The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


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

It’s tough to get into or like a book when the characters not enjoyable. This was the case for me with this book. I liked the idea of the story., but without a character to like, it was not a great read for me.

What a read! I can easily say that this is one of my favourite reads of the year, and that's saying something.

This is the first book I have read by this author, but most definitely an author I will now be stalking 🤣. I absolutely LOVED the writing style. The ebbs and flows of intrigue just had me hooked completely from the get-go, and the curiosity it emitted was just superb.

When their father Jude passes away, the three siblings convene to their childhood home, Warbury House, for the will to be read. But their is a stipulation in place. The siblings and their families must stay at their family home for a week before they find out what they are entitled to.

None of the siblings actually need the rumoured five million. The eldest Hettie is a (un)happily married mother to her three children, James is a successful lawyer, but being gay was not accepted by his father so brings along his face fiancée and Rosie, the youngest is a (secret) world renowned author. Selectively mute, she struggles with the thought of being around so many people for that long.

Told from several perspectives and timelines, this is a story of sibling rivalry, greed, secrets, lies, and topics that are deep and disturbing.

A twisty, atmospheric, gripping tale that I will highly recommend to anyone who loves a psychological family thriller.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.

As usual in my reviews I will not rehash the plot or the publisher's blurb!

I've read many novels by Rachel Lynch - including the Kelly Porter series - so was delighted to be invited to read this.

The style and atmosphere is somewhat different here - the story felt much darker, with swirling undercurrents of dread, sorrow, revenge, and guilt. The characters are all very well written but I didn't actually like a single person - they are all deeply horrible in their own ways.

The plot is clever and well thought out, with twists that I didn't expect, and explained how the characters had become as they are. In spite of that, I still didn't warm to them. I did hope though, that some of them would be changed for the better after the events had unfolded, and that they would find peace - which illustrates the quality of the writing - they felt as though they could be real people...

I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

Loved the premise, toxic families are always fun in thrillers. Found this one a bit tricky, different character POVs but voice similar in each made it a bit tricky to follow who was who, or really get to know them.

Dark and mysterious with so many threads and family secrets this book will keep you engrossed.
Hettie, Rosie and James’s father has died. And finally they all return to the family home. All estranged for years, they are back to claim what they think is theirs by right. But there are so many twists and turns it’s impossible to work out what will happen next.
Is any inheritance worth the cost?

Thank you to NetGalley and Rachel Lynch for my copy.

After their father’s death, three estranged siblings come together for the reading of the will. What they find is that collecting their money will be no easy task.

Each sibling has secrets of their own but the family secret could ruin them all.

It was interesting to see the dynamic between the character change throughout the story. The story line could be predictable at times and some topics in the book could be uncomfortable for some.

I’m so excited that I got to read and review this book through Netgally. .

I enjoyed this book a lot. The remaining three offspring of a very wealthy man are summoned to their family home for the reading of his will. None of them have been back for many years and the story unravels as we get to know each of them with different chapters in different povs. The rivalry and disconnections this family have endured are revealed in their full horror but the skill of the author is that because of the different voices, your sympathies waver. Great characterisation and believable three dimensional protagonists.

I really enjoyed the books. The dynamics between the siblings were realistic and the dialog flowed well. Some of the plot was predictable but well written. I would definitely recommend this to my book-friends.

So much family drama!

Reunited at their family home for the reading of their father’s will, the story revolves around estranged siblings, Hettie, Rosie, and James. The story is told from different perspectives, in both past and present. Each sibling has secrets, but the long held family secrets are what threatens everyone. While the premise of the story was what I expected, this is a dark domestic thriller with many heavy topics and scenes which caught me off guard. I found many parts uncomfortable and difficult to get through. I powered through and was satisfied with the ending, but unfortunately this book was not for me.

I have rarely read a book with such detestable characters, practically devoid of any redeeming features between them. Did I enjoy it? No. Did I think it clever? Yes, very. It gripped me enough to see it through to the bitter end, and that is entirely down to the author’s considerable skill.

I found this book fascinating from beginning to the end. The various characters and their relationship with each other. I truly wonderful read which I can't praise enough. Beautifully written.

Patriarch of the family has passed; his children have returned for the reading of the his will. Each child has returned for different reasons and all have scores to be settled. A very dark novel, not for everyone. The characters are all dysfunctional; probably due to thier parent's child rearing behavior. and their education at Catholic schools. I struggled to finish this, I did so because I wanted to see how It ended. I will not be recommending this book.

The patriarch of a large, wealthy family dies and the family comes together for the reading of his will. Suddenly all of the dark secrets surrounding the family members come out. His daughter Rosie returns to the family home where she must spend seven days with her estranged siblings Hettie and James before she can receive her share of the fortune her father left behind.
The truth about her brother’s tragic was never revealed and other old wounds come alive. Rosie has not spoken in years and she suddenly realizes she must begin to speak to learn the truth. But when she returns to the family estate, will she learn that truth?

This book feels like the grown up version of "inheritance" YA books I've loved, like The Westing Game and The Inheritance Games. There is a lot of family drama where all the key players have secrets, complex back stories, and their own objectives. While I wouldn't say the characters are likeable, the complexity that the author gave them kept me invested in the plot and moving forward with the book. It is a dark story about family secrets that will keep you turning the pages.

This has:
- Family drama
- Multiple POVs
- Mystery, manipulation, and suspense
- Old money vibes

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

This was a very dark and disturbing read and not at all what the blurb that accompanied the book hinted the story would contain. Yes, it said that there were family secrets and estranged siblings, but that doesn't come close to the terrible darkness and evil that these family members endured and inflicted on one another. It is a very well-written book, the characters are interesting, and the storyline is really solid and interesting, but the content itself goes beyond even terribly dysfunctional family drama and secrets. There was physical abuse, psychological abuse, and murder spelled out in heartbreaking and stomach-turning detail. I honestly cannot say that this was a book I am glad I read, but if you are a fan of books that contain dark and disturbing abuse, then you will enjoy this story. I cannot give it a bad review, but can only say that it was not my type of novel.
I received this book as an advanced reader copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

What a horrible vile family and it didn’t even make for a good story. Barely finished it.

Thank you for an advanced copy. I’m sure it will do well

Rosie Fitzherbert left the family home 13 years ago when her brother Christian died and has since learned to live her life without a voice as a selective mute. On hearing of her father, Jude's death, the family gather at Warbury House, where according to will stipulations, they must remain for 7 days as told by the family lawyer, Ian Balfour. The remaining siblings, Hettie, husband Edward, children Kitty, Benji, Pippa, brother James and Sister Rosie have to come together with the help of Clara and Michael at the old home. The story is filled with greed, secrets, lies, deception and pain, which are told throughout the story and sibling rivalry is at the heart of the plot line. The story is told in multiple points of view and helps the reader to understand the reasons behind the estrangement of the siblings. All the sub plots are woven together to a surprising conclusion.

What an appalling family. Father dies and his three surviving children and their families are dragged back to the family home for the reading of the will. This is not quite as simple as it sounds because wily old Papa requires them to live together in the house, in harmony, for a week before they can get their share. The elephant in the room is the death, years ago, of their 18 year old brother, Christian, after which Rosie ran away and played dumb, literally. Hettie, the eldest and closest to her father is self-centred and expects to have the whole house for herself, husband and children. Brother James fell out with father because he was gay but is now pretending to be straight in order to get his share of the inheritance. Much of the story revolves around the time of Christian's death. The characters are all horrible with very few redeeming feature; there is jealousy and there is a lot of revenge, Papa was not a nice person which is hardly surprising when you look at the children. Each chapter is titled and devoted to one person so that makes things easier to follow. The writing is good as to be expected from the author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

The Fitzherbert family are certainly a dysfunctional bunch! When Rosie gets a message that her father has passed away she has to finally reunite with her siblings for the will reading which has its own consequences. How will they all get on back together and where will it lead?
This is a story of secrets and lies and has some interesting characters. It had me engrossed throughout and I would definitely recommend.