Due to dire financial circumstances a young, well-educated, middle-class couple are forced to take jobs as servants to a somewhat eccentric, old money family. He becomes the family chauffeur while she serves as personal secretary to the family matriarch. As they settle into their new jobs they become more and more suspicious about the strange and secretive goings on within the family.

Very Old Money by author Stanley Ellin is not a thrill ride by any means. It is a slow, slow build to a final unexpected conclusion. Less traditional mystery than a social commentary on the lives of the rich elite... people who have been so insulated from the real world for so long that they no longer have a firm grasp on reality.

Due to its age (it was first published over 30 years ago) the book has lost much of its bite. Taken in context of today's reality show obsessed culture, where it seems everyone wants to be famous however they can, for as long as they can, the idea of a wealthy dynasty that shuns the spotlight, publicity, and any hint of scandal or controversy to protect the family name comes across as more quaint than compelling.

I have only recently become aware of the work of author Stanley Ellin (who died in 1986) and I have been very impressed with his unique writing style which tends to focus more on developing character and creating the atmosphere of the story rather than on traditional plot. When it works, it works very well, but unfortunately it doesn't always work. Very Old Money is a case of it not working all that well.

So much time is spent setting up the premise that it ends up hurting the overall story. It drags to the point of tediousness for much of the novel. I give it a two and one-half star rating (bumping it up to three stars since half stars don't register).

While I have enjoyed several of Stanley Ellin's novels I wouldn't recommend this particular book.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book.