Reminiscent of a Golden Age mystery, Fatal Inheritance is an intoxicating story of dysfunctional families and long-hidden secrets, set against the razzledazzle and decadence of the French Riviera.
1948: an English housewife trapped in a dull marriage escapes to the South of France to claim a mystery inheritance. She didn’t have an enemy in the world, until she inherited a fortune.
Out of the blue, Eve Forrester receives a solicitor’s letter. A wealthy stranger has left her a mystery inheritance but in order to find out more, she must travel to the glittering French Riviera. Eve discovers her legacy is an enchanting villa overlooking the Mediterranean sea andsuddenly, life could not be more glamorous.
But while she rubs shoulders with film-stars and famous writers, under the heat of the golden sun, rivals to her unexplained fortune begin to emerge. Rivals who want her out of the way.
It is such a pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for Fatal Inheritance by Rachel Rhys today. Many thanks to the author, publishers and Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and for my advance copy of the novel.
At the start of Fatal Inheritance we are introduced to Eve who is clearly trapped in a stifling marriage. There's an almost palpable feeling of claustrophobia in these early scenes. She's intrigued then to discover that she has been named as a beneficiary in Guy Lester's Will as she has never met him and has no idea how she can be connected. She stands up to her controlling husband for once and travels to the French Riviera alone, ignoring his patronising suggestions that she risks being sold into the white slave trade.
Eve is such a wonderful character; it's clear from the beginning that she has been almost totally worn down by her aloof and scornful mother and subsequent loveless marriage. When she first arrives in France she is starkly aware of how downtrodden she looks compared to the wealthy residents of the area. It's wonderful then to see her gain in confidence as the novel progresses and to see how attitudes towards her change as other people grow to appreciate her quiet determination and courage.
At first the austerity of post-war Britain seems tired and shabby when Eve compares it to the hedonism of the South of France but it transpires that dark secrets lurk under the glitzy veneer. As Eve tries to discover why Guy Lester included her in his Will she is viewed with suspicion and resentment by his family. Though they initially seem an obnoxious bunch of people, one of the strengths of this novel is that the characters are just so fully rounded and vividly real. As I learned more about them I was able to understand why they behave as they do and could empathise with their predicaments. The beautiful writing meant I was absolutely engrossed in this delightful book which combines superlative characterisation, an engaging plot which steadily builds the tension before its emotional resolution and exquisite descriptions which bring the setting and era to glorious life. Family and community are touchingly explored themes too and even those who lead what would seem to be the most shallow lives are shown to desire companionship and love. There are some chapters that are told from Guy Lester's perspective which gradually give us an insight into his motives and to further understand how his need to right his wrongs usurped even his family's birthright.
If it's not already obvious, I adored Fatal Inheritance. It was one of those books I lost myself in for a few hours. The sunkissed backdrop means it's the perfect choice for summer reading but actually it's a book that would be an absolute treat at any time of the year. Just wonderful!
Fatal Inheritance is published by Doubleday/Transworld and can be purchased here. Don't forget to check out the other stops on the blog tour, see below for details.
About the Author
Dangerous Crossing a Richard and Judy bookclub pick, was published around the world. Rachel Rhys lives in North London with her family.
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Thanks so much for this fabulous Blog Tour support x
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