The Southerly Curse (Before the Poet's Trap) - Sylvie Gallimore

Adam Southerly, a young man who only realises the extent of his father's depravity after his parents are killed in a coaching accident, always knew his father was a tyrant, but did not realise the extent of his evil. With the help of his loyal manservant, Martin, Adam spends several years trying to right all the wrongs of his father, but the task becomes overwhelming. Adam is only a man and one man can only do so much. There are so many people waiting for him to fail, calling him the spawn of the Devil. He takes a wrong turn himself and finds he has reason to doubt his own sanity. Finally, he lets down the very people he wanted to protect but as he tells Martin, sometimes the people you least expect let you down.