IMOGEN CLARK – AN UNWANTED INHERITANCE *****

I read this novel in advance of publication through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

‘Caroline found the money in a battered suitcase under the narrow bed in the box room.’

Could you have a more intriguing opening sentence, one that sets up the premise of this extraordinary page-turner of a novel in just one line?

Money is something we can all relate to. As is death. And the combination of both, and the ramifications of the viewpoints of those left behind, are explosive.

Mother of two Caroline is married to laid-back Max, whose larger-than-life father Tony Frost - ex-mayor, and supposed pillar of the community - has recently died. Caroline’s best friend is Max’s sister Ellie, a spoiled princess of a woman on the cusp of her fortieth birthday, living with her husband James and their two equally spoilt children in their mansion where money seems to be no object, and charming always-in-debt youngest sibling Nathan, the outsider.

You’d have thought the discovery of a suitcase stuffed with money would bring joy to this tight-knit family. Not a bit of it. It tears them apart. Not only is there doubt about the legality of the stash, and what their father had done to obtain it, but they all have conflicting views of how it should be split, if at all.

For a story about an apparently ordinary suburban family, this is every bit as exhilarating as the recent James Patterson I’ve just finished, but with better characterisation and a twist worthy of a thriller.

Can’t recommend this latest Imogen Clark highly enough. See if you can put it down.

Let me admit upfront that I am a big fan of Imogen Clark's novels. This one is no different. Max, Ellie, and Nathan have some interesting family dynamics: the overbearing, know-it-all brother in law, the brother with some addiction issues, the sister who is a borderline snob, etc. It's how Clark weaves these personalities together that is addictive to the reader. The plot centers on the unexpected death of Tony, their father, and how they deal with the very unexpected revelation of a suitcase full of cash. As she notes in the Acknowledgments, this book is really about integrity and honesty. And like in all of her books, the startling abrupt twists and turns will make you not want to put this one down. Bravo Ms. Clark.

A dysfunctional family grieving is one of my favourite tropes. I liked this book. I liked the resolution. It was written well.