The entry begins:
Relative Fortunes, my debut historical mystery, features two estranged half-siblings separated by ten years and a world of grievances. When the novel opens, Julia Kydd knows little about her half brother, Philip, other than that he’s abruptly challenged their father’s will—just as she’s about to turn twenty-five and receive her inheritance.Visit Marlowe Benn's website.
The pair have every reason to mistrust each other. Julia is the daughter of their father’s second wife, a young Swedish bohemian whom he married shortly after the death of his first wife, Philip’s mother. Before Julia was born, Philip was dispatched to a succession of boarding schools. The two siblings share no family bond and no physical resemblance: Julia has her mother’s fair Scandinavian coloring and Philip bears the dark Mediterranean features of his mother.
Thrown together as adversaries, they spar throughout the novel. Philip’s wry, provocative wit sharpens Julia’s perceptions and judgments, but their spirited repartee—crackling at times—also illustrates the gendered disparity of their positions. Unlike Julia, Philip is secure in his wealth. The “squabble” that is high sport to him is deadly serious for her. Should his challenge prevail and her inheritance be denied, she’ll lose her financial independence, and with it her dream of making a mark in the world.
For Julia I would cast Swedish actress Alicia Vikander. Vikander could beautifully convey Julia’s discerning intelligence and natural elegance. I imagine Vikander…[read on]
My Book, The Movie: Relative Fortunes.
--Marshal Zeringue
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