An Unwanted Inheritance

IMOGEN CLARK – AN UNWANTED INHERITANCE *****

I read this novel in advance of publication through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

‘Caroline found the money in a battered suitcase under the narrow bed in the box room.’

Could you have a more intriguing opening sentence, one that sets up the premise of this extraordinary page-turner of a novel in just one line?

Money is something we can all relate to. As is death. And the combination of both, and the ramifications of the viewpoints of those left behind, are explosive.

Mother of two Caroline is married to laid-back Max, whose larger-than-life father Tony Frost - ex-mayor, and supposed pillar of the community - has recently died. Caroline’s best friend is Max’s sister Ellie, a spoiled princess of a woman on the cusp of her fortieth birthday, living with her husband James and their two equally spoilt children in their mansion where money seems to be no object, and charming always-in-debt youngest sibling Nathan, the outsider.

You’d have thought the discovery of a suitcase stuffed with money would bring joy to this tight-knit family. Not a bit of it. It tears them apart. Not only is there doubt about the legality of the stash, and what their father had done to obtain it, but they all have conflicting views of how it should be split, if at all.

For a story about an apparently ordinary suburban family, this is every bit as exhilarating as the recent James Patterson I’ve just finished, but with better characterisation and a twist worthy of a thriller.

Can’t recommend this latest Imogen Clark highly enough. See if you can put it down.

Let me admit upfront that I am a big fan of Imogen Clark's novels. This one is no different. Max, Ellie, and Nathan have some interesting family dynamics: the overbearing, know-it-all brother in law, the brother with some addiction issues, the sister who is a borderline snob, etc. It's how Clark weaves these personalities together that is addictive to the reader. The plot centers on the unexpected death of Tony, their father, and how they deal with the very unexpected revelation of a suitcase full of cash. As she notes in the Acknowledgments, this book is really about integrity and honesty. And like in all of her books, the startling abrupt twists and turns will make you not want to put this one down. Bravo Ms. Clark.

A father unexpectedly dies leaving his family to work through all the details of his death. Max, Ellie, and Nathan have to decide how to handle what their father has left them, Is the inheritance a true gift or a massive problem? The siblings don't agree on handling the inheritance. Max and Ellie have spouses. Does the spouse's opinion count?Amidst all this turmoil, they also have the funeral to plan. Did they really know their father? Why did their mother leave their father? Can their mother offer them any insight into their father? Is it even proper to ask? The frustration over the inheritance causes Max's wife, Caro, and Ellie to lambast each other's parenting style. The womens lifelong friendship is slipping away as they begin wondering how well they know each other. How will this family at odds with each other finally manage the inheritance?

Imogen Clark captures and insightfully describes emotion. Each of her books demonstrates this unique ability, this book is another wonderful example. She delves into the complexities of family relationships. Clark masterfully portrays siblings behavior showing how they subtly compete with each other. The criticisms over parenting style are realistic and amusing. Max and Ellie are terrific characters, I didn't feel that there was enough about Nathan to know him well. Does death fracture a family further or will it ultimately lead to the closeness they had as children? Imogen Clark takes us through this difficult time with circumstances we can all relate to.

I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.
When Caroline discovers a suitcase full of cash hidden under a bed in the spare room at her late father-in-law's house she has no idea of the trouble it is about to cause. Caroline is married to Max, the eldest of three siblings and is long time best friend of his sister Ellie who is married to James. Nathan is the youngest sibling and not quite part of the closely knit group.
The decision as to what to do with this unexpected windfall poses a moral dilemma and differing points of view which threaten to destroy the tight bonds of family and friendship. They each have a valid reason for what they each think should be done with the cash which they suspect may not have been come by honestly. There are also secrets which must be kept secret and they are desperate to protect their father's reputation.
The road to the solution was a roller coaster ride with many twists and turns and at times the problem seemed unsolvable. Imogen Clark has written a story about honesty and integrity and conflict and shows how these qualities can mean different things to different people depending on circumstances and when circumstances change so do their opinions - sometimes. It also shows the damage sudden wealth, or the prospect of it, can do to relationships.
The ending was the final twist.
I thoroughly recommend this book.

I received a free, advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

When Ellie, Max and Nathan's father dies suddenly, a suitcase of money is discovered underneath the bed in his spare room. With no idea where the money has come from, they all have their own reasons for wanting, or not wanting, the money, including Ellie's husband James and Max's wife Caroline.

This was an interesting read about what you would do if you found that much money, especially if you doubted its legitimacy. The characters were well-rounded and I liked that the chapters were written from different characters perspectives so you could gain an insight into their thinking.

My only slight criticism would be that it was so heavily focused on the money, there wasn't much else in the way of plot so I found it repetitive in places. But I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend.

Another great read from Imogen Clark. The story centres around a windfall after the children's father dies. The three children all have different ideas and moral values. It kept me hooked to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

As a follower of this author I agreed to read a pre-publication copy in exchange for an honest review.

This novel explores the scenario of an unexpected discovery by a family member, on the death of their father.
It is an interesting idea for a novel, and is written with plenty of cliff-hangers to keep the reader interested.

What Clark does well is to describe and develop the characters, and the hidden dislike and resentment between them.

What I like like less is the inevitable long passages of characters examining their consciences and replaying events to themselves, which is characteristic of her writing, and I tend to skim through these.

Personally I didn't find it very feasible that the decision of how to deal with the inheritance would be delayed for so long after its discovery, and it seemed to be a useful tool to develop the growing sibling unrest and dissension.

I enjoyed the novel enough to look forward to my next opportunity to carry on reading it, but felt a bit short-changed with an ending that seemed to be rushed-through.

Once again Imogen Clark has masterfully created a realistically imperfect family of characters that you feel like you know as well as your neighbours. When the family is brought together by tragedy, but also opportunity, each member is challenged individually and collectively as their flaws are brought to the surface for everyone to assess. This book presents a story of the impossible task of weighing morals, relationships, grief, perception, and all of the shades of grey that paint a life and legacy.

I am grateful to the author, published, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest feedback

I read this novel in advance of publication through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

As an established fan of Imogen's books I wasn't surprised that it dealt with issues all of us may face at one time or another. I won't give away the plot so apologies if my review seems vague at times!

Finding a huge amount of money after a death did make me wonder for a while if Imogen was taking us down a different route in the style of a crime solving story at one point!

I loved each of the characters and their interplay with each other - something Imogen does so well. This time there were even people I could dislike or mistrust which gave the plot a few possibilities of where to turn.

I very much enjoyed predicting who might act in a certain way - sometimes correctly, other times not so well. But I was heartened to find that friendship wins out in the end, and throughly loved the dynamics between everyone all the way through.

Another cracker from Imogen Clark, with the gentle teasing apart of the strands of family relationships that we have come to expect.

Siblings Max, Ellie and Nathan’s father dies suddenly and Max’s wife Caroline discovers a suitcase full of a huge amount of money in his house whilst looking for the cat!

Caroline and Max could do with their share of the money. Gambling addict Nathan definitely could, and even affluent Ellie and James could put it to good use but there’s probably something dodgy about it, right? Who keeps over a quarter of a million pounds under their bed if it’s legit?

The story explores the siblings’ reasons for wanting the money, looking into their relationships with each other and their father.

Although this is an intriguing, well-written and enjoyable read, I really didn’t like the characters that much. Ellie is a ridiculous spendthrift, James is a bit pompous. Nathan is in a mess of his own making yet thinks his family should bail him out time and time again and Caroline, well, perhaps she’s just a more virtuous person that me but, crikey, she’s a bit annoying!

I found this story more The Thing About Claire than Where the Story Starts in terms of falling in love with the characters versus just enjoying the story but all in all
this is another winner from Imogen.

Thank you to Imogen and her publishers for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book and love the way Imogen weaves a story around family and explores some of the complexities associated with day to day family life.

I always feel like I literally 'dive into the family' with all of Imogen's books and can easily visualise the scene and characters with ease

The basis of the book is based around the discovery a suitcase full of cash under the bed of 3 recently deceased father -The story gradually unfolds to explore all that comes along with what money can do to people and how it can affect families and relationships

The siblings Max, Ellie and Nathan are all very different but have always been close

Will the money bring them together or tear them apart and where did it come from?

You will need to read this to find out

Its an easy and enjoyable read which gives a lot of food for thought and makes you wonder-What would I do if i was put in that same situation?

An Unwanted Inheritance is a family story of relationships being tested by the surprising find of a large amount of money found under the bed! Certainly a storyline that got me hooked from the start. The narrative then travels back a few months to set the scene, letting the reader find out more about the three siblings and their financial circumstances. The book is well written, holding the attention and providing plenty of intrigue as to where the story would go. I really enjoyed it, parts of the storyline will ring true to anyone who has struggled with siblings as they sort through their parents worldly goods and finances, as I recently have. The only thing that I would say is that for me some of the family relationships seemed a bit unrealistic and I did find the ending a little rushed with a few unresolved issues, however I can forgive these minor points as it is an interesting moral story well told.

I received a free, advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

Three and a half stars rounded up to four. This book is about three siblings, Max, Ellie and Nathan, and Caroline and James, spouses to Max and Ellie. When their father, Tony, dies, Max and Caroline are trying to get his cat to bring home. He hides under the bed and Caroline discovers a suitcase filled with cash. This causes discontent in the family. Caroline is worried that the money might be due to illegal goings on, but Nathan and Ellie's husband, James, want to split up the money immediately. What will they do?
I'm a big fan of this author but this book is not a favorite. I never really felt emotionally connected to these characters, and frankly, with the exception of Max, I didn't care for them much. Still, it was well written and a quick read

Another excellent read from Imogen Clark. I love her books - they somehow manage to be at once gentle, poignant and emotionally powerful stories and this one was no exception. An intriguing story about a suitcase full of cash found under the bed when a much loved father passed away; sibling rivalry and family tensions simmer and bubble up. This is a beautifully written story with a satisfying conclusion.
With grateful thanks to Imogen Clark, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Imogen Clarke’s writing. And here she continues to deliver with a riveting read that combines family conflict and mystery with thought-provoking questions about honesty and integrity. It’s beautifully crafted with a genius final twist, and I loved it.

The premise is an immediate attention grabber. Siblings Max, Ellie and Nathan are mourning the sudden death of their father, when Max’s wife Caroline discovers over a quarter of a million pounds in cash hidden in a suitcase at his home. It should be a happy windfall, but as doubts as to the money’s provenance come to light, the family’s loyalties are stretched to breaking point.

This was such a page turner! The narrative plays out like a slow-motion car crash, as this once close-knit family starts disintegrating before your eyes; some of them motivated by greed, others by a desire to do the right thing.

Caroline is convinced the stash is dirty money and wants to hand it over to the police. Ellie and her husband James don’t want to do anything that would expose the cash to inheritance tax. And baby brother Nathan needs his share ASAP to pay off his gambling debts. Poor Max, the only likeable one of the lot, is caught between loyalty to his wife and to his siblings.

You know that a writer has done a great job when you react to the characters. And, boy, did I have strong feelings about all of them here! James’s arrogance, in particular, was beyond the pale, and while I admired Caroline’s integrity, her behavior as a partner and not a sibling at times verged on the insane.

The matter finally resolves itself in a totally unexpected way, when the source of the cash is revealed. But at what cost?

I loved that, in addition to giving us a twisty, compelling story, Clarke also explores some big questions — about the insidious power of money, about personal integrity and honesty — and challenges us to consider what we might do in similar circumstances.

Without a doubt, Clarke’s best novel to date. More where this came from, please.

I really loved this book. It brims over with life, even though it starts with a death.

Max, Ellie and Nathan have suddenly lost their beloved larger than life father. When it falls to Max and his wife Caroline to clear his house out, she finds a suitcase full of money!

The prophecy of money being the route of all evil is certainly alive and kicking in this tale. Imogen Clark has very cleverly pitted morality and integrity against greed and selfishness. Ellie and Caroline are not just sisters-in-laws, they are best friends, but can their opposing views on what to do with the money sustain their friendship. As we uncover why some family members desperately need the cash, secrets come to light which rock a marriage. They do all agree on one thing though, they must not sully their father’s name.

There is one chapter in this book where I was so immersed in the story that I was actually shouting “NOOOOO” and my heart was hammering!

The ending was totally unexpected but did tie everything up neatly.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Another excellent novel from Imogen Clark. I absolutely love reading her books. Basically a story about a suitcase full of cash found under a bed after a relative passed away, including sibling rivalry and full on family tensions. What to do with the cash? We’d all have differing opinions just like in this family. Does the conclusion match up to what you’d do? Read it to find out. You won’t be disappointed!
Five star recommended read.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Amazon Publishing UK and #NetGalley. Thank you to the publishers, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

The first sentence grabbed my attention and I was drawn into the world of Imogen Clark’s imagination.

Will money betray or pull these people closer together? The story will reveal the best and worst of the characters.

Update - I had to buy the book, being such a fan of this author. I am starting chapter 51 in a few minutes, but wanted to say An Unwanted Inheritance has me captivated. I enjoy the way the author makes you feel like you can relate to her characters. She never fails to delight her readers!

I was saddened to find I could not open this new book from Imogen Clark. I am hooked on Imogen's books, and love the down to earth style of writing. It seems as though I can insert myself into the story, and see the characters as real people!