THE HOOK/APPEAL: She never wanted to return to her family home, but she did. At what cost?

THE REVIEW: Twists! Family dynamics. Secrets revealed. I didn't mind that the characters weren't as likable as predicted, but that makes for a good story in itself, right?

THE RATING: 3.9, rounded.

This story follows the Fitzherbert children- all grown now- as they are called back to home for the reading of their father's will. They all have secrets and anxieties and hidden agendas about returning. This book sounded so intriguing to me. I love a past/present timeline, and intricately woven family secrets that are a the center of a story/mystery. However, this did not work for me.
It is told through the multiple POV of the three children, Hettie, Rosie and James. I do not mind multiple POV stories, but this dragged. It was all told through thoughts, inner dialo0gue, and examination of their childhood through each persons perspective. Little nuggets of clues were dropped along within each narrative, but trying to keep all the characters and their pasts straight was a little daunting. I also found that I did not like one single character.

The subject matter in this novel is very dark. I felt suppressed the whole time reading it. I like a dark novel, but usually find that there is interesting action and a fast pace to get me through it. Because this novel is presented mainly through thoughts, with no real interaction until the end, it took me forever to read this.

I am giving 2 stars, because as I got to the end, it was very interesting, and the conclusion had a tiny surprise.

I want to say that I am a complete outlier in reviews of this book, and I urge you to read other reviews because maybe this is the book for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. This is my voluntary and honest review.

Rosie Fitzherbert has just been told that her father has died and she must return to the family home along with her siblings Hettie and James, and their families, to be told of their inheritance. Rosie left Warbury House the day her younger brother Christian died and she hasn't been back since, it's also the day she stopped talking and she wonders if her return will change that. The siblings are told on their arrival that they must spend seven days in each other's company and live in harmony or they won't get a penny, but as past secrets begin to unfold which of them will crack first and will the truth about Christian's death be revealed?

The Secret Inheritance is Lynch's latest book and is full of suspense and intrigue. Told from the perspectives of each of the siblings, the author delves into the past and present of the Fitzherbert family and uncovers a plethora of secrets, some of which have lay hidden for decades. Jude Fitzherbert wasn't a decent father and even now, from beyond the grave, he's still managing to control his children and is partly responsible for the adults they've become. This is a well written book with some really dark twists along the way, albeit a slow burner that took me a while to get through and I didn't gel with any of the characters, I've seen some dysfunctional families but this one tops them all!

I'd like to thank Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this eCopy to review

The Secret Inheritance by Rachel Lynch is a rich tapestry of family secrets and a hauntingly beautiful setting. Lynch’s ability to craft a mystery that spans generations kept me hooked until the very end.

The story centers around Rosie Fitzherbert, who returns to Warbury House, her family’s grand estate, following her father’s death. As Rosie navigates the estate’s labyrinthine halls and untangles the web of her family’s past, she uncovers long-buried secrets that have shaped her family's history. The dual timelines, alternating between Rosie’s present-day journey and the estate’s past, add a captivating depth to the narrative.

What I loved most were the vivid descriptions of Warbury House and the surrounding countryside, which made me feel as though I was right there with Rosie. Lynch’s writing is both evocative and immersive, painting a detailed picture of the setting and the characters’ emotions. However, I found the family dynamics a bit too nasty at times.

A great mix of historical intrigue, family drama, and a touch of romance made The Secret Inheritance a thoroughly enjoyable read.

This was a captivating read that centred around Warbury House. There are a good many secrets that involved the three siblings, Hettie, James and Rosie, now on their late 30s and 40s. It also involved the housekeeper, Clara and the butler, Michael. The household had been ruled by their late father, Jude, who wanted everything done his way. There are flashbacks to their memories of a harsh school and home life. The secrets are gradually revealed as well as an ongoing scheme. I felt I just had to keep reading and did wonder what the eventual outcome would be. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Secret Inheritance was a novel of family tragedies and family secrets.

Patriarch Jude Fitzherbert has died, and now his dysfunctional children, Hettie, James and Rosie are comiing to Warbury House for the reading of his will. Each one of his children is damaged by their childhood, and Jude’s cruel behavior. Rosie a sucessful novelist does not speak, James a successful barrister leads a damaging double life, and Hettie is busy trying to be the perfect wife and mother while barely hanging onto her sanity. Each of them have a secret from their childhood that defines them, the death of their younger brother Christian geing a catalyst for a lot of the dark secrets. When they arrive at their father’s home, they are informed they have to spend a week together in harmony, easier said than done as each one of them have scores to settle.

This was an interesting book. I will say that most of the characters were not very likeable but as each of the traumas that they endured was revealed, I found sympathy for them. The ending was bittersweet but felt cathartic for some of the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing and the author for the chance to read and review this ARC.

The Secret Inheritance
by Rachel Lynch
Pub Date: Oct 25 2024

The Secret Inheritance is an incredible dark and domestic mystery thriller. The story is told from different perspectives, in both past and present. The characters are very complex with many secrets. This was a captivating read!

Synopsis: The day her brother Christian died, Rosie Fitzherbert left her family home and never came back. Until now. When her father dies, Rosie returns to Warbury House after decades away. To secure her share of the fortune, she must endure seven days with her estranged siblings, Hettie and James. But the sprawling estate holds more than money – it guards the truth about her brother’s tragic death.

Many thanks to #TheSecretInheritance #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for providing me with an E-ARC of this 5 star thriller!

This is the first Rachel Lynch book I have read. A well written book that examines the effects that death brings to families and the extremes people go to. This meaning a slightly dark tale is the resulting book. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of The Secret Inheritance.

After the death of their father three siblings-Hettie, James, and Rosie have to return to their childhood home and spend one week together under the same roof if they each want their inheritance. The siblings are estranged and are out to get one another. They each have secrets and while under the same roof they learn that not everything they think they know about each other is true.

This is such a good thriller and it kept me on the edge of my seat guessing until the very end.

Hope you are in for a wild ride? This book is an amazing thrill ride from the start. I know families are not all close and fun loving people. Families are made up of lots of unique characters some chemically imbalanced and some what we would called normal. This family has so many deep dark secrets that the reader might think you can guess them but let me tell you that you can't!

In The Secret Inheritance Jude Fitzherbert is lying on his death bed and literally getting ready to take his last breathe as he is dying of cancer. He has masses in is throat that make it very difficult to swallow and he his trying to say something for the last time. What? He has asked Clara , the house keeper, where his four children are and whether or not they ever bothered to come see him? Clara has informed that he has three children and no they didn't come to see him. He then said," I am so cold." She tells him she will be back in a moment with another blanket for him. When she comes back into the room he has gone.

Clara gets a hold of the lawyers office so they may get a hold of each of the children and up hold the will and testament of Mr. Fitzherbert.

Hettie is the oldest daughter and the only daughter that has any children of her own. Three to be precise, Kitty, Benji,and Pippa. She is married to Edward and they were married at Warbury House which is where Hettie's family is from. After Hettie was informed she informed her sister and her brother.

Rosie is a writer much like her father was/ She writes mystery novels and is a very big success. She lives by herself other than her dog Jonnie whom she adopted a few months prior. Rosie has long ago taken to a life of silence. She only communicates through emails or letters. This is how her sister has gotten a hold of her to inform her of their fathers passing. She, at first refuses to read the letter and throws it on the ground.

James is a criminal lawyer in London England and he is a partner in three law firms. He is best friends with Donny Salvatore and he is a drug lord and James protects him as well as Donny protect James. James his living a lie as he is a gay man and trying to keep it hidden from his family. His father used to try to beat it out of him when he found out about it. Hettie called James to let him know about their father and to also let him know that they all needed to be present and accounted for before the will and testament could or would be read. That includes any spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend,and or children.

In essence this book is about a family is comes together for the reading of a will and to see what they might get or not. They also hate one sister so much and they come together and find out all the lies and secrets that the house has in store for each of them.

Such a twisted family dynamic and such a fun read! Highly recommend!
Thank You Rachel Lynch
Happy Reading!!

Hettie, James and Rosie have to head back to their family home Warbury House when their father dies. None of them have particularly happy memories of the house and through flashbacks to their childhood, we find out that the family and the staff who have worked there for years, held a lot of secrets that threaten to be uncovered.

This was an intense read made a little difficult with the lack of any endearing characters, but it kept me guessing right to the end.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

I did enjoy this thriller/mystery. The perplexing part was that I disliked the characters, yet it didn't change my opinion of the story. It was a bit slow, but still a great read

I really enjoyed this story about a rich, dysfunctional family who are forced together for a week after the death of their father. Past grudges, secrets and skeletons in their closet are revealed in this page turner of a book. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Fabulous read by a hugely talented author! It's great to see Rachel Lynch writing something new and this twisted tale about a hugely dysfunctional family is a riveting read.

A very wealthy man dies with only his long time housekeeper in attendance. He had hoped that his 3 living children had come to say goodbye. But not a single one did. Turns out that they'd hated him and each other.

For the reading of the will, all of his descendants were summonsed to the mansion, along with there partners and children. Once there, they learned the terms of inheritance and everyone there must remain there for a full week.

The reader slowly learns of the tortures, physical and mental, that had been visited upon the children. And every few pages, another secret is revealed.

This is a psychological thriller up until the book concludes. Once I got through the somewhat slow beginning, I couldn't put the book down until I finished it.

This is alot deeper than I first thought it might be. That's no bad thing as I love a good bit of intensity too!
Rosie after fleeing the family home decades ago comes home for the will reading of her late father. But he has one last thorn for them all. To get their inheritance they must live together for a short period of time. And so Rosie is once again plunged into a toxic family dynamic. Who is the good sibling? Is there a good sibling!?
There are so many twists and turns as secrets are exposed.
And it's clear the siblings all made assumptions about the other and reacted accordingly. With tragic consequences at time. And all went towards breaking them all in some way. And definitely to turning each agaisnt the other.
It was an intense read and I loved it. The ebb and flow as we learnt and discovered the truths was fantastic.

Rosie, Hettie and James are estranged siblings who must come together after the death of their father. Sounds pretty standard? However The Secret Inheritance is far from standard and it makes for an absolute corker of a read. There is so much going on in this book, from childhood trauma to suspicious deaths, stinking pipework and a whole load of cash at stake. Rosie is a selective mute who writes crime novels, James is pretending to be in the closet so he can claim his inheritance, and Hettie is struggling with a useless husband. Throw in a stately home and its long serving staff Clara and Michael, and you're in a for a great thriller.

The book is so cleverly written, with little nuggets and secrets sprinkled in so effortlessly that you're left reeling, plus you never know whether you really like the characters or not. What's brilliant is that the ending doesn't disappoint (like many great novels have done).

My thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Secret Inheritance’ written by Rachel Lynch in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Following the death of their father Jude, the three siblings Rosie, Hettie and James, are summonsed back to their childhood home Warbury House for the reading of the Will.

I’d been looking forward to reading ‘The Secret Inheritance’ as I’m a great fan of Rachel Lynch’s Detective Kelly Porter series but unfortunately I’ve struggled to get involved with the characters or storyline that has the feel of an era long past that I haven’t found enjoyable. I have no doubt it’s well-written and will appeal to a lot of readers but I’m afraid in regard to this novel I’m not one of them.

I don’t typically read mysteries/thrillers but this one was incredible. Every time you think you figured something out, you’re wrong. You’d think that the characters have multiple personality disorder or are bipolar by the way their mood or behavior changes so quickly. The characters are so complex and full of so many secrets. I gasped out loud so many times reading this. Rachel Lynch definitely knows how to keep you wanting to read more and coming up with more unanswered questions as you read. In the end, everything comes full circle and the truth always comes out

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.
An unbelievably amoral cast of characters, both dead and alive.
Three warring siblings, an inheritance and a clear case of be careful what you wish for, sums up this excellent original read.
A somewhat slow start full of the personalities of the three siblings and hints at their backstories that grow legs once they come together at their deceased father’s and their childhood home. A home of some good but mostly harrowing memories. As the time together unfolds, secrets are unveiled, perceived allegiances destroyed and the cause of long-held grudges proven untrue.
As always the author delivers a belter of a great read.