‘Fatal Inheritance is GLORIOUS! Hugely enjoyable escapism, featuring The South of France, film stars, gorgeous villas, lavender-scented air, ex-Nazis, family secrets and more besides! I enjoyed it ENORMOUSLY.’ MARIAN KEYES
‘A fantastic book – glamorous and beautifully written.’ Daily Mail
About the book:
1948: the French Riviera: an English housewife trapped in a dull marriage escapes to the South of France to claim a mystery inheritance. But rivals to her unexplained fortune begin to emerge, and now they want her out of the way …
But don’t you think it strange? she presses him. That this man I have never heard of should have left me such a gift?
1948: Eve Forrester is trapped in a loveless marriage, in a gloomy house, in a grey London suburb.
Then, out of the blue, she receives a solicitor’s letter. A wealthy stranger has left her a mystery inheritance. And to find out more, she must travel to the glittering French Riviera.
There Eve discovers that her legacy is an enchanting pale pink villa overlooking the Mediterranean sea. Suddenly her 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.
Alone in this beguiling paradise, Eve must unlock the story behind her surprise bequest – before events turn deadly . . .
Reminiscent of a Golden Age mystery, Fatal Inheritance is an intoxicating story of dysfunctional families and long-hidden secrets, set against the razzle-dazzle and decadence of the French Riviera.
Reminiscent of a Golden Age mystery, Fatal Inheritance is an intoxicating story of dysfunctional families and long-hidden secrets, set against the razzle-dazzle and decadence of the French Riviera.
My Review: Fatal Inheritance is the second standalone novel by Rachel Rhys and the first book I have read. To be perfectly honest I didn’t read her debut book A Dangerous Crossing because Rachel Rhys is the pen name of one of my FAVOURITE psychological thriller authors TAMMY COHEN and was worried that because I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction and the change in genre that I wouldn’t enjoy it. What a silly-billy I am! So I am now apologising to Tammy/Rachel and will hopefully make up for my lapse in judgement by my review.
Fatal Inheritance is a stunningly, glamorous novel set in a post war French Riviera. Eve Forrester lives in Sutton with her stuffy, controlling and dull husband Clifford when she receives a letter from a solicitor inviting her to the French Riviera to the reading of a will of a man she has never heard of. Eager to escape her monotonous and lonely life she decides to travel to Cannes to find out why a wealthy stranger has named her in his will.
Once Eve arrives in Cap d’Antibes she meets the Lesters, a dark and dysfunctional family who instantly resent her presence and intrusion in their lives especially being named in the will with no explanation. However, Eve sees this as a perfect opportunity to find out more about the mystery benefactor and why she has been left an inheritance.
This cast of characters in this sumptuous drama are absolutely wonderful from Gloria, the Hollywood A Lister; Sully, the American Author and the wonderful Rupert and Ruth Collett. Even dull Clifford with his waxed moustache was so believable and real that I was transported to the beautiful French Riviera amongst the glitter of the fabulously wealthy families. It was so descriptive and atmospheric that I was able to “see” the beautiful villas, hear the Mediterranean Sea and smell the fragrances of all the flowers.
If you enjoy atmospheric historical fiction then I would definitely recommend Fatal Inheritance.
About the author: Rachel Rhys is the pen-name of a successful psychological suspense author. A Dangerous Crossing is her debut novel under this name. The story is inspired by a real diary which the author discovered by accident while helping her mother move house. It was written with care and attention by a servant girl who travelled from England to Australia on a cruise liner in the late 1930s.
Rachel Rhys lives in North London with her family, including a much-loved dog.
