THE DOLL FROM DUNEDIN
By ML Condike
Historical Mystery / Genealogy Mystery
Publisher: Harbor Lane Books
Pages: 428
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
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Armed with only her genealogical skills, the books and historical documents she unearths, and an antique doll that seems to be guiding her toward the answers she needs, RaeJean faces dangerous events that threaten to shatter her world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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Forensic genealogist RaeJean Hunter is tapped to search for the missing heir to a deceased woman’s considerable estate. Interestingly, RaeJean knew the deceased woman, Jill Hamilton, and had taken in her corgi when it was in need of a good home. Other than the apparently coincidental connection, though, this seems like it should be a pretty straightforward case. Find the heir, collect a substantial paycheck. Easy, right? The only hitch would seem to be the time limit. If the heir isn’t found within a year of the woman’s death, her estate would pass to Columbia University – and six months of that year has already elapsed.
The search for a missing heir takes RaeJean on a winding journey. From Jill’s New York apartment to the Pacific Northwest to the wilds of New Zealand, she chases leads, digs through records, and tries to interpret the clues that a doll belonging to Jill seems to try to communicate with its eyes. And once again, she finds herself in danger, because someone does not want that missing heir found.
ML Condike gives us another smart, well-written mystery. I love the relationship between RaeJean and her husband Sam. They’re clearly crazy about each other, but the romance doesn’t get in the way of the mystery. And I like that they don’t have to be joined at the hip constantly. Their respective jobs sometimes take them in different directions, but a little physical separation doesn’t diminish their emotional connection.
The story also ties into an actual cold case, the 1910 disappearance of Dorothy Arnold. Condike gives us a believable scenario tying the missing heiress to Jill Hamilton, and in so doing, handles some challenging issues such as the treatment of mental health in the early twentieth century and the treatment of children in group homes.
Condike also addresses issues of fertility and adoption. Jill was adopted, and RaeJean and Sam face the possibility that they cannot have children of their own. I was adopted myself, so I’m glad to see they’re considering that option.
The historical background was fascinating. The mystery, engrossing. The paranormal element, a delicious touch. The unexpected twists, well, unexpected! ML Condike is rapidly establishing herself as one of my favorite authors. If you love mysteries that blend history and present day, I highly recommend The Doll from Dunedin.
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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Love this review & I also loved the book — didn’t read the first one first, but I’m diving into it soon. I am with you: ML Condike is an author to watch.