Christopher Huang's sophomore novel, Unnatural Ends, is a pitch-perfect Golden Age locked room mystery. Three siblings return to their childhood home in 1921 when their mother summons them to their father's funeral. When they get there, they are met by a police investigation into his murder, and a puzzling clause in his will. The cold and demanding Lord Linwood has willed his estate (in the event that he dies of violence) to the one of the three siblings who solves his murder. All three were adopted by the Linwoods as children, and their search for answers to the murder uncovers information about their true parentage, and much more.

I loved Huang's first book as well, the 2018 A Gentleman's Murder, and hope that we don't have to wait quite so long for his next!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This books just wasn't for me. It had Gothic vibes, so those who like this story may enjoy it more. The setup was a bit bland and then when the adult children came back home after the father's death, I thought it would get interesting. It didn't. A strong point was made that the children were never to show emotion. This equals snoozefest, incredibly boring characters. The mother was also reticent and distant. What was left for me to connect to as a reader?

Unique mystery with a surprise ending. More historical fiction than mystery it is a little unsatisfying on the mystery end. The characters are well developed, but totally unlikable. The story goes way to far into and becomes very repetitive about how awful Sir Linwood was - okay I got it by the third time the point was made!! Seemed to go over and over how dispicable he was making the book too long.

This was such a unique murder mystery!

Three adopted siblings return to the family home to attend their father’s funeral only to find out that he has been murdered. This sets off a series of revelations and plot twists that have the siblings rushing to figure out who is the murderer and could it be one of them? This book was so engaging and had me guessing up until the very end! I loved all the little details and descriptions and the fact that as you go deeper into the story, the more twisted and complicated it becomes. It was somewhat of a slow start for me but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down.

Things to look forward to:
-multiple timelines
-creepy castle with hidden passages
-hidden clauses in the will
-revelation after revelation
-red herrings a plenty
-a final twist that will take you out

Pub Date: 6/20!

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The book has tons of historical details and is trying to fit within the Golden Age of Crime formula.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkshares for my free-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The book was an absolute page-turner, creatively written in a way that had me hooked from the onset. The author had me eagerly following along with the siblings as they tried to unravel the mystery of their father's murder. With red herrings and unexpected plot twists, I found myself constantly questioning and doubting everything I thought I knew.

The characters were all incredibly likable, particularly the siblings who had a deep bond and loyalty to each other, despite being trained to suppress their emotions. This aspect of the story really resonated with me.

While I enjoyed the shocking revelations that kept trying to confuse the reader, I must admit that I was disappointed with the eventual outcome. The ending seemed like an easy way out, especially when I was bracing myself for a confrontational finale.

Overall, I found this historical mystery/suspense to be a creatively written and enjoyable read.

A slow burn, gothic novel set against the backdrop of a quintessential, idyllic estate in Yorkshire. Three adopted siblings travel to the estate for the funeral of their father, who was gruesomely murdered by an unknown assailant in his study. Can they put the puzzle pieces together or will their dysfunctional dynamic lead to their ultimate unraveling?

More than a murder mystery, this is a historical novel. Yes, there is a dead body in a locked room, there are amateur detectives (his children) as well as officers of the law, there is a wonderful gothic mansion, a mausoleum and desolate moors. What is missing, in my opinion, is suspense. As Historical Fiction it is impressive. Undeniably, the author has painstakingly researched the period, as he explains in the afterword. There are many details that perfectly reflect the world in which these events take place. Unfortunately, I’m a reader of mysteries and I was hoping for less background and more action. I figured out the mystery from the beginning and the reveals were so buried in flashbacks, asides and historical details, that I didn’t even notice. This is not a bad book, it’s just not for me.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Inkshares!

This is a really immersive and compulsively readable literary mystery surrounding the murder of Sir Lawrence Linwood and an unusual clause in his will which sends his three adopted children searching for the murderer. There’s social commentary built into it in a very effective way. The time and place are rendered vividly. I did figure the whole thing out, but I enjoyed the journey to the inevitable conclusion.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. The basic story line is good but it is so drawn out. It took me a long while to get into the book but even then just wanted to finish it to be able to read something else. Judging from other reviews most people enjoyed it so just not for me.

This is a mystery where three adopted Linwood children had to solve a mystery of the death of there father in order to earn the inheritance. This takes place in 1921, what the heck. Your inheritance relies on you solving a murder? I struggled to get into this book until about 25% of the way through. I found the beginning slow, however this book did pick up pace afterwards. The cover is very interesting and one thing that did draw me into the book

Unnatural Ends follows the three Linwood siblings, in the wake of their adoptive father's murder, as they try to uncover who killed him. The setting, on the English moors in the 1920's, was delightful and immersive, and the mystery was enjoyable. While the big twist was rather obvious, many of the details surrounding it and other surprises uncovered by the Linwood's were unexpected and helped keep up the suspense.
My favorite thing about this novel, were the characters, specifically the three Linwood siblings; Alan, Roger, and Caroline. They were each wonderfully complex, with personalities carved by their father's strict and cold expectations, but each also had parts of themselves that formed in spite of him. In the end, Unnatural Ends is a story about murder and mystery, but more importantly it is a story about family bonds and finding your own way.

Thank you Inkshares ​and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
Honestly, I had a hard time getting interested in the story until about 25% into it, when things started to get more exciting. It feels like a big chunk of the beginning could have been cut without changing the overall plot. Even after that point, the pace and my interest level went up and down. The characters were okay, but they weren't very interesting. Alan Linwood, especially, felt like a boring character with no real depth. Roger and Caroline Linwood were a bit better since they had some unique traits, like Roger being good with machines and Caroline loving theater, but they still didn't fully grab my attention. The murder mystery has potential, but it needs a lot of work to become a more engaging and satisfying read. Editing and developing the characters would help make it better.

Unnatural Ends by #thirtyfirstbookof2023 #arc

CW: Murder, death, discussions of PTSD, adultery, and suicide, outdated derogatory racial and cultural terms, domestic violence

This book is a mystery in which three adopted children have to solve the murder of their father in order to earn their inheritance. It takes place in 1921 and has miscellaneous flashbacks to 1905-6. At first I wasn’t super into it, but it grew on me. I’m always drawn to a murder mystery, and it was pleasant to read a story that couldn’t include texts or computer research. It was very tame, not thrilling, not really high stakes for me. It was pretty slow placed, with a lot of thinking and talking. It was a basic pleasant read although I thought it got a little convoluted as it was wrapping up and by then I lost interest again. I think it’s a fine book, but probably not for me. I like a little more action in my books.

I find the cover interesting. It looks to me like one of the puzzles where you have to move the pieces around in a frame to solve.

Thank you to @netgalley and @inkshares for the advance copy. (Pub date 6/20/23)

Set in the 1920s and vividly described Linwood Hall, the story follows Alan, Roger and Caroline trying to figure out who murdered their father. The beginning reminded me of The Umbrella Academy -- (three) adopted children come back home after a while because their father has passed away -- a premise that is guaranteed to make me intrigued and excited to continue reading.

"Alan had an idea that Father's atheism had more to do with pride, an unwillingness to place any being higher than himself, than with any real theological conviction."

The writing made it insanely easy to read, I found myself devouring the story much quicker than I thought I would. The story developed in a way that made perfect sense. Every clue had a meaning and purpose, and gave a little more insight into the mystery and life of the main characters. Each of them had their struggles, some of them shared, which made them feel real. The reader easily connects to all of them, even the side characters.

Highly recommend if you're in search of a murder mystery filled with struggling characters working together to unravel something much bigger than all of them.

"Life, Caroline realised then, was too short to be wasted on someone else's dreams."

This was such a wiled ride. The possibility of getting your inheritance precociously balance on wether you solve a murder or not. WHAT THE HECK? This is a really good story plot for a debut novel. I would definitely love to read more from C. Huang.

Christopher Huang’s new historical mystery, Unnatural Ends, caught me by surprise and kept me guessing. Set in the early 1920’s, this novel centers around the mystery of Sir Lawrence Linwood’s death. His last request sets his three adult children on a quest to solve his murder, much to the chagrin of the local police.

The characters that Huang has created are intricate and interesting. The three adopted Linwood siblings—Alan, Roger, and Caroline—are very different from each other, though they all grew up under the thumb of Sir Lawrence. They each take a different path to attempt to solve the mystery, and they are each led into unexpected places. It doesn’t take long before their investigations lead further and further into the past as they realize that their own mysterious origins have some bearing on the current mystery. Lady Linwood is a mysterious character in her own right, and though she seems the most likely to have some of the answers, she also is the least likely to elucidate.

This story is written from multiple points of view. We get to see scenes from the eyes of most of the story’s characters—even more minor characters—and we see different time periods. This structure gets rather convoluted, and at times I felt a bit lost as to when and where I was as an observer. Even within the present timeline, each sibling is involved in their own investigation and the events we see from one person’s point of view are not necessarily happening at the same time as what we’ve just seen from someone else’s point of view.

The mystery at play in the novel is complex. As the story progresses, suspicion is cast far and wide, relationships grow more and more complicated, and even unseen characters become important. The culmination of this, and the solution to the mystery, was satisfying and surprising. That said, some of the characters’ schemes and machinations felt too elaborate and began to feel unbelievable.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and think it is a great addition to the genre of period murder mysteries.

I personally found this book hard to get through due to the pacing seeming to drag. I do like the characterization and ties to historical setting but I didn't get to fully enjoy it.

This was a fun read! A great mystery with a lot of family secrets! I enjoyed the twists and clues along the way. I did have it figured out before the end but still enjoyed this book. I also enjoyed the story being told from the point of view from each sibling. I will definitely be recommending this for all my mystery lovers!

This was a good read, although there were times it was really hard for me to get through. The writer did a fantastic job with being descriptive throughout the book. It's like you could visualize yourself there. Thank you to NetGalley for my copy!