3.5 stars for me. The family secrets had me absolutely engrossed the whole way through. This is a perfect thriller, kept me entertained the entire story.

What!! I just finished reading this, and I'm still in a state of shock! The messy family dynamic and all of the secrets that slowly reveal was definitely something that kept me hooked while reading. I loved the FMC. The little bread crumbs the author leaves along the way are quite intriguing once you piece it all together. It's such a good suspense novel with the eerie vibes of a secluded island as the setting. I was in shock, over and over again. Even throughout the ending, my jaw dropped. Perfect read for a night when you're home alone and want to get your heart racing! 5 stars!!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this debut novel by Trisha Sakhlecha solely because I enjoy reading book recs that I KNOW are going to be good. For being the first book that I’ve ever gone in completely blind, I think I picked a great one.

Holy shit what a messy family dynamic and that ending?? I wish this was out into the world right now so that I could thoroughly rant about the rage I felt while reading this. As with any thriller, you have some twists and turns while the author is trying to trick you away from what’s happening. Most of the time I am all vibes and no thoughts while reading but in hindsight that ending totally makes sense.

Definitely add this to your TBR for January 2025 if you love a rich messy family that will doing anything for one of their own.

This was comparable to a Freida McFadden book in the sense that it is such a quick, easy and edge of your seat book! I really enjoyed reading this and was NOT expecting the twist at the end.

The characters and family dynamics were well written. The setting was eerie and perfect for this story.

I just really hated that it was Zoe and her unborn baby who were murdered. So sad! And then to find out that it was the psychotic mother-in-law who had done so many awful things to her own children and she just gets away with everything. Ughh….frustrated (but in an I was on the edge of my seat the whole time kind of way!)

The Agarwal has all the luxuries you would expect from a wealthy, privileged family and yet proves that money does not ensure a drama-free life of ease. Even more so now that a life-changing inheritance is up for grabs.

Raj (known to the kids and in-laws as "Papa), along with his wife, Shalini (known to the kids and in-laws as "Mama), love their adult children (Myra, Aseem, and Aisha) immensely. They are arguably a bit too involved in their children's lives (just ask Assem's wife, Zoe) and at the end of the day "we must protect our family" - but who is included in that "family"?

The Agarwals are gathering on a remote island owned by Myra to celebrate Mama and Papa's anniversary, listen to Papa's retirement announcement, and to finally discover what their cut of the family inheritance will be.

Assem and Zoe supported Papa and Mama immensely when Papa had major health concerns, moving to Delhi to live in the family home. Myra provided trusted legal counsel and guidance for the company for many years. Aisha, the baby of the family, has contributed less professionally but endured heartbreaking trauma as a child. Everyone is expecting a significant financial windfall.

But as money often does, suspicions start to arise around the members of the family and nobody wants to lose a cut of the inheritance. When one of them winds up dead on the remote island, it tests the family loyalty and shows how far they will go to "protect our family."

The Inheritance grabbed my attention immediately and didn't let up until the last few pages (spoiler - it was a twist!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking/Pamela Dorman Books for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

“The Inheritance” by Trisha Sakhlecha was an absolute WOW! We know from the beginning of this thriller that there is a murder, but somehow you become so immersed in this families story it takes a back seat to wanting to know all about them.
This is a story about a wealthy dysfunctional family who have gathered on a small island off of Scotland. The Patriarch is about to retire and sell the family’s multimillion dollar Delhi-based company.
The story is primarily told from the point of view of the oldest daughter and the wife of the beloved son. The harsh confrontations and power struggle between the family members along with their secret agendas are both realistic and shocking. You will find yourself alternating between liking and hating each of the intriguing characters. Without saying too much more, I can promise you a rollercoaster ride with unexpected twists and turns in this smart, character driven, beautifully crafted and unusual locked room mystery!

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

For the most part this was a great book. I felt like some things were repeated a lot throughout the book making it drama on, but overall it was great. Lots of twists that I was not expecting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found this to be an engaging thriller with twists that I didn't foresee. The poor rich kid, ultra-wealthy controlling family theme has been covered by many a novel but the wild Scottish setting was unique. The characters were mostly unlikable and their dynamics strange but I found it engaging. I look forward to reading future books by the author.

Great novel- lots of twists and turns! If you enjoy succession-like family suspense on a remote island, told in multiple points of view then this is the book for you. Perfect beach read.

This wasn’t my favorite read, but that’s at no fault of the author. the story line was rather intriguing and i would definitely recommend this to a friend if it matches their tastes.

Wow, I loved this book. It had messy family drama and kept me hooked the whole time. It had very eerie vibes of them being on a secluded island and the ending left me stunned. Highly recommend!!

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed reading it and didn’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Woah, this was so good!! I've never read a book about an Indian family and as someone who is Indian - "Family, comes first." is spot on!
I enjoyed reading each characters' background and stories, I felt like I could relate to them. I was not expecting the end to turn like that, definitely a page turner and a great mystery and thriller!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

In Trisha Sakhlecha’s The Inheritance, the Agarwal family is holding a reunion to determine the future of their empire. What could go wrong?

While gathered on a private island, they are in the perfect setting for their dark secrets to unravel, and that is exactly what they do. From bankruptcy to family loyalty, tensions reach a boiling point, pushing one of them to murder.

Sakhlecha has written an entertaining book with plenty of unexpected twists. There are several characters and viewpoints throughout the book, which helps weave the story of a driven family with a lot to lose. The Agarwal family manages to be simultaneously sympathetic and infuriating, and it is hard to know who the true villain is until the end.

Without giving anything away, the end was frustrating but well executed. I wanted to be angry about the outcome, but it actually brought everything together, so I can’t be too upset. I would recommend this for a book group or a vacation read.

Holy moly this ending was not what I expected.
Add to your TBR list or preorder the book now, it releases on January 21,2025!
Recommending this book for any thriller reader.


Thank you Netgalley for the honor to read ahead of time and give a review!

"The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha is a rollercoaster ride through the tangled web of family secrets and the intricate dance of inheritance. While the plot promises a thrilling journey, it sometimes meanders, leaving you craving for a bit more adrenaline. The characters, however, are a standout - deeply crafted with rich backstories and relatable flaws that make them jump off the page. Though the pacing can be uneven, with some sections feeling a tad sluggish and others a bit too hurried, the core of the story still holds a magnetic pull, thanks to its emotional depth and insightful exploration of familial bonds."

"If you're looking for a story that delves into the complexities of family dynamics with moments of real emotional resonance, The Inheritance won't disappoint. True, the plot twists might be a bit predictable, and the suspense doesn't always hit the desired highs, but there's an undeniable charm in the way Sakhlecha portrays her characters' struggles and triumphs. It's a narrative that, despite its bumps, offers thought-provoking insights and a heartfelt glimpse into the nuances of inheritance and the secrets that bind us.

Psst! My bookish friends, stop what you're doing, cancel your plans, and dive into this book without even reading the blurb—just take my word for it! This is an incredibly smart, twisty, and disturbing read. It's not your usual formulated locked-room mystery but a perfect dysfunctional family saga—a well-executed domestic thriller that made my blood run cold. The characters go to great lengths to protect their secrets in the name of saving their family, showing how greed blurs the lines and how the thirst for power brings out the caged animal instincts people have hidden for years.

It's raw, realistic, harsh, and shocking! The cold-hearted confrontations between family members, each with their secret agendas and expert use of gaslighting, increase the tension. As the story unfolds, you find yourself disliking each character more, and the surprising revelations pull the rug out from under you just when you think they can't possibly cross another line—but they do.

The Agarwal family reminds you of an Asian version of Succession's Roy family. There's Raj, a powerful patriarch and merciless business mogul father leading a multimillion-dollar Delhi-based company. He's about to hand out the company shares and resign after suffering a stroke (much like Logan Roy in Succession). His sacrificing, fragile wife Shalini (or is she?) does everything in her power to bring a happy family life to their children and support his wishes.

They're planning to sell the company to their rivals for a handsome price. To distribute the shares equally among their three children, they're combining the process with Raj and Shalini's forty-year wedding anniversary, celebrated on a luxury island off the west coast of Scotland, recently bought by their eldest, golden child, Myra.

Myra hosts the reunion, intending to ask for extra money to renovate the estate and open it to the public. She has a big secret besides her failing financial situation. Her brother Aseem, who took over his father's position in the company after Raj's health deteriorated, is married to Zoe, a popular influencer and the family's outcast, chosen by Aseem over an arranged marriage. Aisha, the youngest child in her mid-twenties, who introduced Zoe to Aseem, plans to surprise her family by bringing her boyfriend Gabe, a successful tech entrepreneur. This feeds suspicion that he must be after her money.

The story is told from Zoe and Myra's points of view. Both are dealing with their own demons and harboring secrets. Myra grapples with a broken heart after a failed relationship and losing her baby, while Zoe is overwhelmed by living with her in-laws in New Delhi and dealing with Shalini's controlling nature.

From the beginning, we know one of them is dead. But who? Each character is merciless and will do anything to protect what they have, even if it means crossing dark lines in the name of family.

Who is dead? Who is the perpetrator? What really happens behind the closed doors of the Agarwal family?

Overall, this book is brilliant, breathtaking, and unputdownable! It has earned my blazing five stars for a deadly dysfunctional family saga!

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking/Pamela Dorman Books for providing this amazing thriller's digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A reunion on a remote island off the coast of Scotland is meant to be a celebration of the retirement of the family matriarch. What follows is a thriller of a mystery that involves family rivaltry, lost hopes for new beginnings and a murder. I love Scotland and the descriptions here are spot on. The characters are intriguing, thier relationships to each other are well written.. I didn't see the ending at all! Will definitely recomend.

I'll admit to a bit of a shock here. I really thought this would be a rainy day afternoon read that I would finish, discard, and never think of again. I'm delighted to report I was dead wrong. I wish genre fiction achieved this level of insight and craftsmanship more regularly.