British mysteries

I'm a big fan of British mysteries. I dedicated my last book to Wilkie, Arthur, and Agatha. Has anyone ever noticed that the core of British mysteries is inheritances? The most common plotline is that someone kills to ensure an inheritance they either don't deserve or do but have been denied for some reason.

But there is an unfortunate side effect of these plots: it makes the British look like a bunch of lazy louts who have no ambition except to inherit money and sit around all day on their "bums."  

I don't think the work ethic of the little island that colonized the world is as bad as is portrayed in these mysteries.