Today I’m joining the blog tour for The Deadly Inheritance Of Everest MacDonald. My review is written with thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me on the blog tour and to Orenda Books for my copy of the book.

Blurb:

Some inherit a fortune.
She inherited murder…

1917. As the Great War rages on the continent, Everest Macdonald is summoned to her father’s deathbed and entrusted with a final urgent request: she must uncover the truth behind the murder of her uncle, the celebrated Victorian actor William Terriss, a crime that has haunted her family for twenty years.

In 1897, Terriss was stabbed to death outside London’s Adelphi Theatre, a killing that shocked Victorian society. The murderer was swiftly arrested and confined to Broadmoor, the case declared closed. Yet, years later, a sealed package of evidence is passed to Everest by her dying father, which casts doubt on the official verdict and the haste with which it was reached.

Drawn back to wartime London, with her husband and children left behind, Everest begins her investigation, following a trail that leads her into the world of late-Victorian theatre, where fame and fortune mask obsession, envy and cruelty. With time running out and her father’s strength failing, Everest must uncover what really happened on the night Terriss died, and shed light on the unsettling legacy he left behind.

Based on an extraordinary true story, The Deadly Inheritance of Everest Macdonald is a dark, atmospheric historical mystery and a compelling adventure, as an unlikely investigator risks everything to pursue one of the most notorious killings of the Victorian stage.

Review:

The Deadly Inheritance Of Everest MacDonald is partly historical fiction and partly crime fiction and I love the way it crosses the different genres so effortlessly in such an engaging way. AJ West is a wonderfully talented writer and both his style and vocabulary evoke the late 19th and early 20th century setting of the novel. Each scene is described in great detail and I was transported to the period and the locations with ease. 

When I started reading The Deadly Inheritance Of Everest MacDonald, I didn’t  realise that it is based on a true story, and therefore the characters are based on real people. I love the way AJ West brought each one of them to life, portraying their personalities, their humour and the drama that surrounded them extremely vividly. Everest MacDonald, in particular, is a wonderful character and I loved getting to know her very determined character. I also enjoyed her partnership with Clare McCormack and enjoyed seeing how they worked together, rooting for them to succeed. 

As a regular crime reader, the mystery element of The Deadly Inheritance Of Everest MacDonald is what drew me into the novel, and I really enjoyed trying to solve the puzzle of William Terriss’ death alongside the characters in the novel. As the story unravels towards the end, I was completely engaged in how it would be resolved and I loved all the twists and revelations. 

I look forward to seeing what the author does next! 

The Deadly Inheritance Of Everest MacDonald is available from Amazon.

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