Nathan Dylan Goodwin sets a high standard for genealogical crime fiction, with an emotional story filled with twists and turns right to the end.

Morton Farrier’s latest investigation, The Hop-Picker Murders, opens with a bang, as forensic genealogist Morton is hit with both a shock and a new case to solve. 

Molly Moon is keen to know what happened to her uncle, Ernest Partridge, who was blamed for a serious theft coinciding with when he disappeared in 1919. Molly’s father Alfie was a young boy then, one of a family of East Enders who went ‘down hopping’ each summer. His sister Nellie didn’t believe Ernest was responsible for the theft, and was sure something happened to him. 

The mystery is mostly set in Kent, at one of the hop farms at Boughton-under-Blean and its surrounds, and the story is packed with details of the hop-picking life. I learned a lot about the historical hop industry, which has long since changed from manual to mechanical labour, and why Londoners looked forward to the opportunities summer hopping offered.

Alternating between time periods, following both Morton’s research and the events at the time of the mystery in question conveys clues to the reader, and neatly builds tension.  

In 1920, Nellie sets out to uncover what happened the night Ernest disappeared, recording each piece of information in her journal, along with several of her poems whose cryptic nature could be hiding information, too. This hop-picking season isn’t as easy as the previous one, due to lingering sentiment about Ernest’s apparent deeds, but Nellie is determined.

In 2023, Morton is handed Nellie’s journal. More than 100 years after it was written, it’s now worn and faded, with some pages illegible. Can he piece together the clues and trace Ernest? 

As any good genealogist should, Morton Farrier demonstrates good genealogical research practice, visiting the hop farm and local towns, and using a broad range of historical records. From birth and death registrations, the census and newspapers, to early car registrations and licenses, and Habitual Criminal and Police Gazettes. 

Morton is also facing both personal and professional crises. The mystery reaches a climax just as Morton’s personal situation does, leaving him at a bit of a crossroads. Meanwhile other circumstances are threatening his reputation.

Be prepared as the past and present become intertwined, and personal and professional collide. Morton might solve the mystery of The Hop-Picker Murders, but the story ends on rather a cliffhanger.

The Hop-Picker Murders is book 11 in the Morton Farrier Forensic Genealogist series. Visit Nathan Dylan Goodwin‘s website for background research used in the story, including real people who inspired some of the characters.