Gault 2 - Dust Cover summary - Any comments?

[Cornelius Gault]

Here is a synopsis of my story:

James Anthony Wells lived a mundane life working for his rich uncle’s company. His life changes suddenly when his uncle dies, leaving him a Victorian mansion as his inheritance. He is soon catapulted into a world of mystery and intrigue when he discovers his uncle’s secret journals that explain his money-making techniques - secrets which could cost him his life.

Basic Plot

This is an adventure story that takes place in the near future on Earth (2073) in the United States. The story also contains elements of Science Fiction (occurring in the “modern day”) and mystery (occurring in the story’s Victorian-era Gault Manor).

The protagonist finds the journals of a recently deceased relative, who acquired information from the future in order to “invent” things or otherwise become rich. The back story is told through journal entries of the previous mansion’s owners.

1. I haven't yet figured out the mystery of how "it could cost his life".

2. I am connecting the future with the past in that a time device was discovered in the 1800s that was accidently transported there from the far future, with no record of where it ended up (there was an explosion). I want to gradually let the characters and their descendents find out about the device, but keeping in mind the technology of the era as years pass. As scientific knowledge develops, different aspects of the time device might be discovered.

3. The time device is passed down through inheritance from the 1800s to 2073.

Any comments are welcomed, but I realize if may be difficult to comment on so vague a description.