Review: The Inheritance, by Simon Tolkien

Author: Simon Tolkien

Audience: Adult

First Impression:
The Tolkien writer's gene is alive and well! The Inheritance may not be a fantasy, but J.R.R Tolkien' grandson, Simon, can decorate a page with words just as well as his predecessor.

Stephen is on trial for the murder of his father, and the punishment is death by hanging. The question is: did he do it, or did someone else? Someone such as...his adopted brother, Silas?

Plot/Style/Voice/Characters:
The story plays out with a mixture of good characters. All felt realistic and well rounded...even those having lesser roles within the main storyline. Good, solid characters that the reader can care about are key to truly being 'sucked in' to a story. I was caught.

As the dust jacket claimed, Simon Tolkien's The Inheritance was a good cross between Agatha Christie and John Grisham-a mix of whodunit and courtroom drama. The setting of the murder and the details behind it were crisp and tight. And the courtroom portions of the story were equally interesting and great additions to the play of the plot.

Best Part:
To this reader, the best part of The Inheritance was the way Tolkien sprinkled red herrings through the plot. Little clues that had me guessing one person, and then another, questioning whether Stephen was really the killer or not.

Irritations:
I was a little confused by the prologue, and what it had to do with the story itself. As I read on, though, it became apparent that these events held key points to the motive and outcome of the plot. In other words, don't pick The Inheritance up and put it back down based upon the prologue alone. Keep reading!

Wrap-Up Reaction:
Anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery should consider reading The Inheritance. It's difficult to praise this story without giving away secrets, so I suppose mystery lovers will need to take my word on it. I'll definitely be looking for future works by Simon Tolkien, or perhaps picking up his previous book, Final Witness.