The Inheritance [Hardcover]

Simon Tolkien (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2010

A complex mystery of deception and betrayal that follows the court case of a young man set to hang for the murder of his father

 

When a famed Oxford historian is found dead in his study one night, all evidence points to his son, Stephen. About to be disinherited from the family fortune, Stephen returns to home after a long estrangement—and it happens to be the night his father is shot to death. When his fingerprints are found on the murder weapon, Stephen’s guilt seems undeniable. But there were five other people in the manor house at the time, and as their stories slowly emerge—along with the revelation that the deceased man was involved in a deadly hunt for a priceless relic in Northern France at the end of World War II—the race is on to save Stephen from a death sentence.

Everyone has a motive, and no one is telling the truth.

Unwilling to sit by and watch the biased judge condemn Stephen to death, an ageing police inspector decides to travel from England to France to find out what really happened in that small French village in 1945—and what artifact could be so valuable it would be worth killing for.

Author Simon Tolkien received rave reviews for his first legal thriller, The Final Witness. Now, in The Inheritance, Tolkien sharpens his craft even more, deftly weaving psychological suspense and family drama to create a mystery steeped in memories, betrayal, and the long shadow of the past. Part courtroom drama and part historical thriller, The Inheritance is a dark, dynamic thriller that tests the strength of blood ties, loyalty, and revenge.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* The promotional material for former British criminal barrister Tolkien’s second novel (the first, The Final Witness, was published in 2002) shamelessly plays up the fact that the author is the grandson of J. R. R. Tolkien. Enough of this literary-pedigree nonsense. As Tolkien shows in both his mysteries, he does not need to have his DNA trumpeted; he is a first-rate writer in his own right. His latest thriller moves from a horrific crime perpetrated on a French family by two British soldiers during World War II and then straight into 1959, with the opening of a trial at the Old Bailey. Tolkien provides the kind of caustic portraits of judges and barristers and knowledge of the innermost cells of the Old Bailey that the late John Mortimer, also a barrister, delighted readers with in the Rumpole series. On trial is 22-year-old Stephen Cade, accused of shooting his estranged father in the head. The father was a war hero and then a well-heeled university professor. The son had motive: the father had just written him out of his will and denied him a requested sum of money. He had opportunity: he was, apparently, and by his own admission, with his father in his library. And his prints were on the gun that was found near the body. But something seems off to the officer in charge of the case. Detective Inspector William Trave of the Oxford CID uses the window of opportunity between trial and sentencing to trace the locked-room mystery back to its origins in France. Written with great surety and absolutely compelling. --Connie Fletcher

Review

Praise for The Inheritance

“A fine novel. A thinking person’s Da Vinci Code.” –Chicago Tribune

“Simon Tolkien’s grandfather is J. R. R., but his new novel owes more to Agatha Christie—and Dan Brown.” –New York Times

“Expertly paced—the suspense builds to nearly unbearable levels—and filled with fascinating characters, The Inheritance also showcases Tolkien's spare, graceful prose—and his moral fervor. He spins a gripping story, but there's more to The Inheritance than smarts and skill. It's also a meditation on the death penalty, and Tolkien leaves no doubt that he's an ardent opponent.
A deft combination of Agatha Christie manor-house whodunit, Erle Stanley Gardner courtroom drama and Dan Brown thriller, The Inheritance is nonetheless unique to its creator. And Tolkien, with this compelling read, proves himself worthy—and then some—of his literary pedigree. —Richmond Times Dispatch

“Simon Tolkien is the grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien and, while there are no elves or dwarves in these pages, there is on display a narrative skill that the author of The Lord of the Rings would surely have recognized and admired…. It works so well, not because of cheap tricks like cliff-hanger chapter endings, but because of Tolkien's deft handling of ensemble. It is the differences in character and motive, the continual changes in viewpoint, that drive one to find out what exactly is going on and what actually happened.” –The Philadelphia Inquirer

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1 edition (April 13, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031253907X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312539078
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #836,969 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent British murder mystery, March 8, 2010

By 

Aleksandra Nita-Lazar (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Inheritance (Hardcover)

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"Inheritance" is a murder mystery written in the best English tradition of Agatha Christie and her many noble successors. Simon Tolkien deserves to be in the pleiada of detective novel authors. His novel meets all expectances of a seasoned mystery reader.

John Cade, an Oxford professor of history and a hero of World War II, is shot to death in his mansion. His younger son, Stephen, is charged with murder and put on trial - he was found in his father's study, locked from inside, a few moments after the shot and his fingerprints are on the key to the study door and on the murder weapon. He also has a motive - he was estranged from his father for two years and only came home when Cade was about to change his will and practically disinherit him, turning the mansion into a museum. During the trial, Stephen pleads innocence, but he faces death sentence - hanging is still lawful in 1959, when the action is set. Inspector Trave, the detective who arrested Stephen based on evidence, has more and more doubts while the trial unfolds. Probably the fact, that Stephen reminds Trave of his son Joe, who died in a tragic accident, adds to Trave's belief in Stephen's innocence.

There were five other people in the house at the time of the murder - the grounds were under surveillance after Cade had been pestered by his former subordinate from the army.

The people present were: Cade's older, adopted son, Silas, a sneaky photographer; Cade's assistant, Sasha Vigne, involved in cataloging the valuable collection of illuminated manuscripts; Stephen's girlfriend, beautiful actress Mary Martin; and a couple of housekeepers, Sergeant Ritter (also Cade's associate from the war) and his French wife Jeanne.

The murderer must have been one of them. And everyone could have a motive.

Trave decides to look for the murderer, despite the lack of support from the prosecutor Thompson, who is happy to condemn another man. Although all of the people involved are lying, the truth slowly emerges...

Is Cade's death a matter of his change of will, or is it connected with his obsessive search for St. Peter's Cross which led Cade in 1944 to the cold-blooded crime in the French village of Marjean, described in the opening chapter?

I enjoyed the twists and turns of this classical mystery novel. I think it is not difficult to guess who is the murderer - but although my initial guess was correct at the end, I had my doubts as Tolkien skillfully led me through his plot. And anyway, it was interesting to find out how everything will come together at the end. I also enjoyed the moral meaning of the story and the characters, all superbly depicted. Definitely, Simon Tolkien is not using the name to sell his books, he is an accomplished writer.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Inheritance, February 17, 2010

By 

kitjank "Guitar Goddess, artist, love of all ... (Hunt Valley, MD United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Inheritance (Hardcover)

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Simon Tolkien isn't riding on his famous last name. In large I found this to be a well written and for the most part, enjoyable book. With the following exceptions:

1) I think Tolkien was trying to create a DaVinci Code style story without being, well like the DaVinci Code. I'm really not sure what the importance of the object was (don't want to give anything away so I won't say what the object is) and what the people who were after it were going to do with it once they had it.

2)The characters. Ok here's where I think the weak spot is. I really couldn't find myself bonding with any of the people in this story. The only strong character was Silas. I wasn't sure if I should dislike, or feel sorry for him and at the end, which was tied up a bit too neatly and quickly, you only hear someone else tell what happened to him. As far as Stephen, well I really couldn't care about his fate. I think he was a bit thin for being such an important part of the story.

Don't get me wrong, I like this book. It was written well and entertaining. It was a good story line, but I think it could have been a little better if the author had put a bit more flesh on his characters and maybe a bit more detail in the plot.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Sadly dissappointed, March 30, 2010

By 

Tom Carpenter "- www.sysedco.com" (Marysville, OH) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Inheritance (Hardcover)

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I was hoping for much more from this book that what I found. I was not happy with the book from the start. The writing is thick without color. It is detailed without relevance. The inner dialogue and intra-personal dialogue of the characters is unrealistic of the time window by far. The language used, for example, if far more modern than the era demands. I simply cannot recommend this book for any purpose. And I am a huge Tolkien family fan. I'm sure Simon has a great book in him, but for me, this one is not it.