For some reason whilst I enjoyed the previous installment in this series, I found myself struggling to be gripped with this one getting distracted and coming back to reading it multiple times getting to the halfway point and then being unable to finish it.
In this case it may have been the fact that I just wasn't overly invested in the story and therefore struggled to finish it as a result.
Thankyou to Net galley and Faber and Faber for an early arc of this book.

“Deadly Inheritance” is a sharp, entertaining mystery with plenty of wit and intrigue. The characters are well-drawn, and the story kept me engaged from start to finish. I especially enjoyed the mix of dark humour and suspense. A clever and enjoyable read for fans of modern whodunits.

Clever yet grounded murder procedural
—
In book three of this hugely entertaining series, Caius Beauchamp and his team are inveigled by MP Arthur Hampton to solve the murder of an aged matriarch at home that looks like a burglary gone wrong, except that the would-be burglar is a second body, and there are far too many sets of fingerprints. In his personal life, Caius has to deal with his family’s newly (or re-newly) elevated status, with fame amongst the chattering classes and a huge dilapidated country pile to be tackled. Meanwhile at home things are going swimmingly with society milliner Callie, but even her family troubles aren’t over yet.

In Vassell’s clever yet grounded murder procedural, the worlds of the haves and the have-nots clash in the body of Caius himself, still trying to be a dutiful police officer even as his family’s duty to the family holdings is beginning to make itself known. His relationship with Callie is really well shaped, not a complete bed of roses and with all of the complications that hidden parentage provides. The murder is pretty standard stuff but each character is carefully rounded out to provide another facet of Caius’s complex and ever-changing world. A truly entertaining crime series and I will be reading the next ASAP!

Read the first two books and then we can talk. It’s Made in Chelsea with posh murders. It’s wonderful!

Following the dramatic events of book two, Caius is happily settled with the gorgeous Callie, both adjusting to their new life circumstances. And then oh no, there’s another murder, and now lord Arthur Hampton is in Caius’s life he’s obligated to investigate. Nothing quite adds up in this case until it suddenly comes together.

Once again Charlotte Vassell has smashed it. This is tongue-in-cheek humour whilst being a really good mystery AND social commentary. This writer just has everything down.

If you’re like me and like to play along in the whodunnit, get your corkboard and pins out because you’ll need it. It took me ages to work out not only who but why. And the way everything ties back to Callie and Caius is just *chef’s kiss*.

Caius’s change in status means the discussion on class and wealth is nuanced and pondering. The social commentary is very clever and not scathing. It’s also on the pulse of the world with the world as the crime unveils some terrifying ideals of the far right. The allusion to the Mitfords was also really fun and relevant.

Clever and joyful, and as long as she writes I will read. Thank you #netgalley and @faberbooks for my #arc

A Deadly eInheritance by Charlotte Vassell

Book 3 of Caius Beauchamp Mysteries

I recently had to move Book 2 in this series (The In Crowd) up my TBR pile, because I was approved for book 3 in the series, and you know I can’t have two books in the same series on my TBR pile. Yes, I’m aware that this is the second time in recent months when an author is writing faster than I can read! I’m a busy girl!

This is a series that you should definitely read in order. Caius’ personal situation changes dramatically over the series’ story arc. For example, his new girlfriend, Callie, has her story explained in The In Crowd, which is essential information for this book.

As with earlier books, Arthur Hampton assigns a case to Caius and his Special Unit; these murders involve more horrible people: Nazis! 🤮 Fascism 🤮 Eugenics 🤮 Mummy bloggers 🤮 (that’s a joke, don’t come at me Mummy bloggers).

I got confused at times. With so many people and threads, and all the twists and turns, it was hard to see how everything would come together in the end, but it did!

Thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber books for providing me with an eARC of A Deadly Inheritance to review; it and books 1 and 2 in the series are out now.

Thumbs up 👍

Body Count = 3

#ADeadlyInheritance #NetGalley @faberbooks #faberbooks @vassellcharlotte #vassellcharlotte #booksdeevaareads #2025bookshelf #deevaasbookshelf #booknerd #CreativeLife #goreadabook #allthebooks #Bookstagram #DesignInspiration #newrelease #booknerd #Designer #GraphicDesign #DesignNerd #designdeevaa #murdermystery #cosyishmystery #MurderMystery #BookRecommendation #CosyMystery #MysteryThrillers #Bookstagram #TBRList #CrimeFiction #Bookish

A Deadly Inheritance is the third book in the DI Caius Beauchamp series and I highly recommend you read them all in order to get the full story arc.

In this book, Caius and his team are dealing with a double murder with links to the far right elements of the ruling class, The family at the heart of the story is clearly based on the Mitfords and it’s fun to see where the author has added some Mitfordesque touches.

A great read, I can’t wait for the next one!

I love Caius Beauchamp's mysteries and always have fun in reading them. Solid mystery, witty and sharp remarks of the social setting, fleshed out characters
The excellent storytelling and the above elements made this book a treat
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book but just couldn’t finish it - and this is by no fault of the author but instead of myself getting into a reading slump half way through. I really do think I will revisit this series and finish this book as well as the first two, because the characters were so enjoyable and well written. Also the plot line, I found super interesting and a cool way to explore the characters and world created.

I'm a huge fan of this series and not just because I've a shocking soft spot for DI Caius Beauchamp.

Throughout the three books Caius has gone on a huge personal journey. From extricating himself from a faithless girlfriend to his current relationship with Callie, a posh milliner, who has an entire set of her own personal parental issues. All the way to his grandfather having the family inheritance (a baronetcy including jolly nice country pile) returned.

Caius himself is trying to stay as grounded as possible, despite having to appease Arthur Hampton (government bigwig) with certain cases for his Special Unit - in exchange for which Caius gets to pick a cold case of his own.

Ably assisted by DS Matt Cheung and DC Amy Noakes, DI Beauchamp's Special Unit is tasked, this time, with solving the murder of Mona Frogmorton (an old lady who may have had things to hide about her liaison in Berlin with high ranking Nazis).

The case itself takes us on a real roller coaster of a ride and delves into high society links to fascism, the rise of white supremacy and eugenics in modern times and some very dodgy attitudes to motherhood.

It does get a bit confusing at points but stick with it because it gels together beautifully at the end. There's also the bonus case which has some devastating consequences and an ending which leaves everyone's futures up in the air.

Whilst trying not to give anything away I'm really hopeful that Caius and Callie are going to be back sooner rather than later. Charlotte Vassell might push the Mitford sisters analogy a little far at times in this novel, it's exceedingly enjoyable, wonderfully twisty and, of course, I'd no idea whodunnit in either case.

If you've not read the first two I would advise you to do so. I certainly can't imagine trying to get the family nuances without having done so. Plus you'll get to fall for Caius, Matt and Amy just like I did.

Highly recommended. Loved it as much as the first two. Read them too.

EXCERPT: Officially the trio were a Special Crimes Unit based out of Camden and Islington, recently formed by the Home Office as a trial looking into improving modern policing methods. They were to be assigned to some of London's more challenging cases. In reality, what had happened was Caius had shaken hands with Arthur Hampton - Right Honorable Member of Parliament for South Rutland, duke-in-waiting and scheming enigma with an air of medieval subterfuge - last September and come to a gentleman's agreement that made Caius morally uncomfortable: Caius would look into any cases that Hampton wanted and in return he could pick another case that took his fancy. Less 'quid pro quo' and more 'mortem pro morte'. This was the first case that had been sent Caius's way since the agreement. Caiu had set his sights on the case he wanted in return for a month - he'd been doing his research and the case may be his lucky break - but had waited patiently for the opportunity to earn it. If he was right, it might tell him something more about what had happened to his sister. It had nearly been fifteen years since she had disappeared.

ABOUT 'A DEADLY INHERITANCE': Two murders. One will. A family full of secrets...

Detective Caius Beauchamp is dispatched to a double murder in a South London townhouse. It looks like a simple botched burglary, until Caius gets a tip-off about the well-heeled family’s nefarious past.

Caius’ own circumstances have changed recently: some complicated inheritance tetris has meant the Beauchamps are now the rightful owners of a substantial country estate. They’re still adjusting to life in the upper echelons of society. And when Caius recognises the victims from a recent luxury train ride, it all starts feeling a little too close for comfort.

With his reputation on the line and powerful people pressuring him to close the case, Caius must decide what’s more dangerous: the body on the floor or the skeletons in the closet?

MY THOUGHTS: What a mess! But I mean that in the best possible way. Talk about dysfunctional families -A Deadly Inheritance has them in spades.

I love the characters in this book, even the ones I really disliked. Callie and Caius make such a wonderful pair and Caius's efforts to 'carry his weight' in the relationship brought a smile to my face. He is so very much in love with her. And the feeling appears to be mutual.

Trying to find a motive for this murder had me scratching my head as I suspected almost every character in this novel except, of course, Caius and Callie. I love mysteries involving wills and inheritances and A Deadly Inheritance delivered just what I wanted, with secondary themes of dodgy politicians, dubious dealings, and family feuds overlaid with family values and a pinch or two of extremism. Complex and intricate, the solving of the crime is hindered by lies, omissions and misdirection. There are characters in here who would have trouble lying straight in bed!

I love the relationship between Caius, Matt and Amy. I love the way they bounce off one another, the camaraderie, the respect. The friendship between these characters and the love between Caius and Callie were like a calming oasis amidst the chaos of the investigation/s.

And the ending (or endings as there are two) quite took me by surprise. I'm looking forward to the next in the series. Caius still has at least one more mystery to solve.

Although A Deadly Inheritance can be read as a stand-alone, I recommend reading the first two books in the series, 'The Other Half' and 'The In Crowd', in order to fully benefit from the history of the relationships and past events which may have some bearing on the characters in this book.

My favorite quote: There are worse things to inherit than however many acres and a house with a library. You could have had a congenital heart defect.

⭐⭐⭐.6

#ADeadlyInheritance #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR - CHARLOTTE VASSELL studied History at the University of Liverpool and completed a Masters in Art History at the School of Oriental and African Studies, before training as an actor at Drama Studio London. Other than treading the boards Charlotte has also worked in advertising, as a head-hunter, and as a purveyor of silk top hats.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Faber and Faber via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of A Deadly Inheritance by Charlotte Vassell for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

I listened to the second book in this series and did not get on with it as well as I did the first. So this third book was a test to see if this was a series I should stick with reading with my eyes rather than my ears. I can confirm, that I'm back enjoying the series so I know now that it wasn't the book it was just my relationship with the audio.

I was back to enjoying Caius's character in this book. He's one of those detectives in a thriller that I enjoy reading about their cases but I'm also invested in their private life. At this point in the series, Caius's private life is just as juicy as the main plot and I am shipping his relationship with Callie as well as his family.

A common thread with this series has been entitled and upper middle class characters that I can love to hate and that continued in A Deadly Inheritance. The plot thread exploring far right ideologies and trad wives really interested me as well as disgusting me.

Really enjoyed spending more time with Caius, Matt and Amy, appreciated the return of Callie and I hope that this special unit team are back again in the future.

This slow-burn mystery kept me guessing right to the end. Although it’s the third in the DI Caius Beauchamp series, I appreciated the character recap at the beginning- it made it easy to jump in without reading the previous books.

The relationship between DI Beauchamp and his team is a real highlight, adding warmth and depth to the story. The double murder after a supposed burglary gone wrong was full of twists, and I struggled to figure out who had the motive.

I enjoyed reading this book. I have read the other books in the series and I liked the development of the characters and the contining of the story from the previous books though it could be read as a standalone book.

A highly enjoyable third visit to the increasingly high-class world of DI Caius Beauchamp and his crack team of investigators.
His personal life has changed drastically as his family have received their rightful inheritance in the form of a massive country estate and now hold the Beauchamp title. Also, more pleasingly for him, Callie has moved into his flat.
An investigation into a seemingly bungled robbery is passed to his unique yet superb team by his governmental minister who himself is the holder of many secrets with fingers in many pies, but who exactly does he serve?
It’s not essential to have read the previous novels before this, but you’d get so much more from it if you do. You’ll also have three brilliant reads instead of just one :)
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own unbiased opinion.

I’m such a fan of Charlotte Vassell’s Caius Beauchamp series!

Like all great detective series, the main man comes with a complicated backstory and complex family set up- I for one can’t be the only one glad to see a recap of all the previous characters and key moments at the start of the book! I did have to refer back to it from time to time, a lot has happened in the first two books.

In book 3, Caius is learning to accept his new found wealth and elevated social position in life, even though he still rails against how it came to be in his life.
He is trying to balance his position as a Lord of the Manor with his professional career as Detective Inspector, feeling torn between the two roles and the ongoing conflict it brings to his life. He is investigating a brutal double murder in a quiet residential area, and his investigation brings more to light than first meets the eye.

For me, the stand out moments are the relationships between Caius and his glamorous milliner girlfriend Callie, as well as those with colleagues Matt and Amy. This is when you really see Caius for who he is and what he believes in.
There are also some scathing insights into what makes some people rich, what they will do for money and power (spoiler, pretty much anything)

This is an excellent addition to the series and I can’t wait to see where Caius ends up next

This book leans into dark humour and class satire without losing the mystery. Sharp, stylish, and full of skeletons but the kind that still wear designer shoes!

Firstly thank you to NetGalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for this digital advanced copy.

I understand this is the third book in the series. I haven’t read the first two but the cover and blurb drew me in!

I loved the author’s note and the introduction of each character before the book started to make this an acceptable standalone read.

This book follows the main character DI Caius Beauchamp who has recently come into a large inheritance and ends up investigating a double murder relating to a large inheritance.

I loved the relationship between Caius and his colleagues Matt and Amy aswell as the relationship between Caius and Callie.

This book tackles racial and social issues with moments of humour.

It was slightly too long for me but a very enjoyable read nonetheless.

An entertaining murder amongst the rich. Only now, our DI is one of those rich, and it makes navigating the case a little more tricky. Add to that interference from someone high in the government and possible fascism, this is a case that would test anyone.

The suspects were a truly disgusting lot, and its frightening to think that their views are ones that are shared by so many people in the real world. They were all very unlikable, but I enjoyed it for that - you will spend most of the book eagerly anticipating their downfall, so I can understand where the comparisons between this and Knives Out comes in. The links back to WW2 were a little silly at times, but possible and added an extra element to the story.

I felt a little lost at times, not having read the previous books in the series. While the mystery itself works well as a standalone, the threads running through it in terms of recurring characters and situations do need a little more explanation. I still don't know for sure what Rupert actually did for example. It doesn't detract from the mystery but it was a little frustrating to be supposed to care/be angry etc at these characters and not really know why beyond they did 'something'.

The relationships between Caius and the other police officers, and Caius and his girlfriend were the standout moments of the book. The friendships and love were wonderful counters to the horrors that were going on around them.

An enjoyable read that had a curve ball at the end, and I can't even imagine where this series is going to go next.

I'm a big fan (and a big recommender) of the previous books in this series and this ticked the same boxes for me: compelling, righteous-yet-flawed characters; scathing and funny insights on the class divide in the UK; and a page-turning plot. I've seen other reviews calling this a long book but I didn't notice that - I read it more or less in one sitting. The only reason I've given this four rather than five stars is I found the plot itself a bit too caricature-y: the 'bad' characters were largely lacking in nuance and the connections all felt a bit too convenient. That said, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I only felt disappointed by that aspect because of the very high bar Charlotte Vassell has written for herself. I hope there will be many more books in this series.