Costain Thomas B. Costain 
Tontine, Volume 2 

In volume II of The Tontine, the multigenerational story of 3 families continues. The number of recipients receiving payouts on the life insurance scheme are dying out and the payouts are becoming more and more substantial. Towards the end, when the recipients become a mere handful, all sorts of betting occurs in the general populace on who will be the last survivor. Who wins the tontine and who loses?