What a perfect cover for Christopher Huang’s Unnatural Ends. It’s a complex puzzle, a trap set in a North Yorkshire estate in 1921. But, the trap was planned years earlier.

In April 1921, the three children of Sir Lawrence Linwood return home to Linwood Hall for their father’s funeral. Alan was back in England for an exhibition of the artifacts from his archaeological dig in Peru. Roger, fascinated by all things mechanical, brought along Iris Morgan since he had been planning to propose when informed of his father’s death. It had been two years since the youngest, Caroline, had been back from Paris. Linwood’s three children were in for surprises. The first one was that their father had been murdered, bludgeoned beyond recognition just before meeting with his lawyer.

Alan, Roger, and Caroline all knew they had been adopted. For their entire lives, they had been pitted against each other, but they always formed a united front. Even at his death, Linwood pitted them against each other. The estate was to be split three ways. But, if one of them could find Linwood’s killer, to the satisfaction of the police, that person would inherit the entire estate. Detective Inspector Clarence Mowbray was not at all pleased that the Linwoods would be sticking their noses in his investigation.

This is a beautifully executed puzzle with a number of twists along the way. It’s not worth spoiling the puzzle for anyone interested in delving into this historical mystery. Huang does an excellent job focusing on each one of the Linwoods, and along the way, Sir Lawrence Linwood’s character and controlling methods are spotlighted.

Just remember, the Linwoods and the reader are fitting the pieces together one at a time. It’s a trap.

Christopher Huang’s website is https://ricordius.wordpress.com/about/

Unnatural Ends by Christopher Huang. Inkshares, 2022. ISBN 9781950301065 (paperback), 402p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I reviewed a galley for a journal.