Christopher Huang's Unnatural Ends follows Alan, Roger, and Caroline Linwood following the unexpected death of their adoptive father, Sir Lawrence Linwood. At the reading of the will, they learn that the entire estate is to be left to the child who solves Sir Lawrence's murder. As they begin to dig, they uncover unimaginable secrets about their family and the little town that they live in, but they may not be safe. The murders keep coming and everyone is a suspect. This book is perfect for adults who loved The Inheritance Games and for fans of historical fiction. It's slow-paced, but compelling, and has beautifully written characters. It's a story of finding oneself under strict expectations, family secrets, and issues of eugenics.

"Certain pedestals were never meant to be occupied by mortal men."

Sir Lawrence Linwood has been murdered, bludgeoned by a mace in his study. The three children of Sir Linwood are tasked to find his murderer and be pronounced as the sole heir of the Linwood property.

Unnatural Ends is a gothic mystery with a captivating premise. The three children, facing the loss of their father, have little consideration for the will. They want to bring their father justice. In doing so, they tumble upon secrets of the past, of lives that were once entwined with theirs. Bred to be their father's righteous heirs, Unnatural Ends is a story of unspeakable trauma, childhood and psychological abuse, manipulation, familial dysfunction, and a predatory stage.

Each character has a distinctive voice and narrative. Christopher Huang fleshed out each of his character in great detail, their point of views well-fitting of the England of 1921. The mystery was laid-out in a cunning fashion. The number of suspects kept rising as the story progressed. My initial guess was correct, and the major revelation was what I had guessed it to be.

Among the characters, I favored Iris. She was smart, resourceful, and not the human accessory people around her saw her to be. That, of course, had me suspecting her for the most part of the book along with the true culprit. In a way, I was relieved to find she was simply ingenious, not malicious. Apart from her, Caroline, with her wit and talking, presented herself as a bold character. Roger, with his love for engineering, came alive on the pages. Alan's character, however, felt a bit of a cutout and was my only source of complaint. But it also made sense because the three children had been shaped by their father, and what he had left in them was hard to kill.

Overall, it is a rattling book about a dominant, controlling father with an involvement in eugenics, a mother who has blend in so thoroughly she is nothing but a mere ghost, and three children who could not help but be the object of a man's manipulation.
Thanks to NetGalley and Inkshares for providing an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Unnatural Ends by Christopher Huang feels like an ode to 20th century mystery novels; I instantly thought of Agatha Christie as I read this, which made me even more excited, as well as sympathetic to the pacing since it felt appropriate for the period it was trying to emulate. The story follows the now-adult children of Sir Lawrence Linwood—Alan, Roger and Caroline—who take a break from their varied lives after being told their father has been murdered, forcing them to return to the place where it all started: home. Though the funeral is not all it seems. In the will, Sir Linwood gives his children a task to complete—a dying wish, if you will: the first to solve his murder will become heir of Linwood Hall.

This book had me at the edge of my seat, and just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse for our three main characters, it does. I really enjoyed the multi-point of view. We could’ve gotten the entire story told in third-person omniscient, which isn’t bad, but I feel like the way the book is written allows us to form deeper connections with the characters separately (as well as compare what the others have seen and experienced, to see how they view each other).

I also don’t think there was a single character that wasn’t well-written. It felt like I was actually there, seeing Caroline speak to Davey in Paris; feeling Alan find himself, and his faith, as he explored Machu Picchu; watching Roger almost fumble his meeting by taking the wrong blueprint only for Iris to save him at the last minute. And he almost makes me wish that Linwood Hall exists (and I say “almost” because the thought of that place gives me the creeps), mostly in part for the research he’s done on the area (which I really appreciate because it shows through the book how much he loves this).

The only thing I have a critique on is how it ended. It felt very anticlimactic. Thank you to Netgalley, Christopher Huang and Inkshares for allowing me to read this ARC; it’s hands down one of my favorite books now.

UNNATURAL ENDS read like a modern take on a Golden Age mystery blended with a psychological thriller topped with a splash of gothic setting. 

The pacing keeps us on our toes, waiting for the next clue to lead to yet another horrible realization—and every clue does! From the beginning, I detested the antagonist. “Father’s” parenting makes him as horrible a villain as anything Daphne du Maurier ever wrote, and I kept hoping Alan, Roger, and Caroline would realize that everything they’d been taught about life was wrong. 

Overall, the type of mystery that classic mystery lovers enjoy. The only thing keeping it from being a five star read is that I figured out every twist about ten pages before it happened.

Thanks to NetGalley and Christopher Huang for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This was a thorough, well written and interesting golden age mystery! Huang’s depth of research is evident and I really enjoyed the characters. His portrayal of the female characters especially felt realistic for the era while also highlighting their character and agency. I wasn’t surprised by the outcome, but I thought the motive/resolve was unique enough that I didn’t mind. While it held my attention the whole time it also felt a tad slow, which is my only knock down in rating.

I have mixed feelings about this one. The plot is interesting and not something you typically see in thillers but unfortunately, this book dragged at times.

This was so good. It reminded me of an Agatha Christie movie / book mixed with a touch of Downton Abbey . Right from the start it draws you in trying to solve the mystery yourself. I loved the era and location of the book ,a real golden age mystery. Highly recommended.

Unnatural Ends
Christopher Huang
Alan an archaeologist, Roger an engineer, and Caroline, a journalist, were called home by their father’s death. Sir Lawrence Linwood was murdered. The reading of the will left all three siblings surprised. “In the event that my death should be due to unnatural causes, I charge m children with the task of identifying the killer. If one of them finds the killer, to the satisfaction of the police and the courts of law-I rescind previous statements and leave the entirety of this residuary estate to that child.” The deceased was bludgeoned to death in his study with a medieval mace.
Sir Lawrence Linwood was not an easy man; he ruled with an iron fist. Linwood brought up the children to obtain successes in their own way; he insists they be tough devoid of sentiment. Linwood was well thought of in the village for he helped enhance agriculture and gave prosperity to most. Who would kill Sir Lawrence Linwood?
The narrative shifts between different perspectives: the siblings, Inspector Mowbray, Lady Linwood, their mother, and Iris Morgan, Robert’s fiancée. Much can be gleaned from the siblings’ perspective. The reader gets glimpses of their childhood. The atmosphere is well done, Linwood Hall comes across as an striking old house looking over the parish and the moors. Sir Lawrence emerges as such a strong presence through it all; he played his children against each other, and they can never escape him. I enjoyed the dynamics of this tale. I was about 30% into this book before the plot grabbed me.

I flagged this on NetGalley because one of the main characters is an archaeologist -- I had to read it! It's a murder mystery with "Knives Out," Agatha Christie, and Kate Morton vibes (love a house full of secret passageways).
I loved the three main characters: Alan, Roger, and Caroline, and their personal journeys of self-discovery. Some of their flashbacks were a little disorienting but important to the story, so OK. I *hated* their father, Sir Lawrence Linwood (who we meet in flashbacks), and would have liked to see more vengeance inflicted on him, but at least I was engaged.
CW for animal and child abuse

Sir Linwood was brutally murdered on his estate, causing his three adopted children to return to the family home. In life their father was controlling and constantly pitting them against each other. He treats every situation and disciplinary action as some sort of cruel experiment. His habits continue beyond the grace through his will. The child who solves his murder will take all assets. Alan, Roger and Caroline uncover dark secrets hidden within their own lives while attempting to solve the crime.

This book captured that early 1900’s gothic feel very well. I couldn’t really connect to any of the characters that much but the plot was decent. I do feel like the content was good but the delivery was boring at times. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the read!

2.5 rounded down (somewhere between it was okay and I liked it). I was super excited to read this one based on the premise, and the author did a really nice job with creating a historical atmosphere. But overall it was hard for me to get engaged in the story and its characters. It did pick up after the first 100 pages or so, but I still found it to be generally slow moving with a hurried ending. It felt like more a family drama than a murder mystery, which is all good, it just wasn’t what I expected! Read if you like: gothic novels, Agatha Christie, family dramas.

Thank you Inkshares and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for my honest review. I’ll be interested to see everyone’s thoughts on this as pub day approaches-- hopefully you all love it and I’m just weird!

Soul chilling. My heart bled for the main characters and at times I wished I would have been able to jump into the story to rescue them and poor all the warmth I have in me in their battered minds

Masterfully crafted and mesmerizing mystery which compelled me to read it in one day.

NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME

This had the bones of a really good murder mystery.
But it’s not there yet. It needs to be tightened up. The book would need lots of editing,
cuts, and rewriting to be a good read.

I was not engaged at all until about the 25% mark, which is when the story gets more interesting.
So a lot of the first quarter of the book could be cut.

Afterwards, the pacing and my level of engagement was erratic.

The characters were ok, but not compelling. We learn little about them beyond what’s relevant to
their roles in the story. Alan Linwood, in particular, seemed a complete cipher. Roger and Caroline Linwood could at least be differentiated: Roger by his engineering and mechanical expertise and Caroline by her love of theater. But Alan was never more than a paper cutout for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkshares for providing an an ARC (Advanced Review Copy) of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

#UnnaturalEnds #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and Inkshares for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So when I was eleven years old I discovered Agatha Christie. I would scour thrift stores to find titles I hadn't read yet and ruin my school days by reading whodunnits by flashlight late into the night under my blanket. So upon reading the synopsis of Unnatural Ends I knew I was down and was hopeful it could deliver the golden age mystery vibes I was hoping for. I'm so happy to say it did!

Sir Linwood is dead, bloodied beyond recognition by a mace taken from the grip of a suit of armor that stands by a fireplace in his large major estate. His adopted children arrive home for his funeral and the reading of his will. His will urges his children to compete against each other to find his killer and in turn the one who does will inherit the manor house and all else. OK, so not the most original idea for a mystery novel, I do feel like I've read that story before, multiple times in fact. That said, I think it was a deliberate choice to set up a very classic mystery with all tropes included.

This book felt like a love letter to the Golden Age mystery novel. Huang writes beautifully and it was apparent that he had himself read and truly loved this genre of mystery. The way he writes and the words he chooses made me forget at times I was reading a modern novel. That being said though, the author found a way to talk about trauma and dealing with its subsequent echoes in a very modern way, yet somehow keeping the historical vibe and aesthetic he set out for. Now, it's not a perfect book. I had the mystery figured out fairly early, which bummed me a bit, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It kept my interest and had enough twists, turns, red herrings and macguffins to keep the mystery moving right along. I would consider this a 3.5 star read.

This was an interesting read, but dragged on a bit at times. I liked the atmosphere and the characters, and overall had a good time reading it - just felt it had some pacing issues.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review! I ranged between giving this a 3.5 and a 3.75, but I ultimately went with a 3.75 because of how much I loved the siblings in this book. The murder mystery was a bit lacking, but I enjoyed seeing each sibling's POV and their family dynamic was so sad and interesting that it made up for the fact that I'm a bit disappointed by the murder mystery plot. Huang is a really talented writer and it shines through in this book, even though it was a bit slow and I wished the pace would pick up a bit at times.

Unnatural Ends is a whodunnit with some really interesting twists and a great backstory. Set shortly after WWI, it’s the story of the three Linwood siblings who return to their family estate in Yorkshire for their father’s funeral to find he was murdered. Oddly, Sir Linwood’s will includes a provision that, if murdered, the one of his children who can solve his murder will inherit his estate. During the course of the ensuing investigation, the stories surrounding the adoptions of the three siblings in infancy emerge. I found this element to be the most interesting aspect of the story.

The sections of book centered around the protagonists’ childhoods were intriguing and a great mystery on their own. The plot surrounding the murder mystery, though, felt a bit hard to follow. It ultimately all came together in an unexpected way, though, that made me glad I’d hung on for the ride. The character development is interesting, especially the examination of the ways in which the siblings were shaped by their domineering father and the ways in which he was unable to control who they became. One of the most tragic elements of the story includes physical, mental and emotional abuse, so sensitive readers be warned.

This was a doozy but so good! Highly recommend to others! New author for me and I look forward to other books by them.

Sir Lawrence Linwood has been murdered.

It is up to his three adopted children, Alan, Roger, and Caroline to discover who has killed their father, and whoever does will inherit the Linwood estate.

But it turns out that Sir Lawrence Linwood is an extremely manipulative man and that what his children may have believed about him alive is not the whole truth. And to begin it turns out that Sir Linwood is actually their natural father, and that’s just the beginning.

It took me over a hundred pages before I really felt that this picked up. The pace did get better, but I wasn’t crazy about how it dragged in the beginning.

I choose to read Unnatural Ends because I remember reading the author’s debut and I did like it. I don’t remember it being as long as this one was, or maybe it just seems that way. I wouldn’t really call this a mystery. I didn’t connect with any characters and I just wanted to finish this really long story. 2.5 stars

Honestly I went into this book without high expectations and I was pleasantly surprised. Unnatural Ends follows the three Linwood siblings as they work to uncover the mystery of their father’s murder. A rather simple plot but not necessarily a simple story. Unnatural ends it’s filled with so many twits and turns and unexpected surprises that it will leave the reader speechless. Overall a very enjoyable book, however I do have a few issues with it. Many scenes and interactions I was looking forward to reading occurred off page and the ending was very underwhelming. But I would still recommend this book as the pros outweighs the cons in my opinion.