I absolutely loved reading this - it bought out my inner Miss Marple as not only was there a crime to solve, there was family secrets to unravel and character motivations to assess. The story being told in alternating point of view chapters by the 3 adopted Linwood children as they navigate the aftermath of their fathers murder worked brilliantly, it kept me guessing until almost the end.

As I read this book, the golden-age mystery writers—John Dickson Carr, Agatha Christie, and Josephine Tey—came to mind. These writers set the standard for whodunits; stories that make us want to catch the murderous villain on our first (second, third) guess. So, what does Unnatural Ends have in common with these writers? Everything, including witty, concise, and natural prose.

We have a locked room with a dead body, ala John Dickson Carr: the master of the locked room mystery. Just like his novel The Hollow Man, we have a man found murdered in his study. The door and window are locked from the inside. There is also a character who might not be whom he/she says they are.

Like an Agatha Christie novel, there are many suspects, and no solid motive. Could it be his wife, Lady Linwood: a once strong and independent woman (one of the first female medical doctors in England) now silenced and cowed due to years of brutal abuse by her husband? Or should we be suspicious of his three adopted children? Sir Lawrence was an exacting and negligent parent; one who liked to test his children on their reactions to stimuli. He saw sentimentality, affection, and contrition as signs of weakness (never say you are sorry; it makes one appear weak). If he saw any of these qualities in any of his children, he would make sure to hold back any type of positive reward.

Finally, there are similarities to the crime/mystery stories of Josephine Tey; specifically, the police are secondary to the amateur sleuths. The grown children separately follow divergent leads towards uncovering his murder. Along the way, they learn more about the circumstances of their births, and the disappearances of their mothers. They are joined by Iris, the girlfriend of Roger who is the youngest and favorite of Sir Lawrences children. She adds an outsiders view to the family and the villagers.

This is a true homage vintage mystery and crime novels. I found no flaws in logic, and was engaged right from the start. It was refreshing to read something this well written by a modern writer.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Inkshares publishers for the opportunity to read and enjoy this whodunnit.

Synopsis: Alan, Roger and Caroline will have to solve the mystery of their father's death if they want to be his universal heir. What they will not imagine is that while searching for answers they will find very well kept secrets from their father.
General points:
*An unpredictable novel.
*It has a slow start; in the third part is when the most interesting begins.
*I like that everything revolves around the family past and the variety of characters.

If you are a lover of cozy crime then this book is for you. Sir Lawrence Linwood has been killed and his heir is to be decided in a classic whodunit. Linwood's three children set out to find his killer and win the right to Linwood Hall. But, as in classic Christie style, not all is as it seems. A great read.

An excellent puzzle of a murder mystery with a lot of suspects which kept changing with every chapter. Sir Lawrence
Linwood is rather old, death was not expected but his head was found bashed in with a mace so there was nothing
natural about his demise. He was estranged from his children who did not show a united front when they did arrive
and who were hostile to everyone around them.

Sir Lawrence had a strange proviso in his will. His estate would go to the person who solved the mystery of his death,
if he did die of unnatural causes. There was a very cryptic puzzle available and his Secretary and companion of many
years was also entitled to the search for clues.

As the story progresses, many skeletons in the closet are revealed even those in the Secretary's past and now the two who are assisting in the investigation are beginning to doubt all those who are in pursuit of the clues. When the eldest son is also found murdered, when the pursuers are locked up to prevent them reaching the final clue one begins to see the dysfunctional features of the family which are so twisted and macabre.

A lot of attention to detail, a setting of the 1920s very well done too.

I loved that this book did not come across formatted. The characters were engaging and the time period this was set in was perfect. I look forward to more books by Christopher Huang.

In the beginning was Linwood Hall, and Linwood Hall was the world.
It saddens me that I didn't enjoy this book, at all. I feel like I'm letting down my friends because Fran and Sujoya really enjoyed it.

Unnatural Ends is about Sir Lawrence Linwood, a eugenics enthusiast and eccentric who feels like something out of a bad Batman episode. When the details were revealed about his past, it just felt way too out there.

[Painting]
North Yorkshire Moores in the Evening (where the author said Linwood Hollow is set)

Originally, I found him fascinating. Linwood was killed in his study. It was locked and the killer could only have come in through the window. He had three adopted children, two of whom were people of colour. And the author will NEVER. LET. YOU. FORGET.
...Sir Lawrence Linwood's children were all adopted, so no one expected much family resemblance; but Roger, darker even than Caroline and with a hard-to-place exoticism about his features
A few pages later
...Roger Linwood with that queer, exotic something about him that was not quite Chinese, not quite Indian, and certainly not entirely English
But wait, there's more
Amberley was talking about that odd, exotic something about his features, he realised, which no one else had ever been able to place
This may be the first book I've ever read where a character's ethnicity was part of the mystery.

But perhaps what left me most disappointed was how poorly the sleuthing was done. See, after the death of Linwood, the three siblings are told by their solicitor's son that the estate is to be left to their adoptive mother, Rebecca. However, whoever solves the murder of Lawrence Linwood, gets to inherit the bulk of the estate.

And so I thought would begin a race to be the first to solve Father's murder. But the siblings soon get more caught up in uncovering secrets of their past. It's some of the worst amateur sleuthing in that there was barely any sleuthing. At one point Alan discovers the murder weapon because vibes.
As though drawn by the hand of God—Father would have had a fit at the idea—Alan turned to the hidden panel that opened into the servants' passage. It slid with barely a whisper, and he stepped through into the cool, dark space beyond... He blinked as his eyes adjusted, and then he saw it: ...
Another thing that got on my nerves was the eschewing of proper plot progression for a bit of Shakespearean juxtaposition. Father is like King Lear. Mother is like Katharina from The Taming of the Shew. The cat is Pawtia, Portia from Merchant of Venice (don't worry you'll get a full detailed explanation of the pun). It got repetitive and boring. If you read this book, make it a drinking game. I certainly wish I had.

I also didn't like the superhuman powers of observation. It's possible to read people's demeanours and infer how they are feeling. It's also easy to make assumptions. Agitation could be anxiety or impatience. Impassivity could be a resting bitch face or boredom. Blushing could be embarrassment or joy. But not for these characters.
"How positively delightful." But behind the sarcasm, Caroline thought she heard a note of warmth and sympathy.

He saw fear in every movement, under that fear, a certain relief. Grief was only the third emotion to register after that.
Then why not solve the murder by looking into the eyes of these characters by finding the intent to kill?

There was also a lot of repetitiveness. One of the reasons I absolutely loathe multi person POV. When one character has visited a location, I don't then need a rehash of the location from a different perspective. So what if Caroline was right that the church was gothic, Alan? What purpose does it serve? There was also a lot of redundant description. And it wasn't even entertaining to read. The characters are indistinguishable, which begs the question why they needed POVs.

But perhaps the straw that broke this camel's back was the line, God created tea to inspire wakefulness in men. This is of course, in response to officers on the watch falling asleep after taking tea. Somehow that line struck me as the stupidest thing I've heard out of a fictional Englishman's mouth.

This book disappointed me. Even the finale was dull. And not even carried out by the three main siblings whose actions we've been following through the whole book. The grand mystery is solved through a conspiracy of coincidences and sheer dumb luck. The prose was lacking and I was borderline bored. It's unfortunate but I'm afraid our association has come to a natural end.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange of an honest review.

Well wasn't this an interesting twist on a whodunit type of mystery. The story pulled me in immediately with the death of the father and his three mysterious adopted kids. I will say the story lagged at times but when thigs started happening to some of the ancillary characters I was back in! I had fun trying to put all the puzzle pieces together so I just had to know how it all ended. Overall, an enjoyable read!

Really really enjoyed this mystery. Great setting. A puzzling mystery
Constant twists.and the variety of viewpoints kept this engrossing., Look forward to more from this authot.

Lawrence Linwood has passed away. A medieval mace was used to brutally beat him to death in his study, which is more correct to say that he was murdered. The three adoptive children who live with the murderer are journalists Caroline, an engineer, and archaeologists Alan and Roger. The peculiar proviso in his final will, which states that his inheritance will belong to the heir who solves his murder, is quickly discovered by his heirs. Each Linwood heir must now go into the past to safeguard their future. They begin to suspect that the perpetrator may be hiding in the enigmatic beginnings of their birth as their skepticism of one another and the unusual visitors in the community of Linwood Hollow grows.

Christopher Huang’s Unnatural Ends is a deftly written murder mystery with a 1920s England setting and an intriguing and varied array of characters. Even the least likable of the key characters have a lot of development. It can be perplexing at times because the story introduces us to so many supporting characters. The book does demand some patience from the reader because of its many threads, but it is well worth it. The author does a fantastic job of weaving together all the characters’ stories. The book offers a gradual reveal of the three main characters, the victim’s adopted children, in addition to the somewhat intricate mystery, which is always what I prefer. Their experiences and what they come to understand about themselves and one another through time are like pieces being added to a large puzzle that, when put together, surprises the reader. The setting’s atmosphere and sense of time are ideal.

Going back and forth between the dark estate in the moors and the busy city center of London in the pouring rain while exploring humanity’s worst motivations and behaviors, the settings are ideal for a fall read. Even while reading extremely excellent prose at the ideal pace, the length of the book is occasionally just too long, so if I were to pick one flaw, it would be that. The dual narration in this book, in which each chapter is written from the perspective of a different character, was one of the things I liked most about it. By doing so, you’ll be better able to comprehend each character’s role in the story as well as how and why certain events led them to their current situation. Christopher Huang’s “Unnatural Ends” is a whodunit mystery, a family drama fueled by dysfunction, and a gothic mystery. Each of Alan, Roger, and Caroline shares their experiences as children of Sir Lawrence as well as their ideas on how he died. Be prepared for surprises! Highly suggested.

This starts out as ‘just another’ historical mystery, though a very well written one. But then things start to get revealed and I found myself saying ‘oh sht’ several times. It all becomes so much more than ‘just’ a whodunit, but also a character study and family drama. It became a truly unique and fascinating read for sure that although on the bigger side I just flew through.

The book is very well written with a pacing that is near perfect. Where we do take our time to get to know the characters and their inner thoughts, we also don’t waste time on unnecessary events. If a character decides he should ask someone something, then that interview happens the very next paragraph. It made for a very effortless reading experience.

None of the reveals were obvious, but they also weren’t far-fetched. Huang managed to drop just enough hints for the reader to figure things out just before the characters did… which is very satisfying yet doesn’t ruin the reveal.

The characters were all very well developed and interesting people. We get to see from most of their points of view, and all of them have a role to play in the story. But that role isn’t all they are. They all have a past and a life outside of the plot.

My only complaint, which is minor, is the way things get resolved felt a bit like an anticlimax. I would have liked a hear a bit more from the culprit and their reasoning, and their thoughts on who ended up solving the case. Then again, if I’m not sure if that would have worked in the story itself and would mainly just serve to indulge me.

Overall, this was a very well written, cleverly constructed murder mystery with amazing characters. And it is just fascinating.

So the stage is set and the three children of Lord Lawrence Linwood of Linwood House are gathered for the reading of the will; his body having been found bludgeoned to death in his study! The will states that whichever child can solve the murder shall inherit the estate! However, Alan, Roger and Caroline were all adopted and,as far as they know, not even related by blood! DI Mowbray is not happy at the thought of having their assistance but the three proceed with their own investigations and reveal far more about themselves and their history than they thought possible! Clever and intriguing throughout although the concluding chapters became a little confusing and I found I had more questions than answers!

I was really excited for this one but it fell flat for me. I didn’t connect with any of the characters so I really had to push myself through to the end. It felt like there was just a lot of going on and I couldn’t keep my attention focussed on it all.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed reading Unnatural Ends by Christopher Huang. This historical fiction book takes readers on an interesting journey through the experiences of three adopted siblings as they come to terms with the death of their demanding father. Secrets are revealed and truths that bring the siblings closer together are faced. The end of the book brings an interesting surprise for readers. I recommend this book to historical mystery readers. You will enjoy it immensely.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy.

A very interesting take on a 'whodunit' murder mystery. I was immediately intrigued by our three main characters and their relationships to each other and their parents. I was invested in their story throughout and I was definitely satisfied with the ending. I also enjiyed the authors' writing style.
However, I felt like the novel could've been shorter, especially since, in my opinion, there was a bit too much time dedicated to the B plot, resulting in the murder mystery to take a backseat for a significant part of the book. Also the parts involving the mother felt a bit too rushed, in compariso with how important they were to the progress of the plot.
I still enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to people that like slowly unfolding mysteries coupled with family drama and dynamics.
Big thanks to NetGalley and Inkshares for allowing me to read an ARC of this book

This is a mystery that slowly unfolds through the eyes and recollections of three adult siblings, all adopted. They were primarily raised and taught without affection by their scary, domineering father. The setting of an ages old manor house in desolate Yorkshire adds suspense, with dreary weather supplying atmosphere. This is a mystery that keeps on giving -- clues, confusion, characters. I found my guesses of the suspected killer to be systematically dismissed...and the mystery continues to the end.

This book is a great addition to the long lineage of murder mysteries set on aristocratic English estates. In this case, it is set in the 1920’s and focuses on the three adopted children of the murder victim, Sir Linwood. While a classic setting, the story felt unique and I did not see many of the twists coming.

The characters could’ve had more depth and dimensionality - they felt quite distant and difficult to get a grasp of (could be by design). It started off a bit slow but picked up around a quarter of the way through where I was steadily interested and then couldn’t put it down for the last quarter. The journey was worth it, though. Agatha Christie lovers, rejoice!

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkshares for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Linwood Hall is perched above a cliff, overlooking the Yorkshire moors on one side, and towering over the villagers of Linwood Hollow on the other. Today it is spring of 1921, and the house is preparing the austere burial of its master. The three adult children, all adopted, are coming back for the funeral of their Father. Together with Mother, they are instructed about the will: Linwood Hall is to be sold and the proceedings are to be divided into three equals part, meaning the estate will no longer be in the family after countless generations. That is unless Father died of unnatural causes, in which case the whole estate will go to the child who solves the murder. As father has in fact been brutally murdered, this is the start of an investigation that will delve into the deeply buried secrets of the Linwood family.

Of course, there is the mystery to be solved, but first and foremost, this book is filleting the psychological repercussions of a dysfunctional family: what does it mean to be adopted, how can a child bounce back from a cruel upbringing without any love or tenderness, how strong are the ties that keep siblings together, how can a husband break his intelligent and independent wife? After reading some contemporary quick and dirty "domestic thrillers", I vowed to avoid the genre entirely for a few years, but here we have a clever and interesting take on the genre. The settings are perfect for a fall read, going back and forth between the dark estate in the moors and the bustling city center of London in the pouring rain, while delving into humans darkest motivations and actions. If I were to point out any flaw, it would be the length of the book, because even when reading very nice prose at a perfect pace, sometimes it is just too long.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a different approach to a genre that I thought was largely over its peak.

Unnatural Ends takes us to a Post WWI England in the 1920s.

On Linwood Hall we find Alan, Roger, and Caroline Linwood preparing themselves for their adoptive father’s funeral, Sir Lawrence Linwood, who was recently murdered.
At the testament reading, they are told of their father’s strange last wish: Linwood Hall, along with the rest of the estate will be inherited by the heir that solves his murder.

This book had a really good premise and was a fun read.

I loved the atmosphere of rural North Yorkshire and occasionally it made me long for those simpler times.
The three main characters were easy to like, and it was interesting to see them dig into their pasts, always wondering what they would discover next. Although some chapters could have been spared.
If you are a history buff, you will like the bits of history that are thrown here and there along the book.
The story needs a bit of polishing and sometimes could spare on describing the surrounding environment/buildings.
I would have loved to know more about Lady Linwood’s past. She seemed such an interesting character and I feel she was underused for the benefit of other characters.
The twist near the end was good, but I would have liked to see things play out differently for one of the characters.

I give this book 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is an honest review, and all opinions are entirely mine.

This ARC seemed intriguing and promised Agatha Christie style mystery, I was sold immediately! It’s set in 1920s England, in a Gothic manor, whose lord has been brutally murdered (in his library of all places). Now, to differ from the Clue game, there was no guest called Colonel Mustard in the living room with a chandelier… But there are 3 heirs on a mission to identify the killer.

Alan, Roger and Caroline are young adults with each their own career after the World War (engineer, archeologist and journalist), living far away from their parents but still under the influence of their strict and domineering father. Upon his death they are called to the manor for the funeral, and discover an unusual twist to their father’s will: the bulk of his fortune will go to the first to find who killed their father.

It’s hard to know where to stop in the story summary without spoiling anyone’s fun. It is a good book and has plenty of good ideas, but it also has some flaws. The three heirs have interesting personalities and their own plots and character developments so that’s on the plus side. I liked how the author makes sibling relationships deep and real. The atmosphere and the themes are also interesting. But the pace is uneven, the father’s figure way too black and white, which makes the whole story too unbelievable. And because it was unbelievable, then it becomes just an intellectual puzzle without caring too much about the characters. That’s the reason why I could figure out the solution halfway through. From Goodreads I gather that it’s not due to my exceptional intelligence (I wish 😉), others have guessed it too, even earlier than me.

In short, the book wasn’t bad, but it would have benefitted from a lot more editing and tightening. And the marketing reference to the great Lady Agatha doesn’t do it any favor.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I received a free copy of this book for review consideration