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A Question of Inheritance
It is 1953, and stately Garwood House is home to the Bennet family: Percy, his wife Florence, and their newborn son Philip. But Percy and Florence’s marriage is one of convenience, not love, and when an unexpected and tragic death endangers their fragile arrangement, Florence will stop at nothing to cover it up. Over twenty years later a violent and seemingly inexplicable murder threatens to unearth long-buried secrets. It is a mystery that takes Philip, his ‘Aunt’ Amy and the police to Naples and back, desperately seeking not just the murderer, but answers.
Why was the housekeeper suddenly and unceremoniously dismissed two decades ago? Why does Florence seem to have two passports? And above all, who is the real heir to Garwood House?
Why was the housekeeper suddenly and unceremoniously dismissed two decades ago? Why does Florence seem to have two passports? And above all, who is the real heir to Garwood House?
- GenresMystery
177 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1980
28 people want to read
About the author
Josephine Bell
119 books17 followersJosephine Bell (the pseudonym of Doris Bell Collier Ball) was born into a medical family, the daughter of a surgeon, in Manchester in 1897.
She attended Godolphin School from 1910 to 1916 and then she trained at Newnham College, Cambridge until 1919. On completing her studies she was assigned to University College Hospital in London where she became M.R.C.S. and L.R.C.P. in 1922 and M.B. B.S. in 1924. She married Dr. Norman Dyer Ball in 1923 and the couple had a son and three daughters.
From 1927 until 1935 the couple practised medicine together in Greenwich and London before her husband retired in 1934 and she carried on the practice on her own until her retirement in 1954.
Her husband died in 1936 and she moved to Guildford, Surrey and she became a member of the management committee of St. Luke's Hospital from 1954 to 1962.
She began writing detective fiction in 1936 using the pen name Josephine Bell and her first published novel in the genre was 'Murder in Hospital' (1937).
Perhaps not surprisingly many of her works had a medical background and the first one introduced one of her enduring characters, Dr David Wintringham who worked at Research Hospital in London as a junior assistant physician. He was to feature in 18 of her novels, ending with 'A Well Known Face' (1960).
Overall she wrote more than 60 books, 45 of them in the detective fiction genre where, as well as medical backgrounds, she used such as archaeology in 'Bones in the Barrow' (1953), music in 'The Summer School Mystery' (1950) and even a wildlife sanctuary as background in 'Death on the Reserve' (1966).
She also wrote on drug addicition and criminology and penned a great number of short stories. In addition she was involved in the foundation of the Crime Writers' Association in 1953, an organisation in which she served as chair person in the 1959–60 season.
She died in 1987.
Gerry Wolstenholme
June 2010
She attended Godolphin School from 1910 to 1916 and then she trained at Newnham College, Cambridge until 1919. On completing her studies she was assigned to University College Hospital in London where she became M.R.C.S. and L.R.C.P. in 1922 and M.B. B.S. in 1924. She married Dr. Norman Dyer Ball in 1923 and the couple had a son and three daughters.
From 1927 until 1935 the couple practised medicine together in Greenwich and London before her husband retired in 1934 and she carried on the practice on her own until her retirement in 1954.
Her husband died in 1936 and she moved to Guildford, Surrey and she became a member of the management committee of St. Luke's Hospital from 1954 to 1962.
She began writing detective fiction in 1936 using the pen name Josephine Bell and her first published novel in the genre was 'Murder in Hospital' (1937).
Perhaps not surprisingly many of her works had a medical background and the first one introduced one of her enduring characters, Dr David Wintringham who worked at Research Hospital in London as a junior assistant physician. He was to feature in 18 of her novels, ending with 'A Well Known Face' (1960).
Overall she wrote more than 60 books, 45 of them in the detective fiction genre where, as well as medical backgrounds, she used such as archaeology in 'Bones in the Barrow' (1953), music in 'The Summer School Mystery' (1950) and even a wildlife sanctuary as background in 'Death on the Reserve' (1966).
She also wrote on drug addicition and criminology and penned a great number of short stories. In addition she was involved in the foundation of the Crime Writers' Association in 1953, an organisation in which she served as chair person in the 1959–60 season.
She died in 1987.
Gerry Wolstenholme
June 2010
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 3, 2021
GTood but to many implausables
April 23, 2013
Florence married Percy Bennet because he wanted an heir and she wanted security. Everything works reasonably well until their son, Philip, is a few months old and everything starts to fall apart. What happens next is known to the reader but remains hidden from everyone else for twenty years.
This is a well written mystery where the suspense and tension is very well maintained in spite of the fact that what happened is known to the reader from the start. The seeds of the final tragedy are already sown when the story opens but it will take a very observant reader to work out who the murderer is and why the murder is committed.
This is a well written mystery where the suspense and tension is very well maintained in spite of the fact that what happened is known to the reader from the start. The seeds of the final tragedy are already sown when the story opens but it will take a very observant reader to work out who the murderer is and why the murder is committed.
February 27, 2009
An older book that was still a fun read. It starts off with the death of a baby and a quick substitution, as the child was heir to a nice estate. Then the story jumps ahead to the murder of the 'adoptive' mother. Some good twists, but I had read this before and it wasn't quite as good the second time around.
October 30, 2015
This is the first entry in a new series with a refreshing premise. Characters are likable and believable. This is a pleasant, enjoyable read. Looking forward to more titles in the series.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews