Synopsis

Saying Earl Kiddering is rich is like saying Babe Ruth hit a couple of homeruns, but saying he’s dead is more accurate. A month after the billionaire drowns in his own swimming pool, Earl’s great-niece, Genelle Starr, hires private investigator, Chase Michael DeBarlo, to find Kiddering’s missing will while other family members squabble over the fortune.

Dark family secrets are uncovered during Chase’s investigation, including adultery and tax evasion – and Earl’s death continues to look less and less like an accident. Earl’s wife, Josephine, introduces Chase to her late husband’s collection of ancient Chinese terra cotta vases which she believes holds the key to finding Earl’s will. This pits him against a Chinese underworld lord named Chan, a nearly invisible foe that is trying to mold the vase market to his liking, even if it means murder.

In the midst of his investigation for the will, Chase feels obligated to help his mother’s friend, Stella Bordwick, a lounge singer that fears she is being stalked. He reluctantly takes the case, fearing it may infringe on his time with the Kiddering case – and it does. He quickly finds himself saving Stella’s life from the stalker’s grip, but is then outsmarted in a downtown alley, the stalker slipping away while the police detain the wrong man.

More work is doused upon Chase as Earl’s son, Eric, the only family member who doesn’t seem to be solely out for the money, hires Chase to find out if his father had any children through his adulterous affairs. Eric claims his righteous goal is to ensure all Earl’s children receive a fair share of the estate. Clues provided by Eric end up leading Chase to a secret real estate operation once owned by Earl and now operated by Eric’s brother, Paul, and Genelle.

Deadly Heirs delves into the loyalties (and disloyalties) of family bonds, exposes a private investigator's time management crisis that could endanger human life if not handled correctly, and uncovers the corruption of a mysterious art market. How many more will die before Chase is able to solve the three cases he's taken on?