This was an intricately woven story and whilst I did find the telling of it a little unclear in some places, it was intriguing - I certainly wanted to discover what had happened to Farthing and his men. I found the characters in 1918 far more engaging than the characters in the present, and for me, the past was the stronger part of the novel. I liked having glimpses of those characters later on in their lives, reminding us that the men thrust into those extraordinary circumstances returned home to very ordinary lives, but were unable to escape the long shadows cast by the war. All in all, a very engaging read.

This book confused me.
On one hand there was a modern day mystery to be solved, on the other a war time story. The two tales intertwined in a tangle of threads that needed unraveling.
Unfortunately, the way it was written, jumping between the two stories, just didn’t work for me as it has done in other books. Perhaps there was too little story established before it started jumping around? Perhaps there was just too much that didn’t seem believable/“real” (eg the young boy jumping in the car & the attitude of “keep him for the day, his parents won’t mind”)?
I can’t pinpoint the exact reason, and others will undoubtedly find something that I missed, but I found the book confusing & my overall feeling was frustration.
Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Quirky and intriguing story switches between present day Solomon Farthing, desperately down-at-heel Edinburgh heir hunter trying to avoid penury by tracking down the lost heirs of Thomas Methven and his grandfather a Captain in the First World War trenches trying to keep his men safe as the fighting finally grinds to a halt in 1918. I found it a little difficult to follow in places and kept going back to re-read bits as the tenuous links between the two slowly unfolded but the characters and events were so well drawn I couldn’t put it down. Paulson-Ellis pays homage to Pat Barker’s Ghost Road at the end of the novel and I know it will appeal to her fans as it’s written in a similar vein in tribute to the ordinary soldiers who gave so much for their country.

The Inheritance Of Solomon Farthing by Mary Paulson-Ellis is a contemporary and historical novel showing the legacy of war.
The novel is set in 1918 France and modern day Edinburgh. The reader sees the camaraderie between a group of soldiers. We see items and lives that link down the ages.
A modern day search for relatives reveals secrets that have been kept through the ages.
War alters people. There are different rules to play by.
The Inheritance Of Solomon Farthing was an epic read. I did not always follow the action but I think that is because I had an e-book. I recommend buying a paperback copy to be able to flick backwards to confirm links checking facts and action. It was a great read for the social historian in me.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Slow paced, full of meaning and emotion - these are words that describe Pauldon-Ellis's novel. You feel the struggles of the past as well as the struggles of the present and even more so one can identify with the characters. Something I find very important when reading any book. You want to know what's coming next, and I found it hard to put the book down.

Heir hunter Solomon Farthing in a race against the bureaucracy to find a living relative of a dead man's fortune. It feels like a puzzle where the reader is taken through different timelines to learn about the present. Momentos kept keeps the memory of the men (and the War) alive. The lives of the late Thomas Merhven and Solomon Farthing are intertwined and together with Solomon the reader ge to find out how and how much.