The focus of this book is less about the joys of genealogical research and more a look at how wealthy Southerners live, and how the sacrifices of marriage and motherhood have made the protagonist lose herself. If you love (or hate) mysteries where the narrative is interspersed with hobby hints rest assured that this is not such a book, although a character does pop up with a tip or two early on. The author is certainly adept at conveying the devastation wrought by crime on people, but this was the only part of the book that stayed in the mind afterwards. I felt that a bundle of ideas had been touched on, but none of them covered in any depth. Southern mores and manners, both contemporary and in the past, genealogy, mid-life crises, archaeology, Germany, and even a frisson of the supernatural were all wheeled on and off in quick succession. It was certainly easy to guess whodunit, and I was rather left feeling as though I had briefly tasted a number of delicious dishes but gotten up from the table still hungry. If this is the start of a new series, I am curious to see where it will go next.