystery.
January 19, 2019
A terrific read. A lot of fun. Torie and her family make the story fun, scary, and just laugh out loud funny. Love Torie and her clan.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews