“Lorelli and Ovid Thornthwaite had been trying to kill each other for so long that neither twin could remember which act of murder came first. Was it Lorelli’s cunning scheme to put on a play about the French Revolution, casting Ovid in the role of an aristocrat to be executed using a working guillotine? Or could it have been that long hot summer when Ovid managed to produce an iced lolly containing a small but deadly explosive, triggered by the surrounding ice reaching melting point? Whoever had struck first, trying to take each other’s life was now simply something the Thornthwaite twins did …”
Unusual? Certainly, but you have to bear in mind that Lorelli and Ovid had a rather unusual upbringing.
They grew up in an isolated 87 room mansion and, after their father and mother died, in rapid succession and in strange and little explained circumstances, they were brought up by the butler, the housekeeper, the cook and the gardener, with the estate that they inherited held in trust until they came of age.
The didn’t go to school, they didn’t even leave the grounds because, the butler explained, there were terrible dangers lurking.
That was why the household continued in mourning, wearing black, eating bland food, and even disconnecting the telephone and selling the television so that the outside word could not intrude.
Was it any wonder then, that the duo concocted dangers for themselves at home?
Eventually though they decided that enough was enough, and the family solicitor was summoned to ensure that the peace treaty was legal and binding. He arrived, accompanied by his young son, the deal was sealed, and yet the murder attempts continued.
A rampaging bear, an exploding piano, a killer bee hive …
The twins investigated, sometimes together and sometimes, when one believed the other to be responsible, apart.
They uncovered an extraordinarily complex plot: it involved a horribly overdue library book, a swiftly scored piece of music, an exploding piano …
At first progress was a little slow, and I wondered if I should be reading this children’s book, but soon things took off and I was hooked.
The plotting was so clever: it twisted and turned in fine style, and the author make excellent use of every character, every plot device that he introduced. That meant that there was plenty going on, and luckily it was well mixed and balanced and no problem to follow.
And there was much more here than mystery: it was lovely to watch Lorelli and Ovid on a voyage of discovery as they began to explore the world beyond their home and its grounds.
Eventually, of course, there was a grand denouement. Much was revealed, and quite a few fingers were pointed in wrong directions, before the final truth was revealed and justice was finally done.
The Thornthwaite Inheritance is a fine, witty, intelligent, gothic mystery.
Wonderful and unbelievable fun for all ages!
Fleur in her World 
This sounds like SUCH fun! Is it newly published?
I concur with Eva, it sounds fun!
It’s a fantastic book filled with fun and thrilling adventure you must read it!
I’ve just read the book it’s one of my a time favourites!!