THE DOLL FROM DUNEDIN
By ML Condike
Historical Mystery / Genealogy Mystery
Publisher: Harbor Lane Books
Pages: 428
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
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SYNOPSIS
The Doll from Dunedin is the sequel to the 2024 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal winner in Fiction – Mystery – General, The Desk from Hoboken.
Still reeling from the dangers of a recent case, forensic genealogist RaeJean Hunter takes on a supposedly routine case to locate the missing heir of a woman she met in Central Park a year ago. Tantalized by a hefty income, she accepts.
But there’s a catch-she must find the heir within six months or the forty-million-dollar estate is donated to a local university.
With the tight deadline comes the chance of a sizeable bonus, a series of unforeseen obstacles, and the unexpected connection to a cold case from 1910, when perfume heiress Dorothy Arnold disappeared without a trace.
Armed with only her genealogical skills, the books and historical documents she unearths, and an antique doll that seems to be guiding her toward the answers she needs, RaeJean faces dangerous events that threaten to shatter her world and challenge her to meet the deadline. Her travels throughout the United States and New Zealand in search of answers bring with it its own question: Will she find the heir before time runs out?
But someone doesn’t want her to solve the case. The clock is ticking, and it will take every ounce of grit RaeJean has to solve this mystery and outwit the dangers that threaten her present while she sifts through the past.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ML Condike’s novel, The Doll From Dunedin released October 22, 2024, is the second book in her genealogy mystery series. The first novel, The Desk From Hoboken (March 5, 2024), received a gold medal in the 2024 Readers Favorite, General Mystery category. Her stories blend facts with fiction, using historical records and current technology to solve century-old cold cases.
She’s published in seven anthologies including Granbury Writers’ Bloc (2019, 2022); Key West Writers Guild (2023); and SinC North Dallas (2022, 2023, 2024).
She’s a member of MWA, Florida Chapter, Sisters in Crime National, Sisters in Crime North Dallas, Granbury Writers’ Bloc, and Key West Writers Guild.
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Giveaway!! Three winners. First place a signed hardback copy of the book. Second place a signed paperback copy of the book. Third place a $15 Amazon giftcard. Ends 1-30-2025. U.S. only.
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REVIEW
Like I said in my review of The Desk From Hoboken, RaeJean is a fun character with a lot of spunk. Some of the witty dialogue between her and her husband, Sam, bring a bit of levity to more serious times, and the tenacious way RaeJean digs to find the truth when confronted with a mystery takes a good deal of determination, especially when face-to-face with a bad guy with a gun.
The fact that this story has a connection to a real-life cold case – the disappearance of Dorothy Arnold – makes it even more interesting to me, and I enjoyed following the trail with her as she tried to figure out who was the heir to this fortune and how was it connected to Arnold. The path RaeJean follows takes her to New York, then to New Zealand, then home again, and every time she thinks she has a handle on things, another obstacle pops up.
How a Forensic Genealogist works is fascinating, and the author clearly did her research to find out how one traces tidbits of information through archaeology records, as well as birth, marriage, and death records. As someone who loves to dig deep into old historical documents, I really enjoyed the lesson of how a professional Forensic Genealogist does her job.
As with the previous book, there’s too much telling in places and characters’ motivations for some of their actions feels forced to me. RaeJean’s reactions to situations also seem a bit flat at times, especially during a real health crisis with Sam. She is surrounded by a cast of supporting characters who aren’t all three-dimensional, however Lester and Maggie really shine in their roles. Kudos to the author for getting their voices just right.
The addition of another dog to the Corgi Crew is a fun thread to follow in the book, as is the doll and her mystical connection to the old desk from the previous story. RaeJean is still trying to decide if she believes that the desk is haunted, and the antique doll is integral to the plot as it might have belonged to Dorothy.
The race to find the heir to the fortune before the deadline is what drives the plot but the subplot of whether Sam and RaeJean will become parents is equally important. How this will finally settle out – will they try for a child or adopt? – is left unresolved, but the times they talk about it is filled with mutual respect and honesty, sort of like the way their whole relationship is presented in the two books. That’s something I appreciate a great deal in life and in fiction – people who care about each other and support each other, professionally and personally.
The Doll From Dunedin was well worth the read for all of the elements that really worked – the mystery, most of the characters, the resolution, and the lovely descriptions of places, especially where RaeJean and Sam traveled in New Zealand.
Readers who like genealogical research, coupled with a good mystery, will enjoy following the clues in this story with RaeJean, figuring out who is on her side and who isn’t and ultimately solving the mystery.
This is a title and a series to keep high on your TBR list.
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