Christopher Huang’s new historical mystery, Unnatural Ends, caught me by surprise and kept me guessing. Set in the early 1920’s, this novel centers around the mystery of Sir Lawrence Linwood’s death. His last request sets his three adult children on a quest to solve his murder, much to the chagrin of the local police.

The characters that Huang has created are intricate and interesting. The three adopted Linwood siblings—Alan, Roger, and Caroline—are very different from each other, though they all grew up under the thumb of Sir Lawrence. They each take a different path to attempt to solve the mystery, and they are each led into unexpected places. It doesn’t take long before their investigations lead further and further into the past as they realize that their own mysterious origins have some bearing on the current mystery. Lady Linwood is a mysterious character in her own right, and though she seems the most likely to have some of the answers, she also is the least likely to elucidate.

This story is written from multiple points of view. We get to see scenes from the eyes of most of the story’s characters—even more minor characters—and we see different time periods. This structure gets rather convoluted, and at times I felt a bit lost as to when and where I was as an observer. Even within the present timeline, each sibling is involved in their own investigation and the events we see from one person’s point of view are not necessarily happening at the same time as what we’ve just seen from someone else’s point of view.

The mystery at play in the novel is complex. As the story progresses, suspicion is cast far and wide, relationships grow more and more complicated, and even unseen characters become important. The culmination of this, and the solution to the mystery, was satisfying and surprising. That said, some of the characters’ schemes and machinations felt too elaborate and began to feel unbelievable.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and think it is a great addition to the genre of period murder mysteries.

I personally found this book hard to get through due to the pacing seeming to drag. I do like the characterization and ties to historical setting but I didn't get to fully enjoy it.

This was a fun read! A great mystery with a lot of family secrets! I enjoyed the twists and clues along the way. I did have it figured out before the end but still enjoyed this book. I also enjoyed the story being told from the point of view from each sibling. I will definitely be recommending this for all my mystery lovers!

This was a good read, although there were times it was really hard for me to get through. The writer did a fantastic job with being descriptive throughout the book. It's like you could visualize yourself there. Thank you to NetGalley for my copy!

This one had been sitting on my Netgalley shelf for a while and I had quite forgotten what it was about. From the first page, I was hooked and so glad I had chosen to read it. Set in the early 20th Century before and after WWI, it is told mostly from the points of view of Sir Lawrence Linwood's three children, Alan, Roger and Caroline. There are a few chapters from other characters povs later in the story.
The author paints a enchanting picture of Linwood Hall and the fictional village of Linwood Hollow that sits beneath the castle on the cliff. Linwood Hall itself in parts date back to the War of the Roses with additions during the Tudor era and later. The history of the setting, despite its being fictional, was atmospheric and mysterious. It reminded me of Manderley from Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca.
The death of their Father sets the siblings on a quest to find the killer. As the investigate they uncover various clues and even more questions. The author has woven a web of intrigue that draws the reader into thinking anyone could be responsible for the murder. With many twists, turns and surprises the story was captivating and became more so as it progresses.
This was definitely a plot driven story, but the characters were just as intriguing. Each of the Linwood siblings were very different in many ways. Each of their back stories were revealed with just enough information to allow some insight into their personalities. I was particularly fond of Allan, with his love of history. Roger was obsessed with innovations and the future. Caroline was a fan of the arts. One of the characters I was drawn to was Brewster, the local publican and taxi driver. He revered the Linwood family and especially Sir Lawrence.

The story travels along at a steady pace, revealing new facts in a stream, allowing the reader to process them easily. To this end I did guess at most of the revelations, but the story was so captivating it didn't detract at all. I felt so clever for working it out. Towards the end the pace does pick up and becomes quite exciting. At this point I did worry for some of the characters I liked and the ultimate outcome was a surprise.
Some of the topics touched on in this book are rather unpleasant with manipulation and psychological abuse appearing as part of some character's personality. This helped to make this character into one that was truly awful and gave explanation into other character's feeling towards them.

If you enjoy historical fiction murder mysteries this book is for you.

UNNATURAL ENDS by Christopher Huang is a fantastic mix of murder mystery and dysfunctional family drama!

Sir Lawrence Linwood is found in his study bludgeoned to death with a crude medieval instrument. Messages are sent to his three adopted children who all converge on their Gothic estate. Even though it is 1921, the assumption is that the estate will go to the eldest son, but that is not what is read. Instead, it states that the entirety will go to the one who solves his murder, if it is by unnatural means.

Alan, the archeologist, Roger the engineer (with his fiancé Iris), and Caroline the journalist (with her partner Davee) reunite for this solemn occasion and are each compelled to go on a quest to solve this case. Their father, a hard man who raised them with an iron fist, still seems to guide their moves as it often happens when returning home and easing back into familiar roles. As each of them dig into their respective rabbit holes, they all come to see the truth about their father, and it leaves them all in danger.

These are two of my favorite genres and this book was a great combination of the two. The mystery gave a direction and purpose for the family to converge and the stressors to unravel deep, disturbing secrets. It was also a really fascinating mystery! I was surprised and a bit horrified by the reveal. Well done.

The family dynamics were interesting to see. The hardness of this patriarch and the effects borne by his children became a huge focus and driver of this story. As the mystery unraveled even more, they had to come to grips with the truth verses what they had been taught. This was a difficult discovery and I was curious how it would effect the sibling dynamics.

My only real critique is the seemingly overuse of the word "unnatural" throughout. Maybe it was just me, and it didn't take away from the story, just something that I kept noticing.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @Inkshares for the opportunity to read this ARC and share my thoughts. This will be out at the end of May, so keep it on your radar or pre-order from your local bookstore!

4 stars for a mystery with family secrets. It starts when the three adopted children of Lawrence Linwood are notified that he has been murdered. His face has been bludgeoned beyond recognition. Then the will is read and the child who solves the murder receives the entire estate. They set about trying to solve the murder and discover terrible buried secrets. I suspected the killer about two thirds of the way in. However, there were many false clues. The book is set in England and alternates between two time periods, after the murder and during the childhood years of the three children.
Thanks to Inkshares for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.

This book draws upon a very golden age classic mystery mood while dealing with modern themes with some depth. I appreciated the richly described setting, I could really feel myself there, wandering the hallways and stairways and of course, I enjoyed the twisty mystery.

As I was reading it, I kept thinking how this would be such a great book for a book club discussion.
I am grateful to netgalley and the publisher, Inkshares, for the opportunity to read this one and share my thoughts.

This is a solid historical fiction/thriller/mystery. I truly loved the early premise of the book. About a third of the way in, I was loving it and recommended it to multiple friends. But as the book went on, I liked it less and less. That is not really the author's fault, but rather my own personal preferences. Adopted children in adulthood discovering their personal origins while solving a murder mystery in 1920's English countryside? Love it. Some of what those discoveries were and where the mystery led? Not so much.

That said, I figured out "whodunnit" less than 2/3 of the way through the book. The big reveal didn't happen until about 90% of the way through. So although the book was a good, fun read... Agatha Christie the author is not.




I received an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. This in no way effected my scoring of the book of any of the contents above.

While it took me a while to finally pick this book up and a little to get into the book, I really enjoyed it as soon as I got used to the writing style. I am pretty bad with history except for german medieval age and Japanese history (premodern and modern). At first I got quite confused and a bit bored by Alan's pov since he talks a looot about history. But as soon as they included the Meiji restoration and Japanese history I got quite involved. I mainly review Japanese literature and am a Japanese studies major at university, so as soon as Japan played a role and I was able to follow the book easily. I enjoyed the different Pov's a lot as well and my favourite ended up being Alan, even though at first I struggled with the amount of historical knowledge and comparissons he was giving. And with that I got more used to the writing style and got absorbed in the story. I would recommend this book if you're looking for a more slow and intellectual historical fiction. I seldomly read historical fiction and enjoyed it a lot.

4/5

You might think for a minute that "Unnatural Ends" is a classic English manor house mystery, but it is much more. Christopher Huang sets his story in 1921, when the agony of WWI is still very fresh in everyone's brain and nerves.

At Linwood Hall, Sir Lawrence Linwood has been murdered. His three adopted children gather to support their spectral mother and do what they can to help in the investigation. Alan, the oldest, is an archeologist who moved to Peru right after surviving the war. Roger is an engineer, fascinated by aircraft, and engaged to young woman with a surprising past. Caroline lives in Paris, working for a newspaper. At the reading of the will they learn that their father left his estate to whoever solves his murder. Sir Lawrence was a terrible father; cruel, overbearing, manipulative, and his children have done their best to stay away from him as adults. At first, Caroline, Alan, and Roger don't want to play, before long they're all doing their own sleuthing. They share their discoveries but new information begins to set them at odds.

The crisp style of
Huang's novel is a perfect fit for the book's time and place. There are plenty of surprises and no whitewashing of the nastiness beneath. He's good, but the novel is too long and concentration may waver at crucial points. Or is that a strategy?

Many thanks to Inkshares and NetGalley for sharing a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

After growing apart from one another over the last several years, siblings Alan, Roger, and Caroline are reunited at the funeral of their intimidating and powerful father, but they soon find that the circumstances of his death are much stranger than they first appear. When they learn that his will asks them to solve his murder in exchange for sole control over his estate, it triggers a series of revelations that change how they see themselves and their father.

This is a twisty one. It took me a little while to get into it, what with the shifting perspectives and timelines, but I am glad I stuck it out. It is very detailed in its plotting, with several red herrings and revelations that shift how the reader understands what is going on and why. Though it takes a while for the reader to see the whole picture and grasp the horror of what exactly has been going on for the last 30 years, there are enough hints of it that you're left with a feeling of unease and disgust that is entirely well placed on the story's villain, who is truly evil. Huang does a good job creating setting and atmosphere that is appropriate and engaging.

Thank you to Inkshares and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Unnatural Ends early.

This was my first book from this author, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It sounded like a very intriguing story to me as I tend to love mystery stories with a historical/classic feel to them. Unfortunately, I couldn't get very engaged in this story. I think the main reason was I was finding the writing style stuffy to get through, which prevented me from enjoying the story.

It didn't work out for me, but I'm sure others would really like this story. I might check out more from this author in the future depending on what their next book is like.

This is an intricate mystery with lots of twists and turns and secrets! The three adopted Linwood siblings have all gone their separate was and followed their own career paths. The story explores ways in which privilege can go hand in hand with unhappiness. It some ways, it reminded me of The Westing Game or an Agatha Christie novel.

I was very excited about the prospect of a historical fiction novel set around/adjacent to a World War other than WWII, however I had to DNF this one. Characters felt dry, and I couldn't muster much interest in finding out more about the mystery.

Unnatural Ends is a well written historical locked room murder mystery by Christopher Huang. Due out 20th June 2023 from Inkshares, it's 402 pages and will be available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.

This is a terrifically creepy and atmospheric locked room murder mystery set in the early interwar period in Yorkshire. Three siblings are drawn home from far away to attend their father's funeral after his bludgeoning murder. The family estate is isolated and the attendant village obsequious but the whole setup is odd and off-kilter.

To add to the bizarre situation, the deceased man has left a will saying "In
the event that my death should be due to unnatural causes, I charge my children with the task of identifying my killer.". Thus follows alternating chapters of narrative from the PoV of the principal players.

The pacing in the first half of the book is glacial, and is noteworthy for the deliciously lyrical (but unrelentingly creepy) writing. The tension ratchets up and it takes a while before readers have more than the vaguest glimpse of anything happening under the surface. The book does move along much more quickly in the second half and there's quite a lot of psychological horror involved in the denouement and resolution.

Quite a significant portion of the mystery is way out there. Readers should bring a healthy suspension of disbelief. That being said, however, the prose is luminous and quite often sublime.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

When forbidding patriarch Sir Lawrence Linwood is murdered, his three adopted children are tasked with solving the crime if they are to inherit his wealthy estate, in the North York Moors. But, only one of them will gain the ultimate prize.

There's plot twists aplenty is this engaging and readable murder-mystery thriller.

The narrative flagged a bit in the middle, for me, once the children's real ancestry had been uncovered; and, the final denouement was rather abrupt.

The setting in and around Malton in Yorkshire feels authentic; the author knows the area well and/or has done his research.

All in all, an enjoyable read.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn into this story from the first chapter and it never failed in its promise of a great story. It is an absorbing well-crafted story and I felt I was there with the characters in their surroundings.

It is a brilliantly written historical murder mystery with diverse characters.

I am looking forward to future books from Christopher Huang.

Siblings, Alan, Roger, and Caroline are called back to their childhood home, Linwood Hall in Yorkshire, following the murder of their father, Sir Linwood.

When his will is read, they learn that the one successful in solving his murder will inherit his entire estate.

Sir Linwood had been a domineering, controlling, and often cruel father. His life lessons for the children included strength of character to the extent of insensitivity and indifference. He expects these traits to dominate and for the siblings to each follow their course of investigation without sharing their knowledge.

But he underestimates his children.

All three siblings were adopted as babies and two are of mixed race. After their initial individual enquiries, they soon share information, combine their knowledge and work together.

Their research and interviews reveal dark secrets in their past and their father’s mysterious life.

The siblings are the three main characters. Alan is an archaeologist, Roger an engineer, and Caroline a journalist (that is as far as her father knew who also believed she was certain to become a politician)

Other key characters include Iris Morgan (Roger’s fiancé), Giles Brewster (innkeeper), Detective Inspector Mowbray, and Lady Linwood (wife of the deceased).

In addition to the people, and due to Huang’s skilful writing and descriptions, Linwood Hall is an imposing and ominous character itself that dominates the landscape.

All characters (including the minor ones) were interesting, well developed, and (most of them) likeable.

The story of the siblings is so fascinating the ‘murder mystery’ takes a back seat to the gradual revelations of the past. Huang achieved this through varying POVs. Each character has a distinct ‘voice’ and reveals their past through flashbacks, but the storyline doesn’t get bogged down.

The author skilfully uses language to set the mood and the time. I felt I was right there in the mansion, shivering from the cold and morbidity. I wish I could write with the beauty and turn of phrase used in this book.

The story deals with sensitive issues including psychological and physical abuse but I felt it was not too graphic.

Thank you to NetGalley, Inkshares & Christopher Huang for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I was very impressed by how well written this book is. The setting was really well chosen and all of the strings of the murder-mystery were wrapped-up perfectly. I really liked the exploration of this family through the novel and discovering more and more of their secrets. Seriously, I don't have anything negative to say about this book, that's how good it was.

Enjoyable period mystery with plenty of suspects, including the dead at times. Setting is well-described, you can easily picture yourself there. Very unusual premise for a murder mystery. Made for an interesting book.
Read/reviewed for Net Galley.