The third in Vassell’s Detective Caius Beauchamp series is, like the first two, tightly plotted and with an enjoyably awful cast of characters. If you, like me, enjoy books about rich people behaving badly, this is the series for you. However, I wouldn’t say this works as a standalone, so would recommend starting at the beginning.

This is the third outing for Detective Caius Beauchamp of the Met and his colleagues Matt and Amy. I would suggest that reading the first 2 books would help with the background and relationships between the various characters although the main plot is independent of their previous cases. There is some context provided but doesn’t really do justice to what has gone before.
I love the rapport between the detectives and the way that they thrash out the details and minutiae of the case amid cheesey wotsits and protein shakes. The writing is snappy and witty, slightly politically incorrect at times and gently mocking of the priviliged and upper classes of which Caius is now himself a member. I love the literary allusions, (Romance in a Frigid Atmosphere? I mean really!). The hand dyed yarn and the political machinations make for a mix of family rivalries and that deadly inheritance is the key to it all. The ending is dramatic, resolving Caius’ uncertaintities and sadly no cliffhanger for another in the series which I have thoroughly enjoyed.

First to say: This book 3 in a series. While it could be read as a standalone, why would you sleep on these intelligent, sharp and funny novels?

These books tend to hold every single thing a reader could want. Thriller? Check. Mystery that keeps you wondering? Plenty. Characters that you want to know and see some of your friends in? Sure.
It is beyond me that I am still telling people about Vassell. The talent it takes to give me Agatha Christie and move in to the real history of colonialism AND give me a laugh….come on!

These books are for you, and I’m sure of it, the prose is perfect, dainty romantic beauty for a train ride for instance, and cold revulsion for the possibility of neo nazism. Vassell excels at everything she gives us, she will make you concerned that a group of friends might not work together and she will make you laugh about the intricacies of the uneven domestic division of chores.

One of the real joys of this book, is it is the third and at no point has the pace or the stories dropped. There was no difficult second album.

With deeper issues of class, racial injustice and feminism rumbling on every page, you finish these books having found the answer to the mystery but with a take away that you’ll remember. This is a book you’ll read again.

Buy the book, Buy all of her books. You won’t be disappointed for a second.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an absolute triumph.

Charlotte Vassell has fast become a must read author. Her funny, eccentric murder mysteries are outstanding. This is another excellent edition in a stunning series.

Though I did find myself becoming slightly confused with the connections between characters at the start of the novel, this is a witty and satirical and a murder mystery.
Combining a witty and satirical look at the world of the British class system and those in the upper classes, while investigating a murder that impacts their cosy world, A Deadly Inheritance returns to the world of DI Caius Beauchamp (along DS Matt Cheung and DC Amy Noakes) who is responsible for the investigation into a double murder. With white supremacy rearing it's truly ugly head and a potential love triangle causing confusion, Caius and team have their most complex and political difficult fave yet.
Vassell provides the reader with a reader with the opportunity to view and experience this rarified world, while contrasting the views of the inhabitants with the 'real world' views of the police officers. This novel will have a widespread appeal.

This new outing for detective Caius Beauchamp is an easy and enjoyable read, much like the previous one. This, despite the complexity of the issues that the writer raises in this book. Not least Britain's convoluted class system!

A burglary gone wrong results in 2 deaths. But was it in fact a burglary? When the rich and powerful are involved, things are often not straightforward, as Beauchamp is finding out to his detriment...

Worth reading, especially if you enjoyed the writer's previous book, this get 3.5 stars.

‘A Deadly Inheritance’ by Charlotte Vassell is the third book in the Detective Caius Beauchamp series. It’s an addictive mystery addressing similar themes to the first two instalments: the British class system, politics and society relationships. This time, the team are investigating two murders that initially appear to be the tragic repercussions of a burglary gone wrong, before evidence suggests something even darker and more materialistic at play… Where there’s a will, there might just be a killer lurking nearby!

For me, the best elements of this novel were character-driven. I find the dynamics between Caius and his team fascinating, and seeing how their views and ambitions evolved following the surprising news at the end of the last book. I also adore the relationship between Caius and his girlfriend Callie.

The mystery at the centre of the book was slow-burning and somewhat lost its way among the interesting exploration of deeply unpleasant characters, far-right ideologies and trad-wife influencers, but concluded satisfyingly. As ever with this series, emotional punches came from cold cases closer to Caius’s heart.

This was a four star read for me, and I’m eager for the next novel in the series.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Faber & Faber via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

An ok read which i struggled with.
I found myself going going back to it several times and was never completely drawn in.
So sorry for the blah review.