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The Legacy: A Novel (2010)

by Kirsten Tranter

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1266214,805 (2.93)9
A WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS PAPERBACK ORIGINAL A thrilling and addictive novel about three unlikely friends and the web of lies that unravels after one of them goes missing. At the center of The Legacy is the story of Julia Alpers, her friend Ralph, and the beautiful and wealthy Ingrid. As students in Sydney, the bond that ties this threesome together is complex--delicate and intense, shaped by intellect, and defined by desire. When Ingrid falls in love and marries the much older and very handsome Gil Grey, she decides to leave her friends and settle in New York City, where Gil is a major player in the art world. It is here that she becomes stepmother to Gil's teenage daughter, a former child prodigy, and begins her own work on rare, ancient texts called "curse scrolls" at Columbia University. But on the morning of September 11, 2001, she has an appointment downtown. And is never seen again. Devastated and heartsick, Ralph sends Julia to New York to investigate Ingrid's last days. What Julia discovers plunges her more deeply into Ingrid's life than she could ever imagine. As Julia grows closer to unearthing the truth about Ingrid's death, she is forced to confront her conflicted feelings about her former friend and to make a crucial decision about her own future. Praised by international critics as an "entertaining literary thriller that skillfully describes the almost pleasurable pain of love and life denied" (The Australian), The Legacy is an utterly addictive and beautifully written novel that introduces a brilliant new voice in fiction.… (more)
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Showing 1-5 of 6 (next | show all)
(7.5) ( )
  HelenBaker | Nov 2, 2021 |
This is a slow moving book at first concentrating on developing the three main characters, Julia, Ingrid and Ralph, but it still did keep me interested and when it came to the mystery element in the second part I was hooked and wanted to read to the end. Ingrid goes to America to marry an older man Gil Grey and then on September 11th 2001 she has an appointment down town and is never seen again. Julia goes to America to find out about Ingrid's life there and it is then that the mystery deepens. Did Ingrid in fact die that day? I enjoyed the book. It kept me interested till the end. ( )
  kiwifortyniner | Apr 26, 2011 |
The story started off a bit slow, there was quite of bit of background information given on how the 3 main characters met and their relationship to each other. But I thought the writing was very beautiful. You find out right away that Ingrid goes missing and Julia begins to discover that her death/disappearance may not be as it first seems. I couldn't wait to finish this novel and the ending did not disappoint me. A really satifsying, good read. ( )
  melaniehope | Mar 1, 2011 |
I am amazed that this slow story could hold my interest so long! It takes at least half the book to discover that Ingrid has disappeared presumed dead, with the over-riding possibility of a mystery or crime. The book is well-written. ( )
  pam.furney | Nov 4, 2010 |
The Legacy by Kirsten Tranter. It also has one of the most gorgeous covers I’ve seen. But the content is disappointing. The plot is good- girl goes missing in New York on September 11, 2001- or does she? But it doesn’t seem to execute itself well- jumping back and forth in time, vaguely alluding to events and skipping large chunks of time. After 150 pages, I gave up and read the last chapter. I still can’t tell you exactly if Isabel was killed, disappeared or simply never existed- but I don’t care. There’s no sympathy created for the characters and the descriptions of Perth as a backwater were cruel and unjustified. I would debate whether the author has ever been to Perth, as the descriptions of the city are unclear and geographically incorrect. Just goes to show that a PhD doesn’t automatically make you a writer! Research is completely different to fiction writing and this book could have used some emotion and editing. ( )
1 vote birdsam0610 | Jul 25, 2010 |
Showing 1-5 of 6 (next | show all)
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Epigraph
Well! And what if she should die some afternoon,
Afternoon grey and smoky, evening yellow and rose;
Should die and leave me sitting pen in hand
With the smoke coming down above the housetops;
Doubtful, for a while
Not knowing what I feel or if I understand
Or whether wise or foolish, tardy or too soon...
Would she not have the advantage, after all?
The music is successful with a "dying fall"
Now that we talk of dying -
And should I have the right to smile?
- T.S. Eliot, 'The Portrait of a Lady'
Dedication
In memory of departed friends,
Josh and Kirstin
First words
Fleur knocked on my door and I must have been asleep because it seemed to wake me.
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A WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS PAPERBACK ORIGINAL A thrilling and addictive novel about three unlikely friends and the web of lies that unravels after one of them goes missing. At the center of The Legacy is the story of Julia Alpers, her friend Ralph, and the beautiful and wealthy Ingrid. As students in Sydney, the bond that ties this threesome together is complex--delicate and intense, shaped by intellect, and defined by desire. When Ingrid falls in love and marries the much older and very handsome Gil Grey, she decides to leave her friends and settle in New York City, where Gil is a major player in the art world. It is here that she becomes stepmother to Gil's teenage daughter, a former child prodigy, and begins her own work on rare, ancient texts called "curse scrolls" at Columbia University. But on the morning of September 11, 2001, she has an appointment downtown. And is never seen again. Devastated and heartsick, Ralph sends Julia to New York to investigate Ingrid's last days. What Julia discovers plunges her more deeply into Ingrid's life than she could ever imagine. As Julia grows closer to unearthing the truth about Ingrid's death, she is forced to confront her conflicted feelings about her former friend and to make a crucial decision about her own future. Praised by international critics as an "entertaining literary thriller that skillfully describes the almost pleasurable pain of love and life denied" (The Australian), The Legacy is an utterly addictive and beautifully written novel that introduces a brilliant new voice in fiction.

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What has happened to Ingrid?
Beautiful Ingrid inherits a fortune and leaves Australia, and her friends, and Ralph who loves her, to marry Gil Grey and set up home amid the New York art world. There she becomes the stepmother to Gil's teenage artist daughter Fleur, a former child prodigy, and studies ancient curse scrolls at Columbia University. But at 9am on September 11, 2001, she has an appointment downtown. And is never seen again.

Or is she?

Searching for clues about Ingrid's life a year later, her friend Julia uncovers only further layers of mystery and deception.

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