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    In the Blood
    In the Blood
    In the Blood
    Audiobook10 hours

    In the Blood

    Written by Steve Robinson

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Two hundred years ago a loyalist family fled to England to escape the American War of Independence and seemingly vanished into thin air. American genealogist Jefferson Tayte is hired to find out what happened, but it soon becomes apparent that a calculated killer is out to stop him.

    In the Blood combines a centuries-old mystery with a present-day thriller that brings two people from opposite sides of the Atlantic together to uncover a series of carefully hidden crimes. Tayte's research centres around the tragic life of a young Cornish girl, a writing box, and the discovery of a dark secret that he believes will lead him to the family he is looking for. Trouble is, someone else is looking for the same answers and will stop at nothing to find them.

    In the Blood is the first book in the Jefferson Tayte mystery series.

    Revised edition: This edition of In The Blood includes editorial revisions.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMar 18, 2014
    ISBN9781480593626
    In the Blood
    Author

    Steve Robinson

    Steve Robinson drew upon his own family history for inspiration when he imagined the life and quest of his genealogist hero, Jefferson Tayte. The talented London-based crime writer, who was first published at age sixteen, always wondered about his own maternal grandfather. “He was an American GI billeted in England during the Second World War,” Robinson says. “A few years after the war ended he went back to America, leaving a young family behind, and, to my knowledge, no further contact was made. I traced him to Los Angeles through his 1943 enlistment record and discovered that he was born in Arkansas…” Robinson cites crime-writing and genealogy amongst his hobbies—a passion that is readily apparent in his work. He can be contacted via his website, www.steve-robinson.me, his blog at steverobinsonauthor.blogspot.com, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SteveRobinsonAuthor.

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    Reviews for In the Blood

    3.5/5

    177 ratings23 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Above average cozy mystery featuring an genealogist. The weaving of the past and present was excellent and there were plenty of thrills & twists.
    • 3/5
      Hard to get through first 40% of the book. It picks up and is a satisfying read but I had figured out the key element long before the book got there.

      Won't bother with any more in the series
    • 3/5
      Steve Robinson's first novel has a carefully plotted way of taking extreme twists and turns, as if it has been bounced along on a wild ride by the pompous Mr. Frog of storytime legend. Unfortunately, the criminal doing the mad sailing and jousting and driving is very tough on Mr. Jefferson Tayte, who seems to have jumped into a sea of appointments with people who very much wish to see him gone, bedeviled by details, or murdered and without the means to document their most important secrets. The plot rescues this one throughout, as it is a great puzzle and redeems the characters who must all rise to the task of defeating the criminals in the Cornwall area.
    • 3/5
      As Salieri said in the movie Amadeus "too many notes, Mozart". At least they had scores to read. No such luck in Robinson's book. The ancestry is overwhelming with no genealogical charts provided. Otherwise, a good story but I found myself fanning through the relentless research.
    • 4/5
      It took me a little bit to get into this book, but after I did, I was really interested. It goes back and forth between present and past. There is a cover up and mystery in both times. Then you find out that they are connected and that poking around trying to find answers is deadly. It does a good job with the suspense, and it tells a good story. The main guy is believable. He's in these life or death situations, and he's all like what am I doing I'm just a genealogist, instead of coming off as expert in everything mentally and physically.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book. I was expecting a genealogical mystery to be all tea and crumpets, but this was action packed. I like the fact that the protagonist is not a tough guy, but he performs pretty well in tough situations when he has to. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series!
    • 3/5
      The Jefferson Tayte series is probably what you could call a guilty pleasure for me. On the whole, the books aren’t that great. The premise around which this first in the series sits is a little thin, and you will need to suspend belief for a while. Robinson seriously needs an editor who won’t be afraid to tell him to stop using so many words. There are far too many unnecessary sentences in the novel - do we really need to know (within the context of the story) who designed Paddington Station? The text often slows down what should be a fast-paced thriller.

      But, as a bit of escapism, this is an OK read.
    • 4/5
      Jefferson Tayte is a genealogist who's been retained to find a branch of a family who lived in Cornwall. Little does he know that long-hidden secrets will put him square in the middle of a murder investigation and several attempts on his own life.I admit I had some trouble getting into this book. I love genealogy, Cornwall, and a good mystery so this should be my cup of tea. But I thought it starts pretty slow and is a little all over the place, even for someone used to tracing family histories. The story goes back and forth in time from when the original family, Loyalists who return from America to Cornwall, settle at their baronial estate to the current investigations and murders.But it picks up and the action is good. I loved the genealogical sourcing and tactics used to help solve the mystery. Jefferson is a bit of a cliche but likable enough. The descriptions of Cornwall are just lovely and definitely show a lot about that part of England. The supporting characters were also interesting and add to the story. I didn't figure out the villain ahead of the time it's disclosed which is always a good thing in a mystery. There were a few minor things I thought didn't make sense for the story, but they didn't detract from the overall book. I'd definitely recommend this to others. It's a good read and puzzle to figure out.
    • 4/5
      An interesting, multi-layered historical mystery, with some action and a few twists. Looking forward to continuing the series!
    • 4/5
      This book took a while to get going but then grew on me. I like the fact that it was different, using a genealogist as the main character - this gave plenty of scope for rooting into the past and hanging around graveyards and record offices. I like the way they interspersed the current story, and the back story which was mainly set in the early 19th Century. The back story was very interesting and was quite a convoluted story, with a very unexpected twist at the end. I enjoyed the character of Jefferson Tayte and will be reading more from this series in the near future.
    • 3/5
      I didn't find many of the characters or situations believable. Some of the plot ideas were good, but overall I wouldn't recommend the book.
    • 2/5
      Could Have Been So Much BetterI was disappointed in this Genealogy Murder Mystery, "In The Blood". The premise was okay, but the writing just dragged it down. The principal character had absolutely zero charisma and was unexpectedly alive after too many brushes with danger. The jumping back and forth in the storyline was okay, but my biggest complaint was that the story, as written, was all exposition and hence, dull reading. Character development was nil as well, and you had to suspend belief that in the midst of a shipwreck, an important character would take the time to write about it in her journal, as it happened - really bad. All in all, I would not recommend this book. I finished it, thanks to skipping and skimming paragraphs and regret already buying the second book in the series. Another case of Amazon reviews leading me astray. Don't bother with this one.
    • 4/5
      Who knew that genealogy could be so dangerous? Steve Robinson, that's who. Robinson weaves a tale of mystery and suspense all linked to the investigation of genealogist extraordinaire Jefferson Tayte.

      Tayte, on assignment from a wealthy American, Mr. Sloane, runs into a roadblock when the Fairborne family history just seems to end. The Fairbornes, British loyalists, returned to England at the onset of the American Revelution but all traces of the wife and children of James Fairborne seem to end there. Tayte had done all he could from the U.S. and Sloane insists he travel to England to find the rest of the story. Tayte must first overcome a fear of flying and then someone in England who is intent on keeping the past buried. Somehow surviving several attempts on his life, Tayte is able to piece together the Fairborne family history and present it to Mr. Sloane.

      "In the Blood" was a very good mystery and the story wasn't finalized until almost the very last page. It did keep me guessing right up to the very end. The only negative I found was the moving back in time without any warning, leaving me lost at times as to what was happening when. All in all I enjoyed the story and would recommend this to any mystery fan.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyable. Reminded me of the early Robert Goddards. Took my eye off the ball plot wise so a couple of things confused me at the end, otherwise might have been 4 stars. Be good to see Steve's books in station bookstalls too, not just as kindle format.
    • 5/5
      A very good read. Of course, it is fiction and there may be some slightly unbelievable situations, but altogether it was fast-moving, interesting, entertaining and the whole plot was well executed. Of course perfection is hard to achieve .. except perhaps for literary critics..
    • 4/5
      I saw this book on a Kindle Freebie site one day and I knew I would be hooked! Genealogy and mysteries! What could be better? These are my two favorite hobbies!Jefferson Tayte is a professional genealogist who has been hired to provide a family history for his client's wife as a birthday present. However, the family seems to disappear right after the Revolutionary War. They were Loyalists who went back to England but once they sail, the only one who ever reappears is the father. What happened to the wife and children? Tate, who hates flying, is forced to go to Cornwall where it's very clear that there are plenty of people who don't want the answers uncovered. This story was interesting from start to finish. There is a lot of history of the area brought into play. There is a wealthy and ancient family that depend on not having their secrets revealed. There is an amateur sleuth and a damsel in distress. There is a well-constructed mystery that isn't easy to solve. There is digging up old graveyards. This is the debut of an extremely competent mystery writer who uses all the elements a mystery reader wants. The start of a solid series and I will be buying the next two books. This was one of those occasions when a Kindle Freebie is destined to become a lifelong favorite!
    • 3/5
      Poor old Jefferson Tayte: the spelling of his surname is about as interesting as he gets. He's a genealogist who doesn't know his father, which sounds interesting, but no, that's about it. Perhaps this is a mystery to be unravelled over a long series of books, so I don't suppose I'll ever know the truth. Oh, and he has a fear of flying. But this doesn't really add up to character.Tayte, too, lives in a world of such little atmosphere: America, England, eighteenth-nineteenth-twentieth century, his own or the locals' angle: all in the same, rather dull voice. No diaries, letters. I could really only start to enjoy the story when the page was slightly enlivened by dialogue, but this was too seldom. Jefferson needs a Watson. On his own, he just plods.The narrative (I nearly said 'action'!) switches between modern Cornwall, where JT is researching a 100-year old family secret, and the early 1800s, where we witness its origins. Back in the present day, the family in question has further shady dealings. What's more, Tayte is dogged by rivalry with an upstart rival genealogist ...Lots to be getting on with, then: it might have been very good.But it wasn't.
    • 5/5
      JT Tayte is a genealogist who's client is looking to find out what happened to his wife's family back in the late 1700's. That branch of the family sailed off to England and were never heard from again. Or at least, most of them were never heard of again. The father is found in various documents but his wife and three children seem to have been replaced with a different women and children much younger than the ones who left America. What JT has to do is find records, records of death, birth, marriage and documents like a probate (will). However, someone wants JT to go away and mind his own business. Many records are missing, and then a mysterious box is found and someone is willing to kill for that box.The books starts out a little slow but once it picks up the pace it is a race to the end. Will JT find the documents he needs to give to his client or will the killer succeed in silencing him? I'll be looking for more by this author, he writes a great book.
    • 4/5
      This is a very enjoyable crime/genealogy story. I'm very interested in genealogy so was pleased to get my hands on this book. Jefferson Tayte is an American who is called on to go to England to investigate an anomaly in a family history he is looking into on behalf of a client. There follows numerous occasions in which Jefferson risks his life trying to get to the truth.It's an interesting read, and I liked how it unfolded. I didn't guess the ending which is always the sign of a well-plotted story. I've already bought the next two in the series.
    • 4/5
      This kept me glued to my iPad all day yesterday. I kid you not. The plot, while not always surprising, was compelling and had a lot going for it. It reminded me of Robert Goddard in that there was a very old mystery that became important today. Also that the person to connect and solve these mysteries is brought into them at an oblique angle. Both authors alternate narratives from the past and the present and each moves the story ahead while weaving the two timelines together. I think that Goddard has the edge in terms of character and how realistic his dialogue is, but I think Robinson will improve with time.Plot-wise the thing just kept me glued even though some of it I did figure out. Not all though, and there was one thing that stuck out that had me thinking of one guy as a guilty party and then in hindsight, realized that it was a deliberate feint, designed to make me think that way. At least I hope it was. I won't say more so I won't wreck the surprise, but it was nice. Other things I did get right and that's kind of nice to feel like you're not an idiot, you know what I mean?In this book, too, we get a lead character who is different from the average. This one, Jefferson Tayte (oh what an annoying name), is a genealogist by trade. Hm. Haven't read about one of those before. It works. What better catalyst for dark secrets than a guy trying to tease out a family tree? I think Robinson went out of his way to make Tayte an 'everyman' of sorts. He's not tall, dark, handsome, good with the ladies or possessed of a stock of wisecracks and judo-moves. He's just a regular guy. Sometimes a bit too regular. He comes off a bit pathetic which makes it hard to root for him all the time. He can take a beating though, that's for sure. I don't know that Robinson should have made him American though. He doesn't talk like one. Like when someone asks what time it is and he says "Half seven". Never in my life have I ever heard anyone say that. Nope. An American would say "Seven-thirty". If you need a dialogue checker, Mr. Robinson, drop me a line.The mystery buried in the past is revealed both in direct narrative and in letters and other old documents that Tayte unearths. I liked how not all of his investigation was done via computer. Instead he's kicked out into the field when the trail goes cold and he has to rely on personal visits to archives and interviews with descendants (one of which is a bit of a stretch, but it's fiction and I'll give it to him). One thing though, if you're familiar with Cornish history, the 200-year-old plot won't be a surprise to you and it wasn't to me, not the rough outlines anyway. There are some specifics still left vague and I could have done with an epilogue of sorts to shed some light on what that old mystery has done to people today. Still, this one's a corker of a story and just what I needed. Get it here if you're so inclined (and you should be) - Amazon.
    • 5/5
      Debut novel. Genealogical researcher, on assignment in southern England for an American client. Case involves tracking down a family history to a point in history +/- 200 years earlier. The story is interwoven with events from that time, in small morsels - small enough to confuse, large enough to intrigue. Good story, interesting plot. Characters were fair. Jefferson Tayte, protagonist is a bit chubby, not very suave with the ladies, but he's persistent. I expected more of the tools of the research, especially computer-based stuff, but it just wasn't there. Tayte gets leads from anecdotal resources surprisingly, a bit of a stretch and barely credible, but it works OK. I must salute the author with coming up with this most unusual and most interesting protagonist, a genealogical research, I mean really! I enjoyed the book despite a few faults and will read the next one, To the Grave.
    • 2/5
      Jefferson Tayte (J.T.), a professional genealogist, has been hired to find what happened to the Fairborne family that returned to England in 1783. He has an unrealistic deadline of one week given to him by his client considering all the problems he's encountered researching this line already. Documents are missing, having been stolen, just about everywhere he goes. When he arrives in England, his actions are not so much research-plan driven as they are clue-led based on what the person trying to thwart his plans wants him to do. There is one point where Tayte even leads someone from whom he is trying to gain information to believe that he might share the results with them, even though it is obvious that his contract with his client does not state that it can be shared. I found most of the story line to be somewhat implausible although it did make for a lot of action. The manner in which the story alternated between the past and present did not work well. I would have preferred for the story to unfold as the genealogist uncovered it. This book was quite a disappointment for me.
    • 4/5
      First Line: Mawgan Hendry was dying.Professional genealogist Jefferson Tayte has a rich client who insists on having the research on the family tree completed in time to give as a gift. The trouble is, the trail's gone cold in America and the only thing left to do is to fly to England to see if he can find the missing pieces. Although he hates to fly, Tayte boards a plane and soon finds himself in Cornwall, where it becomes obvious that someone has gone to great lengths to erase an entire family from recorded history. Determined to get the answers to his questions, Tayte doesn't realize that someone else is just as determined to ensure that this is one puzzle that is never solved.I enjoyed this mystery even more than I thought I would. Jefferson Tayte is an engaging character who has more lives than a cat. When the villain isn't trying to conk him in the head or throw him out to drown in a lake, Tayte works at solving the mystery the way a genealogist should: through lots of research poring over old records and documents. (And that's nowhere near as boring as it sounds.)The mystery surrounding the Fairborne family was excellent. By book's end I hadn't figured it out, although with my knowledge of Cornish history and of genealogy, I should have. The scenes dealing with the 18th and 19th century Fairborne family members that Tayte was trying to trace gave a rich texture to Robinson's story. The fast-paced, engrossing plot and the winning character of Tayte more than made up for any momentary hiccups in writing style. This is the first book by Steve Robinson, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more!