“I have to agree,” I said, and Ben nodded.
“It’s truly an incredible painting. The man had talent for sure.”
The curator continued, satisfaction filling his voice.
“On behalf of Ms. Camilla Braithwaite and the entire Braithwaite family, all of whom agreed with Camilla’s request, this triptych will not be sold on the open market, as they believe it should be in a museum.” He gave the crowd a smile, adding, “Even though the painting could fetch a truly outstanding price. Regardless—and I am so honored to announce this—it has been given jointly in the name of Camilla’s beloved great-uncle, the late Charlie Braithwaite, to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. It will be displayed on even-numbered years here in its hometown of Houston, and on odd-numbered years in the venerable Smithsonian museum in Washington, DC.”
The clapping was thunderous, and Camilla looked like she couldn’t be more proud of her family, her ancestor, and herself.
She came over to me, taking my hands in hers and looking me in the eyes with a smile. Then she wrapped me in a big hug.
“Thank you, Lucy,” she said in my ear as I hugged her back. “Thank you for giving my ancestor and me both a second chance.”
Well, what do you know? I thought. Mom was right again. Wonders will never cease.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’m incredibly grateful to my wonderful team at Minotaur Books, including my editor, Hannah O’Grady; my copyeditor, Ivy McFadden; my proofreaders; and the incredible marketing and publicity stars who do such a great job in helping get both my name and Lucy’s adventures out in the world. And, of course, another big shout-out goes to David Rotstein for this seriously stunning cover.
My agents, too, are just the best. Christina Hogrebe and Jess Errera of Jane Rotrosen Agency—thank you so much for everything you do, as always.
Once again, I’m truly thankful to Alice Braud-Jones for reading my book for genealogy accuracy, for allowing me to pepper her with questions, and for giving me so many extra details that show the unique magic of Lucy’s profession.
Much appreciation also goes to Sergeant Doug Thomas of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and all his great law-enforcement facts and lingo, and for cheerfully always letting me interview him.
I’m also grateful to Luci Hansson Zahray, aka “The Poison Lady,” for talking about arsenic being used as a preservative in the bodies of Civil War soldiers back at a Malice Domestic convention, for letting me ask her a bunch of questions about it, and, again, for reading Lucy’s first adventure (three books ago now!) and seeing so much potential in her and me.
A second helping of thanks goes to Catherine B. Custalow, MD, PhD (and fellow writer to boot), for being my awesome and kind go-to person for medical questions.
Also, thank you so very much to Athena L. Lark, MFA, MEd, for reading my manuscript and for her thoughtful and informative responses.
Last, but certainly not least, I had so much fun writing about the art in this book, but the learning about it from three wonderful ladies was almost more fun. I’m hugely grateful to Marigold A. Lamb, MS, Life Certified Member, ISA CAPP; Laura Pate, art conservator and owner of Brown Mountain Art Restoration; and Brenda Simonson-Mohle, ISA CAPP, for all their time and patience in explaining art terms to me and helping me hone my art-related scenarios to make them as believable and interesting as possible (and for understanding that I might use artistic license here and there, too). Extra thanks go to Marigold for reading over the art sections of my first draft and to Laura for both introducing me to Marigold and for finding the article that helped inspire how the triptych panels came to have paintings hidden underneath.
As always, if there are any errors or inaccuracies in my book, they are most certainly mine and mine alone. (Though one of these inaccuracies—the Battle at Lawson’s Bridge—was deliberate as I decided creating a fictional battle would be the best way to ensure Charles had the lock on painting it!)
And as for family ties, I’ve got the best ones. Thank you to all my family, and especially my incredible and loving parents.
ALSO BY S. C. PERKINS
Lineage Most Lethal
Murder Once Removed
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
S. C. PERKINS is a fifth-generation Texan who grew up hearing fascinating stories of her ancestry and eating lots of great Tex-Mex. Her first book, Murder Once Removed, was the 2017 Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition winner and an Agatha Award nominee. She resides in Houston and, when she’s not writing, she’s likely outside in the sun or on the beach. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Acknowledgments
Also by S. C. Perkins
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
First published in the United States by Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group
FATAL FAMILY TIES. Copyright © 2021 by Stephanie C. Perkins. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
www.minotaurbooks.com
Cover design by Rowen Davis and David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Cover illustration by Mary Ann Lasher
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Perkins, S. C. (Stephanie C.) author.
Title: Fatal family ties / S.C. Perkins.
Description: First Edition. | New York : Minotaur Books, 2021. | Series: Ancestry detective ; 3
Identifiers: LCCN 2021002110 | ISBN 9781250789648 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250789655 (ebook)
Classification: LCC PS3616.E7469 F38 2021 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021002110d
eISBN 9781250789655
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
; First Edition: 2021
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