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Summary
Summary
After her Aunt Penelope dies, historical researcher Penny Nichols is astonished to learn that not only is she a bona fide heiress-but she's also been invited to put her research skills to work. This time, the history she's researching happens to be her very own. What she discovers about Aunt Penelope-a pair of wills, double lives, secret histories, and a family tree of vultures-is about to sweep Penny and a long-lost relative across France, over the hills of Italy, and throughout half of Europe on the adventure of several lifetimes.
Author Notes
C. A. Belmond was awarded an Edward F. Albee Foundation Fellowship and was twice a Pushcart Press Editors' Book Award finalist. A writer in residence at the Károlyi Foundation in the south of France, her original screenplays were shortlisted at Robert Redford's Sundance Institute and at the Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference. Belmond has written and produced television dramas and documentaries, and taught writing at New York University.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Belmond gets her story off to an appealing start by tapping into the near-universal fantasy of a distant, elderly relative leaving behind a pile of loot. Penny Nichols (yes, she hates her silly name) is toiling as a low-paid historical researcher on film sets when she learns her Great-aunt Penelope-whom she met only once-has died and left her, well, something. Her parents dispatch her to London for the reading of the will, where she is reintroduced to her dashing cousin Jeremy. Penny gets left the contents of a garage adjoining her aunt's villa in the south of France and travels there with Jeremy to discover it contains a rare antique car. It doesn't take long for the family to split into factions competing for greater shares of the estate, which provides the narrative with an oversize share of twists and turns, especially concerning Jeremy's true parentage. It's evident from the moment of Penny and Jeremy's first encounter as adults that they will end up together, and the thin obstacles the author places between them quickly become tedious. Luckily, Belmond's spirited heroine is likable enough to guide readers through the wobbly plot. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Plucky American tracks down an unexpected European inheritance in Belmond's debut. For most of her adult life, Penny Nichols has spent her days in a small New York apartment making ends meet on a freelancer's meager salary. As a researcher, Penny's job entails unearthing tiny facts and trivia about important female figures in history. While working on a film in France, Penny gets the news that her great-aunt has died. Penny is summoned by her relatives to London to be present at the reading of the will. Great-Aunt Penelope (Penny's parents smartly named their only child after the wealthy dowager) has bequeathed her fortune to Penny and her two British cousins, Jeremy and Rollo. The split of the inheritance stirs up jealousy and a bit of intrigue: Rollo contests the will. Jeremy and Penny haven't seen each other in more than a decade, but both harbor sentimental remembrances of past family gatherings. Based on her instincts, Penny forms an alliance with Jeremy to fend off Rollo's advances--Rollo will use any means necessary to secure the valuable assets (including a priceless 15th-century painting and a vintage automobile). As Jeremy and Penny battle Rollo's attacks, they discover family secrets that threaten to destroy their bond. The very reserved Jeremy and the rather spastic Penny must learn to trust each other and work as a team in order to solve the mysteries surrounding Penelope's life, and protect their rightful inheritance. Belmond throws in everything--mystery, romance, a whirlwind tour of Europe's hot spots--but the story fails to generate heat. A pleasant jaunt through Europe, ruined by a gimmicky plot. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
\rtf1\ansi\deff0The heroine of Belmond's first outing, the improbably named Penny Nichols, finds herself an heiress after her great aunt Penelope dies. Penny flies to London for the reading of Penelope's will and is met by her dashing cousin Jeremy, a barrister. Jeremy receives Penelope's luxurious French villa, while Penny is given her London flat and the contents of the villa's garage. Although their feckless cousin Rollo is well provided for, too, he is envious of his cousins' inheritances and drops a bombshell: Jeremy might not be a blood relation. The revelation sends Jeremy into a depressive funk, causing him to withdraw from Penny, who becomes determined to discover the truth. As she starts to dig into the family's history, the mystery takes her back several generations, and she realizes the connections among them all are more complex than she ever could have imagined. An entertaining yarn with family drama and intrigue aplenty. --Kristine Huntley Copyright 2006 Booklist