Book info

• Title The Marriage Certificate
• Author Stephen Molyneux
• Year 2013
• Genre Mystery

When amateur family historian Peter Sefton buys the marriage certificate he sees on display in an antiques arcade, little does he realise that it will lead him towards a potentially lucrative discovery and a long-forgotten family secret. Through his research, Peter finds himself uncovering a series of sad and tragic events that connect the marriage certificate to a modern-day mystery. But, there's a complication. In his quest to complete the family tree, Peter learns that he has competition. It's not just a matter of pride; there's money at stake too! Should he the amateur genealogist, give up or can he beat the professionals at their own game?

Thoughts

This is the story of a single document, a Victorian certificate of marriage, encompassing the backstory of how it came into being and the significant impact it can have in hte modern day. I envisage this story came into being after the author stumbled across such a document, and it’s fascinating to wonder what is the drama behind the simple piece of paper.

I did think some of the “family finding” sections were a bit drawn out, but then genealogy hasn’t been one of my interests. If you like that kind of thing, it might be endlessly fascinating to follow along in each and every discovery. However, the story behind the certificate was far more interesting.

I guessed at the tiny plot point revealed at the end, although it had not been mentioned for a long while and I’d forgotten about it. It showed the nice attention to detail that goes with the story, and is something of a happy ending where there previously wasn’t one.

Rating: 3 / 5