Review: Cankered Roots, G.G. Vandagriff

Title: Cankered Roots
Author: G.G Vandagriff
Publisher: Deseret Book Company
Publishing Date: 1994
Length: 224 pages
Summary(from book):  Alexandra Campbell steels herself to face the disapproval and possible rejection by her parents as she tries to uncover the "family secret"-the truth about her grandfather, whose death seems to mark the beginning of everything that has gone wrong in her family. What does doesn't intend, however, is that her quest will lead to the murder of her father.
In spite of shock, guilt and grief, Alex quickly grasps the realities of the situation-the murder was the result of her genealogical detective work, and therefore the mystery is entwined with her family tree and the secrets no one would reveal. With the help of close friends, her own unique skills, and a touch of karate, Alex uncovers a seventy year old tale of deception, impersonation and blackmail.
By confronting the real truth about her heritage, she finally unmasks the murderer and faces her own worst fears. In doing so, she finds her way at last to understanding and then forgiveness. And in the wake of forgiveness comes the peace of an unexpected healing.
My Thoughts:
....Oy. Please forgive me, I skipped part of this and just read the last few pages. I got so bored.  The plot didn't move very quickly and was cluttered by lots of confusing plot threads and over used similes. (At least two a paragraph at times)  I forgave the author for the confusion in her other book after hearing about her incredible story, but now I'm just wondering if this is how she writes. I don't mean to be harsh, but it is seriously a chore to work through her novels. And they aren't even very lengthy.
Cankered Roots is the first in a series of genealogical mysteries; two subjects  that fascinate me, but with how much I struggled to connect to this one, I doubt I'll read further.
There also seems to be a lot of cliches' in her writing. The female main character marries a European and they die too soon and leave the widow heartbroken and defending on her own inner strength. Don't get me wrong, but when all of her novels have a similar theme, I'm going to lose interest.
Kudos to the author for overcoming her trial in life and for living her dream, but as for this book, I don't think it's my cup of tea.