Fatal Legacy: A Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Fenwick Mystery [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Corley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 2001

All is not what it seems at the respectable firm Wainwright Enterprises. When the managing director Arthur Wainwright dies in a suspicious accident, his last will and testament throws the business and family into turmoil. Not only was Wainwright far, far richer than anyone had imagined, but, to the horror of the rest of the family, he has left the bulk of his estate to his nephew Alex and Alex's wife Sally.

When the beautiful but inscrutable Sally turns her sharp mind to the finances of the family firm, she exposes startling irregularities. But instead of involving the police and bringing more unwanted attention to the Wainwrights, she sets out to uncover the mystery herself. However, when the firm's financial controller is brutally murdered, the police are finally called in, with Detective Chief Inspector Fenwick heading the investigation.

Fenwick and his team quickly establish that there have been three other suspicious deaths connected to the Wainwrights. Have the deaths happened because the company is a front for illicit activity, or because someone wants a bigger share of Arthur Wainwright's fortune? As time slips by, it becomes clear that Fenwick is up against a cunning and ruthless criminal, or criminals. But time is running out, and so, too, is everyone's patience...

Faced with the challenge of balancing detective work with his single-parent commitments, DCI Andrew Fenwick brings new depth and dimension to a gripping police procedural. With its expert plotting and complex characters, Fatal Legacy is a thrilling introduction to this stunning new series.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

There are familiar overtones of Ruth Rendell's Wexford (crusty, demanding), P.D. James's Dalgleish (sensitive, artistic), Colin Dexter's Morse (resistant to authority), Peter Robinson's Banks (his boss hates him) and Reginald Hill's Pascoe (a young female officer has a crush on him) in Corley's Det. Chief Insp. Andrew Fenwick. But they don't add up to a complete or even very interesting figure although Corley does try to humanize her Sussex detective by making him the single parent of two young children after his wife went into an irreversible coma because of a failed suicide attempt. Perhaps Corley's day job she's managing director of a large investment company didn't leave her much time or energy to create a character of her own. This could explain why most of the other people in the book also seem so familiar from the sexy, obviously psychotic wife of a young man who has just taken over his uncle's successful but crooked business conglomerate to the dominance-addicted milquetoast accountant who knows a secret from her shadowy past. The plot, about the rise to riches of the young man and his crazy wife thanks to the odd murder, has its moments, and the writing is mostly crisp and workmanlike. But clich‚s creep in all too often to jerk away the reader's attention. At one point, a phone call disturbs Fenwick, who was "relaxing with a good book." It certainly isn't this one. (Oct. 29)be published in the U.S.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The death of a wealthy English business owner a murder staged to resemble a suicide results in scathing remarks and vows of lawsuits at the reading of his vindictive will, when family members are surprised to learn that control of his business was sold long ago. Only when Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Fenwick investigates the murder of the company's financial controller does the earlier death come into question. Then an abundance of suspects appear, and layers of duplicity are peeled away to reveal family skeletons, changed identities, blackmail, financial irregularities, and dirty secrets. An excellent, finely textured police procedural, complete with an admirable, single-dad hero; highly recommended.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (October 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312283814
• ISBN-13: 978-0312283810
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #648,035 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An engaging English police procedural, September 25, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fatal Legacy: A Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Fenwick Mystery (Hardcover)

In West Sussex, Managing Director Alan Wainright apparently committed suicide. His will, changed a few months ago, leaves the lion's share of the estate to his nephew Alexander. Alan's influential son Graham is outraged, though he inherits a sizable amount, but not close to what he expected.

Following a police investigation and an inquest that is ruled suicide, Graham asks ACC Harper-Brown to reopen the case because he thinks someone murdered his father. Because he wants DCI Andrew Fenwick to fail, Harper-Brown assigns the case to him with instructions not to disturb the family or rekindle the media frenzy. With his hands tied, Andrew begins an investigation that he sure will substantiate the current official position. To his surprise, Andrew and his crew begin to find discrepancies and perhaps illegalities that reach from Wainright Enterprises to the local community leadership.

FATAL LEGACY is an engaging English police procedural that entertains sub-genre fans due to a story line that works on two levels: that of the investigation and a glimpse or two at Andrew's personal life. Though the murderer is in clear site the climax uses sociopath behavior (someone kills Alan at the beginning of the tale), it seems unnecessary, as avarice would have sufficed as the motive. On the contrary the most likely associate to the killer gets off free because of a lack of solid evidence and the need for closure due to the immense visibility of the case. Elizabeth Corley provides a strong tale for those readers who interested in a tight investigative novel.

...

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Begining of a Legacy, October 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Fatal Legacy: A Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Fenwick Mystery (Hardcover)

Fatal Legacy is a fantastic read. Intriguing plot, interesting characters, and just the right dose of twists and turns. Anyone interested in a "can't put it down" detective story, this is it. This book was thoroughly enjoyable to read. It's the first book I've read by Elizabeth Corley and I look forward to finding more books by this talented writer.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fatal Legacy - a MUST READ, June 16, 2003

By 

Elke Hamel (St. Louis, Missouri (USA)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fatal Legacy (A Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Fenwick Mystery) (Hardcover)

This is a great thrilling detective story. Although all evidence seems to point to one suspect, the story allows a few twists and turns, only to find in the end that... Well, you really HAVE to read this for yourself. But be aware: Once you take this book in your hands, you won't be able to put it down until you reach the last page.

The character of Detective Chief Inspector Fenwick is painted deeply. I'm looking forward to read more books with him in order to see how his private life evolves besides his professional life.