Bricks and Mortality

An old house, long left empty, burns to the ground one night and a body is discovered in the ashes. The owner, Gervase Crown, must return from abroad but he is not made welcome. Memories are long in the countryside and his return sparks recall of an old tragedy. But Gervase's own memories of his family home are not happy ones. Unhappy enough to make him want to destroy it? So, is he the arsonist or was he, perhaps, the intended to be the victim? If he was meant to be the victim, will the killer try again? If not, who is the dead man in the burnt out ruins?