Like so many women, English housewife Eve Forrester's fiance died in World War II. She ended up marrying a man who is a bit pompous but generally very good to her. So what if her days are unendingly boring and she doesn't have a child? She's alive and married to a good man. Her carefree days of adventure are long behind her. At least, they are until a mysterious letter from a French solicitor comes to her doorstep. Her husband is convinced it's a scam but Eve decides to take advantage of the ticket to get away from her husband and her nagging, always unhappy mother.
On the train ride down, she starts to meet the cast of characters who will change her life. The mysterious inheritance from a man she never knew sets a number of wheels in motion including propelling Eve into the fading but still glittering world of the Riviera in the late 1940s.
Included in the cast of characters are the man's two sons from his first marriage and one of their fiancee's (who is purported to be in love with the brother she's not marrying), the second wife and her daughter, an American writer, and a famous film actress who is more hopped up on pills than not.
Rhys manages to weave together several fairly disparate plotlines into one story. The use of present tense made it hard for me to settle into the story. It took over half the book for me to catch on to the rhythm. I think I understand the use of it (it's sort of a Gothic novel and the present tense adds to the general creepiness) but it did almost make me quit the book.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out June 11
ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Delightful! With hints of Agatha Christie and a BBC special, Rhys brings the Riveria in 1948 alive with this lush thriller. Great characterization and a mystery that was so gripping it kept me awake long after my bedtime. Recommended!

Rachel Rhys' Fatal Inheritance mixes mystery and historical fiction. Eve Forrester, a bored British housewife finds out she has a mystery inheritance coming from a man she has never heard of. She travels to the French Riviera to receive her legacy and finds herself with more questions. I really enjoyed the book. There are a lot of interesting characters. and while I kept thinking I had the "mystery" figured out, I didn't., which made the story move interesting.

This is a beautiful book about a woman who receives a substantial inheritance but must travel to the South of France to get it. Once there she is perused and almost killed. It is part mystery and she is as well as historical fiction. It is beautiful.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Marvelous. Ms Rhys has a way of bringing me to the French Riviera in 1948. This book was very atmospheric. I loved the character of Eve as she starts to find herself. There are secrets. Why did Mr. Lester leave her this inheritance and who would want to harm her because of it? Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Eve Forrester is in a very unhappy/unsatisfying marriage. It is 1948 and the world is still trying to get over WWII. Eve finds herself the beneficiary of an unknown inheritance that she must travel to the French Riviera to collect.

This was a very nice, entertaining, cozy mystery that I enjoyed very much. I highly recommend Ms Rhys previous novel Dangerous Crossing.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for this advanced readers copy. Release date for this one is June 2019.

I enjoyed Rachel Rhys' "A Dangerous Crossing" and was looking forward to reading her latest. I was not disappointed. "Fatal Inheritance" was a historic mystery set in the south of France just after World War II. Eve has just mysteriously inherited something but has to go to Provence to find out what. One she is there, attempts are made on her life as she tries to unravel the mystery of why Guy Lester left her the inheritance. There were plenty of surprising twists. Fans of Agatha Christie and Rhys Bowen will love this book!

What I enjoyed most about this book was the vast and detailed imagery of the French Riviera post-WWII and it’s beautiful landscapes. Ms. Rhys captured the setting beautifully as well as the glamorous yet toxic environment of the French elite and how the war, whether directly or not, has lasting consequences on everyone. I first approached this book with the feeling that it was a mystery based on the description, and, though the plot isn’t exactly what I hoped, I still enjoyed it. This book was more about a woman who felt stuck and did not know how to get unstuck. Yet, Eve was given a chance to branch out and blossom into the better version of herself that had been pushed down her entire life. Fatal Inheritance was a good read though misleading. I did have a few concerns with the romance 95% of the way through yet I believe her decision in the end was the best choice. Overall, I give it 3.5 stars!

Fatal Inheritance is a beautifully crafted historical mystery set on the French Riviera in 1948. I was up reading past my bedtime as I became engrossed in this story! I found the characters and the compelling mystery fascinating. Recommended for fans of historical fiction.

This was a novelavout a woman finding her own independence. However, I didn’t really like Eve. She was a woman that I could not understand. I found her to be a very passive and weak character, who could not stand even stand up for her friends and let her friends get hurt. It was until the very end after the mystery was solved that she was able to stand up for herself. The pacing of the novel was very slow. The mystery was predictable but the ending dragged. The ending was very rushed and was a bit of a disappointment. However, I did like the setting. I also like the love interest in the book for he was very supportive. I also liked the other narrator, Guy because he was a man who trying to make atone for his actions. Still, I recommend this for fans of Kate Morton, M. J. Rose, and Lucinda Riley. Full review to come!

Fatal Inheritance is a interesting post WWII historical mystery. It's well written and well researched. I enjoyed the descriptions of the beautiful French Riviera, the setting the story. I liked the main character, Eve, who is clever and perceptive. I enjoyed the twists and turns that kept me wondering what was going to happen next. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it. My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In London of 1948, Eve Forrester is stuck in a loveless marriage, and basically a dreary existence. But then she gets a mysterious letter telling her she has inherited a Mediterranean villa in the French Riviera. 

Once she arrives and accepts her endowment, she realizes that her glamorous and glitzy new life isn't all it's chalked up to be. A lot of haters come at her, and in order to keep what she never knew she needed, she has to unlock the secret to her mysterious inheritance. 

This was such a fun book, and totally makes me want to travel to the French Riviera!! It's got suspense, glitz and romance. And I couldn't put it down!

I devoured this book - it was so entertaining! I enjoyed the setting the story is in, the characters, all the plot twists, all the secrets that get uncovered, all of it! The book is very well written - sometimes I laughed, sometimes I stayed up late to find out a juicy detail. I highly recommend this book to mystery and historical fiction lovers.

The dazzling French Riviera is the setting of Fatal Inheritance. It's 1948 in London. Eve is living the life of an unremarkable wife in a stale marriage. One day, she receives a letter informing her that she has inherited part of a house on the Mediterranean. Shocked, Eve sets out to see this inheritance. Once she arrives, things go wrong. Other relatives are not happy to see this woman who has come to take their money away. Also, as the story unfolds, someone is out to get Eve. But, this is the French Riviera, so Eve has her share of glitz and glamour and romance along the way. This is a great post WWII read. It's well written and researched and entertaining. Eve is sympathetic, intelligent and likeable. Overall, I enjoyed this story. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

World War II Historical Fiction has always been a favorite of mine. Fatal Inheritance did not disappoint! I was initially intrigued by the post World War II setting and I was quickly invested in this story. Not only was I hooked from the very beginning, but Rhys' rich and beautiful descriptions of the South of France transported me to this glamorous part of the world.

The mystery in this novel was well done and kept me turning the page. Nothing was predictable and the twists and turns kept me guessing until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to those who enjoy WWII historical fiction.

.5 stars

Fatal Inheritance is a highly entertaining mystery set in the South of France following World War 2. Eve Forrester lives outside of London with her overbearing and boring husband. After learning she has been left a mysterious inheritance, she heads to the French Riviera to claim the bequest. Upon arrival, she discovers that she has inherited one-quarter ownership in a stunning villa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea from an individual she does not know named Guy Lester. Determined to understand why she was given this gift, Eve decides to stay and investigate against the wishes of her husband and the dead man’s family.

Thrown into a world very foreign to her, Eve is fascinated and intrigued with the glitzy Riviera lifestyle and initially bends over backwards to try and please her unwelcoming hosts. As the story progresses, Eve escapes her shell and learns to stand up for herself while realizing that much of the wealth and privilege hide a darker underbelly. Her transformation is one of my favorite aspects of the book.

Rhys’s descriptions of the French Riviera following World War 2 are fascinating and add depth to an already intriguing tale. The fallout from the Nazi Occupation of France and that area particularly left residents and visitors questioning everyone’s allegiances, and Rhys weaves that bit of history seamlessly into her tale. Her descriptions of the Riviera itself and 1940’s-era famous residents such as Picasso will also delight the reader.

The mystery itself is very well done. The pacing is perfect, and the resolution is clever and realistic. Fatal Inheritance manages to accomplish what only well-written historical fiction can: the transportation of the reader to the glittering sun and sea where villas dot the coast and famous movie stars, writers and artists enjoy the decadence and beauty of the French Riviera.

The premise of 'Fatal Inheritance' was good, but the present tense POV was awkward and kept the story from flowing naturally.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.
An immensely enjoyable book, I enjoyed it a lot.
Eve, an English housewife in 1948 England, is quietly unhappy in a marriage to an unimaginative and cold husband. Her relationship with her mother is equally difficult. When she receives a letter from a solicitor informing her she's inherited part of a house in the Riviera, she's stunned...she has no idea of the identity of her benefactor, but decided to travel to France despite her husband's misgivings. There she meets the family, who are none to pleased with this interloper and are trying to force her into selling the house. Eve, however, is determined to find out what her link is to this man who left her a quarter of a house in the Mediterranean, a house she's fallen in love with.
After a few 'accidents ', it seems someone is trying to get her out of the way, but she stubbornly stays.
The story is full of intoxicating glimpses into the lives of the rich and famous in that sun kissed area of the South of France. Reading this book (a great beach read!), I'm in the midst of record breaking low temperatures and was able to transport myself to a warm, luxurious part of the world I would love to visit, but probably couldn't afford!
A super read that I recommend highly.

I actually wasn’t all that in love with Rhys’ debut when I read it, finding it mildly entertaining but all too slight and women fiction. For some reason I didn’t remember that when I requested her sophomore effort on Netgalley, but actually it worked out nicely, because despite the inherent slightness and women fictioness of Fatal Inheritance I ended up liking it very much. I’m not sure it held up to all the Agatha Christie comparisons, but it was (wildly and by many) touted as the quintessential beach read and indeed it was. The post war (1948 to be precise) Riviera’s glitz and glamour did make you long for the beach. The plot involves a young woman who temporarily flees her staid life in staid rationed England to come to the Riviera to collect a mysterious inheritance, which just may turn out fatal. The immediate family she encounters is a complicated difficult cast of characters who for various reasons very much depend on that money and understandably aren’t too thrilled to share it with a complete stranger. But is she a complete stranger? What’s the connection? And so on…the intrigue accumulates and then boils over. But then there are also parties and decadence and occasional debauchery with some real life and some imagined characters and it’s all just entirely too much fun…in the sun…with the gorgeous views of the Mediterranean. So yeah, I liked it, surprisingly so. It offered just enough substance to not come across as superficial and it entertained oodles. Fans of historical fiction with some mystery (and yes, of course, romance, but actually in moderate non tedious amounts) should enjoy this one. Very quick read and positively a delight. Thanks Netgalley.