The Legacy by Katherine Webb Orion, HK$143 Katherine Webb's story is almost as interesting as that of The Legacy. Having worked in a number of jobs, she produced six novels, none of which were published. She submitted the opening chapters of number seven, The Legacy, to a peer-review website called YouWriteOn.com, and won its 2009 Novel of the Year. The rest is (publishing) history. Two sisters, Erica and Beth Calcott, inherit a posh country pile from their grandmother, a cold fish called Meredith. As children, Storton Manor was the idyllic location of their summer holidays; now it plays host to Beth's depression and Erica's memories of their past. These spring to life as she sorts through her grandmother's effects: her childhood friend, Dinny; her cousin Henry, who vanished almost two decades before; and the origins of the Calcotts themselves. This returns Erica to America at the turn of the 20th century, and the story of why her great-grandmother (Caroline) was forced to leave her homeland and re-invent herself as Lady Calcott in England. There is love gone wrong, mysterious kidnapping plots, illicit affairs and slow but satisfying plot twists. The Legacy is an assured and enjoyable debut.
