This might be called a neo-classical locked room mystery. It concerns the rich family in the estate on the hill and the efforts of the three children of the family to find who killed their father. There are many many twists, turns, revelations and encounters with plenty of characters as one would expect. It's the kind of plot that you can figure out parts, but not how they work together until the end. It's well written, but for me it goes on too long and got boring. There are allusions to cruelty that, had I been aware of prior, would have keep me from reading this. They are brief and not explicit.

This is only the author’s second published novel, but the writing is so polished and the plotting so on point, that, other than a slightly slow start and a minor weakness around the final climax, one could easily think there’s a long backlist already.

The story is narrated in third person past tense, and mostly from the deep point of view of the three adopted adult children of Sir Lawrence Linwood, with the principal timeline taking place in April 1921; however, there’s quite a bit of time shifting, as each of the three are forced to re-examine the past in light of the present.

The blurb is very good; its brevity in setting the stage makes it all more intriguing.

Excellent use of the prologue, set almost two decades before the murder; it introduces the three Linwood siblings. At first glance, it all seems natural enough: three young children stuck in a old, rambling English pile, surrounded mostly by adults, and therefore looking for ways to entertain themselves and each other, bonding like most siblings do, especially those so close in age (there’s only three years between Alan, the oldest, and Caroline, the youngest).

In sum, it creates the impression of well adjusted children who trust and love each other.

However, a growing sense of dark foreboding soon replaces that of normalcy.

For example, there’s this:

“Alan found himself thinking first that he should grieve, but he didn’t feel it. Then he thought he should feel relief, but again he felt nothing of the sort.”

And one starts to get a proper idea of just how nothing is what it seems at Linwood Hall.

The alternating deep point of view is great for characterization; even when each of the three siblings look at the same things, their personalities come through to slant the view just so. And yet, they all in turn focus on “Father’s study”; they all feel his eyes on them, even knowing he’s dead, and they all dread his disapproval.

I am going to gloss over the plot, because I don’t want to spoil future readers; it’s basically a lot of clues dropped all through the text, with twist upon twist upon twist. As the three siblings work to try to fulfill their father’s last request–to solve his murder–long standing secrets are revealed, and more questions arise; the obvious answers are obviously wrong, except when they aren’t–and even then, not in obvious ways or for obvious reasons.

However, I will talk about content warnings. There’s a lot of casual racism, a lot of sexism–if not outright misogyny–and of course, being set so close after World War I, PTSD makes an appearance–all three Linwood siblings served. As the narrative moves on, we start to realize that while they each have compartmentalized the trauma in different ways, they all also have repressed memories–beware recounting of childhood abuse, both physical and emotional.

This all is explored in the flashbacks, and generally bears fruit sooner or later in the present.

The setting is very well drawn; very English, one would say, and yet, there’s also something obviously not quite-quite at Linwood Hall and in Linwood Hollow; there is something more, exaggerated–indeed, unnatural–in the village-lord relationship.

I mentioned above that the start is a bit slow; the book is structured in four parts, with sections named after the point of view character rather than numbered chapters. After the siblings arrival, the author sticks with Alan’s point of view a bit too long for my taste. When the point of view changes more frequently, the story moves forward at an ever accelerating pace, and by the time we are about 45% into the story, we are racing recklessly forward.

And, as the story progresses, the layers of manipulation and control imposed on the three Linwood siblings start to peel off; being adults away from their father has helped them heal. As they work to find out who murdered them man who abused them so, their true personalities reassert themselves. Alan, methodical in his thinking, also observant; Roger, the one who forges ahead and jumps to (often accurate) conclusions, and Caroline, the one who can put herself on other people’s shoes and intuit what they would do–and why. All caring for each other, a team rather than three isolated units.

The characterizations are consistent, and there’s real growth for our three protagonists; the secondary characters, even those only seen through other people’s eyes, are well rendered, and generally three dimensional.

The writing can be quite funny, which helps counterbalance some very dark moments.

“Sister Richard was its head wardress…its headmistress. Hers was the pipe organ voice that had impressed Caroline with its sonorous grandeur when they spoke over the telephone two days ago, but the woman herself was a diminutive little dumpling with the face of a rosy-cheeked cherub” (Caroline’s POV, somewhere around 41%)

“Within the space of those six scant hours, behind the locked doors of the inn and with a police guard mounted over his bed, Edwin Culpepper had somehow contrived to get himself murdered” (Mowbray’s POV, around 73%)

There is a bit of weakness very near the end, by mostly showing the final twist ‘in real time’ as it were, rather than explaining it after the fact; this means there’s a bit less suspense leading to the climax, but still, most excellent plotting.

The truth, and the whole story behind it, is horrific; the ride to the denouement, as the protagonists free themselves from the shackles of their upbringing, is great. There’s even a bit of a romance thread! And, always a bonus, the villain gets what’s coming to them, even though it’s honestly not justice enough, as far as I’m concerned.

Unnatural Ends gets 9.00 out of 10

Caroline, Alan and Roger Linwood have been summoned home when Sir Lawrence Linwood is found bludgeoned to death in his study. They had all been adopted by Sir Lawrence and were raised to be competitive and successful. As the oldest, Alan assumed that he would inherit the estate. The will, however, stipulates that if death resulted from unnatural causes, the one who solved his murder would inherit everything. DI Mowbray has little evidence to go on and he is annoyed by the possible interference with his investigation. A mysterious woman in the mausoleum and an engraved watch found on the ground below the study point the Linwoods to a connection between the murder and their pasts.

Sir Lawrence was a harsh disciplinarian who personally took on the children’s education. Their mother had trained as a doctor, but had little contact with the children unless they needed her services. Alan, an archaeologist, Roger, an engineer, and Caroline, working as a journalist in Paris, have all discovered secrets relating to their birth mothers. Vimala Gurung from Nepal and Matsudaira Izumi from Japan both died shortly after giving birth at the Linwood estate. Alan’s mother, Sarah Whistler, is still alive. When Caroline finds her, she tells a story that proves how manipulative and devious Sir Lawrence was. His children were raised as an experiment. Now more people are dying and not everyone is who they seem. Sir Lawrence may be gone, but his experiment will continue until one of the Linwoods proves themselves worthy to be his heir. Christopher Huang’s story contains one twist after another and an ending that offers major surprises. Highly recommended! I would like to thank NetGalley and Inkshares for providing this book for my review.

It’s ironic that this review is going up the day before Father’s Day, since Christopher Huang’s Unnatural Ends is about one of the worst dads I’ve ever encountered in a work of fiction: Sir Lawrence Linwood, who rules over his Yorkshire estate with an iron fist. Since his wife was unable to bear children, Sir Lawrence took in three wards: Roger, Alan and Caroline. Now adults, they have all moved on from Linwood Hall; Alan is working as an archaeologist in Peru, Roger is an engineer with a glamorous girlfriend, and Caroline is living in France, writing for a Parisian newspaper. The novel is set in 1921, and both Roger and Alan are veterans of the Great War. Caroline and Roger appear to be biracial, though they don’t know anything about their heritage.

Only one thing could bring them all back to Linwood Hall: their father’s funeral. When they are all assembled, their mother shares the shocking news that Sir Lawrence was in fact murdered. But there are even bigger surprises to come. The attorney representing the estate informs them that upon their mother’s death, Linwood Hall is to be sold, with the proceeds divided equally among the children. That is, unless Sir Lawrence’s death was due to “unnatural causes.” In that case, Roger, Alan and Caroline are charged with the task of finding out who killed their father, with the “winner” receiving the entire estate.

The local detective inspector is wary, not wanting the three amateurs to go traipsing around looking for clues, but naturally, they all begin investigating. They start in their father’s study, site of his murder, and learn that Sir Lawrence was beaten to death inside a room that had been locked from the inside. How did the assailant get in and out without leaving a trace? Flashbacks to the siblings’ childhood show how monstrous he was, and how much he relished pitting them against one another. It appears he couldn’t resist giving them one final chance to battle it out.

Huang is a self-described fan of golden age mysteries, and lovers of the genre will find much to enjoy here: a victim so horrible that no one really mourns his death, plenty of clues and red herrings, and family secrets aplenty. I appreciated the fact that Huang shows a lot of compassion for his characters (well, except for the late Sir Lawrence); while one might expect Roger, Alan and Caroline to try to backstab each other at every turn, it becomes clear that despite their father’s efforts, they supported each other as children and continue to do so as adults. Unnatural Ends is primarily a whodunit, but it’s also a tale of resilience.

Thanks to Inkshares for the review copy, via NetGalley. Unnatural Ends will be published on Tuesday, June 20.

Christopher Huang's sophomore novel, Unnatural Ends, is a pitch-perfect Golden Age locked room mystery. Three siblings return to their childhood home in 1921 when their mother summons them to their father's funeral. When they get there, they are met by a police investigation into his murder, and a puzzling clause in his will. The cold and demanding Lord Linwood has willed his estate (in the event that he dies of violence) to the one of the three siblings who solves his murder. All three were adopted by the Linwoods as children, and their search for answers to the murder uncovers information about their true parentage, and much more.

I loved Huang's first book as well, the 2018 A Gentleman's Murder, and hope that we don't have to wait quite so long for his next!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This books just wasn't for me. It had Gothic vibes, so those who like this story may enjoy it more. The setup was a bit bland and then when the adult children came back home after the father's death, I thought it would get interesting. It didn't. A strong point was made that the children were never to show emotion. This equals snoozefest, incredibly boring characters. The mother was also reticent and distant. What was left for me to connect to as a reader?

Unique mystery with a surprise ending. More historical fiction than mystery it is a little unsatisfying on the mystery end. The characters are well developed, but totally unlikable. The story goes way to far into and becomes very repetitive about how awful Sir Linwood was - okay I got it by the third time the point was made!! Seemed to go over and over how dispicable he was making the book too long.

This was such a unique murder mystery!

Three adopted siblings return to the family home to attend their father’s funeral only to find out that he has been murdered. This sets off a series of revelations and plot twists that have the siblings rushing to figure out who is the murderer and could it be one of them? This book was so engaging and had me guessing up until the very end! I loved all the little details and descriptions and the fact that as you go deeper into the story, the more twisted and complicated it becomes. It was somewhat of a slow start for me but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down.

Things to look forward to:
-multiple timelines
-creepy castle with hidden passages
-hidden clauses in the will
-revelation after revelation
-red herrings a plenty
-a final twist that will take you out

Pub Date: 6/20!

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The book has tons of historical details and is trying to fit within the Golden Age of Crime formula.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkshares for my free-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The book was an absolute page-turner, creatively written in a way that had me hooked from the onset. The author had me eagerly following along with the siblings as they tried to unravel the mystery of their father's murder. With red herrings and unexpected plot twists, I found myself constantly questioning and doubting everything I thought I knew.

The characters were all incredibly likable, particularly the siblings who had a deep bond and loyalty to each other, despite being trained to suppress their emotions. This aspect of the story really resonated with me.

While I enjoyed the shocking revelations that kept trying to confuse the reader, I must admit that I was disappointed with the eventual outcome. The ending seemed like an easy way out, especially when I was bracing myself for a confrontational finale.

Overall, I found this historical mystery/suspense to be a creatively written and enjoyable read.

A slow burn, gothic novel set against the backdrop of a quintessential, idyllic estate in Yorkshire. Three adopted siblings travel to the estate for the funeral of their father, who was gruesomely murdered by an unknown assailant in his study. Can they put the puzzle pieces together or will their dysfunctional dynamic lead to their ultimate unraveling?

More than a murder mystery, this is a historical novel. Yes, there is a dead body in a locked room, there are amateur detectives (his children) as well as officers of the law, there is a wonderful gothic mansion, a mausoleum and desolate moors. What is missing, in my opinion, is suspense. As Historical Fiction it is impressive. Undeniably, the author has painstakingly researched the period, as he explains in the afterword. There are many details that perfectly reflect the world in which these events take place. Unfortunately, I’m a reader of mysteries and I was hoping for less background and more action. I figured out the mystery from the beginning and the reveals were so buried in flashbacks, asides and historical details, that I didn’t even notice. This is not a bad book, it’s just not for me.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Inkshares!

This is a really immersive and compulsively readable literary mystery surrounding the murder of Sir Lawrence Linwood and an unusual clause in his will which sends his three adopted children searching for the murderer. There’s social commentary built into it in a very effective way. The time and place are rendered vividly. I did figure the whole thing out, but I enjoyed the journey to the inevitable conclusion.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. The basic story line is good but it is so drawn out. It took me a long while to get into the book but even then just wanted to finish it to be able to read something else. Judging from other reviews most people enjoyed it so just not for me.

This is a mystery where three adopted Linwood children had to solve a mystery of the death of there father in order to earn the inheritance. This takes place in 1921, what the heck. Your inheritance relies on you solving a murder? I struggled to get into this book until about 25% of the way through. I found the beginning slow, however this book did pick up pace afterwards. The cover is very interesting and one thing that did draw me into the book

Unnatural Ends follows the three Linwood siblings, in the wake of their adoptive father's murder, as they try to uncover who killed him. The setting, on the English moors in the 1920's, was delightful and immersive, and the mystery was enjoyable. While the big twist was rather obvious, many of the details surrounding it and other surprises uncovered by the Linwood's were unexpected and helped keep up the suspense.
My favorite thing about this novel, were the characters, specifically the three Linwood siblings; Alan, Roger, and Caroline. They were each wonderfully complex, with personalities carved by their father's strict and cold expectations, but each also had parts of themselves that formed in spite of him. In the end, Unnatural Ends is a story about murder and mystery, but more importantly it is a story about family bonds and finding your own way.

Thank you Inkshares ​and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
Honestly, I had a hard time getting interested in the story until about 25% into it, when things started to get more exciting. It feels like a big chunk of the beginning could have been cut without changing the overall plot. Even after that point, the pace and my interest level went up and down. The characters were okay, but they weren't very interesting. Alan Linwood, especially, felt like a boring character with no real depth. Roger and Caroline Linwood were a bit better since they had some unique traits, like Roger being good with machines and Caroline loving theater, but they still didn't fully grab my attention. The murder mystery has potential, but it needs a lot of work to become a more engaging and satisfying read. Editing and developing the characters would help make it better.

Unnatural Ends by #thirtyfirstbookof2023 #arc

CW: Murder, death, discussions of PTSD, adultery, and suicide, outdated derogatory racial and cultural terms, domestic violence

This book is a mystery in which three adopted children have to solve the murder of their father in order to earn their inheritance. It takes place in 1921 and has miscellaneous flashbacks to 1905-6. At first I wasn’t super into it, but it grew on me. I’m always drawn to a murder mystery, and it was pleasant to read a story that couldn’t include texts or computer research. It was very tame, not thrilling, not really high stakes for me. It was pretty slow placed, with a lot of thinking and talking. It was a basic pleasant read although I thought it got a little convoluted as it was wrapping up and by then I lost interest again. I think it’s a fine book, but probably not for me. I like a little more action in my books.

I find the cover interesting. It looks to me like one of the puzzles where you have to move the pieces around in a frame to solve.

Thank you to @netgalley and @inkshares for the advance copy. (Pub date 6/20/23)

Set in the 1920s and vividly described Linwood Hall, the story follows Alan, Roger and Caroline trying to figure out who murdered their father. The beginning reminded me of The Umbrella Academy -- (three) adopted children come back home after a while because their father has passed away -- a premise that is guaranteed to make me intrigued and excited to continue reading.

"Alan had an idea that Father's atheism had more to do with pride, an unwillingness to place any being higher than himself, than with any real theological conviction."

The writing made it insanely easy to read, I found myself devouring the story much quicker than I thought I would. The story developed in a way that made perfect sense. Every clue had a meaning and purpose, and gave a little more insight into the mystery and life of the main characters. Each of them had their struggles, some of them shared, which made them feel real. The reader easily connects to all of them, even the side characters.

Highly recommend if you're in search of a murder mystery filled with struggling characters working together to unravel something much bigger than all of them.

"Life, Caroline realised then, was too short to be wasted on someone else's dreams."

This was such a wiled ride. The possibility of getting your inheritance precociously balance on wether you solve a murder or not. WHAT THE HECK? This is a really good story plot for a debut novel. I would definitely love to read more from C. Huang.