Testament to Murder

Testament to Murder

A terminally ill man calls his family and friends together to compete for his entire fortune in a Testament to Murder.

Malcolm invites his ne’er-do-well nephew, Hugh, and Hugh’s gold-digging American wife, Patty, for a weeklong visit to Malcolm’s extensive estate. Malcolm’s ex-wife, Cecily, and his ex-partner, Howard, along with their 16-year-old son, Kenneth, are also invited. Theodora, his former secretary, also joins the party.

After everyone arrives, Malcolm announces that he is dying. He plans to rewrite his will every night leaving his entire fortune to one of his guests or staff. If he dies the following day, and that person is still staying in his mansion, that person will win it all. Even though mysterious events occur, including a murder, none of the guests leave because of their dreams of riches.

A French country house, a plethora of motives, and murder! If it sounds like an Agatha Christie novel, that’s because it is an homage to her work.

All the characters were deftly drawn with clear wants and needs. However, Agatha’s mysteries were always, at least potentially, solvable by armchair detectives. A Testament to Murder would be difficult to solve without information withheld until the conclusion. Still, what a slam-bam conclusion it was! It is a highly recommended thrill ride. 4 stars!

Thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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