Absolutely love family stories where everyone has something to hide and this one is quite the ride! Elegant and treacherous!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking for the arc copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

When a family reunion turns deadly, those remaining must work hard to protect the family at all costs.....

The Agarwal family appears to be the perfect family. Raj built a business from the ground up and has made the company and his family very wealthy. He is preparing to sell the company and spend retirement with his wife Shalini, splitting the sale funds amongst the entire family. To announce his retirement and concurrently celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary, the couple join their children Myra, Aisha, Aseem, and his wife Zoe at Myra's island Kilbryde for a vacation/family reunion unplugged. What sounds relaxing in theory turns out to be the exact opposite.

Drama erupts almost immediately. Aisha shows up with new boyfriend Gabe that nobody has heard of and the family instantly hates him. Myra is extremely close to losing the island and filing bankruptcy, so she's desperate for her cut of the money. Aseem and Zoe announce they're pregnant. Immediately Aseem's mother tries to control the situation, which is exactly why the couple plan to move to London once they get their share of money. Tensions are high and someone ends up murdered before the vacation is over.

This is a well written book with a unique plot/twists. Trisha crafted some vile characters, but not to the point that the book was unenjoyable. 4.5 stars.

I enjoyed it. I liked the twist. Very dark to think a rich family could act like that. Messed up for sure!!

Well, this is definitely a family you don't want to be a part of! Let me introduce you to the Agarwals, who have just gathered together for a family reunion on a private island off the west coast of Scotland. Raj, the patriarch & owner of a Delhi-based company. is about to announce to his wife and three children his retirement & succession plan . Shalini, the matriarch, is ready to have her husband to herself after years of sacrifice to the family business. Myra, the golden child, & owner of the island is on the brink of bankruptcy and her marriage to Owen is headed towards divorce.. Aseem, the son and supposed heir, is torn between his love for his wife and his devotion to his family, especially his mother. Aisha, the youngest, is a party girl whose antics are legendary, & can’t pass up an opportunity to wreak havoc. And then there’s Zoe, Aseem’s wife, the outsider whose #InstaPerfect life is built on a foundation of lies, and someone knows it and is threatening her online. Before the reunion is over, someone is going to wind up dead. Who will is be? They all have something to hide. And when someone threatens one of their own, the family sticks together, because that is what the Agarwals do.

This book begins with an unidentified person being killed, and then goes back to the beginning, as everyone is arriving for the reunion. The chapters are told in the voices of the different family members, so you are getting a well-rounded view of things. I can't say that there are any likable characters, except maybe Owen, but there ARE plenty that are unlikable! You will have to wait until the end to find out who dies and then there is a twist at the very end. Definitely a fun read for anyone who loves a locked-in mystery.

A family reunion takes a decidedly dark turn

The Agarwal family gathers to celebrate the 40th wedding anniversary of their father and mother, Raj and Shalini. Son Aseem and his wife Zoe travelled with his parents from Delhi to the small Scottish island owned by his sister Myra, Eílean Kilbryde, while younger sister Aisha is flying in from California (with, unbeknownst to the rest of the family, her latest boyfriend Gabe). There is more going on than just a family reunion to honor a landmark occasion, however; Raj is the owner of a Delhi-based company that (after he suffered a major stroke from which he has only recently recovered) he is on the verge of selling for upwards of 300 million pounds. Until now he has dispersed income to his children as he chose, and although they have each lived an extremely privileged existence with a sumptuous lifestyle they have had to live in accordance to Raj's wishes. He has told his family that the money generated by the business' sale will be distributed to each of them, but has not revealed whether the shares will be equal. The three adult children are more than ready to receive a lump sum of money with which they can finally live an independent life of their own design (and in some cases need the money quite badly) so it comes as a shock when Raj announces that he has changed his mind. The sale is off, there will be no disbursement of cash, and whatever plans the siblings had have just gone up in smoke. Anger and resentment disrupt the gathering, and what should have been a happy celebration will instead end in murder.
As in most if not all families, the Agarwals have much in their history that is not known to the world at large and may even not be openly discussed amongst themselves. There are imbalances in power and assigned roles in the family that each member willingly or not must play, and outsiders are never fully accepted. Here we have a family with multiple tragedies in their past, the details of which the reader will only slowly discover. Zoe is from a background completely different from that of her husband, growing up in poverty and in an abusive household. She also is not Indian, and although when she first met the family as Aisha's friend and roommate she was welcomed and well-liked those perceptions changed greatly when she fell in love with Aisha's brother. Now Gabe is feeling the same lack of acceptance as he works to get the approval of his girlfriend's family. Aseem as the only son is laden down with guilt and duty, and has had to set aside his own professional goals in order to run the family business during his father's incapacitation. He also is caught between his family's (particularly his mother's) expectations of him and his wife....where they live and how....and Zoe's growing suffocation due to those expectations. Myra is estranged from her husband Owen, has experienced tragedy and betrayal, and her project of developing the island she loves into a high end resort is about to implode due to faltering finances, Aisha, the family wild child over whom the rest of the family is overprotective (for reasons having to do with a past event), is in love with a man who may be less than she believes him to be. Zoe has made a go of her social media influencer presence but has recently acquired a threatening troll who seems to know more about her past than makes her comfortable. The story unfolds, laced with these and other tensions and populated by fully developed characters whose motives, secrets and alliances gradually become known. As another tragedy befalls the family, this time a violent one, the reader is kept guessing until the very end...who has committed this terrible act, and why? And how will the family react in its wake? Fans of authors like Disha Bose, Sally Hepworth and Sarah Pekkanen will enjoy this taut thriller that explores elements of race, class and what bonds tie a family together. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking/Pamela Dorman Books for allowing me early access to this gripping read in exchange for my honest review.

"Love, money, control: each of us has an agenda. A motive.
And each of us is prepared to do whatever it took to get what we came for."

A twisty, dark tale about a rich family and all the privilege, entitled, and arrogant personalities you can imagine. It's interesting, at first, to meet the family and learn there are a lot of secrets. But the middle grates a little, as each of them whine and complain about not having enough money. Imagine keeping a straight face while asking for 50 million dollars. . .

But the ending was a shock. The last 20% I spent shaking my head the whole time. Just wow. It was twisty and a complete surprise. The ending, if not completely satisfying, was definitely satisfying enough. It's a good twisty, dark read.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Wow.
I wrote that one word the second I finished this book, and then I had to sit and let everything I read just sink in. I keep looking back at that word, and it's the best description of my thoughts. I'm still reeling with emotions. Shocked, heartbroken, angry, in disbelief, and overall dumbfounded.
I'll admit, I took my time finishing this book because I was so engrossed I didn't want it to end. It's rare to find a book I can't put down and yet don't want to finish.

Raj Agarwal, owner of a multi-million dollar company in Delhi, has planned to retire and enjoy life with his wife, Shalini. But first, he has to announce his succession plan to his children.
Oldest daughter, Myra, is hosting the family at her private island. She's eager to hear what her father has decided, especially as she is in dire need of money to realize her dreams for the island.
Aseem, the only son, and his wife Zoe are also in anticipation of the announcement. They have big plans for their future and an announcement of their own.
Aisha, the spoiled baby of the family. Never missing an opportunity to cause chaos and worry her family. This trip is no exception.
The story alternates between the perspectives of Myra, Zoe, and occasionally a mystery person. You really get to know each of the characters and their personalities, especially the main narrators. Each character is complex and intriguing. The family, although they don't always see eye to eye, really love each other. You end up loving and hating them at the same time.
Myra comes off as a no-nonsense, sharp woman, but she also has her vulnerabilities. I really grew to sympathize with Zoe. While she was far from perfect, she was relatable and acknowledges her faults. She truly loves her husband and is a loyal friend.
Throughout the book, I wasn't sure who could be trusted, but two words from the story essentially describe the theme, "family first." The ending is both shocking and poignant. This is a book that will stay with you long after you've finished.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Viking for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this story; the family drama and tension felt believable and while the characters were somewhat unlikable, I found them compelling. There's always something entertaining in a story of ridiculously rich people and their shenanigans. I also thought Zoe's struggles trying to fit in with the Agarwal family to be realistic.

My only real complaint is I wish the pacing had been a bit quicker; I like the thrills part of my thrillers to kick off pretty early on and this one was a bit of a slow burn. All around though, an enjoyable story and character study.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🥰Thank you so much to @vikingbooks for the gifted ARC 🤗

📖Title: The Inheritance
✍️Author: Trisha Sakhlecha
📅Pub date: January 21, 2025


💰For those of you who love the "rich people behaving badly" trope with some family DRAMA, this is for you!

🌊A man and his wife meet on their daughter's private island to discuss the succession plans for his 💰💰💰 business with their three children. Myra owns the island and is struggling to get by, Aseem and his wife Zoe have many secrets of their own, and Aisha, the youngest is seemingly just there for a good time.

💰Things start getting crazy right off the bat! There are characters I was rooting for and characters I couldn't stand, but I did NOT see the ending coming! The ending really took this book the next level!

🌊I flew through this one so fast because not only because I was invested in the mystery, but also because I got hooked on this crazy family 😂

⚠️There were definitely some disturbing/hard to listen to parts 😣 Major CW are spoilers, but look them up if you're concerned!

If you like thrillers featuring rich families hiding secrets from each other, you'll definitely like this one. I found it a decent book worth reading, but not particularly ground breaking or memorable.

The Agarwal family gathers at a private island resort off the coast of Scotland to celebrate the parents' (Raj and Shalini) 40th anniversary. Their daughter Myra purchased the island and has been developing it into a high end resort. Son Aseem quit his job and took over heading up his father's billion dollar company after Raj had a stroke. He is accompanied by his wife Zoe, an Instagram influencer. Youngest daughter Aisha and her boyfriend Gabe are also in attendance. Everyone is anxiously awaiting the announcement that Raj is retiring and are looking forward to the trust money from the sale of the company. Everyone has secrets. Someone dies.

The book alternates back and forth between Zoe's and Myra's points of view. They aren't particularly likable characters, in fact there really aren't any likable characters at all. The biggest problem I had was that the book moved very slowly. There's so much setup and so many characters to move into place before something actually happens. There are conversations and side conversations and it just got tedious after a while.

Once the action starts, it is very exciting and the ending has a superb twist. It's a familiar story--rich people behaving badly-- but it is overall decently entertaining and the payoff is good if you can hang in until the end.

2.5 stars. I was expecting a thriller. This is more family drama with a side of mystery.There are secrets. The pace is fairly slow. Starts with. The three siblings +/- significant others meet their parents on a remote island to celebrate MOm and Dad’s wedding anniversary and the sale of the family company. All three siblings are looking or money from the sale. Each needs the money for different reasons.

Checks the box for locked room mystery. Just took a lot of time for any drama to unfold. Felt like I wasn’t in the action, was being told about the family background and history. Not seeing the story unspool. Personally I need more plot and a bit more dialogue. I also need a few more reveals early on if I am reading a thriller.

Definitely a book for readers who like rich people behaving badly. Or if you like complicated family dramas. These people aren’t relatable or nice. I love a good villain, but none of them were that either.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks NetGalley and Penguin group for an ARC of this book. I have never read anything by Sakhlecha before. This was an engrossing book where the Agarwals are gathered on a remote Scottish island to celebrate the anniversary of the parents. Included are Myra, who owns the island and is trying to make it a destination resort. She is a former lawyer and has run out of money. The island was destroyed in the past and she needs a cash infusion from her dad. Aseem and is wife, newly pregnant Zoe are there too. Aseem has been brokering a deal to sell the family company to a competitor for months. This time at the resort will finally cement things. Aseem took over the company when his dad got ill, putting his own company on hold. Zoe is an influencer and is not Indian. Now that she is pregnant, she wants to move from Dehli to London. Last is the baby of the family Aisha who attends with her boyfriend Gabe. Family secrets come out and there is a murder. This book would be great for book club. Lots of layers and lots of comparisons. This would also make a great beach read if you are going somewhere to get out of the cold. This is not so convoluted that you can’t drop it and pick it back up. I think someone should pick up the movie rights. Done right, it would be wonderful. Read this and thank me later!

I’m definitely in the minority here, but I was not a fan of The Inheritance. The premise is interesting, an insanely wealthy Indian family, celebrating a 40th wedding anniversary with their children, what not to love?

Turns out, virtually all the characters. I wasn’t emotionally invested in either of the parents, or the kids. I didn’t find any of them to have redeeming qualities.

The side stories could’ve been really interesting, but Stu’s storyline was blown over and immediately forgotten and forgiven.

The infighting between the siblings seemed genuine, but none of them really seemed to even like each other.

Overall, I found this family incredibly tiresome, and the ending was so frustrating.

Thank you to NetGalley, Trisha Sakhlecha, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another great surprise for 2025.

This book was easy to read, twisty, dark, very vile characters and a page-turner indeed.

Thank you, Pamela Dorman Books and Netgalley, for the free ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoy Succession or any media that pertains to rich people being terrible, then this is the book for you. The Inheritance follows the Agarwal family as they come together on a remote, privately owned Scottish island to celebrate an anniversary. Each of the three Agarwal children are coming into the family gathering with one thing on their minds - who will be taking over the family company and how much money will they be inheriting?

While the plot and location of this book was interesting, I had issues connecting with the characters. I understand they are all self-serving millionaires, however, I just couldn't muster up the energy to find any of the characters likeable or interesting.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this work in exchange for my honest review.

This was a smart and twisty thriller with hints of Succession. Really enjoyed it and did not see the end coming.

The last thing I’d ever want to do is marry into the Agarwal family, but boy did I love being a fly on the wall. In The Inheritance, dysfunctional family dynamics mixed brilliantly with a Succession-type vibe. Add in a violent storm making landfall on the remote island setting, and you’ve got yourself an out-and-out stunner that impressed me but good. But the last 100 pages were what won me over hook, line, and sinker. From the rising crescendo that accompanied the storm to the finally twist that literally arrived with the very last page, Ms. Sakhlecha not only impressed me, she blew me away.

This family easily won the award for truly messed up. With a controlling mother, multiple siblings hiding mysterious secrets, and a father willing to play them all off of one another, the dynamics between them were beyond good—they were utter perfection. Realistic and true-to-life, I shudder just thinking about whether there are really people out there that behave as they did. Sad to say, though, I’m sure that there are. And thanks to a small cast of characters and the eerie, isolated setting of a small Scottish island, it all came together to create a superb locked room mystery plot that I sped through in no time at all.

I do have to mention, however, that while the storyline did toe the line of being a mystery/thriller, the bulk of it was much more of a family drama drenched in suspense. That’s not to say that the expertly employed gaslighting, complex relationships, and long-buried secrets didn’t strike the right chord and create a thoroughly addictive read for this thriller lover. After all, it not only did all of that and more, but it also made me think long and hard—and that was BEFORE I reached that last shocking word.

All in all, I am duly impressed by this compelling, unpredictable novel. With palpable tension, precise plotting, and dual POVs that showed two sides of the story, this slow burning storyline just couldn’t go wrong. You see, this family reunion gone wrong not only had me raising my eyebrows in the best possible way, but it also had my fingers flying at speed—and that was even BEFORE the fast-paced last third arrived on the scene. So if you love a good messy saga mixed with plenty of chills and thrills, grab this book ASAP. After all, the well-developed plot downright sizzled from page one. Rating of 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Trisha Sakhlecha and Pamela Dorman Books/Viking for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

The Agarwal family is at a crossroads. Patriarch Raj (Papa) is the sole owner of PetroVision, a successful company based in Delhi. Following a stroke, his son Aseem stepped in to manage the company. Now back in good health, Papa and his wife Shalini (Mama) are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary on their eldest daughter Myra's private luxury island off the west coast of Scotland. The family reunion includes daughter Aisha, Aseem, and his wife Zoe, a social media influencer crafting an illusion of an #instaperfect life. Papa has decided to retire and sell his company, leaving the children eager to know how Papa has revised his trust. Each person at the reunion harbors secrets, believing that a large inheritance will solve their problems. From the start, it is revealed that three days into the family gathering, a bloody corpse will be discovered.

The Inheritance begins as a domestic drama filled with characters each more unlikeable than the last. It's hard not to think of the Roy family from the TV series "Succession" and the real-life Murdoch family, whose recent headline-making exploits are more about power than money. For the Agarwal children, it's all about the money. As the story unfolds, it shifts into a psychological thriller as it gets closer to revealing who is dead and who is responsible. This slow-burn novel takes time to percolate but once everything is revealed, holy cow. And while the characters are all despicable, I found the dynamics of a wealthy Indian family quite interesting. And the description of the atmospheric setting was spot on. The island of Kilbryde is also filled with dark, buried secrets. You won't be able to put this book down. 

4.5 stars

The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha is the first novel I've read by the author and I greatly enjoyed it, giving it four stars! It didn't take long to suck me in and I ended up reading it over the course of a day.

The book contained many elements I enjoy in a good thriller - an isolated island, a family getting together for the first time in awhile, the family being extremely wealthy and waiting to learn about an inheritance, and strange people lurking about on the island. For me, those plot points are always great ingredients for an author to work with!

In The Inheritance, the Agarwals are gathering to discuss how Raj, the family patriarch, plans to retire and divvy out the funds after selling his company, located in Dehli. Together, Raj and his wife, Shalini, are parents to Myra (once a powerful lawyer, current owner of the manor and isolated island); Aseem (along with his wife Zoe have given up everything to help his dad with the business once his dad had a medical emergency); and Aisha (the youngest daughter and wild child whom everyone protects).

Each of the three children have their own reasons for attending the gathering and each have their own plans with the possible millions they're expecting to receive when their father retires and sells his company. Their plans however are secret and shed light on the "not so perfect" family they work hard to portray.

But as plans change, dreams are shattered, and lives are taken. Who is harboring the biggest secret and who will do whatever it takes to keep their secret buried?

This was a delightful story of a dysfunctional family that kept me intrigued from beginning to end. I would definitely check this out as soon as possible!

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and Penguin Group Viking/Pamela Dorman Books for the opportunity to read and review the book ahead of its projected release date of January 21, 2025 in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this one! Comps immediately that come to mine are Lucy Foley books and the TV show Succession, but I appreciated the atmosphere, dialogue, & addition of cultural elements that took it from an average thriller to above average. Loved that everyone had secretsthat were legitimately high-stakes and the twist ending! crazy!