Nathan Dylan Goodwin books

Nathan Dylan Goodwin is a British genealogical crime novelist best known for The Forensic Genealogist series starring Morton Farrier and the Venator Cold Case thrillers.

Mrs. McDougall Investigates

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Ghost Swifts, Blue Poppies and the Red Star 2018 Buy

Non-Fiction

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Hastings at War: 1939-1945 2005 Buy
Hastings & St Leonards Through Time 2010 Buy
Hastings: Wartime Memories and Photographs 2011 Buy
Around Battle Through Time 2012 Buy

The Forensic Genealogist Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Asylum 2018 Buy
Der Vergangenheit auf der Spur 2013 N/A
Hiding the Past 2013 Buy
The Lost Ancestor 2014 Buy
The Forensic Genealogist Series - N/A
The Orange Lilies 2014 Buy
The America Ground 2015 Buy
The Spyglass File 2016 Buy
The Suffragette’s Secret 2017 Buy
The Wicked Trade 2018 Buy
The Missing Man 2017 Buy
The Sterling Affair 2020 Buy
The Foundlings 2021 Buy
The Deserter’s Tale 2023 Buy
The Hop-Picker Murders 2025 Buy

Venator Cold Case Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Chester Creek Murders 2021 Buy
The Sawtooth Slayer 2022 Buy
The Hollywood Strangler 2024 Buy

Nathan Dylan Goodwin is a British author born in Hastings, England, who writes crime fiction rooted in genealogical research. A practicing genealogist himself, he has been tracing family histories since his childhood, and that expertise gives his fiction an unusual level of detail and authenticity. He holds a BA in Radio, Film and Television Studies and an MA in Creative Writing from Canterbury Christ Church University.

Goodwin began his publishing career with non-fiction, releasing Hastings at War: 1939-1945 in 2005, followed by three more local history books about the Hastings area. His transition to fiction came in 2013 with Hiding the Past, the first book in The Forensic Genealogist series. That series, starring Morton Farrier, has grown to fifteen books and remains his best-known work. Each novel sends Farrier into archives, census records, and DNA databases to solve cold cases with real historical backdrops. In 2021, Goodwin launched the Venator Cold Case series, a US-based spin-off featuring Madison Scott-Barnhart and her team of investigative genetic genealogists. He has also written Mrs. McDougall Investigates, a cozy mystery, and several works of non-fiction about Hastings and its history.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Nathan Dylan Goodwin written?

Nathan Dylan Goodwin has written 23 books across four series.

What was Nathan Dylan Goodwin's first book?

Nathan Dylan Goodwin’s first book is Hastings at War: 1939-1945, published in 2005.

What is The Forensic Genealogist series about?

The Forensic Genealogist series follows Morton Farrier, a forensic genealogist who uses historical records, DNA evidence, and archival research to solve cold cases and uncover long-buried family secrets. The series is set primarily in England and spans fifteen books.

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