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A review by ssejig
The Crooked Wreath by Christianna Brand
4.0
The cast:
Ellen - Married to Phillip for five years with one child; generally jolly but now shocked because her husband has a secret
Phillip - doctor, having an emotional affair (at least) with Ellen's friend Clair
Clair- newspaper woman, cousin to Phillip (relationships between cousins were not regarded as unnatural in England at the time this book was written)
Edward - half-cousin to Clair, Peta and Phillip (his father was the offspring of their shared grandfather); the type of character who likes to wallow about in his own psychosis; his latest psychiatrist has told him he might be prone to fugue states; new heir after Bella dies
Peta - the heir presumptive to Sir Richard March, daughter of his oldest son, in love with Stephen
Bella - Edward's grandmother, Sir Richard's former mistress now his wife and the person who is going to be the heir under Sir Richard's new will
Sir Richard - still loving his dead wife, Seraphita, has his family down every year on the anniversary of her death
Stephen - family lawyer and a beau of Peta's, well, he loves her but doesn't feel comfortable courting her because he is a "quiet country lawyer" and she is an heiress
WWII is on but everyone is gathered at the family estate Swanswater. As so often happens, a grumpy old rich man is killed after he threatens to disinherit his family. The grandchildren weren't that worried, to begin with. They had had some high spirits at dinner and secrets came out. Sir Richard decides to sleep in the lodge. The next morning, when Clair takes his breakfast tray, he is dead.
So Many Red Herrings. And such a dramatic ending. I think, definitely, the audiobook is the way to go. David Thorn adds emotion that I would not have otherwise gotten out of this story.
Ellen - Married to Phillip for five years with one child; generally jolly but now shocked because her husband has a secret
Phillip - doctor, having an emotional affair (at least) with Ellen's friend Clair
Clair- newspaper woman, cousin to Phillip (relationships between cousins were not regarded as unnatural in England at the time this book was written)
Edward - half-cousin to Clair, Peta and Phillip (his father was the offspring of their shared grandfather); the type of character who likes to wallow about in his own psychosis; his latest psychiatrist has told him he might be prone to fugue states; new heir after Bella dies
Peta - the heir presumptive to Sir Richard March, daughter of his oldest son, in love with Stephen
Bella - Edward's grandmother, Sir Richard's former mistress now his wife and the person who is going to be the heir under Sir Richard's new will
Sir Richard - still loving his dead wife, Seraphita, has his family down every year on the anniversary of her death
Stephen - family lawyer and a beau of Peta's, well, he loves her but doesn't feel comfortable courting her because he is a "quiet country lawyer" and she is an heiress
WWII is on but everyone is gathered at the family estate Swanswater. As so often happens, a grumpy old rich man is killed after he threatens to disinherit his family. The grandchildren weren't that worried, to begin with. They had had some high spirits at dinner and secrets came out. Sir Richard decides to sleep in the lodge. The next morning, when Clair takes his breakfast tray, he is dead.
So Many Red Herrings. And such a dramatic ending. I think, definitely, the audiobook is the way to go. David Thorn adds emotion that I would not have otherwise gotten out of this story.