The Inheritance

What if everyone in your family was given a DNA test at Christmas: would there be any surprise results? For two women the answers are shocking, and dangerous. Perfect for readers of Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth.

As the holiday season approaches, many families gather together to celebrate and exchange gifts. But for the two women in our story, their Christmas will be anything but joyful when they receive unexpected results from a DNA test.

It all starts innocently enough - a gift exchange between family members at Christmas. As everyone opens their presents, two sisters-in-law are given DNA testing kits. Excited to learn more about their ancestry, they eagerly send in their samples and wait for the results.

Families lie. DNA doesn't.

Isobel Ashworth breezes through life, blissfully accustomed to the pBut what comes back is far from what either of them expected.rivilege which comes with her family name. But that changes when she arrives in the exclusive town of Hartwell. Sent there by her father to complete a controversial property development - and prove herself a serious player in the succession plan - her perfect life is unravelling. Isobel's fiance is telling lies, the project is a disaster and the locals hate her; could her father be setting her up to fail?

Buzzing with the promise of a big story, journalist Meg Hunter arrives in Hartwell to expose the Ashworth family dealings, and transform her faltering career. As she follows the trail of corruption, she uncovers clues about her mother's mysterious past.

When the next-gen Ashworths each receive an anonymous Christmas gift of a DNA testing kit, Isobel questions everything she knows about her family. Isobel is drawn to Meg and her pursuit of the truth ... but someone out there will stop at nothing to hide the secrets of both families.