The Inheritance: A novel of suspense and humor

by L.V. Starkey

It’s December 30, 2010. The bumbling US Congress’s inability to reach an agreement on a tax law in a timely manner is affecting the wealthy in ways they could not imagine. One of those wealthy is Winston Brickley—eighty-three, industrialist, widower, and third-richest man in South Carolina.

And his two children are trying to murder him.

Though rife with dark humor and suspense, The Inheritance is ultimately a heartwarming tale that illuminates the realities of family, marriage, obsessions, greed, and the wonderful paradox that is being human. L. V. Starkey peoples his debut novel with a cast of rich and eccentric characters, from private detectives to compulsive book readers, who all have hopes, dreams, and shortcomings that make for a thrilling and emotional read.

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2014

Reviews

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a great Sunday afternoon read on a raining Sydney day! Great, detailed plot and likable characterisations all with a bit of humour thrown in. I received an advanced copy from Goodreads giveaways and it came to me directly from the publisher with a hand written note from the author, it was very beautiful and personal! And yes, I did enjoy reading it as much as you enjoyed writing it. Well Done!

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this from a goodreads giveaway. I really enjoyed it. The Title really says it all. This had me laughing all the way through but still in suspense over Winston and his son was trying to do.

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Brickley became all consumed with his father’s death and inheriting his money before estate tax came in on 1st January. It was his duty to protect that money for himself and his sister.

The Inheritance isn’t just a story about a brother and sister trying to kill their father to avoid estate tax. It was a humorous delve into each characters quirks and idiosyncrasies.
Uniquely written that it, not only, moved back and forward in time but also changed perspective on who was telling the story. Each short chapter was solely on one character. Sometimes written in 1st person at other times in 3rd person.
It took me a little while to work out the time lines and the fact that present time was written in italics. I think that was just me being a little slow.
I loved every character and each had their own little peculiarities. There is more to the book than the reader is initially led to believe by the blurb.
Lee was by far my favourite character and I’m sure will be a huge hit with any book lover. Also loved the mention of different books and authors throughout!
A great measure of whether a book is good or great is if I can’t put it down for a few hours and do something else. This book just kept drawing me back! I wanted to read it straight through and I felt let down when I finished reading. Not because I didn’t like how it ended but because I didn’t want to let go of these characters that I had begun to love.
I had a great compulsion to count the steps leading upstairs in our house and believe it or not there are……seventeen!!! What does this mean! You’ll have to read the book to find out.
I received this book through firstreads to read and review.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, I really did enjoy the story and characters. I enjoyed the use of both the past and the present as the story moved forward as it helped explain some of the actions of various characters and the personalities of said characters as well. The added bits of humor were witty and provided lightness to a story that could have easily been heavy or difficult to read. Most of the characters were well developed and whose natural human nature (both the positive and negative aspects)was clearly seen by the reader. I loved Lee simply because I can identify with his character on so many levels. I love my books and I tend to get lost in them on a regular basis. My problem may not be quite as extreme as his, but I can still identify to a degree. Honestly, my only critique was that I really felt like the story was left unfinished. I would have preferred to see how the events through January 2011 eventually changed the lives of Lee, Harry, Michelle, and Brett. The epilogue provided a glimpse for the other characters, but simply didn't go far enough for my liking. For example, did Harry's past with Lee or quick meeting of Winston have any effect on his future? I don't necessarily need a happily ever after for everyone, but I would like to know how events that occurred throughout the book changed the course of their future.

*I received a free copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.*

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would describe this as a charming gift, rather than use the standard nomenclature of "Goodreads Giveaway". Subtitled " A Novel of Suspense and Humour", you get what it says on the box. No misrepresentation there.
If you are a compulsive reader, (and who isn't?), then you'll love the central character, Lee. Lee would rather read than work, and is the ex-husband of Michelle. Michelle and her brother Richard are attempting (ineptly) to bring their lawyer father, Winston, to an early demise in the interests of preserving family fortunes with a change in Estate Tax laws looming.
The author describes himself as a former "bell hop, disc jockey, Army reservist and Treasure Deparment attorney" who practised inheritance law before writing this book. Imagine that this person is possibly a dog-lover, opera supporter and sips bourbon at his leather in-laid mahogany desk, (or knows someone who does), and you wonder about a sub-text to this story: This could be the story of someone having a chuckle as he writes a story. To hark back to a Barthes-ian notion, the author is not dead.(But which character will be?) The voice of Lawrence Starkey(author) could conceivably concord with that of Lawrence Starkey (person). But then again, would that be "beyond reasonable doubt"? Either way, just enjoy!

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5*

I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway, and I will say I'm very glad that I did.

I entered this giveaway because of the addition of "a novel of suspense and humor" to an already interesting sounding synopsis. And I think this book delivered. There were a couple of situations in this book where I actually laughed out loud.

This was a very fast and enjoyable read. The characters were interesting (Lee - the reading addict - being a particular favorite). The writing was clear and direct, the plot was unique, the characters were interesting. I really enjoyed this book.

[Maria Karber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book from the goodreads giveaways and I must say that I thouroughly enjoyed it. I had the good fortune to have received the book in the mail on the morning of my most recent business trip and it became my companion on my Tucson to San Antonio flight. The characters were engaging and I found myself going over some of the characters diaglog later that day during a rather boring conference call. Lee was certainly my favorite character and I enjoyed joining him on his journey througout the novel (trying not to give too much away).

[Veronnica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more from L.V. Starkey. It was well written for the worldwide audience and I am an avid reader. The story reminded me of the character Lee so I must get into shape otherwise I will end up like him! The only criticism I have of the book is 'what is a tony story??'

[Natalya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have won this book through First Reads giveaway and thoroughly enjoyed it. All the characters are well thought out and believable. The story is suspenseful yet very light and easy read. It's hard to classify such a book but that is the beauty of it. It doesn't really follow a typical format however in this case it works well.

[Suzanne Connelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, humorous and witty, written from the heart. It was a page turner, I stayed up late to finish it, I couldn't put it down. I was fascinated with the lifestyles of the wealthy, and how money affects people. Very witty author. Loved it!!!

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It had a quirky, shake your head type of humor that I liked. It was fast-paced, and something was always happening. Good book.
I was given a free copy from the author through a Goodreads giveaway. The opinions are mine.