PRE-ORDER NOW - 8th October 2026

Set in wartime London and based on a true story, Everest Macdonald investigates the murder of her uncle, the actor William Terriss. A riveting, dark historical mystery from Sunday Times bestselling author A.J. West.

Some inherit a fortune. She inherited murder…1917. As the Great War rages on the continent, Everest Macdonald is summoned to her father's deathbed and entrusted with a final urgent request: she must uncover the truth behind the murder of her uncle, the celebrated Victorian actor William Terriss, a crime that has haunted her family for twenty years.

In 1897, Terriss was stabbed to death outside London’s Adelphi Theatre, a killing that shocked Victorian society. The murderer was swiftly arrested and confined to Broadmoor, the case declared closed. Yet, years later, a sealed package of evidence is passed to Everest by her dying father, which casts doubt on the official verdict and the haste with which it was reached.

Drawn back to wartime London, with her husband and children left behind, Everest begins her investigation, following a trail that leads her into the world of late-Victorian theatre, where fame and fortune mask obsession, envy and cruelty. With time running out and her father’s strength failing, Everest must uncover what really happened on the night Terriss died, and shed light on the unsettling legacy he left behind. Based on an extraordinary true story, The Deadly Inheritance of Everest Macdonald is a dark, atmospheric historical mystery and a compelling adventure, as an unlikely investigator risks everything to pursue one of the most notorious killings of the Victorian stage.

‘Everest Macdonald is a hero for the ages: fearless, formidable, and with a wit that could outfox any foe! A hugely evocative tale of madness, betrayal and revenge’ Stephanie Bramwell-Lawes,

‘A twisty, fiendishly clever mystery story … I love the vivid period detail, the one-of-a-kind characters, and the settings that feel so real. Totally unputdownable!’ Gill Paul,

‘Meet Everest Macdonald, your new favourite historical sleuth … a work of Bayeux proportions, beautifully imagined with perfect pacing and twists galore!’ Janice Hallett

‘A dark confection of phantoms, hidden motives, the angst of the Victorian theatre … and murder’ Vaseem Khan

‘You are in for one hell of a ride when you meet Everest Macdonald!' Essie Fox