Author:Katie Fforde,Jilly Bond
Brought to you by Penguin.
A combination of overwork and jet-leg propel Julia Fairfax into becoming engaged to a golf-playing wine buff called Oscar. When she realises that she has fonder feelings for his adorable Labrador than for Oscar himself, she is forced to confront the fact that there is something drastically wrong. So, she ditches her fianc-, jacks in her job and decides to revolutionise her life.
Her new career as a cook on a pair of hotel boats is certainly a departure, and teaches her more about life than how to get a couple of narrow boats through a lock. But even afloat Julia's past catches up with her. Not only must she contend with the persistent Oscar (not to mention his frightful mother and her own mother's determined matchmaking), but also the arrival of her childhood enemy, the enigmatic Fergus Grindley.
Well written, with a plot and characters that haunt you long after you've finished.
—— Jane Corry, author of MY HUSBAND'S WIFEAn atmospheric, page-turner
—— DAILY MIRRORDeliciously intoxicating
—— HEATRachel Rhys should be on everyone’s summer reading list
—— CLARE MACKINTOSHWith a dash of Agatha Christie and a nod to Zelda Fitzgerald, Rachel Rhys' historical mystery is simply gorgeous. The late 1940s Cote d'Azur setting is a character in its own right - one that will have you yearning to sip a gin fizz while watching the sun sink into the Mediterranean
—— KATE RIORDANI am racing though this delicious thriller set on the French Riviera in 1948. Rachel Rhys really is a natural successor to Patricia Highsmith. Out July, put it on preorder now so you don’t forget.
—— SARRA MANNINGDeadly secrets, dazzling sunshine - utterly seductive. This book is a total joy
—— LUCY DAWSONAtmospheric, totally absorbing and joyfully original
—— JANE FALLONUtterly enthralling; Rachel Rhys brilliantly evokes the shabby glamour and bruised hearts of the post-war Riviera, where everyone has a secret to hide. I adored it.
I absolutely loved this book. All the intrigue of Agatha Christie with the intelligence of Barbara Vine in the most glamorous of settings. Rhys writes like an exotic dream!
—— LIZ NUGENTPublic service announcement; this book deserves to be massive. Can’t tell you how hard and fast I fell for it. A stunningly beautiful, page turning feast of a novel
—— COLETTE MCBETHWho doesn't dream of a letter from a solicitor informing them of something that is in their interest? When Eve sets off for the South of France to discover what lies in wait, she finds filmstars, roues, drunken writers and a disaffected housekeeper - the perfect recipe for a glorious post-war thriller. A wonderful bouillabaisse of glamour, greed, revenge and romance as Eve fights to escape a loveless, bloodless marriage and find her true self. As chic as Chanel with a hint of Christie, A Fatal Inheritance will be on all the best-dressed sun-loungers this summer.
—— VERONICA HENRYRachel Rhys wove a spell over me with this book and whisked me away to the glitz of 1940s French Riviera. Sumptuous and hugely compelling, Rhys is a master of dialogue and observation and her characters crackle with life.Utter bliss.
—— AMANDA JENNINGSFizzing with glamour and secrets, I adored this gorgeous novel. An absolute stunner in every way, it had me captivated from beginning to end
—— JENNY ASHCROFTI had to make myself slow down when reading this delicious, thrilling novel, because I didn’t want it to end. If Daphne Du Maurier had been writing about the Cote D’Azur instead of Cornwall, she couldn’t have done it better. Absolutely superb.
—— CASS GREENI raced through this and absolutely love it. What a cleverly woven plot, with intriguing characters and great period atmosphere! It made me want to drop everything and rush out to live there, in a house as similar to Villa la Perle as I can possibly find.
—— GILL PAULThis atmospheric and intriguing novel will transport you to a glamorous – and deadly sun-baked world
—— Irish TimesTOP HOLIDAY READS - A Fatal Inheritance bears all the hallmarks of a golden age mystery as Eve is swept into a glittering world that sees her rubbing shoulders with Hollywood film stars and famous authors ... When events threaten to take a deadly turn, she must race against the clock to uncover the truth.
—— The HeraldAn exquisite and shimmering read. I completely lost myself in Rhys’s lovingly evoked 1940s French Riviera and was gripped by the slow-burn mystery. An essential summer read!
—— LISA JEWELLThe perfect literary beach-read; both gripping and dripping with glamour. Rachel Rhys is a natural successor to Patricia Highsmith.
—— Red OnlineSUMMER READING PICK
—— Nina Pottell , PRIMAJULY'S BEST NEW BOOKS: A dissatisfied wife receives a mysterious bequest, setting her off on a journey filled with excitement and danger
—— StylistRachel Rhys really knows how to keep you guessing. As the mystery plays out she throws in a dash of romance to go along with the perfect evocation of the decadent time and place. You need this on your sun lounger this summer.
—— Sunday PeopleAmid the sun and glamour, there's skulduggery afoot in this perfect poolside book.
—— Red MagazineWith dreamlike descriptions of the Cote d'Azur and the dark underworld of those who live there, it is an addictive page-turner. The perfect summer holiday read.
—— The Lady[A] high-octane, heart-pounding read.
—— Good HousekeepingA transporting golden-age infused mystery caper
—— Sunday TimesThis atmospheric page-turner is filled with intrigue, death-defying encounters, smooth talking charmers and even has a larger-than-life Hollywood movie star .. a fabulous summer read
—— Daily Express