Miss Morton and the Deadly Inheritance (A Miss Morton Mystery)
England, 1838. In the latest Miss Morton mystery, Caroline Morton, a lady who has fallen upon hard times after the suicide of her deeply indebted father, works for the loquacious Mrs. Frogerton as a companion. Her younger sister, Susan, unhappily attends boarding school. One day Miss Morton finds herself summoned to her solicitor’s office. It seems that her father made a second will not long before his death. After this mysterious meeting, her solicitor’s office is ransacked and the man himself attacked in the street. The will itself, of course, vanishes without a trace. Not long after, he dies of his head injuries. Miss Morton once again finds herself forced to solve a murder.
She soon learns from a suitor, Mr. DeBloom, that her father had left her shares in a mine that very well might have been entirely fictitious. DeBloom’s mother, he claims, had an affair with the late Mr. Morton and persuaded him to invest in nonexistent South African mines. This seems to be related to the solicitor’s death. Miss Morton’s suspicions are further aroused when another person connected to the solicitor’s office is killed and she herself is attacked in the street by someone claiming to be working on behalf of the DeBlooms.
Overall, the book is a solid read, if more of a straight historical novel than a traditional mystery. There isn’t much detective work, nor can the ending be plausibly worked out in advance. I found Caroline’s strong character and determination to remain independent particularly engaging. She won’t let any man control her. The lack of romance is strangely appealing. I like that she never succumbs to the desire for marriage, like so many heroines. I also especially enjoyed Mrs. Frogerton’s talkative, amusing manner and genuine kindness towards Caroline.
