Heirs and Assigns

This classic English country house mystery, the first in a new historical series from Eccles (The Firebird’s Feather), nicely charts the social changes between the world wars. In November 1928, family and friends gather at Bryn Glas, the Shropshire estate of wealthy businessman Penrose “Pen” Llewellyn, to celebrate his 60th birthday. At an impromptu supper party one evening, Pen announces that he’s getting married to one of the guests, Anna Douglas. Some of those present consider Anna, a strong, independent woman, a good match for Pen, but others are not pleased by this surprising news. The next morning, Pen, who had a heart condition, is found dead in his room, apparently of natural causes. When the postmortem suggests that he was a victim of foul play, Det. Insp. Herbert Reardon, a WWI veteran, investigates. Meanwhile, a conscientious objector from London, who has recently opened an antiquarian bookshop in a nearby village, piques Reardon’s curiosity. Readers will be as keen as the inspector to see how the case develops. (Nov.)