A Deadly Inheritance

by Kelley Armstrong

After discovering she's an heiress to a billion-dollar corporation, seventeen-year-old Liliana finds herself at a new boarding school where she must navigate secret societies and a deadly competition. Not to mention two handsome boys.

The Reappearance of Rachel Price meets The Inheritance Games series in this new YA thriller from bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

In the wake of her mother's death, Liliana Chamberlain's estranged (and very wealthy) grandparents swoop in. Or their lawyer does. Her grandparents aren't ready to meet her, but they want her to have the life her mother walked away from, starting with Westwood Academy, the elite boarding school her mother attended. It should be a Cinderella dream come true, but Lili has serious misgivings. Yet she doesn't have a choice, being under eighteen and dead broke.

Westwood Academy is a school of secrets as well as intriguing classmates, including Hollywood golden boy Theo Dubois and the mysterious Maddox Moreno. As she gets to know them all, Lili realizes there's more to the school than elite-level networking. Something deadly.

For the new girl at school, investigating the deaths of past students — including Maddox's own sister — is a very dangerous game. Do those deaths have something to do with why her mother fled Westdale at the cost of her inheritance?

When a fun night out turns bloody, Theo is the prime suspect, and Liliana must race against time to connect the past with the present and discover the truth behind her inheritance.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Dark Academia, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Romance

424 pages, Paperback

Expected publication March 24, 2026

About the author

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly think Kelley Armstrong could write the dictionary and I'd read it. She has easily become one of my favorite authors, and this book was just as good as her others. I really enjoy her flexibility and creativity. This went more into the YA realm, but had great twists that had you guessing until the very end. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to Net Galley and Tundra Book Group for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published March 24, 2026.

3 stars

Liliana’s mother has died and now the teenager is living on her own, hoping to make it to her 18th birthday and then to college before social services becomes aware of her. But just as child welfare finds her so does a lawyer named Cecelia. She works for the ultra-wealthy Chamberlain family and tells Liliana that, through her mother, she, Liliana, will be the sole heir to the fortune.

Liliana is immediately whisked away to an unusual boarding school that students only attend for their senior year of high school, Westdale Academy. Her mother went there too. It has lots of secrets, including dead former students, something Liliana decides to investigate. A few students in each year compete for some type of academic prize that Cecelia tells her not to worry about but that only makes her more determined to be a part of it. .

She also meets possible friends, possible love interests Theo Dubois, son of Hollywood royalty and the mysterious Maddox Moreno. Theo is also competing for the prize, Maddox seems to be keeping many secrets.

So, the story was OK, but had some holes (the prize is really built up then goes nowhere. Why did Liliana’s mother not reach out for help when she was ill? Her grand plan was to leave behind an underage orphan?). I was totally fine that Liliana was interested in both boys but I did cringe a little when…..SPOILER!!!!!! Skip to the end of this paragraph if you don’t want a minor spoiler!!!!! OK, she’s topless in bed with Maddox, then Theo comes into Maddox’s room and starts kissing her good morning. Ugh, no. It’s great that y’all have no labels and all that, but you guys are seventeen. Save something for when you are adults, please. Plus, you are making me vomit. Thanks.

Otherwise this was just your standard someone-finds-out-they’re-an-heir-goes-to-boarding-school-solves-mysteries thing.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was younger, I read so many books with scenarios like this. Parents die, child turned orphan, suddenly you are rich. It had me half convinced that the way to find your fortune was to become an orphan (but not really).

I have read so many books by Kelley Armstrong and have loved every single one of them. It doesn't matter what genre she is writing, every book is incredible. Saw another reviewer say they would read a dictionary written by her, and I would have to agree!

Definitely would recommend this and every other book by her!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

[Erin Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

✨✨✨Entertaining & Enjoyable✨✨✨

I really like this author and I was so excited to read this one! I enjoyed A Deadly Inheritance! It’s an entertaining and quick read! I really loved the murder mystery and well done atmosphere!!!

This book is definitely a page turner, but there are a few logic holes here and the love triangle was unrealistic as well. Especially for being YA. I think I would have rather this one have no romance instead of the throuple situation. 😬

This isn’t my favorite book by the author, but I still liked it. It was entertaining and enjoyable!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released March 24, 2026.

[Spiri Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

POLY !!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is dark academia/ YA mystery thriller. It is set at an elite boarding school.

17 year old Liliana (now an orphan) discovers that she is actually a billionaire heiress. She is sent to an exclusive boarding school. There she discovers secrets, including why her mom left the prestigious school.

Liliana’s mom has died recently. She is struggling financially when her estranged grandparents’ lawyer Cecelia shows up to tell her she is actually scheduled to inherit a big fortune.

Liliana is sent to a private boarding school for rich kids. However once there she discovers that she might be in danger.

The book is full of secrets and there is a big mystery to solve. I really enjoyed the friend group. There is romance, which is quite interesting. There is a love triangle done in a surprising way for YA.

I found this book to be captivating. And I was very invested in the mystery. It sort of gave me One Of Us Is Lying or Pretty Little Liars vibe. Overall I did enjoy this book.




Thanks to Penguin Teen Canada/Tundra Books and netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has been quite a while since I’ve read a book by this author. I have really enjoyed her books in the past and her newest release (with a thriller/dark academia vibe) seemed right up my alley.

It started off okay with the main character’s arrival at the boarding school her mother attended. She was kind of a fish out of water as she grew up with nothing only to find out she was actually a billionaire and able to attend this super exclusive school.

However, the mystery aspects were convoluted and not well explained. For being a thriller, the pacing was slow. The final resolution was exciting enough but it took way too long to get there.

Also, I didn’t like the romance. At all. With either guy. This is a love triangle but with polyamory/throuple and it was weird to have something like that in YA. I’m all for characters dating casually at a young age but this was something else entirely. Even worse, both guys were not good. I liked one more than the other but only barely, and the main character was kind of bland for having that much attention from both of them.

I’m glad everything was wrapped up in one volume, but sadly this was a bit of a disappointment for me.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of A Deadly Inheritance by Kelley Armstrong in exchange for an honest review. Kelley Armstrong has written another great standalone novel. I believe this book is enjoyable for ages 16-60, I'm 47 and fit nicely in that range. As a child of poverty, I often had the fantasy of a rich relative leaving me a nice inheritance and of going off to boarding school. It never happened to me and a sinister version of it has happened to Liliana Green, now Chamberlain. It's not all bad though, and Lili finds a new family as well to be a part of. This book has a mystery, murder and even a bit of mayhem to enjoy. I'm not surprised that Armstrong has written another winner with A Deadly Inheritance.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the description of this book it sounded completely different than Kelley Armstrong's previous works so I was a bit surprised if not intrigued by it. As an avid fan of all of her work I have learned to not let that stop me because no matter what she creates she always manages to put her own sense of style and flair on it that keeps us frothing at the mouth and ready to drop everything to read it. This book was very different but it still had the style we have come to expect and love. Kelley Armstrong always manages to write such strong characters and in young adult books especially I feel that it is important for kids to read about positive characters that they can relate to. This book had everything you could want in a YA book, characters with lots of depth and my favourite part an easy to follow plot that wasn't completely centered around a love triangle. The book begins with our main character trying to figure out how she is going to survive after the death of her mother. With the landlord barking at the door and CPS doing a welfare check she just knows time is up for her. Suddenly a woman appears to collect her. This woman claims she is the granddaughter of a very wealthy family and the heir to their empire. In a flash Lilian goes from trying to survive to having the world at her feet, however instead of going home she ends up at an elite private school unlike anything she's ever heard of. This school is the best of the best and her stepping stone to getting anything she's ever dreamed of. This is when the story broke into almost multiple different plots however each one was beautifully connected and intertwined with the previous. We get deeper into who Lilian's mother was and what caused her to walk away from a life of luxury was other choice or not? We also get secret societies, and the murder of a classmate who Lilian is desperate to see come to justice and in doing so she also manages to learn more about her background and her mysterious inheritance. Right when you think that can be enough throw in a love triangle that doesn't supersede the plot and this book will have anyone invested. Now this might seem a bit over kill however I loved all of these aspects and how they all connected to flawlessly almost blending in with each other. It was very easy to follow and the seperation between each plot gave the reader a breather that then let them fully engage with the next wave of problems that hit our character. I didn't expect this book to be as dark as it was but it made perfect sense and was the final touch to make me go from just enjoying this book to never wanting to leave the characters behind. There was such an ominous feeling to every page that only got darker and more intense as the story progressed. With so many twists and turns I never knew what was going to happen but loved the thrill. There was such a light feeling to the writing of this book that despite a very serious plot it almost felt light like I was reading a gossip girl book. I loved that because I found myself easily getting lost in the pages and the intensity of the plot but the lightness of the wording made time just slip away. This is one book I cannot wait to see hit shelves and I will be first in line to add it to my ever growing collection of works by this fantastic author who never ceases to impress me.

[Christina W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley and Tundra Book Group for the ARC of 'A Deadly Inheritance ' by Kelley Armstrong!

This is a YA Thriller, perfect for fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes, as this is a perfect mix of the Inheritance Games meets The Fixer.

I really enjoyed the thriller aspect of the story! I'm always a sucker for a boarding school/wealthy teen drama setting, and the mystery of the secret societies, seemingly deadly Optima competition and Liliana's search for her parents' history at the school all give the reader so much to sink their teeth into.

Armstrong did lose me a little bit with the why choose/poly relationship storyline. That's not typically a trope I read, and certainly not one I was expecting in a YA novel. As a long time reader of Armstrong's work, this is not something I have seen from her before, so it's definitely cool that she's trying something new, but again I'm not super sure the YA genre is where I'd personally start with that. All that being said, I did really enjoy the dynamics between Liliana, Theo and Maddox, and had warmed to the trio by the epilogue.

This was probably a 3.75 ⭐️ read for me, rounded up for Goodreads.

[Cassie Nosko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much NetGalley, Kelley Armstrong and Tundra Book Group for providing me with a earc to review and provide my honest feedback.

Kelley Armstrong usually writes captivating, thrilling novels yet this one unfortunately fell short for me 😔

Initially the description of this book caught my attention, and the possibilities seemed endless yet the story alone had major holes in it.

Lilianna's mother passes, and she is praying that social services won't catch on before she makes it to college. At the exact same time social services finds her, a lawyer named Cecelia does too thus takes her away with the promise with a major inheritance.

I think too much transpires and major parts are left unattended to within the book.

Was this my favourite book by the author? Unfortunately no.
Am I disappointed? Yeah.
Will I be recommending this book? No.
Will I continue to read Kelley Armstrong books? Yes!

⭐️⭐️✨/5

[Tracy Shouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat. After finding out she is to inherit a fortune, Lili is enrolled in a private boarding school. Once there she starts investigating why her mother gave up her inheritance and stayed on the move so that her parents could not find her. Soon Lili discovers that the school has a past of students dying or being hurt. Were her parents involved in one of the deaths that occurred when a girl was killed in a car crash? Is this death connected to other deaths? Lili along with her newfound friends embark on a quest to learn what has been going on at the school and how it is all connected. The dynamics of the love triangle to me was unrealistic and I think young adults will not connect with these characters because of this. It's a good read but it fell short in my opinion. Life and love can get very messy at times, and I feel that these characters are portrayed as just a little too perfect.

[layan ليان]

I received the arc a while ago, not sure about it but I’ll give it a go. Sounds extremely similar to the inheritance games though 😭

[Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so rare to find mature teen characters who act like teenagers but not like complete idiots. It shouldn't be, but it is. There were several situations here that could easily have been mishandled spectacularly, but were instead treated with grace and consideration.

[Alice (Alice's Book Vault) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book. I chose to review it and this in no way impacts my opinion of it.

I was very excited to receive an e-ARC of A Deadly Inheritance from Netgalley and immediately I began reading. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that I’m a huge KA fan. I normally love everything she writes and though the couple novels she wrote in the romance genre did fall a bit flat, I found this one to have a few problems for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good boarding school novel, I love a good mystery. But I think somewhere during the writing process it was forgotten that this is a young adult novel. I am not a prude by any means, and I have read some questionable books. However, there are some things that have no place in YA books. I won’t mention what the things are because spoilers, however I have no problem speaking with anyone about my opinions.

I enjoyed the mystery of this novel and found it to be a quick, decent read. The characters were likeable but I felt too much time was spent on the relationships/romance aspect of this story when it should have been spent on the actual mystery.

Overall, it was a decent read for me so 3 stars out of 5. If you enjoy mystery and whodunit’s, you’ll probably enjoy this novel.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to start this off by saying that I am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong and am always excited when I see anything new from her. She is one of my auto-buy authors, so I was thrilled to receive this ARC.

This was a stand alone YA mystery introducing us to FMC Liliana Chamberlain (formerly Greene), a 17 year old teenager who was living alone after the death of her parents, trying to figure out how she was going to make it financially until graduation in May. Out of the blue, she is "discovered" by her grandparent's attorney and is told that she is the last surviving heir to a billion dollar fortune. With that, she is told that she will IMMEDIATELY transfer to Westdale Academy, the elite boarding school her mother attended, and begin to embrace her new life.

Of course, everything is a huge shock for Lili, as she is thrown into a society and culture that she is unprepared for. She never knew that her mother and father had run away from Westdale after her mother learned she was pregnant. She never knew ANYTHING about her grandparents or their history. Apparently, their family was constantly on the move for most of her life, never staying in one place for long, and she is now beginning to realize the reasons behind the events of her life.

And so the story begins.

Once Lili gets to Westdale, all kinds of things happen. There is a storyline surrounding the competition for "Optima", which is the selection for one student who is "the best of the best". There is also a storyline surrounding her love life, which becomes somewhat complicated. Then there is the mystery of what happened to make her mother run away from her entire life in the first place. And finally, there is also the storyline of someone trying to hurt or kill her.

Needless to say, that's a lot.

It felt like this book was all over the place. The book FELT chaotic. To me, it felt like the book never knew exactly WHAT it was trying to focus on because Lili is running in a hundred different directions at once. That might have worked except that nothing about it felt realistic.

Lili is brand new to the school and to this life yet immediately, she catches the eye of the very famous son of Hollywood royalty - Theo Dubois -who is the "it" boy at the school. She is accepted into the elite and supposedly exclusive society - The Lilith's. Of course, she is immediately the front runner for Optima. During her "investigation", she is able to roam the school at will, a school that supposedly has excellent security. Yet she spends most of her free time and even some nights, in places other than her room without anyone being the wiser.

Without going into spoilers, it is hard to go into greater detail but the instant attraction between Lili and Theo and then Maddox felt unrealistic. For some reason, it never FELT true. It was like they met on her first day and they attached themselves to her immediately......without any real reason to support it. And do not get me started on the fact that for supposedly very famous people, there was NO way that their unique relationship situation was going to go unnoticed and definitely not going to go without some type of blowback.

So now, the good. I liked the relationships that Lili eventually develops. She ends up making her first real friends at Westdale. I also liked the buildup of tension that continued to grow as the story unfolds. There were many rabbit holes and false trails that were spread throughout the book and that helped to increase the suspense - though it also created some of the chaos.

All in all, this was a fairly quick and easy read that I did enjoy. While this was not one of my favorite books from Ms. Armstrong, she has built up enough loyalty from me throughout the years that I will not hesitate to continue to read whatever she puts out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Book Group | Tundra Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. This book will be out for publication on March 24, 2026.

[Raji · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find this review and more on my blog at Worlds Unlike Our Own .

3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Teen Canada, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One day, Liliana is struggling to survive alone after her mother’s death, counting down the days until she turns 18 and cannot be taken away by child services, and the next, her estranged and extremely wealthy grandparents step in and change her life forever – or at least their lawyer does. She is a billionaire heiress overnight and is promptly sent off to Westdale Academy, the private boarding school her mom once went to, which, she soon finds out, is less about studying and more about elite level networking for building their careers. But she quickly realizes there is more at play here, with dark secrets hidden in the school’s history which seem to relate directly to both Lili and a yearly contest that everyone expects her to participate in just because she’s a Chamberlain. As she begins to investigate the suspicious deaths of past students, things grow increasingly dangerous for her and she wonders if all of it has something to do with her new inheritance – the same thing her mother gave up when she fled Westdale all those years ago.

💭 Initial Thoughts: Kelley Armstrong was a new to me author so I was not familiar with her other works or what genres/age groups she usually writes for, but I’m always excited to try new authors, especially in this genre.

🌎 Plot, World building & Atmosphere: At first glance, the premise appeared similar to The Inheritance Games, but this book’s vibes turned out to be different as the story unfolded. True, it had a lot of tropes typical of this type of book, but I thought they were very well handled, and in rather unique ways for some of them.

There was far more going on in terms of subplots than I expected for this genre and for a while, it was difficult to determine which was the central one. There was the mystery about Lili’s mom’s past and why she left Westdale, the thing about the inheritance, the secret societies in the school and the competition for Optima which quickly begins to turn dangerous. I did like that there was a touch of dark academia to the plot along with mystery. It wasn’t clear initially how all these subplots would come together or if any of them were red herrings, but as the story progressed, the pieces started to click and it raised the tension even more because there were now so many angles added to the mystery.

The part about the secret societies and the contest for Optima though – it really needed to be developed more. Seemingly the whole school knew about them, so they weren’t much of a secret anyway, but I was quite curious as to what those societies normally do when there isn’t some sort of murder plot afoot in the school and we never got to see more of that. The contest for Optima was presented as something extremely important and useful in the context of the story, but in my opinion, it was all telling and no showing from this aspect so I found it hard to take this seriously. The secret society within the secret societies was cool though, much more interesting.

✍🏻 Writing & Narration: This was a fast paced read and a complete page turner from beginning to end. However, I felt it was slightly longer than necessary and some of that page time would have been better trimmed down or devoted to plot development instead.

👥 Characters: As I’ve come to expect with this genre, I didn’t really find myself invested in the characters outside of their direct connections to the mystery. I did like the friendships Lili developed though. The romance on the other hand, felt like an unnecessary add-on, and not something I think is YA appropriate either. This is around where the plot started to take a backseat to the drama which in term reduced the tension that had been building up so well thus far. That said, the characters were all distinct and easy to keep track of despite there being so many of them.

🎬 Ending: The ending felt more than a little abrupt like the author was in a hurry to wrap everything up, and on top of it, the reveal for the culprit as well as who was helping them was lacklustre. There were several directions I could see the conclusion going in, and the author picked, in my opinion, the least exciting of them.

❓ Final Thoughts & Recommendation: Overall, A Deadly Inheritance was a decent read and the mystery was an interesting one. I would recommend it to fans of the genre.

[Cassandre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Armstrong in familiar territory in the best possible way. A boarding school full of secrets, a protagonist who doesn’t quite fit, a mystery that keeps unravelling long after you think you’ve figured it out. The Armstrong signature was strong throughout—and for fans of her other work, that’s really all you need to know.

What I liked

Liliana as our entry point: Armstrong made a smart choice putting us in the POV of an outsider coming into a world of wealth and privilege for the first time. We discover Westwood Academy at the same pace Lili does—which means no clunky worldbuilding, no information dumps. It’s a seamless way to pull the reader in, and it works beautifully here.

The twists: This is Kelley Armstrong, so you know going in that things aren’t going to be straightforward—and she delivers. I lost count of how many times I thought I’d figured out who was behind everything, only to be proven completely wrong. The mystery kept me genuinely guessing from start to finish, and I loved every minute of the ride.

The characters: There are a lot of players in this story, and I was genuinely impressed by how easy it was to keep track of them all. Each character felt distinct and real, which is no small feat in an ensemble cast. I’ll just say there’s a romantic dynamic in this book that’s handled in a refreshing and open-minded way—it’s not what you might expect, and I appreciated that Armstrong didn’t shy away from it. I was firmly Team Maddox, for the record. Quiet and brooding will always win over flashy and the centre of attention.

The secret society: Elite boarding school, mysterious deaths, a secret society—it sounds like familiar territory, but Armstrong earns every bit of it. The secret society element isn’t window dressing; it’s woven into the mystery in a way that feels necessary rather than decorative.

The Armstrong signature: Even in a completely different setting and with a younger cast, this book feels unmistakably like her. The pacing, the plotting, the way tension builds quietly before it snaps—it’s all there.

What didn’t work for me

The grandparents: They loom over the entire story without ever actually appearing, and I understand why Armstrong kept them offscreen—there were already so many threads to manage. But I found myself wanting at least a brief glimpse of them. They’re such a presence in Lili’s situation that their absence started to feel conspicuous.

The ending came too fast: This was my only real complaint. We spend the whole book unravelling a genuinely complex mystery, and then the resolution happens very quickly before jumping straight into an epilogue set a year later. I would have loved one more chapter in between—something to let the dust settle and check in with the characters before the time jump. A few loose threads deserved a little more room to breathe.

Final thoughts

A Deadly Inheritance is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Armstrong built a world that feels glamorous and dangerous in equal measure, populated it with characters who actually stick, and delivered a mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. The epilogue makes it clear this story is complete—which I respect, even if I’m a little sad about it. If you’re an Armstrong fan who hasn’t added this to your TBR, don’t wait.

4.5 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

[Kasandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

I am a sucker for dark academia and add a mystery thriller tag and I’m intrigued. I’m not the biggest romance fan and love triangles aren’t my favorite either but I still was curious enough to request and get a copy of ab ARC from NetGalley and Tundra Books.

I read the Haunting of Paynes Hollow last fall and I wanted to try another book by Armstrong. My previous critiques were the focus on the love subplot over the horror and folklore elements and the story being sophomoric in tone and writing style. The characters lack depth too. I thought maybe it would work for a YA book.

I will say this book is very simplistic writing. in many parts over explaining and really dumbing stuff down but I think it sort of works being a YA book. I wish it had more complexity I think young readers could handle a lot more than what the book offers and have way more subtext and less exposition.

The characters had me really worried as it was like a checklist of all high school tropes. But then Armstrong makes them all so nuanced. Take Allegra. she’s the Regina of the Liliths but she ends up being nothing like a mean girl. Shes aloof and introverted but Armstrong doesn’t vilify this. Shes very matter of fact but no one has hurt feelings or complains about it. Allegra could possibly be neurodivergent and there’s no negative connotation about any of her behaviors. I loved that. And other characters also get a nice makeover. Maybe too much. Like all the rich kids are just so kind and well adjusted. It’s odd that it leans so hard to have these conflict free relationships. Especially in a suspense book. And yet it was refreshing. I really liked the characters even if I question their overwhelmingly positive depiction haha.

As for the mystery elements. They are a bit all over. Sometimes Liliana is so supreme with her deduction and the breakdown of how she gets there is well done. Honestly better than adult mysteries even. However the red herrings and misdirections hurt her character dev and showcasing her skills. Especially when you start seeing how many times it happens.

Overall the reveal was a bit underwhelming. Maybe it’s because the plot gets lost with so many webs of ideas and what’s connected what’s a new subplot. Add the school plot. Add the romance plot. Add the friendship plots. It is just is too much the elements get lost. It’s like having a soup with too many ingredients. Individually you like each ingredient but toss it all together and it doesn’t have a distinct flavor profile so it’s muddled.

I liked the subplots but all together it wasn’t so cohesive. For a YA story it’s still pretty fun. I think the positive characters and relationships shine the most and makes the story hold together. If this was tagged adult suspense it would have not held up in my opinion but it works for a younger audience.

I don’t think it has a fast pace or thriller tone at all. It’s low tension building even in the high stakes parts and I think maybe it’s a light suspense book more than anything. Because it’s so simple structurally it does read fast so it kept my attention despite lacking in the pacing department.

For a YA book I find it fair to rate it a 3.75/5. I would recommend it to those who enjoy YA dark academia suspense books with romance and mystery plots.

[The Captain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ahoy there me mateys! This book deals with Liliana, age 17, whose parents have died. She is living alone in her apartment and trying to find the money for rent so she can avoid social services until she turns 18. Then she can go to college on her scholarship and not have her future plans derailed. But then a lawyer shows up and tells her that she is the heir to a billion dollar fortune and she has to finish high school at an exclusive boarding school called Westwood Academy. Liliana hopes to find out why her mother and father gave up a fortune. It involves murder and secret societies.

This was a pleasant enough and quick read but ultimately ended up just being okay. As a former scholarship student in a rich school, I did relate to Liliana experiencing how the rich live and how surreal that could be. I also liked the set-up for the book and some of the mysteries. But the biggest problem I had was that the novel had too many subplots. A short (and not complete) list:

- Why did Liliana's mother leave the school?
- Why were her parents on the run?
- What was the 5th secret society?
- Why is someone out to kill Liliana?
- Did [redacted] really OD?
- Who would inherit if Liliana hadn't been found?
- Why was [redacted] attacked?
- Who will win the fierce Optimus competition?

Liliana attempts to solve all of these issues haphazardly while apparently competing to be the first in the competition and finish her school work. Her investigations were laughable (oh look a paper yearbook!) and had no real conclusions until the end of the novel. And even the ending and epilogue didn't really make a ton of sense. The solutions seemed both silly and rushed. And this don't account for the second problem - the romance.

Because maybe the book would have been better if it had stuck with just mysteries and had not gone into an entire romance subplot that pointed towards a love triangle and ultimately became a throuple. I didn't like any of the throuple members together. These relationships took the center of attention for too much of the book and included things like:

- Liliana being in lust with two boys at once! Gasp!
- Two best friends faking their relationship as enemies.
- A subplot dealing with mental health issues and debating the use of prescription weed.
- Trying to figure out who Theo would take to the Gala.
- Having only a week to make a Gala costume.
- So many conversations about consent.
- Having the two teenage boys follow Liliana around and share beds to be her bodyguards.
- Making sure that Liliana's socials were curated and debuted.

Issues like consent and mental health are important. Discussing the importance of competition and the management of immense wealth are relevant topics in today's world. I can even deal with non-traditional relationships. I don't even feel the messages were wrong per se, I just felt none were really dealt with in a convincing manner. However, I am not a teen so maybe those discussions will resonate with younger readers. I just wish that the plot had been more focused and that the ending had a different conclusion. Arrrr!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Rjsmommy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Read this in one day because I didn't want to put it down. Newly revealed billionaire heiress Lily arrives at Westdale Academy and assumes (just like I did) that it's going to be the typical mean, rich kids bullying the new girl at the super elite high school but it isn't and I love that. The students here are all the best of the best but each is there to network, work hard, and get to their Ivy League college while making friends they can support within their four societies. And again, while there are four societies there doesn't seem to be any bad blood between them. She immediately meets the brooding loner and writer, Maddox who has been coerced into being her guide and bodyguard by Lily's guardian. Then the Queen Bee of the school Allegra, future fashion designer, and of course, Theo, gorgeous teen idol, son of Oscar winning actress and director father, who has already made two award winning short films while earning himself the reputation of a serial dater and troublemaker. Each gives Lily their advice of how to navigate the politics and friendships of Westdale. And while that might seem like enough, Lily is also there to piece together the mystery of her mother's untimely exit from Westdale which snowballs to investigating the death of Maddox's sister and other students who have had unusual accidents or deaths, all which may be linked to the ultimate prize at Westdale--to be voted the Optima!
While the mystery was intriguing, especially with each new clue and twist, it was the relationships that kept me from putting the book down. Maddox and Theo's friendship was so refreshing and their relationship was Lily was perfect. I also liked how Maddox's mental health and Theo's struggle with fame were portrayed. I hated the ending, just because I love these characters so much I really want to follow them further (but thank you Kelley for at least giving me that final epilogue which was all that I hoped it would be!)
And I'm giving it a 5 ...even though there won't be a sequel (but maybe they could investigate a murder at USC?)

Thank you Net Galley and Tundra for my ARC.
1 Star: DNF
2 Star: Struggled but did finish
3 Star: Glad I read it, but probably won’t read again
4 Star: Would read again and recommend to a friend
5 Star: I still think about this book and need the next one immediately.
Recommend profusely and need to have at least one physical copy.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t even know where to start with this. I absolutely adored Kelley Armstrong’s books growing up so when I saw this arc on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to read it. A Deadly Inheritance tells the story of Liliana; a newly-orphaned teenage girl who has just discovered that she is the sole heir to her estranged family’s billion-dollar fortune. Following this revelation, she is sent away to a boarding school for the children of other elite billionaires. After agreeing to compete in the school’s race for Optima; a membership to an exclusive society of billionaires, things take a violent turn for Liliana.

I liked the writing style of this novel and I thought that the setting was really interesting. I think the pacing is what throws me off a little. The first half of it is just world building and detailed descriptions of student societies. It isn’t until the 60% mark that the actual plot from the book description even begins. Moreover, Theo’s potential implication in the attack falls a bit flat because of Liliana’s inability to suspect her guy friends or to believe her girl friends. Another aspect of the story that was a bit anticlimactic to me was the love triangle. I think if they had gone the Clown in a Cornfield route it could’ve been a really fun plot twist, but the resolution here felt like a bit of a cop-out. I will say it was original though, and I did not expect it!

Not to be entirely negative, because I didn’t hate this book, but the ending also felt slightly flat to me. The plot build up and the move to the secondary location were great, but where the story lost me was the protagonist going back and forth on who did it like 3 times in the span of one conversation. If all of these characters had the motive why didn’t we hear about it before? It would’ve added to the story’s build up if each theory had been spaced out and explored throughout the novel instead of basically being listed at the end. Plus, the protagonist coming to a conclusion via process of elimination kind of removes that ‘aha!’ moment from the mystery, in my opinion.

Overall, this was a really interesting and unique read that really brought me back to adolescence. Thank you to NetGalley for early access!

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: A Deadly Inheritance

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publication date: 3/24/26| Read:3/23/26 

Format: e-Book 424 pgs.

Genre:
*YA
*Mystery/Suspense
*Thriller

Tropes: 
*dark academia
*amateur sleuth
*secret societies/identities
*family drama
*love triangle
*friends to lovers
*female/male friendship
*gothic vibes @ WA
*lgbtqia+ rep

POV: 1st person

TW: death of parents, bullying, h attacked, mental health issues

 Setting: Savannah Westdale Academy (WA) -2015

Summary: After the recent death of her mother Rose, Lili has struggled to stay financially afloat while going to school. She fears DCFS involvement, so she has been working two part-time jobs to support herself. Her estranged maternal grandparents' lawyer Ceclia and DCFS come for Lili. Her grandparents own a fortune 500 company called Chamberlain Enterprise. They want to provide her with all the things her mother ran away from-money, privilege, and an esteemed position at Westdale Academy. Only the elite attend, but soon Lili realizes there are unimaginable secrets that come with prestige.

👩🏾Heroine: Liliana "Lili" Green/Chamberlain-17, public school student accepted in WA

👨🏾👨🏾 Heroes: Theo Dubois-18, both parents in Hollywood film industry. He's an artist

Maddox Moreno-lost his sister Jenna @ WA, an outlier @WA.

 Other Characters: 
* Rosalyn "Rose" and Will Green-Lili's parents
*Cecilia Robbins-grandparents' lawyer, good friend to Lili's mom
*Allegra-leader of the Lilith, a fashion designer
*Isolde Brandt-a Lilith, tutors and befriends Lili
*Jayden and Natalia- competed for Optima (1 student chosen every year wins a special price), they sabotage Lili
 
🤔My Thoughts: This had a lot of twists and turns. I was exhausted for Lili- having to be the best student while deciphering who to trust. Theo and Maddox seemed like good guys, but 
Cecilia, Bernard, Charles knew about Lili's parents and kept it hidden all these years.

Rating: 5/5 ⭐
Spice level:1/5 🔥kissing only

Thanks to NetGalley, Tundra Books, and Kelley Armstrong for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

[Gina Malanga · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really a 3.5 for me.

When Liliana‘s mom died, she found herself an orphan with no way to pay the rent and is wondering how she’s going to finish school and get to college in the fall. That all changes when a lawyer shows up and says that she’s actually the errors to a billionaire’s family and that she’s now being enrolled in an elite private school. Now all of this seems fairly ridiculous, but it works in the context of the story, although there are some pretty big holes. What follows next is heart, murder mystery part love story and both are a little bit hole filled.

The murder mystery part is that there’s a secret Society within the secret societies and people tend to go missing and/or are dying and Liliana needs to find out why. Partly because her parents seemed to have a bit of a sore in history with the school that she is unaware of and is trying to figure out exactly what happened to her mom and dad.

In the midst of all of this, there is a bit of a trouble/open relationship/polyamorous thing happening. Now I’m super open minded think that this is great in a story, but I just wonder how appropriate it is for teenagers given that this is a YA marketed book. I’m not sure as a high school English teacher that I would give this certainly not to ninth graders but I think even for 12th graders it feels a little bit of a grown concept. Which isn’t to say that teenagers can’t have the same thoughts and feelings, I just wonder about the ease with which the relationship seems to transpire and that for most teenagers it would never be this easy and un messy. I just thought it took up a lot of time in the story and I’m not sure why.

Also, as I always say these books are just too long. Teenagers who are reluctant readers who maybe would actually really like a murder mystery like this are not going to stick around for 450 pages. I say this about so many YA authors and their books, but I’m not a publisher so I don’t have much control over it.

[RonRonReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me reading my kindle while cooking, when I usually listen to my audiobook!

Liliana’s mom passed away and she’s left to survive on her own until she’s 18. That is until her estranged grandparents “take her in”—is shipped off to Westdale Academy, an exclusive boarding school, after finding out she’s a billionaire heiress. She makes new friends, starts dating and is in the running for an elite society. She also stumbles upon a few deaths—past and present. She works to uncover the secrets about her mom’s past, why they were estranged from her grandparents, what it has to do with Westdale, and if these deaths are related. Strange things start happening to her as she gets closer to the truth, but who can she trust?

I simply could not put this book down. I enjoyed the overall plot. It had me hooked from the beginning, wondering where this (no longer) poor 17 year old girls life was headed. Throughout the book, I had no idea who to trust and there’s no particular villain so I was skeptical of almost every character. While there were a lot of characters, it wasn’t hard to keep track of everyone, given they were so developed within the book. Most everyone plays an important role, so it doesn’t feel like there’s random people to fluff up the story. Also, Liliana’s love life is very modern day and I appreciated how it was incorporated!

My only cons were, I found it slightly longer than I wanted, semi-unrealistic (i.e. the clubhouse hideout), and somewhat cliche (i.e. each rich kid had a family member despise/disappointed in them). I know I said it was longer than I wanted but the ending felt rushed to me, as I was left with two unanswered questions at the end.

Overall, I recommend this book! Especially if you’re a fan of family secrets, love triangles and secret societies, plus it’s an easy YA read. And thanks to NetGalley, Kelley Armstrong and Tundra books for the e-ARC!

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kelley Armstrong is one of my top five authors, so I was genuinely excited to receive an advance copy of A Deadly Inheritance. While I’m probably not the intended young adult audience, I was still eager to see what she would do with this story.
The novel follows Liliana Green, a recently orphaned teen doing everything she can to stay under the radar and avoid foster care. Within the first chapter, we learn that she is the sole surviving heir to a billionaire family fortune. She’s quickly swept away to Westdale, an elite academy whose graduates are practically guaranteed admission to the university of their choice.
At Westdale, Liliana is welcomed into a tight circle of gifted, charismatic students. She soon discovers that her mother once attended the same school but left abruptly, cutting ties with both the institution and her powerful family. As Liliana begins digging into why her mother walked away, she uncovers unsettling secrets, past disappearances, and suspicious deaths that eventually put her own life in danger.
On paper, this has all the ingredients of a gripping read: a mysterious academy, buried family secrets, hidden agendas, and a hint of romance. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite live up to the promise for me. The characters felt somewhat predictable, which surprised me given Armstrong’s usual talent for layered, compelling casts. The twists lacked the punch I’ve come to expect from her work.
That said, I was invested enough to see the story through to the end, which says something. For a young adult audience, especially readers new to romantic suspense, this would likely be an engaging and satisfying introduction to the genre.
I’m giving this 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Kelley Armstrong remains one of my favorite authors, but I think her adult novels are still where she truly shines for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[PamG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kelley Armstrong’s standalone novel, A Deadly Inheritance, is a young adult dark academia mystery featuring a boarding school, secret societies, and family secrets. After her mother dies, Liliana learns that she’s an heiress to a billion-dollar corporation. One of their lawyers is assigned to be her guardian and moves her to the elite boarding school her mother attended, Westwood Academy. Westwood is full of secrets and intriguing classmates, including Theo and Maddox. However, as Liliana gets to know them, she quickly learns that there’s more to this school than networking. There’s something deadly.

Liliana is introverted, quiet, and studious, but she’s also competitive and lives challenges and has a talent for research. Theo is smart athletic, charismatic, and compassionate. Maddox is grieving for his sister who died. He’s doesn’t do small talk, but he’s protective and somewhat broken.
The first chapter is heart-wrenching. It pulls readers into Liliana’s life and struggles quickly. The author does a good job of world-building as well as building tension, throughout the novel. The mystery of the secret societies, a school competition, and Liliana’s search for her parents’ story are just the beginning with the last 30 per cent or so of the book being more action packed. Several themes run through the story including trust, competition, friendship, family, power, murder, assault, grief, romance, and much more.

Overall, the author has written an engaging and enjoyable novel with likeable main characters and several plot twists to keep a reader on their toes.

Tundra Book Group – Tundra Books and Kelley Armstrong provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for March 24, 2026.
----------------------------------
My 3.48 rounded to 3 stars review is coming soon.

[Natasha Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75*

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books for the eARC! All opinions expressed are my own.

“A Deadly Inheritance” hooked me from the prologue. The plot points kept me interested throughout the story and I didn’t want to put the book down until the mystery was solved. This book is set in 2024, and it follows a 17-year old who has recently lost her mom. She discovers, via a lawyer, that she is the heir of a major corporation. She ends up going to Westdale Academy, which is an elite private school that her mom attended and eventually left under mysterious circumstances.

Although the writing and story kept my attention, I have some issues with certain plot points. My biggest issue is with the romance in the story. The synopsis alludes to a love triangle, but there is actually a non-monogamous/poly relationship that is a prominent focus of the plot. This bothered me especially because this is a YA novel and there was no warning in the description that this was going to take place, so I was just very caught off guard when the suggestions of it began. I like Liliana and both of the boys (I have a favourite, but they’re both good for different reasons and they each have their flaws), but I wish Lili either chose one of the boys to be with or remained just friends with both of them.

A second issue I had was that the conclusion of the story felt slightly rushed. I wish we could see more of the aftermath of everything that happened. Additionally, the plot point of the competition for Optima was not fully resolved in a satisfying way, in my opinion.

I did enjoy the discussions of power, competition, and how money and fame can change things. I also enjoyed that the characters were actually shown to be intelligent, especially since they are said to be the “best” seniors in the country. The characters had distinct traits and well-developed arcs, in my opinion, which positively contributed to my reading experience. The writing style and some plot points were also reminiscent of those from authors like Holly Jackson, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and Jessica Goodman, so if you enjoy novels like theirs, you will likely enjoy this as well!

Content Warnings: mentions/use of drugs/alcohol; brief mentions of (past/alleged) SA; blood; murder; non-monogamy; frequent mild/moderate language as well as multiple uses of the f word throughout.

[SJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐/5
Spoilers Ahead

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Book Group for the opportunity to read an ARC of Deadly Inheritance by Kelley Armstrong.

This YA thriller follows seventeen‑year‑old Liliana, who suddenly discovers she’s heir to a billion‑dollar empire and is whisked off to Westdale Academy — an elite boarding school full of secrets, powerful families, and a deadly history. Between navigating hidden societies, unraveling past student deaths, and dealing with two very different boys, Lili finds herself pulled into a dangerous mystery tied directly to her mother’s past.

I genuinely enjoyed this one. Armstrong’s writing is strong, the pacing moves quickly, and the atmosphere of Westdale Academy is exactly the kind of twisty, secret‑laden setting that YA readers love. For some reason, I was convinced the culprit would end up being Cecelia or Theo — I never suspected the real villain. Maybe that’s on me, but the reveal did make sense within the world Armstrong built. That said, it does seem like a questionable business model to let wealthy heirs die on your watch… but I suppose the rich get away with everything.

As a 38‑year‑old reader, I can tell this book is aimed at a younger audience, and I think teen readers will absolutely devour it. There were a few points where my attention drifted, which made it harder to finish, but that’s more about me aging out of the target demographic than any flaw in the writing itself. The throuple element didn’t bother me at all — if that’s something that would bother you, this probably isn’t your book.

Overall, Deadly Inheritance is a well‑written, twisty YA thriller with plenty of intrigue, drama, and danger. Younger readers especially will have a great time with it.

3 stars.

DeadlyInheritance #KelleyArmstrong #YAThriller #NetGalleyReview #BookReview

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked this book up I can say that I did not expect this from a YA novel. I was surprisingly (and gleefully) wrong in my expectations and I well undershot them. Not only was I hooked immediately, I found it very tough for me to put it down. I do always expect great writing for Kelly Armstrong, and A Deadly Inheritance certainly delivered, which shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did coming from such a wonderfully well-written author. 


While the general concept of the girl finds out she's rich trope and has to deal with the ugly side of what that sudden wealth can bring can be overplayed, I didn't get that feel of a played out story with this title. The plot was enjoyable and unfolded gracefully with plenty of twists, second guessing and the end game villain not being at all who you expect. Based in a elite high school, you expect the cliché cliques, bullying, deception and backstabbing. While this book did include all of those things, it was done a bit unexpectedly and refreshingly. I also like that the characters were in a mature relationship (leaving this vague as to not include spoilers) as often you see so much jealously and insecurity in young relationships. I feel as adults we sometimes forget what its like to be a teen and we assume that all young romances are immature and boring. It was refreshing to read about the main characters relationship and the way Armstrong chose to write it because it showed emotional maturity, while still be explorative and shy. 


Armstrong renewed my faith in YA novels a little bit with this one, and I am excited to pick up a copy when its released as well as more YA titles in the future. 


Thank you to Kelly Armstrong, NetGalley and the Tundra book group for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.