The Belting Inheritance (British Library Crime Classics)

An appealing, entertaining mystery by a young Julian Symons, more fun in many ways than his later more well-known work. Many thanks to the British Library Crime Classics for bringing it back.

A thriller published in 1964 and authored by longtime British crimewriter Julian Symons, "The Belting Inheritance" uses as its core a gripping idea, the return from war of someone long thought dead. This plot archetype is perhaps best known from "The Return of Martin Guerre" and hinted at but not exploited in the BBC miniseries "Downton Abbey". Symons effort predates both of these and plants the idea in the aftermath of World War II. "The Belting Inheritance" is a very traditional British thriller in many ways: a rich upper class family living in an antiquated country villa, a self-conscious narrator who is part of this family yet not really part of it, and an often wry tone. Symons assembles the story well, with the first half of "Belting" showing a knack for plotting and for foreshadowing and setting up plot developments. The basic idea of the storyline is absolutely compelling. I should mention that I have read this book twice, once many years ago and just recently as I had vivid memories of the first reading. Any book that can evoke such a response can't be a bad one. That said, I saw significant weaknesses in plotting later in "Belting" that prevent me from giving it five stars. The most prominent problem occurs in the narrator's visit to Paris, where most of the cast of characters from Belting reassembles, for reasons that are not convincingly explained. The narrator's visit to Brighton is also marred by unbelievable coincidences. In short, a basic idea that grabs you, a convincing exposition and lazy plotting round off for 4 stars.

I've read a couple of Symons' earlier mysteries lately and have enjoyed both of them despite the fact that both had the sort of plots I usually don't like. They were light, literate, and well written. The Belting Inheritance employs one of the oldest mystery plots, the appearance of an heir long thought dead, yet it is given an interesting spin by being told from the viewpoint of a teenage boy. The story proceeds with all the speed of a Hardy Boy mystery, with just enough mystery, romance, and suspense to keep things moving. Though originally published in 1965, it most resembles the best sort of mystery from the Golden Age. As a footnote, I particularly liked the production values of the book. The British Library Crime Classics series employs vintage artwork that add to the feel of the book and I appreciate the very readable typeface and font size of the print edition.

The writer seems to be trying to deconstruct the typical English country house murder mystery, with a family all waiting around for their inheritance, and a local inspector called in, reluctantly, to solve a murder. But about halfway through, the narrator runs off to various English cities and to Paris, chasing a magician and various free-love types. Maybe the author was trying to bring an old cliche into the 60s. There are a couple of very strange details. In Paris, the narrator and his girlfriend look at a map of the city that she bought "at the airport." But there was no airport mentioned earlier. They got to Paris by train and boat. Even stranger, why would the couple, when they marry, name their son after a con-man double murderer?! Thus, three stars.

The Belting Inheritance is an "old fashioned" British mystery is the best sense of the word. I have read other books by Julian Symonds, who is an excellent writer. This novel is based on a real crime story. I found all the characters interesting, except for the narrator, who seemed more of a device than a real person. However, I enjoyed reading this novel and would recommend it to anyone who wants the comfort of this genre.

Love the covers in this series!

Christopher Barrington is brought to Belting as a young boy after his parents die in a plane crash. The formidable Lady Wainwright considers him a duty. But they also like each other, and young Christopher slowly settles into the Victorian Gothic pile that is Belting, and the eccentric family it houses. He has two older cousins whom he’s told to call uncles. Uncle Stephen is tightly clothed, white faced, sharp nosed, thin lipped , and disapproving. His wife breeds unruly bull terriers. Genial Uncle Miles is addicted to puns, word play, and horse racing. Hugh and David, the two older sons of Lady Wainwright, were reported missing and presumed dead in World War II. The reappearance of “David” launches the plot. Lady Wainwright is thrilled. Her other sons fear for their inheritance. Christopher is an engaging narrator, both intelligent and innocent, and neutral amidst the roiling emotions in the household. He is just interested in the truth. This leads him to investigate the identity of David. A servant of the house is murdered, as well, and this might be related to the reappearance of David. And then there was a murder ten years ago that required the testimony of the Wainwrights. Christopher, now eighteen, is consumed by detective fever. He teams up with a young lady journalist as avid to investigate as he is. This is a lot of fun. And the writing style is full of gentle wit. The story has elements of the classic country house mystery. But it’s also a coming of age story, and a fascinating window into the changing mores of the times. First published in 1964, it bridges the Golden Age and the emerging bohemianism of the sixties. The plot evolves into an “elaborate fandango” ( to quote the book) in the end. I liked the complexities of the puzzle less than the charming flow of the story. But overall I loved this book. British Crime Classics always include an informative introduction, as does the Belting Inheritance. I always appreciate being able to learn a bit about the author and the context of the book.

very good story -- kept me guessing --

The author certainly knew how to spin a great yarn! Storytelling is a craft and Julian Symons was a master at it! Awesome stuff!

I loved the period detail,the believable characters and the amusing narrative voice. Oh, and the clever twist at the end.

intrique and suspense makes for a good read. ideal for a long train journey,you will be annoyed that you have arrived before you have finished it. can recommend.

The book starts out well, and the first half is intriguing. But the second half, in Paris , seems really confused, as if written by someone else, and doesn't hold one's interest.

It is rare indeed for me to disagree with the fascinating intro by Martin Edwards. Yes ,it was interesting but I am afraid I totally disagreed with his positive assessment of this book. In fact I think I would agree more with the author's own down beat feelings. It seemed very disjointed and the actual murder(s) seemed to drift in and out of the overall picture . The only characters who engaged my attention were Uncle Miles and Betty . The plotting seemed to be a little clunky and the ending was both obvious and rushed . This wouldn't matter to me so much had not Symons been so very critical of many other Crime Writers for just these faults . There were some interesting moments and I suspect readers more interested in poetry might find some parts interesting . For me a then a fairly poor entrant into the really excellent British Library Crime Collection. I hope the other book offers a different perspective. Incidentally there is no need at all to rewrite the first class synopsis .