Heirs and Assigns

November 1, 2015

In November 1928, Britain is still recovering from the Great War and a severe depression. In a country home near the Welsh border, retired glassworks owner Penrose Llewellyn has invited his family home to celebrate his 60th birthday. The guest list includes younger brother Theo and his wife, Claudia; Pen's sister, Ida, (her daughter, Verity, lives with Pen); and the youngest brother, Huwie, the black sheep, who shows up unexpectedly. Pen plans to announce his engagement, but he is murdered the night before the party. Who stood to gain the most? DI Herbert Reardon has his work cut out for him, unravelling family secrets dating back years. VERDICT Best known for her "Inspector Gil Mayo" (Untimely Graves) series, Eccles launches a new set of British country house mysteries that will delight fans of the TV series Downton Abbey and authors Simon Brett and Kate Kingsbury.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2015
It's 1928. The village of Hinton Wyvering is still recovering from the Great War, but local squire and retired businessman Penrose Llewellyn is determined to celebrate his sixtieth birthday in style. He's invited his scattered familyincluding his black-sheep brother, Huwieand a few friends for a birthday dinner. Unbeknownst to his invitees, Pen plans to announce he's marrying Anna Douglas, a local woman he's known since childhood. But since his family expects Pen to leave his significant estate to them when he dies, his marriage is likely to be a somewhat unwelcome surprise. When Pen is found dead the next morning, it initially looks like a heart attack, but Anna believes he was murdered. With the local police seemingly incapable of coping, DI Herbert Reardon and his loyal sidekick, DS Gilmour, are called in to investigate. They're ready to give up when a second suspicious death occurs. Somewhat reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel, this delightful British country-house mystery features a clever plot, captivating characters, and authentic period detail.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)