
The Deadly Inheritance of Everest Macdonald
This year's most thrilling historical mystery ... by the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Betrayal of Thomas True
A. J. West(Author)
Orenda Books (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 8. October 2026
Book
Hardback
300 pages
978-1-917764-63-6 (ISBN)
Description
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.
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 passed to Everest by her dying father 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.
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 passed to Everest by her dying father 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.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Laminated cover
Dimensions
Height: 204 mm
Width: 125 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-917764-63-6 (9781917764636)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

A. J. West
The Deadly Inheritance of Everest Macdonald
This year's most thrilling historical mystery ... by the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Betrayal of Thomas True
E-Book
approx. 10/2026
ORENDA BOOKS
€11.99
Not yet available
Person
A.J. West grew up reading books to escape his shyness at school and discovered an early talent for writing fiction which led to an award-winning career as a BBC television newsreader and reporter. He has also written for national newspapers and magazines and has appeared on television programmes including BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, This Morning and the legendary reality television show, Big Brother, where he became an instant household name... though the specific household has yet to be identified. Today, A.J. lives in South London with his husband, Nicholas Robinson.