This book is so good! There isn't much I love more than a good ol who dunnit in an isolated location! The book begins with the death, and you don't find out who died until the very end and who the killer was! I have been obsessing over this book since the day I read it! I love the backdrop of a prestigious, wealthy, well to do family and all the secrets and things hidden just below the surface of this seemingly perfect family. I will say, even after you think you got the biggest shock of your life - another will follow within the last page! Will for sure be checking out other books from this author! Loved it

Reunions can be so stressful right? Specially family’s. Meet the Agravals; a dysfunctional twisted family and they are going to get together in a secluded island located in Scotland.


It’s the first time the whole Agarwal family has been together in years, and they are hosting their parent’s anniversary. Their wealthy father is planning to announce how he will divide the money from the sale of his multimillion-dollar company between the three of his children. But the vacation time goes nothing like they planned because someone on the island is dead.


This story had me glued to the pages and I finished reading this one sitting. The chapters were short with multiple pov’s. and the writing was suspenseful. You will get to know about how Agrawals treat one another and all the characters were written wonderfully. They all had their own agenda and secrets they were keeping close. It was fun watching those get revealed slowly but surely. They all became more and more unlikeable as the story unfolded. The plot twists in this book and the ending were fantastic.

After all, wouldn’t you do anything to save your siblings or parents?

A Scottish island with a dark history, and a family with secrets, are the backdrop for this novel. The author takes family expectations and dynamics to the next level in this gripping thriller. It’s not just the inheritance, but it’s also about keeping family secrets safe at any cost. The ripple effects of the choices made years ago, and those made today, ultimately cost more than one life.

Ran Agarwal, a rich business tycoon is announcing his retirement from his multimillion business. The family gathers at the oldest child’s Scottish Island to learn the plan of their share of the family fortune. But each child has been made promises from their father in the past and he’s about to shatter their hopes and dreams. What sacrifices will each of them have to make and will it be worth it in the end?

Enjoyable book, kept my attention but I wanted more of a grip on me to keep me sucked into the story. She knows how to make you love characters you should hate

Book/Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5️
Book Cover: ⭐⭐⭐️.5

TRIGGER(S): MURDER, FAMILY TRAUMA, MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS, DOMESTIC ABUSE (OFF PAGE), LOSS OF CHILD/SIBLING (OFF PAGE), MISCARRIAGE, INFIDELITY (OFF PAGE)

<i>POV: Dual, First Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Tropes: Locked-room
Dysfunctional family
Limited list of suspects
Spice: None
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Debut Novel: No
Safe or Dark: Dark
Release Date: January 21, 2025

“The trouble with keeping secrets is that you constantly worry about them being revealed.”

Family reunions can be stressful and, given the right circumstances, downright deadly. Money corrupts. That’s nothing new.

Money can make or break marriages and rip families apart (to quote the late, great Notorious B.I.G. “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems”). The question is, will we let it? 

If the answer is yes, then how far are we willing to go to get what we believe is rightfully ours? 

Greed is a five-letter word that is often the motive for the most heinous of crimes. 

“Or maybe it’s because I know that no matter how lively our gatherings and how heartfelt our claims about family and loyalty, when it comes down to it, we all have our own agendas.”

It’s the first time the whole Agarwal family has been together in years, and they are hosting their parent’s fortieth anniversary, doubling as a less than friendly reunion on a secluded island. Oh, and the wealthy patriarch of the family is planning to announce how he will divide the money from the sale of his multimillion-dollar (pound) company between the three of his children. 

I mean, what could possibly go wrong? 

If you love unreliable narrators, this is the book for you! Because there are two of them. 

This story had me glued to the pages. I grabbed my dried apricots (we didn’t have any candy in the house), got comfy on the couch, and strapped in. What a ride! This was such a great read. The chapters were short, and the writing was suspenseful. I felt like I always had to know what was going to happen next. Despite parts of the story moving slowly and some of the drama being drug out at times while the family dynamic is set in place, I ate this up from start to finish. 

We know from the jump that someone on the island is dead; we just don’t know who or why. 

This was a domestic thriller done right. It checked off all the boxes of what a locked-room mystery thriller should be. You’re not only pulled into mystery but right into the middle of the Agarwal’s complicated relationships. You learn about the way siblings, parents, and in-laws treated one another. Add an outsider to the mix and things only get juicier. You not only want to get sucked into wanting to solve a murder but also into how this particular family dynamic is going to play out. 

“And when push comes to shove, none of us will hesitate to take what we believe is ours.”

I loved the fact that all the characters were fleshed out wonderfully and were able to pull different emotions out of me. They all had their own agenda and secrets they were keeping close to their chests. It was fun watching those get revealed slowly but surely. They all became more and more unlikeable as the story unfolded. The more things progress, the more each member of the family becomes more narcissistic, self-obsessed, and downright entitled. 

Despite all of them being intentionally unenjoyable characters, I definitely liked some more than others. 

It’s pretty clear that none of them are thrilled about attending this “family holiday” and gaslight, manipulate, and demean one another to walk away with what they wanted from the trip. 

I thought my family was unhinged, but let me tell you, they’ve got nothing on the Agarwal clan. 

There are so many key players that drive this story. So, I thought I would break down who they are. 

 Raj – The patriarch of the Agarwal family and very wealthy owner of PetroVision. After suffering a stroke, he hands the reigns over to his only son to better focus on his health. 

“Perhaps the joy, and the curse, of family is being able to see multiple versions of the same person in any given moment, the past, the present and the what-if: the version that might have existed if history had played out differently.”

Shalini – The “fragile” matriarch of the Agarwal family. Shalini is the ever-dutiful wife and mother. She is also tops at manipulating people.

Myra – The eldest sibling of the Agarwal family and presumed “golden child." She buys a secluded island in Scotland (where the reunion is being held) with her estranged husband, Owen, with plans of building a luxury resort on the property.

Aseem – The middle child and only son of Raj and Shalini Agarwal. He cast aside his own dreams, stayed in the family home, and took over his father’s company after his health deteriorated, no questions asked. That’s pretty commendable, right?

“If there’s anyone in this family who can get away with murder, it’s her.”

Aisha – The youngest sibling and wild child of the Agarwal family. 

Zoe – Aseem's wife, Raj and Shalini’s daughter-in-law, and Aisha’s longtime best friend. 

Owen - Myra’s estranged husband and the Agarwal’s son-in-law. 

Gabe – Aisha’s newly minted boyfriend and an unexpected guest at the Agarwal family reunion. Oh, Gabe was a slick one. 

“I am wearing a gazillion layers yet somehow I feel completely naked.”

There is for sure more to say about these characters, and I could have gone into so much more detail about each of them. But I’m trying my best to not give too much away. 

I only saw one of the twists in the beginning coming from the start. Well, it wasn’t really a twist but a reveal, and honestly, the author made it pretty obvious from the jump, so maybe it was something we as the readers were supposed to figure out right away. 

The plot twists in this book and the ending were fantastic. The family drama was dramaing and the suspense was suspensing. The ending was spectacular despite being a bit rushed. I didn’t see that one coming from an inch away. 

“Love, money, control: each of us had an agenda. A motive.”

One line in this book will haunt me for a long time. Perhaps it will haunt me forever.

Well done, Trisha Sakhlecha; well done indeed. 

This is my first read by this author, but I doubt it will be my last. 

TLDR: A GREAT DOMESTIC MYSTERY THRILLER! A VERY TWISTED AND ENJOYABLE READ! 

As always, please remember that reading is subjective, and that’s what makes it so great. 😊 

I would like to thank PENGUIN GROUP Viking/ Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

This is my voluntary, unbiased, and honest review.

Wow just finished reading this and I must say the ending was surprising. If I had the good sense to read this on a day I wasn’t working or just busy, I would’ve finished this in a day. This was so well written it kept me on my toes and was eager to know who it was that was lurking on the island, who was going to inherit what, why everyone was on edge, and then the ending was shocking. Had a moment of, “wow, that b****” hahah highly recommend picking this one up.

THE INHERITANCE by Trisha Sakhlecha

Thank you @netgalley for an eARC of this wonderful read! A mystery with family drama, a bit of thriller mixed in - I really enjoyed this one and didn’t want to put it down. There were surprises and secrets that I wanted to know more about. The Inheritance releases Jan. 21, 2025!

If a thriller can be a slow-burn that’s how I’d categorize this book. I hated the ending, I feel like the mother got away with ruining her entire family. I’d be lying if I didn’t say by the 60% mark I wasn’t ready to DNF this. I didn’t, but I did find myself skimming it more during the less action packed parts.

While this story wasn’t exactly for me, it had good bones and if you have patience and are ok with twists and turns but at a slower pace this might be a good fit for you.

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for the ARC.

Honestly really not sure how to rate this book. It was good, then it wasn’t to me. The ending just made me mad. I just feel like this mother destroyed this entire family and got away with it. I hated how manipulative the parents were. I hated how Zoe dealt with it and tried to justify it because she loved her husband. Like this mother is so manipulative AND she’s messaging her daughter in law nasty, twisted messages as an unknown person… seriously, grow up lady! You are the one having affairs and ruining lives- but acting so innocent.

Yes, great twists.. lots of bread crumbs left by the author that made me want to keep reading to find out what was going on but I’m just so annoyed by this family dynamic and the way the mother ruined these children and it’s all ok.

WOW. This was an absolutely unhinged, disturbing, and truly terrifying story of what it means to be family. The Agarwal family successful, rich, and part of an elite circle people only dream of. The patriarch is ready to retire and it’s time to reveal how his millions will be distributed between his kids so the perfect setting is a Scottish getaway - nothing can go wrong, right? Not so much…

Each member of this family is so despicable and it was truly hard to really like any of them, but they all dealt with their own trauma and that has shaped them into the versions of themselves we see in this story. I loved that at no point I could guess what was happening. The dynamic relationships between all of the characters is so complex that you are on the edge of your seat with every turn of the page.

If you’re looking for a thriller that will have you second guessing EVERYTHING, then this is the book for you. There are dual POV, elements of Indian culture, social class, and trauma that are depicted so well, it really brings the entire story come full circle.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for this eARC.

I think the book has a great plot but it drags a lot. I think some of the conversations between family members would drag a lot. I lost interest at the 70% mark and started to skim because I was getting bored. I was very close to DNF'ing. I think the book needs a good trim.

Actually a pretty good book.
It kept my attention, but it wasn't a death grip situation, but absolutely worth the read at least once.

Trisha keeps you interested and creates characters you love to hate.
I'm interested in checking more out by her

Solid thriller. Would absolutely check out more by her.

Thank you NetGalley,publisher,Penguin Group/Viking and author,Trisha Sakhlecha for the opportunity to read the ebook,The Inheritance. It’s about a tight Indian family reunion/anniversary celebration on a remote,isolated island in Scotland who are constantly at odds with each other and spouses,boyfriend,etc who are non-Indian and on the fringes of the rest of the tight knit family. I did not enjoy their bickering nor the intrusive matriarch of the family who was two-faced with most of the others. I was ready to give up and not finish reading but had to find out what all this would come to at the end.The last 20% of the novel really got interesting and I was happy I kept reading. Maybe I should have given it four stars but so much was tedious to read.
Book goes on sale,January 21,2025.

ARC Review. Publication date for this book is January 21, 2025, so add it to your TBR now!
I found The Inheritance on NetGalley, but never read anything from Trisha Sakhlecha, and love trying out authors I stumble across, so I requested a copy.

And holy cow!! I was not expecting that final twist at all. The way my jaw dropped! This was magnificent, and had my adrenaline pumping throughout. A thrilling page turner that will keep you hooked from the beginning.

If you’re looking for a twisty read, do yourself a favor and read this book!!

Every family hides secrets from each other. Would you be willing to kill to protect your secret?

The Agarwal family has it all...money, power, respect, and a business that was built from the ground up. After a medical condition makes the patriarch, Raj, look into selling the business, the family gathers together on the eldest daughter's island for a relaxing getaway to celebrate Raj and Shalini's anniversary. Greed also helps draw them to the vacation because Raj is going to disclose how the shares of the business will be split between the siblings.

Each sibling has a reason to need the money that their father is holding over their heads. Myra, the eldest child, bought an island with her now estranged boyfriend and didn't realize the costs and wrath that uncovering an unmarked historical grave would cause. Akeem, the only son, took over the family company when Raj had to step down because of the stroke. He left behind his startup business and moved his wife to New Delhi to be closer to the business and family, much to his wife's dismay. Aisha, the baby of the family, uses daddy's money to support her many adventures globetrotting, but the family feels that her boytoy of the month may only be interested in what he can swindle from her pockets.

The book opens with the fact that someone is dead, although we don't know who. The story is only told from Zoe (Akeem's wife) and Myra's points of view, which is problematic because neither can be counted as reliable due to the secrets they are harboring. Will you be able to solve the mystery of who has died and who killed them before the end of the book?

This story was fast paced and had so many twists. It kept me guessing about who was telling the truth about the situations that were happening and who was lying to themselves (and us readers) as they tried to appease their guilt. The opening of the story was what made me want to keep reading because I wanted to know who was killed, who done it, and why. Those are the makings of a truly great mystery trope.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking/Pamela Dorman Books for providing this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Loved! Did not suspect the ending, actually I was a bit disappointed in what I THOUGHT was the ending but holy last minute plot twist. Don’t want to give anything away, you just need to read it, but give me all the Trisha Sakhlecha books now please!
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

The Inheritance revolves around the reunion of a wealthy Indian family on a remote Scottish isle and it gives major Succession-but-as-a-murder-mystery vibes. It isn’t an original premise, as there are many other recent books with the same storyline, including Beneath the Surface by Kaira Rouda and The Den by Cara Reinard. But debut novelist Trisha Sakhlecha passes the domestic suspense genre test with flying colors. The Inheritance is well-written, perfectly-plotted and beautifully-paced.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group VIKING for providing me with an ARC of this novel for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

super thrilling and downright addicting!! i loved this from start to finish. it was such a quick read because the content itself was so addicting you couldn't put the book down. i will definitely read more from this author.

The Inheritance is a classic thriller diving into power, familial secrets and privilege. This book kept me guessing until the end!