Nathan Dylan Goodwin Books In Order

Publication Order of The Forensic Genealogist Books

Publication Order of Mrs. McDougall Investigates Books

Publication Order of Venator Cold Case Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Nathan Dylan Goodwin is genealogist and author that is best known as the writer of “The Forensic Genealogist” series of novels. Goodwin was born in Hastings, England and right from his childhood, he was passionate about different forms of writing. As a teenager, he got a degree in Television, Film and Radio studies and then went to Canterbury Christ Church University, from where he graduated with a Creative Writing degree. He first got interested in family history as a twelve year old, when he started drawing family trees from the fantastic collection of scrapbooks and family photographs that belonged to his grandmother. While he did not know what he was doing at the time, he found it fascinating and enjoyable. His grandmother’s family had been resident in the area for ages and hence when he took walks to the local cemetery as a child, they would also visit the graves of their great grandparents among other family members. He remembers interviewing Elsie her grandmother’s aunt in 1992 and then collecting all her family documents and unwanted photographs thereafter. Nathan Goodwin launched his career as an author of nonfiction when he published “Hastings at War” in 2005. He also published several other historical works about Hastings before he made his fiction debut with “Hiding the Past,” a genealogical crime mystery novel that came out in 2013.

Dylan Goodwin first came up with the idea to make his lead a forensic genealogist that solved crime when he was doing his Creative Writing masters. His fellow students thought it was a great idea and told him he should pursue it. The first version of the work turned out very different from the final draft and published copy. When he first wrote the manuscript he had killed off his investigator Morton but is now glad that he changed the ending. As a career genealogist, the tracing of family trees is something that he enjoys though it is never easy doing it for crime fiction. He has been chronicling his family tree ever since he was a preteen and understands all there is to know about genealogical research. Still, he also keeps up with new developments over the years all of which provide some interesting things to incorporate into his writing. The invention of DNA testing in 2014 has been particularly profound as he took the test himself. His lead character could also have many more possibilities for resolving complex criminal mysteries using the new advances.

In 2018 Nathan Dylan Goodwin introduced the “Mrs. McDougall Investigates” series. The lead in the novels is a distant relative of the author with the setting being the period following the end of the First World War. “The Forensic Genealogist” series also got a prequel in the same year as Goodwin penned “The Asylum,” a short story that he offered for free to the readers of his website. For Morton Farrier fans, Nathan has come up with a special choose your own story online portal where he writes about what the lead protagonist is up to during the Coronavirus lockdown in England. The author planned to write “Venator Cold Case,” his third series starting in 2021 with the novel The Chester Creek Murders. The series is are spun off from his England based stores with the lead as Madison Scott-Barnhart. When Dylan Goodwin is not writing his novels he loves reading genealogical crime mysteries from the likes of Steve Robinson, Stephen Molyneaux, LB Hathaway and Kate Morton. He can also be found skiing, running and spending time with his husband son and their dog.

“Hiding the Past” by Nathan Dylan Goodwin is set in 1944 where a woman and her child have fled into an orchard when things go wrong. Fast-forward to 2013, and Peter Coldrick hires Morton Farrier to investigate the family history. In the twelve years he has been working such cases, he has never found any man whose birth records did not exist. The man had been born in 1944 and brought up in a children’s home. Given that it was a time of war, it is possible that no proper records had been kept. For a moment, Morton does not know what to make of it but he gets a call from his client saying that he had found some interesting box. Before he can go over the following day to collect the box, the man is found dead, allegedly from suicide. Coldrick had paid him a lot of money to investigate the case and Morton does not believe he could take his life. Moreover, he had made an incredible discovery he wanted to share with him. The man’s girlfriend does not believe he committed suicide either. Despite the authorities ruling it a suicide, Morton is determined to get answers. The search for the truth will see him visit archives, libraries and churches to get a look into critical records. It seems someone powerful does not want the truth of James Coldrick’s birth to become public.

“The Lost Ancestor” by Nathan Dylan Goodwin opens to clever forensic genealogist Morton Farrier living a great life with Juliet his fiancée. They have made their home in the centre of Rye in an old cottage. His newest client is an anxious and terminal man that is determined to learn what had happened to the twin sister of his grandmother. In 1911, a spirited and lively girl named Mary Mercer had been working at the home of Lord Rothebone as a maid, even though it was a job in which she was totally unsuited. She had gone missing a few months following her employment and any information or records about her whereabouts had disappeared. But Mary had supposedly written a note and left it on her sister’s grave in 1962. Morton is fascinated by the case and gets down to work even though many of the members of the family are uncooperative. The owners of the Blackfriars House that once belonged to Lord Rothebone are more willing to cooperate. But it is not long before the investigator’s life is threatened and he is asked to stop any further investigations or else!!!

Nathan Dylan Goodwin’s novel “The America Ground” opens to Morton with a brand new challenge. He needs to determine why an ordinary woman drawn in a nearly two hundred year old painting was murdered while she slept. Eliza Lovekin’s early life circumstances in workhouse are based on known fact but are incredibly fascinating. America Ground that formed part of the land reclaimed from the sea and named St Leonard’s and Hastings is an interesting place. The group of people that had been responsible for dredging the land and reclaiming it intended to build new houses on it but now face resistance from the authorities who demand taxes. It is a very serious matter as the word “eviction” has also been bandied about. The story goes right back to 1827 where Harriet that was Elizabeth’s daughter is threatened by Richard. In the meantime, Morton who was working on a case to determine his father learns that Eliza’s legacy endangers his. He underestimates just how bad the threat is in his effort to protect Juliette his fiancé and the results of his carelessness may be catastrophic.

2 Responses to “Nathan Dylan Goodwin”

1. L A Jespersen: 3 months ago

   I cannot stop reading your books… where have you been all of my life? Sounds crazy for me to say this but I haven’t enjoyed reading a series of books like this since… I do not remember when. Will you even read this message? I might want to change careers, I am 55 Corporate Controller, long history of mental pain from my past, longing to do something new and now I want to learn how to move forward with the rest of my years in this world. Also, I have a story I want to invest in, my mom’s first husband, killed in Vietnam. I learned recently that he has/had a twin brother, would really want to understand how to give him back all of the items he left to my mom. His jacket, purple heart, letters from him to my mom and his family, letters from the government. This man, my moms first husband, not my father, but I have his memories and would love an opportunity to give back all of this things back to his family….. Silly, stupid? I found his name on the all in DC when I was 18, am still trying to find his family…. help? thoughts? I have tried to find his family thru DAV, American Legion, people in the military, and it just seems like I get nowhere. I will continue along until I can find his family… Won’t quit. But your books have been an inspiration of not giving up hope as they deserve to have his purple heart, not me… If you really did read this, thank you!

   Reply
2. Gerald Daub: 2 years ago

   I enjoy your books. I have read all your books.Iam

   waiting for your new books.

   Keep the Great writing.

   G.Daub

   Reply