Publication Date January 21, 2024

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!