Testament to Murder by Vivian Conroy

No Spoiler Book Review

Testament to Murder is a 1920s murder mystery set in a coastal French mansion. Malcolm Is dying and has invited his closest friends and relatives to be with him in his final days. He intends to select an heir, but there is a catch…

Every day a new heir will be selected from the party. Whoever is heir the day Malcolm dies inherits everything.
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Malcolm anticipates this scheme will put his life in danger and maybe even shorten his suffering. He expects that he will learn the true nature of his heirs. Like most experiments, the outcome is rather different than expected.

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This is a large cast mystery. There is the dying, the nurse, the assistant, the lawyer, the ex-wife, the daughter-in-law, the troubled teen, and the policeman. These are just the main characters and most likely suspects, there are still more people at the villa. If you like books with lots of suspects, you will love this!

I enjoyed the mystery and was surprised with the multi-layered and complicated plot and ending. My only complaint is that I did not feel a connection to a particular character. I liked Cecily (the ex-wife) and would love to see her as a more prominent narrator. It would also be interesting to get more from Malcolm’s (the dying's) point of view. Again, this was a quick, fun mystery with a great plot, I just wanted to connect more with the characters.

This is the first book in a four book series by Vivian Conroy. Conroy is a huge fan of Agatha Christie and her writing and plot development reflects that admiration. This book will keep you guessing to the very last page and I’m sure the series will do the same.

This is a great choice for readers of Agatha Christie, and fans of the movies Knives Out and Clue. Anyone who thinks the more suspects the merrier will have a blast with this full house!  
 
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Amazon Summary

Suspenseful from the first page to the last, A Testament to Murder is perfect for fans of And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, and Crooked House.
 
A dying billionaire. Nine would-be heirs. But only one will take the prize...
 
At the lush Villa Calypso on the French Riviera, a dying billionaire launches a devious plan: at midnight each day he appoints a new heir to his vast fortune. If he dies within 24 hours, that person takes it all. If not, their chance is gone forever.

Yet these are no ordinary beneficiaries, these men who crossed him, women who deceived him, and distant relations intent on reclaiming the family fortune. All are determined to lend death a hand and outwit their rivals in pursuit of the prize.

As tensions mount with every passing second, retired Scotland Yard investigator Jasper must stay two steps ahead of every player if he hopes to prevent the billionaire’s devious game from becoming a testament to murder…

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