A Goode Inheritance

In A Goode Inheritance by Paula Welch, Bartholomew (Bart) Goode, facing a terminal cancer diagnosis, summons his dysfunctional family to his grand estate, Cricklewood Hall, and shocks them with a will that is more a game than a gift. He leaves his fortune not to the most deserving, but to the first who can solve a series of cryptic puzzles—pitting siblings, children, and ex-wife against each other in a weeklong contest. As the family’s greed, old wounds, and betrayals come to the surface, alliances falter, secrets unravel, and the actual cost of inheritance—emotional and material—is revealed. In a twist, Bart is not dying after all, but using the game to force his family to confront their flaws, while reconsidering his own legacy. But in a twist of fate, a homicide sets Chief Inspector Sofia Faraday and her homicide team on an investigation into the Goode family’s lives to find Bart’s killer. But she uncovers more than she bargained for as she unravels old secrets and betrayals. By the end of her investigation, the Chief Inspector will find more than one murderer.

Paula Welch establishes herself as a great storyteller in this twisty, suspenseful thriller. The novel’s sprawling cast is cleverly drawn. Bart, the risk-taking, self-made millionaire, is both a manipulator and a victim of his own ambitions. Ariadne, the anxious, artistic sister, is an outsider, seeking refuge in her art and tarot readings. The siblings—bitter Eleanor, arrogant Augustus, charming but shallow Zachary—and Bart’s estranged, self-absorbed children, present unique facets of privilege, resentment, and greed. The loyal estate manager, George, and Ariadne’s clairvoyant friend, Angeline, grounded the story with warmth and wisdom. The setting is detailed, with the stately, renovated Cricklewood Hall and its folly, wild-walled gardens, and the decaying Ashburton Manor serving as backdrops for both grandeur and decay. The tone is reminiscent of classic British inheritance mysteries, but with a modern, psychological edge. A Goode Inheritance was intriguing for me, thanks to the memorable characters, the elegant prose, and the tangled plot.