How far will you go to find out the truth?
Come back in time to 1948, post war London. This is where we meet Eve, a lonely housewife whose life is about the change. Eve is contacted by a lawyer that she has been left a share in an estate of someone she doesn’t know. Eve finds out she must travel to the French Riviera to find out the details of this strange bequest. When she arrives she meets the family of the man who has passed away and struggles to find out how she is involved. Eve also meets new and eclectic friends along the way that help her find out just how she came to be a part of this family. Throughout her journey she not only solves the mystery of the inheritance she finds a part of herself that she has lost along the way.
Rachel Rys wrote this book in such a way that you are immediately drawn into Eve’s story and all the characters involved in her discovery. I usually don’t read historical romances, but this book caught my eye and I thought I would give it a try. I am sure glad I did. I thought the story was brilliantly written and I can’t wait to read another one of her books. Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to review.

If you are in the midst of preparing yourself for your summer vacation, and when I say preparations, I am referring to the books you will read, then look no further then Rachel Rhys' latest release, #fatalinheritance. This book is historical fiction meet mystery/suspense/thriller, and takes you to all the places where most people could only dream of spending summer vacay, the French Riviera: places like Hotel Eden Roc and (Hotel) Les Belles Rives, among many other luxury resort locations. The period is 1948, post war, and while England is suffering from rations, the highlife has returned to the South of France. Eve Forrester is thoroughly bored and unsatisfied with her austere life in London and with her husband Clifford whom she wed, not for love, but because her true love died in the war. When Eve receives word of a mysterious inheritance from Guy Lester, whom she does not know from Adam, and that inheritance requires her to travel to the Riviera, she jumps at the opportunity, despite the warnings from her boring husband of shifty characters still lurking around there after the war. As surprised as Eve was concerning her inheritance, so too was the Lester family to learn of Eve Forrester. Guy was a ladies man, and they assume Eve was one of his many dalliances. Eve does not know why she has fallen upon this inheritance, but is determined to discover her relationship to Guy Lester AT ANY COST........
If you know me by now, I love historical fiction, set around war time, in and around any parts of France, and I love when they are laced with famous artists. authors and Hollywood stars. This book met every single one of these and was a pure pleasure to read! I absolutely loved it and strongly recommend you include it when you are preparing your #booklist for your summer vacay (or for your summer staycation). 5 stars! Thank you #netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this e-arc of #fatalinheritance.

Have you ever thought it would be wonderful if you received an inheritance from a long lost relative. We’ll be careful what you wish for.. Eve was trapped in a loveless marriage in England when she is sent a request to go to the French Riviera to find out about her inheritance. Let the mystery begin. A sweeping story set just after world war 2 It will keep you guessing until the end. I loved it

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon&Shuster Canada for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

I have already through past reviews admitted my weakness for covered wagon, spoiled rich kids, and Jane Austen retellings. Well, in Fatal Inheritance I find myself delighting in the "protagonist receives a mysterious inheritance that leads them to unveil many family secrets." It is 1948 and Englishwoman, Eve Forrester finds herself traveling to the French Riviera to discover why she's received such a wealthy gift. Neither her husband nor her mother are quite pleased with Eve's behavior, but along the way Eve learns a lot about herself as well as the fallout from particular people's actions during WWII.

Fatal Inheritance turned out to be an intriguing historical thriller that turned out to be a wake up call for how Eve should live her life. The only thing that probably didn't work for me were the parts where romance and/or seduction were pushed upon the character. Overall, it is a book that makes a good vacation read recommendation.




Publication Date. 11/06/19
Goodreads Review published 09/06/19

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy!

What an interesting and perfect book for the upcoming summer!

The main character, Eve, is mysteriously named in a person’s will whom she has never met. She leaves dreary England to venture to the south of France where her inheritance awaits. The deceased’s family is less than thrilled with the appearance of a unknown woman who now can lay claim to a quarter interest in their villa.

A dysfunctional family, an unknown woman, and the beautiful south of France all add up to a great read! The story unfolds effortlessly and this would definitely be a great book to enjoy while sipping a cold drink at the beach. Mystery, glamour, greed, heartbreak, all included!

I liked the setting, Rhys describes everything very well, but she almost spends too much time describing the time and place that the characters feel secondary.

The resolution to the mystery was pretty satisfying, I didn't see it coming but neither did it seem unfeasible.

I felt the romance between Eve and Noel far fetched, these two barely had any 'screen time' together and during the only conversations they did have Noel seemed hell bent on belittling Eve. But hey suddenly he just has to announce that he loves her.

I think I would probably recommend this to anyone whom is looking for a bloodless mystery that is light on thriller elements, or anyone who has a real hankering for 1920's film stars. This, however, was just not my cuppa tea.

This is a lovely historical fiction book set mostly in the south of France in 1948. When a British housewife , in a loveless marriage, receives a mysterious inheritance, she goes against her husband's wishes and head to France to learn what it is and why she received it. It is a great choice for vacation reading and I will be recommending it to my customers.

FATAL INHERITANCE is a great novel. It is the tale of greed and money which turns deadly. The character development was great as well as the plot well written.

What a beautiful read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and author Ms. Rachel Rhys for this Advanced Readers Copy.
Completely drawn in from the first chapter. "Fatal Inheritance" is an engaging story about an unhappy woman who receives notice by mail, that she has been left an heritance by a complete stranger.

"Eve Forrester" begins looking... for her connection to this stranger...for herself...for love and for the answers to that missing thing in her life that she can't quite grasp.

Our story begins in England and unfolds in the French Riviera

Eve finds more than she expects...glamour, greed, intrigue...and secrets maybe best left untold.

With a great cast of characters that play on in your mind long after the last page has been read. This is a delicious read you shouldn't miss!

Stuck in a loveless marriage after WW2, Eve is surprised when she learns that a mysterious stranger has left her a considerable inheritance. In order to learn more and claim the inheritance, she needs to travel from her boring home in London to the glittering French Riviera. Who was this stranger, and why would he choose her of all people to bequeath part of a sprawling villa overlooking the Mediterranean?

I really liked Eve as a main character: she's not clueless or completely naive, and can hold her own against others. I thought she had incredible character development over the course of the novel. The story is told in 3rd person narration, focusing on her, but also has alternating bits that follow Guy Lester - the man who puts her in his will. I did like Guy's POV too, since it introduced some elements early that Eve's POV would only resolve later, driving the mystery forward.

I think the cast of characters - there are quite a few - was handled very well. I loved Gloria Hayes, a (fake) famous American actress in France for her wedding to some studio bigwig. I loved that glimpse into post-WW2 Hollywood, with its expectations and how real actresses might have tried coping with the constant attention.

That said, I think the novel spent too much time meandering - showing us the Riviera, talking about Guy or talking to random characters that don't factor too heavily into the overall story - that the mystery of why Eve would be given the villa was sometimes put on the backburner. I did like that we could never know who to trust, but I found some of the "attacks" on Eve to be quite predictable. By the end, I feel like the mystery was wrapped up too neatly. One person could have easily resolved the entire novel if they had decided to speak up earlier.

It was a riveting read and I was never bored, but I do wish there had been more meat to the mystery and perhaps even more dead ends in the investigation.

I loved this book! The characters and their motivations were believable, the descriptions of the Riviera were compelling but not overdone, and the atmosphere of 1948 luxury and insouciance washed over me like a warm bath. The book was an enjoyable “beach read” style, but it did not feel like a frivolous “bodice ripper”. As a matter of fact, the ending was quite surprising and I respect that the author chose a slightly different-than-expected conclusion. The mystery at the heart of the book revealed itself slowly, and became more confusing as time went on, but the author did not disappoint with some far-fetched coincidences, as happens so many times. The final reveal made perfect sense and had a historical connection. Furthermore, throughout the book, the heroine grew as a person and you felt like cheering for her as she gained strength and self-sufficiency. I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy a beach read, but demand integrity and good writing from the author.

"Fatal Inheritance" by Rachel Rhys a story of dysfunctional families and long-hidden secrets, set against the decadence of the Côte d’Azur. Great summer beach read.

The story is set mostly in 1940's French Riviera in the aftermath of war, I found the authors descriptions transferred me and it pulled me in right away!

Wonderful characters that are well developed and I found I wanted to know more about them and their story. The mystery, intrigue, glamour and danger make for a great mix to keep you intrigued and turning the page.

This historical mystery is interesting and well plotted. The story moves at a steady pace, and I had a hard time putting it down.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A great beach read. An absorbing read that is nuanced, fun, romantic, historical, and unpredictable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I will most definitely be ordering it in to sell to customers at my work!

"Fatal Inheritance" checks off ALL of my "summer read" boxes! This story is light-hearted with an adventurous heroine who is off to discover the secret behind her unexpected inheritance. The setting is the delectable French Riviera and the author definitely delivers on character development, plot and setting. The scenery enticed me and left me dreaming of the Mediterranean coastline and the essence of the holiday lifestyle of the elite.

In the beginning, Eve, the main character is slightly naive, trusting and vulnerable. However, through her journey we see a new Eve emerge who is quite audacious and self-sufficient. She meets so many fascinating people along her journey and Eve discovers the world can offer her so much more than she has imagined. I almost envision this novel as a coming of age book; Eve is realizing the world is much bigger and more exciting than she has been lead to believe. The author does a great job at integrating each of the supporting characters into the plot and making them unique and memorable. Noel is brooding and mysterious while at the same time he makes the reader want to know more about him. And don't even get me started on Sully! I love his quirkiness and his ability to connect everyone who comes in contact with Villa La Perle.

I generally judge a book by the way in which I am captivated by the story as well as how I feel after finishing it. With "Fatal Inheritance" I was sad to have the story end; I wanted to find out more about Eve's adventures and what else lies ahead for her. I also read the novel quite quickly which is often a good sign that it is entertaining enough for me to want to keep reading. The plot is full of twists, secrets and excitement. There are dinner parties to attend with famous people whom Eve has never imagined she would ever cross paths with. I also appreciated the theme of "love" throughout; it was definitely something people lost hope in during this time in history.

If you are looking for an enchanting, adventurous read while sitting at the beach this summer, I would highly recommend "Fatal Inheritance"!

I appreciate being able to read an ARC of "Fatal Inheritance" and I would like to thank NetGalley and the Publishers Simon & Schuster Canada / Washington Square Press for the opportunity to read and review it.

As you read this book it feels like you are in the south of France. The description of the people, weather, architecture. I love it all.

This mystery had me guessing the entire book. It’s not even a who dunnit but why and how?

A great quick beach read. Also recommend for no language or scenes.

Have you ever wished for a rich mysterious relative to leave you an inheritance?

That is exactly what happens to Eve in the novel Fatal Inheritance, by Rachel Rhys. Set in the late 1940's, Eve is a young, married British woman suffering from the constraints put on her by society – no money of her own, expected to stay home and cook and clean, no independence. When she receives a letter from a London solicitor she can't wait to find out what adventure there may be in store for her. She asserts herself long enough to convince her husband she is perfectly capable of travelling to the south of France to claim her third of a large property. While there she delves into her past and contemplates her future.

Rhys does an excellent job of describing the south of France during it heyday. Her descriptions of the seascapes take you directly to the golden sunsets, despite the tarnish of life occurring underneath them.

I received a free copy of this ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.