The Road to Inheritance

Daniel Cure

Average Rating 7/10 (1 Review)

The novel concerns the activities of Will Monahue, specifically taking place during one summer. He is told by his uncle that his uncle has come into possession of an expensive piece of jewellery, and it his wish that it is sold, with the money to be bequeathed to Will when he comes of age. However, the necklace is then stolen suddenly, and with no insurance cover or clue as to the thief, his uncle's proposition seems destroyed. Taking advantage of a chance meeting, Will, together with his best friend, sets out to retrace the necklace, and in doing so, embarks on a treacherous journey, taking him all the way to Scotland in pursuit of a set of dangerous criminals. They soon find themselves prisoners in a remote house at the mercy of the man who orchestrated the theft. It takes a great deal of luck, and bravery on all parts for them to finally escape, and even then there is no guarantee that they will ever recover the necklace. Throughout the story, Will's difficulty in overcoming his great sense of guilt with regards to the robbery, and his feelings towards one of the girls from his college, Ellize, run as major themes.

Review by Ian Collins (100508) Rating (7/10)

Review by Ian Collins
Rating 7/10
The Road to Inheritance is an enjoyable, albeit brief young adult's thriller drawing upon the Hardy Boys as much as anything else for inspiration. The basic plot involves the somewhat naive attempts by Will Monahue to recover an item of valuable jewellery belonging to his uncle that was stolen one summers night. His efforts take him and his companion up to Scotland, where they become embroiled in the clandestine pursuits of a gang of criminals. Captured and held prisoners by the gang's vicious leader, they fear for their lives, however, a chance series of events presents an opportunity to escape and even to recover the necklace.

A promising start from Cure, The Road to Inheritance does contain references to a much wider pool of influences, with the character of Will's uncle drawing upon pulp fiction novels of the early twentieth century and his budding relationship with Ellize perhaps even a nod to Nick Hornby.
Ian Collins (10th May 2008)