This book has HEAVY content warnings!! I can’t decide if I liked the book because it PISSED ME OFF SO BAD. I suppose that the author executed their plan because the plot of the this insane, ultra new money rich family had me run through a loop. It felt a tiny bit inconsistent, maybe a bit more editing and this can be the perfect thriller. I haven’t had a thriller captivate me like this in so long!

I didn’t know what to expect from The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha – hadn’t read anything about it, never recall hearing or reading about the author. But it sounded intriguing, and I was happy to receive a copy from Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review, so…

The story involves a family named Agarwal with a hugely successful business empire, and (shades of the TV show Succession) the patriarch has gathered them (wife and three children) to a luxury private island for a sort of family reunion on his 40th wedding anniversary where he will announce how their Delhi-based company will be handled after he is gone.

Shalini, the matriarch, has sacrificed for decades and is looking forward to having some time with Raj,the patriarch. The reunion is being held on a private island off the coast of Scotland where the “golden child” Myra has bought the island wanting to establish a luxury resort. It’s sort of a Potemkin Village – it looks great at first glance, but behind the facade is the reality that Myra is nearly bankrupt. Myra’s brother Aseem, the son and logical heir, is married to Zoe, a classic outsider who essentially lives her photo-perfect life online while her husband wrestles with the conflicting demands of his wife and the loyalty he feels to his family (and the business). The youngest child is a typical rich girl/party animal who spends her time living it up and causing chaos.

Everyone who has come to the island with their own secrets, There is a lot of drama and surprise as revelations unfold, and there is even a murder to complicate things. Once the story began to unfold, it became one of those “please don’t bother me, I’m reading and I cannot put this book down!” weekends. Well written – I plan to read more by her!) . Looking her up, I found her blurb saying “I write dark and twisted psychological thrillers about toxic relationships and deeply buried secrets.” That’s a good description of this book, and of the books I tend to like to get lost in. Four stars…maybe should be five but I’m trying to be less of an easy grader!

This well-crafted and compulsively readable story blends elements of family drama, domestic thriller, and murder mystery. Set against the backdrop of a private luxury island off the Scottish coast, it is a smart and twisty tale of the ultra-wealthy Agarwal family and their dysfunction, buried secrets, and deadly ambitions.

Dual POV with tension that builds, the writing was excellent, the plotting solid, and the pacing just right. Several storyline threads were woven together cleverly in ways I did not expect. The reveals came bit by bit, like a curtain being pulled back that still leaves parts of the scene in shadow. You don't even know who the victim is at first, just that there is one.

I loved the isolated Scottish setting, which was very atmospheric.

The characters were vibrant, complex, flawed, and well-developed. The crisp dialogue emphasized their cutting interactions with one another and was very well done. Their betrayals and poisonous secrets put my jaw on the ground several times. I suspected everyone was the victim or the culprit at some point, and everyone had a secret and an agenda.

I really enjoyed this and plan to delve into the author's backlist!

Thank you to Viking Books, Pamela Dorman Books, and Netgalley for the ARC!

4.75 ⭐️
The Agarwals are a wealthy well known family with a son and two daughters. One of the daughters and her husband recently purchased a secluded island in Scotland. The family decides to celebrate their parent's 40th wedding anniversary and talk about the terms of their inheritance on the island. This thriller is packed with drama, secrets and a murder. The beginning was a little slow but after 30% i could not put this book down.

A family reunion on a private luxury island off the coast of Scotland is the setting for The Inheritance. The Agarwals are eager to hear the succession plan for their father’s multimillion dollar business. The three children each have something to gain and something to hide. Myra is the golden child and owner of the island. Noone knows, she’s also on the brink of bankruptcy. Aseem is the heir apparent, as the son, but he’s torn between his family obligations and his wife. Alisha, the youngest, is the party girl with no responsibilities. Their greed will push someone to the limit and someone won’t survive this reunion.

The intense family dynamics of this upper class Indian family, detailed character descriptions and endless twists keep the pages turning. Although we know there’s a murder, I never expected the ending. An excellent plot, 5 stars for this dark family thriller.

Thanks to Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley for advanced reader’s copy.

A luxurious family vacation at a bougie private island resort to celebrate a 40th wedding anniversary…and someone is not going to survive. Intriguing! The Agarwal family has gathered to celebrate a big milestone, but even more importantly, their billionaire father will be sharing his succession plan for his business. Each of his adult children hopes to be named his successor, they all have ample reason. But they also all carry dark secrets; secrets worth lying for and, at least for one, secrets worth killing for.

This is a slow burn murder mystery and family saga. It is suspenseful, full of messy relational drama, and an ending that will blow your mind! If you love a locked room mystery with unlikable characters and an atmospheric ‘Scottish Island’ vibe then put this on your TBR!

Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Group Viking, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on January 21, 025

thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review!

2.5. this wasn't like a bad read or anything but it has pacing and plot problems for sure. I felt like, with one notable exception, every time there was some sort of "you just can't imagine or predict the terrible thing that happened/I'm planning............." it was in fact the most obvious and predictable thing that had happened/the character was planning.

this book also has a very grim ending, and I don't know why it rubbed me the wrong way when I usually loooove grim endings to thrillers. think In the Woods or Liz Nugent's books (at least the ones I've read). I think because it didn't feel earned by the tone, which is sort of straightforward throughout the entire book, and again because you knew it was going to end up in the most obvious "solution" to this grimness too. there's also an epilogue that has like massive character development that we simply don't see on page, which is frustrating.

I've done a lot of complaining in this review but this book really is a fine read. it is genuinely always hard to put down a book about compellingly terrible people.

My first time with this author and I look forward to reading her next books in the near future. This is a mystery within a family. The interactions of the members of this family create the situations that surround the mystery. It is very well done and kept me wondering until the end. Highly recommended.

Taking the 'locked-room' idea and combining it with a family domestic thriller, The Inheritance is the story of money and power and how it destroys one family.

The Agarwals all convene on a Scottish island to celebrate their parent's 40th anniversary. The island is owed by one of the daughters, let's say the Kendall Roy of the Agarwals. Myra's entire life depends on the success of the family business. She's brought everyone here to learn about the sale of their father's company, and what each person will inherit.

As with any locked-room mystery, everyone has their secrets and motivation. Are they driven by power or greed? At the end of the day, they are family, but who cares with money is involved?

The Agarwals are an unlikeable family and that's what makes this book so fun.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this was a slow one… I struggled to convince myself to keep going. This is labelled as a Mystery/Thriller but nothing thrilling happened until about 90% through the story.

We are following a family who are gathering on a remote island to celebrate their parents 40th wedding anniversary. Each member of the family (parents, 3 siblings, and a daughter-in-law) all have secrets, as well as want a piece of the dads fortune. They all think they are entitled for different reasons.

Now with the setup of this, you’d think ‘ohh this will be interesting,’ but it was anything but. Nothing exciting happened, it was very lackluster, and when it came to something happening it was super disappointing. It ultimately comes down to crappy parents, and a family that holds things over other family members' heads to get what they want.

This one took me awhile to get into. It’s a slow burn and it took alittle while to get into. I pushed through and it definitely got more interesting at the halfway point. This was my first book by Trisha Sakhlecha. I would consider reading more by this author.

This was my first book by Trisha Sakhlecha and would definitely try a few more by her. The book was more of a slow burn and heavy on family drama. The pacing was just a little too slow for me but enjoyed the ending!

Family drama at its finest. Characters that you like one minute, and despise the next. Money, well as we all know it is the root of all evil. Meet the Agarwal family in The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha.

The Inheritance takes place on a secluded island. The islands history and the seclusion makes for the perfect backdrop when a dead body is found on the beach. Trust nobody.

The very wealthy Agarwal family is run by mama and papa, they have raised their kids with the mantra that you MUST protect family at all costs, family ALWAYS comes first. They are a broken family with truths so dark they will destroy them.

The Inheritance kept me reading all night. This is the first book I read by this author and look forward to more mysterious books by her. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking/Pamela Dorman Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel provided a unique and intimate insight into the ties of an Indian family, notably the matriarch and eldest son. I found I didn't really enjoy any of the main characters as they all were a bit entitled and spoiled, but the mystery surrounding a death on the island held my attention throughout the story.

I would like to start off this review by thanking Penguin Group Viking | Pamela Dorman Books and #trishasaklecha for allowing me to read this book, The Inheritance, via #netgalley. All opinions following are my own.

This thriller was so good. From the minute I picked it up, I didn't want to put it down. It had mystery and intrigue, family drama, family secrets, betrayal, and ultimately, murder.

Zoe has always felt like the outsider when it comes to her in-laws. Sure, she started out as just the poor, white best friend of their youngest daughter, Aisha, but when she met her best friend's older brother, Aseem, she knew she had met her soul mate. That didn't mean it would be easy to go from best friend to future daughter-in-law in the tight-knit, prominent, and rich Indian family. She has been trying to prove herself for years, though, and this weekend they're all gathering to celebrate Mama and Papa's 40th Anniversary on a quiet island owned by Myra, Aseem's older sister. Well, at least that's the guise they're all there under because really it's because Papa will be announcing how much each of his three children will be getting in their inheritance.

Myra might look like she has it all together, but that is far from the truth. Her marriage is in shambles. She is in debt. She is grieving. She is barely staying afloat. This weekend means everything to her, and she'll stop at nothing to make sure it is perfect.

This book was an easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I read it in less than 24 hours, and the twists were #chefskiss.

#BrenBreathesBooks #brenreviewsbook #5starreads #theinheritance #thrilleraddict #thriller #netgalleyreviewer #ARC #ARCReader #bookishthoughts #BookCommunity #bookstagramcommunity #BookNerd #Bookstagram #bookworm #137 #readingchallenge #reader #readerlife

this one took me awhile to get into and i considered dnf’ing a few times - it’s a slow burn and it took a long time for me to keep track of the 2 narrators because they read so similar. I pushed through and it definitely got more interesting at the halfway point with some solid reveals near the end but by that point I wasn’t invested enough in the story for it to leave much of an impression on me.

This was really giving some Daisy Darker vibes. Family reunion turns deadly as people fight for what they believe belongs to them.

On a remote island owned by Myra, the entire family gathers to celebrate Raj and Shalini’s wedding anniversary and for Raj to tell his children how their inheritance is divided among them.

The tension is already high as the children – Myra, Aseem and Aisha – are all hoping to get their fair share. Zoe, Aseem’s wife is tired of being controlled by his parents. And none of them are what they seem. Family secrets become deadly.

Told in alternating narratives between Myra and Zoe was so effective in giving the inside/ outside of the family perspectives. The first half was a slow burn, but then it really got started and I could not putit down . I could not figure out what the unknown person in the first few pages was running from and I love storylines that keep me guessing.

RECOMMEND

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #TheInheritance in exchange for an honest review.

This book is another thriller in the "rich people behaving badly" trope. While the overarching theme is far from unique, this story definitely stands out. The character development and pacing of the book are top-notch. Instead of going for shock value with major twists (although there is a pretty big hitter in the end), the author unravels secret, after secret, expertly pulling you through the story. It was hard to put this book down, but it isn't one you fly through and forget the next day. The plot does an excellent job of exploring family dynamics and the weight of familial expectations and trauma. There is so much more to this book than I expected, and I highly recommend giving it a read!

My only critique (and reason for subtracting a star) is that the two female main character POVs have very similar voices. I got confused a few times and had to go back to the chapter heading to confirm who was speaking. Normally, this wouldn't bother me quite as much, but the two women are portrayed as having polar opposite dispositions and values. So, it seemed like such a disservice to the story that their perspectives were written in that way.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the opportunity to read an advanced copy!

This book was a slog to get through. It felt like nothing happened. So boring with a terrible ending. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the ARC.