A review by caroparr
The Belting Inheritance by Julian Symons

3.0

A very odd little book, that I re-read (since I own an ancient paperback copy, I guess I'd read it before) because it was mentioned as having the same premise as Tey's [b:Brat Farrar|243397|Brat Farrar|Josephine Tey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1431290764l/243397._SY75_.jpg|67009121]. In this case, the oldest son, believed to have been killed in WWII, re-appears as his mother is close to death, and she decides to change her will in his favor. The two remaining brothers doubt him, but he passes several tests (appendix scar, details about friends, etc.). Still, our narrator thinks there's more to be discovered. At this point the story goes off the rails. Next thing we know, a family retainer has been killed (very little happens about this, though), we're on a quick trip to Paris, drinking absinthe in a hallucinatory bar, tracking down a magician and puppeteer, and briefly encountering two mysterious men, Ulfheim and Strawman, who may be the key to the mystery. Oh, and there's heroin addiction. And avant-garde theater. And the story is told by the now-adult narrator, thirty years on. And there's a twist. Quite a wild ride.