Miles Burton 
Heir to Lucifer 

Heir to Lucifer, first published in 1947, is book no. 35 in the series of British mysteries featuring amateur sleuth Desmond Merrion and his friend Inspector Henry Arnold by Miles Burton (a pen-name for prolific author Cecil Street [1884-1964]). Merrion and his under-the weather wife Mavis are on holiday in the quaint English seaside town of Croylehaven. The town is dominated by the wealthy Croyle family, who live in the large, grotesque Castle Croyle. The head of the family, Lord Croyle, is generally known as Lucifer, and is surrounded by a large number of heirs awaiting his demise. Murder ensues and Merrion finds himself called upon to solve the mystery.