Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

A skilfully twisty read where the events of the past catch up with the present. I thought this one might go down the supernatural route and it was a pleasant surprise that it didn’t.

A great read.
Connies husband Ray has died and has left a will, only thing is one of his daughters is not included in the will. Will the secret of the past come out and destroy their lives? Or will it stay buried. A gripping read that you won't want to put down once you start.

The Inheritance by Samantha Hayes

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Set in their family home in Scotland, our characters begin the story looking to grieve the loss of their father, Ray, whilst spending some quality family time together. From there, events immediately begin to spiral into chaos and things will never be the same again for all those present.

This book was filled with twists and turns right from the start. It's clear from the outset that something isn't quite as it seems regarding this family and their history. Due to this, the readers spend the entirity of the book with their mind whirring, trying to put the pieces together to work out the answer to the mystery of the family's background and the upcoming inheritance. The author does an amazing job at giving us just enough information so we can tell their is a mystery to he discovered, whilst also withholding key bits of information to keep us guessing. Clearly a lot of thought went into creating and writing the plot. I couldn't put this book down and found myself sucked into the drama.

The characters were intriguing and life-like. This was written in a split POV format with each of the characters having their own chapter written from their perspective which offered a brilliant insight into each of their lives and personal thoughts. It is clear that each character is facing their own struggles and worries whilst also trying to contend with the chaotic events happening around them. There were a few unlikeable characters at the start (Travis and Theo being the main ones) but, after reading from their POV, you start to piece together why they act in this way. Then, towards the end, the 'unlikeable' characters became some of my favourites and vice versa. The author does an amazing job at showing how the way we view people may not be true to who they are inside and that we should never judge people on the facade they show to the rest of the world. Connie was perhaps the most interesting character, and the more I learnt about her the more I realised just how good of a writer this author must be to truly delve into someone's mind and to write about such hard topics in the way she did. The characters are what made this book for me and I absolutely loved reading this from all of their perspectives at different points throughout.

The only part of this I didn't fully enjoy was the ending. I felt that the last chapter ended so abruptly that I had a multitude of questions that were left unanswered. Perhaps this was the aim of the author and, in that case, she definitely succeed. However, it is my personal preference that I like to leave the book having fully worked out the mystery and understanding exactly what has happened and how we got to that point. Don't get me wrong, the intense action and explanations given at the ending was great, but the whole birth mark issue was thrown in right at the end which left me feeling slightly confused and wondering how it all happened.

Overall I think this book has a really interesting, gripping plot and some brilliant characters who are so well thought-out, all of which made this book so fantastic. I overlooked my confusion regarding the ending when I rated this as I wholeheartedly believed the enjoyment I had reading this overweighed the slight disappointment I felt over the conclusion. The authors writing style is great, and I'm definitely planning to read more from her going forward. I would highly reccomend this book to any fans of psychological mystery/thriller novels.

I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Samantha Hayes for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The chaos of a good family drama with an extra little twist of a thriller! The Hunter family has many secrets and their assembly at the lake house will reveal all. While I was confused at first with everything going on in the first half of the book as well as slightly off-putting by some of the drily-written dialogue and narration of the book, , the plot twists really come together by the end! While the book was a bit slow for the first half and seemed mostly like a drama rather than a thriller, I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives that kept you guessing where the true story lied.

A very entertaining story that left some subtle clues as to how it will end that I didn't pick up on until 90% in. I also loved how the book ended, it came out of left field for me!
The element of suspense about the will was great and the different POVs were not confusing once I got into the story a little more.
I loved the twisty family dynamic and that being said, the first three quarters of the book definitely feel more like a drama than psychological thriller and started off a little slow. All in all though "The Inheritance" kept me engaged the entire time and it was fun to try to figure out what was going on.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title!

So it took me a bit to get into this book. I kept putting it down and picking it back up. There seemed to be too many characters and I couldn’t get hooked enough to keep them straight. BUT. I gave it and chance and wow!! It redeemed itself. Most of these thriller type books have one big twist at the end that you most often guess half way through the book. Without giving too much away, this book kept me surprised to the end. 5 stars.

With a dark secret from her past refusing to stay buried, a mother must finally reveal shocking truths that will tear her seemingly-perfect family apart. As secrets, lies, and devastating truths unravel at the Hunter family lodge, tensions run high and not all of them will survive the fallout.

"The Inheritance" by Samantha Hayes is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Hayes weaves a masterful tale of secrets, deception, and family dynamics that continues to build until the jaw-dropping truths come out in the end. She unveils the story through multiple character perspectives which keeps the reader fully engaged and wanting to dig deeper into each character's secrets and motives. This writing style helps with the pacing of the novel and the development of the intricate plot that will leaving readers guessing who to trust until the final page. With so many twists and turns, this thriller delivers a memorable and chilling tale that lingers long after the book is closed.

'The Inheritance" is a must-read for fans of Gillian Flynn, Lisa Jewell, and Freida McFadden.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Nl versie:

Weer een spannende thriller van Samantha Hayes. Dit verhaal laat zien hoe het overlijden van een gezinslid een heel familie verleden met bij behorende geheimen. Hayes bouwt zoals wij gewend zijn de spanning mooi op en neemt je mee in de hoofden van de overlevende gezinsleden. Hayes is terecht een thriller icoon die duidelijk haar eigen stijl heeft. Dit is alweer het tweede boek dit jaar. Een aanrader.

English version:

Another exciting new thriller from Samantha Hayes. This story shows how a death in a family can drag up a lot of hidden past and hidden secrets. Hayes gives us the excitment and thrills we know she gives. She takes you into the head of the surviving family members. Hayes is a real thriller icon with her own unique style. This is her second book this year. What a joy. A must read.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an early copy of The Inheritance. Always love a Samantha Hayes book, but it definitely was not a psychological, I would say it was a family drama but It was a Great Book!!!! Loved it. Great characters, awesome plot, fast moving read. Sooooo many different stories going on and all of them were excellent. I was a bit confused at one part of the end but all in all a definite WINNER!!!

This book hurt my brain. It says it's in someone's pov but the writing doesn't even change so it's like it's in one pov. There was so many povs and characters. It was so confusing. The ending was okay but it only got good after 60%

This was a great book - the complex family dynamics were compelling to read. Each character was well developed and I loved all the obvious and hidden relationships among them. The plot had lots of twists and turns - which overlapped and had mini twists among each turn! It kept me guessing right until the end.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Families and their secrets….. if only people’d learn that things/the truth will always surface. Sometimes they surface when family members are 6ft under. Not everyone takes their secrets to their grave and they leave a mess behind. Lots of twists in The Inheritance. This was a page turner, with quick, short chapters. I liked it!
Thank You to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Samantha Hayes for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC.

"The Inheritance" by Samantha Hayes is a domestic suspense novel that delves into family secrets and lies. Following the Hunter family after the death of their father, the story unfolds with shocking revelations and unexpected twists. Although the book starts slow, it gains momentum in the gripping final part. The character development and multiple perspectives add depth to the story, and the clever twists keep readers engaged. While the pacing could be improved and the ending feels rushed, Hayes showcases her talent for creating relatable characters and delivering surprises. Overall, "The Inheritance" is a satisfying read for fans of slow-burn mysteries with flawed characters.

It feels like there are just too many secrets and none seem to connect... or do they?

It's kind of hard to keep up with what's actually happening and what is being inferred. It's a good story but the writing is all over the place. I can't figure out half the time if I missed something in the pages prior or if the information wasn't provided to us. There's a ton of suspense and buildup, but I feel like i'm missing the punchline.

Ultimately I enjoyed the plot line, it was unique and interesting. But the aforementioned elements were a bit lacking for me in particular.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

When I first started the book, I thought I'd be faced with the reading of a will and go from there. I was so mistaken !! They all have their secrets and little twists all along the way.. And what an end ! I couldn't believe my eyes. I found this book very interesting, filled with twists !

I really enjoy Samantha Hayes books I find she has a really good ability of giving us characters that are very easy to relate to.Filled with strong females each with their own secrets this book slowly built into a really good read and I did enjoy the couple of twists at the end.
More of a mystery read compared to what she has written before. It would make a good holiday read.
Recommended
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

"The Inheritance" by Samantha Hayes is a domestic suspense novel about family ties, shared grief, secrets, and lies.

The story revolves around the Hunter family. After the death of Ray, the head of the family, his wife Connie invites their three daughters and their families to their Lochside retreat. Ray forced her hand with his will, so she needs to tell them the secret she hid for a couple of decades, a secret that may tear the family apart. She is not the only one with secrets, however. It is the first full family gathering after the death of the father, and emotions run high. The family holiday slowly turned into horror as secret after secret is revealed, unraveling the cracks in the family in the process. And just when you think you know what is going to happen, the author flips everything upside down.

I was delighted to read this book when I first read the blurb. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time getting into the story due to the slow pace and excessive self-reflection. It is more of a family drama rather than a thriller, although there are a few intense moments.

On the positive side, I liked that the characters' thoughts are shown throughout the book. It added depth to the tale. The story is divided into three sections and alternates between flashbacks and different points of view, which I liked. I also appreciated the family dynamics and how the author used flashbacks to fill in the history of the main characters. Although I suspect a couple of the secrets, there were a few that managed to surprise me.

In regard to the writing style, the pacing was incredibly slow. In fact, the plot only starts to accelerate in the last third of the story. The book focuses on the characters and their inner thoughts and emotions rather than the plot, and the story is conveyed through the thoughts of the characters. In itself, it is a good thing. However, it was overly done, sometimes to an unnecessary extent, and after a while, it became exhausting and the plot felt drawn. While the reflections added a great deal to the overall story, the verbosity made my mind wander off at times.

The last part of the book was its saving grace and the reason I decided to rate the book 2.5 out of 5 stars. Everything flowed better in that part. From that point, the plot moved full steam ahead, and I couldn't put the book down until I reached the end. Speaking about the ending, it felt a bit abrupt and left a few loose threads. I recommend the book to those who don't mind slow-burn books, enjoy self-analysis and multiple POVs, and prefer their characters flawed.

* Triggers: loss, rape, death.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

I thought I had this one figured out. I had some of it but all the twists towards the end really had me shook. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was confusing at times but I got through it and I am pleased I did.

I was hooked on to the book just from reading the blurb as it seemed it will be full of good twists and turns. I enjoyed finding out about all the woman in the story and how they're story develops. I did find it however towards the end of being too many twists.

The Inheritance is a crazy family drama told through multiple POV's. This started of very slow for me and I was tempted to DNF a few times but the ending had amazing twists and everything went out with a bang so I felt like it was worth sticking with to see how everything turns out. I do think the writing and concept is great I just wish everything was a bit faster paced