Inheritance

by Jenny Eclair

From Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller Jenny Eclair comes her heartbreaking new novel.

In deepest Cornwall, the mansion Kittiwake has seen many pass through its doors since it was bought by American heiress Peggy Carmichael seventy years ago.

Over the decades, the keys have been handed down through the family, and now it belongs to Bel's adoptive brother, Lance. It's where he'll be celebrating his 50th birthday, and Bel is invited.

But in going back to Kittiwake, Bel will be returning to the place where it all began - where, following the death of a child, a sequence of events was set in motion years ago, the consequences of which are still rippling down through the generations...

Genres: Fiction, Comedy, Contemporary, Book Club, Historical Fiction, Family Drama

401 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2019

About the author

Jenny Eclair is an English comedian, author and actor. She has appeared on numerous tv shows, most notably Grumpy Old Women, and Loose Women, performed on stage and hosted her own radio shows. She continues to tour her one woman stand up shows throughout the UK and was the first female comic to win The Edinburgh Fringe Perrier Award, in 1995.
She has written three novels, as well as contributed to many comedic anthologies.

Reviews

[Indieflower · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jenny Eclair, both her comedy and her books, and I really enjoyed this saga of an extremely dysfunctional family. The story is told over different timelines and is choc a block with very flawed characters, most of whom are unlikeable but I found them interesting nonetheless. There are some dark themes covered but balanced with quite a bit of humour and though some reviewers have disliked the epilogue, I loved it, I'm a soppy old moo at times and it brought a tear to my eye.

[Aileen Watson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having thoroughly enjoyed Moving, I eagerly began this book last week whilst on holiday and with time to indulge my pleasure of reading. I'm afraid this novel has been for me, an absolute chore to read and not a book I would recommend. I enjoy novels which employ the conceit of going backwards and forwards in time to flesh out the tale and gradually reveal events which explain the story. Not so this time. I found the characters to be unlikeable and as the book progressed , I had less and less interest in the tale. The ending felt contrived and left me with unanswered questions.
When I pick up a book, I do usually make a point of completing it but I must say, I found this one a real challenge to finish . Several times I had to reread pages as I switched off first time round.
I know I am very much a minority here and apologise to those who loved it, but it disappointed me so much, I felt I wanted to write something here.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first fell in love with Jenny Eclair’s writing when I read her wonderful novel MOVING in 2017, appreciating her wit and astute observations of human nature. It was moving, confronting and at times funny and deeply touched my heart, and I have picked up every other novel the author has written since then. INHERITANCE features Kittiwake, an old English manor house in Cornwall. First purchased by heiress Peggy Carmichael in the 1960’s, it was the site of a terrible tragedy that has haunted future generations of the Carmichael clan ever since. Now fully refurbished it is set to be the backdrop for its latest owner’s 50th birthday party, a lavish insta-worthy affair. But will Kittiwake’s dark past overshadow even this happy occasion?

INHERITANCE reads partly like a dark comedy and a satire on the life of English aristocracy, and as usual Eclair’s observations are uncompromising. Each character is inherently flawed to the point of extremely unlikeable, which in turn made me smirk and cringe. I wouldn’t say that the book was ever laugh-out-loud funny, but it’s infused with the type of self-deprecating humour that makes Eclair such a clever comedian and writer. Insert some deeply emotional themes and this was one family saga I won’t forget in a hurry, especially the surprise ending (which I loved, BTW).

Character driven, emotionally rich and uncompromisingly honest, INHERITANCE is another must-read novel from a writer who has rapidly made her way onto my favourites list.


*blog* *facebook* *instagram*

[Debbie Stevens · Rating 1 out of 5]

Paperback Princesses Bookclub

9 of us read this book and felt unanimously aggrieved that we had wasted £10 of our hard earned cash on this book. We all felt the character's were shallow. The story was disjointed going off in tangents that went nowhere. The epilogue was irrelevant and actually really irritating leaving us feeling that we had totally missed something. If your going to try this book wait until it is 0.99p. The only reason we are giving one star is because we cannot post without a star rating.

[David Paton]

The first book I have read by Jenny Eclair, wonderful, but I don’t understand the ending ! Can someone please help me ?
Thank you.
David

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful and poignant

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nowhere near as good as "Moving"
I found it a bit slow at times,and totally baffled by the epilogue.

[Steph Ollman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. A good family saga spanning a few generations with some mystery also. It was really well written, with great attention to detail (joining up parts of the story). It wasn't particularly laugh out loud (which wouldn't have been right for this sort of story), but there were some warm comic touches.

[Jo_Scho_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah Jenny Eclair. I don’t think she could write a bad book if she tried. I read Life, Death & Vanilla Slices a few years ago and it became one of my all time favourite books. Inheritance is a similar read as again it focuses on dysfunctional families; the real raw, nitty gritty of them.

I laughed, winced and cried through this book. Wonderfully written and with such a lovely ending. Another winner for me.

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved all of Jenny’s previous books and always made a beeline for them but this one isn’t a patch on the others. Waiting and hoping to get into it, but sadly never did and it was a real struggle to get through it. There were some comical paragraphs here and there and some of the characters were funny, but I don’t think they were meant to be! Cornish house on a cliff (where else), various people who lived in it, what’s not to like? In theory nothing, but I just didn’t feel anything for it or the characters. I was given this ARC by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book and loved the reminders of my past with references to the eighties like Angel Delight and Gonks and cine cameras.
The story was well-written although apart from Benedict and Bel, the characters were very unlikeable. My only criticism is that one question about parenthood was left unanswered and the epilogue completely confused me.
As a reader, I like all the ends to be neatly tied up.

[Justkeepreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great and fantastically written book by Jenny eclair. The characters in this book are fantastic the plot is really well thought out and written and I felt like I was amoungst the crook as it unfolded.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty much what you’d expect from Jenny Eclair. I’d say if you like her on the telly then you’d more than likely like her books. Her writing is succinct and quite funny in places. Very easy & quick read.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved Moving when I read it a couple of years ago so I was quite excited to get my hands on this book. I am not the biggest fan of books that flit about in time as I tend to get confused easily (a "me" thing, I have concentration issues) but I never got lost whilst reading this book as the past is injected in exactly the right places to add colour and background to what is occurring in the present. We first meet the cast as Lance celebrates his 50th birthday with a lavish party at his big house in Cornwall. A house, and indeed a family, that all hold secrets and more than their fair share of history. I can't really say much about the story as it all interweaves around and about itself but I will just say that it is all incredibly well plotted and played out with aplomb by some very well crafted characters who all develop nicely as the book progresses. Obviously some are easier to like than others but all were easy to connect to in some way, good or bad.
It's quite an emotional book, very sad in places, but there are enough lighter moments to keep the book balance overall. This is aided by the author's brilliant writing style which well fits this genre of book; flitting between in your face and more gentle as appropriate.
All in all, a cracking read that I thoroughly enjoyed. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

[Melanie Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the interests of honesty, it's only right I should start off by telling you that I'm not a fan of Jenny Eclair, which is strange because I'm extremely fond of all fresh cream pastries, but there you are. However, I was pleasantly surprised by her narration of her book and found her voice didn't grate on me as I had expected. The book is well written, with well drawn characters and interesting and witty observations. What I found difficult was none of the characters were particularly likeable. Wives and husbands were foul to their spouses and didn't love them, parents either didn't love their children or loved them too much, siblings had no sense of loyalty to each other or their family. It was all just people being nasty to each other and the repercussions thereof. I felt the moral of the story was "Life is s**t and then you die", which I guess I know is true but look to books to find a bit of escapism. The epilogue was somewhat weird, as if the entire tale preceding it was an episode of Sliding Doors. It certainly added nothing to the story. I would listen to another book by Jenny Eclair but hope it would be something less bleak. I'd like to give it 3 and a half stars really because there's no doubt Ms Eclair can write.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a depressing novel. This is the story of Bel, born in 1963 after a working class girl seeking excitement becomes the victim of a bunch of upper class people behaving badly in a mansion of Cornwall. She is adopted by Natasha, the sister of Benedict, the mansion’s owner (he believes he might be the father). Five years later, Natasha has a baby of her own and from then on Bel is unwanted and has a miserable childhood. Interspersed with this and the story of monstrous Natasha, her even more monstrous husband and feckless playboy Benedict, is the current day story in which Bel is in her mid fifties, fat and unsatisfied. Her husband, Andrew, is one of the few decent characters and their marriage appears happy if unexciting. But her sons live with them and are appalling lazy lumps. Even worse in one’s son’s girlfriend, Maisie, a selfish narcissist. Jenny Eclair is such a talented writer. This is a page turner with some wickedly funny moments of dark humour. But I found myself becoming increasingly miserable in the company of such vile fictional characters. I read on, hoping for a happy ending for poor Bel. But no, it felt as if Eclair had reached her requisite word count and abruptly killed her off, making me wish I’d never read this book.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inheritance is the first book I have read by this author. I must say that it has inspired me to read Jenny Eclair’s previous novels. I enjoy her style of writing, the observational humour and eye for detail, really comes across, even in a serious novel.

The story revolves around a Cornish house called Kittiwake. Over the years the house has been reinvented by a succession of owners. Now in the present day, it is has been fully renovated and is about to become the venue for a lavish birthday party.

The story goes back decades and generations but Kittiwake is always the central location. The house has seen tragedy and turmoil, change and restoration, but it doesn’t hold the wonderful memories you would expect from a seaside retreat. There are different generations, many characters and a timeline stretching over seventy years, so the family tree at the start of the book, was really useful. I soon became familiar with the people in the book and found the switches in era added many layers to the plot.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable read from a talented writer and recommended for anyone who loves family dramas with an intertwined backstory.

[Beverley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute gem of a read. This book had it all: wonderfully astute characterisation and storyline, tongue in cheek humour, well smattered with very genuine profundity. To top it all off, the utterly surprising ending was the absolute icing on the cake for me and will have me pondering this book for some time to come. Superb.

[Helen Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Jenny Eclair's writing style, and in my opinion this is one of her best novels. I was rooting for Bel, of course, but felt that all the characters were interesting in their own way. I agree with other reviewers that the epilogue was a bit puzzling, but it does demonstrate how lives can change in an instant, based on the decisions we make. If only...

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite entertaining in a mildly amusing way but a tale of sadness and mess. Men come out of it very badly apart from two lovely characters Bebedict and Andrew!
Only worth reading for a bit of distraction when you cant be bothered concentrating on very much!!

[Kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this at all - although I did like her previous one, 'Moving'. I'm afraid I couldn't even be bothered to finish this one because I simply didn't care one way or the other about any of the characters.

[Gemma Riley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved 'Moving' but I was really disappointed with this book. Such great characters and story development but then everything just stops and the ending leaves too many questions, like it was hurried and a rush to finish. A real shame in my opinion as this could have been fantastic

[Natasha Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book I have read by Jenny Eclair. Loved it. Great characters and an original storyline. Well worth a read.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have read all of Jenny’s books and enjoyed them. This was a plagiarism of Lucinda Riley with an ending that felt like a cop out. Really disappointed.

[Lynsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot fell a bit flat in this and I lost interest. I really liked the start and quite enjoyed the writing which has a comical tone to it. Might look into reading some of her other books.

[Windy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed by this. I think I was expecting something more literary whereas this was quite shallow. Like many other reviewers, I was confused by the epilogue.

[Krista Esta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jenny Eclairilt kolmas lugemine ja tundub, et kurvad perekonnalood on tema kaubamärk. Eesti keeles on ilmunud "Mälestuste toad", inglise keeles olen lisaks lugenud "Life, Death and Vanilla Slices". Käesolev raamat oli viimati mainituga väga sarnane. Peategelaseks 50+ naine, kes maadleb üleminekuea, lapsepõlvetraumade ja täiesti kasutute (täiskasvanud) lastega. Ja jääb selles maadluses kaotajaks.

Raske oli kellelegi kaasa tunda või kaasa elada, sest pea kõik tegelased olid ebasümpaatsed. Rohkem kui üks kord tahtsin peategelasele Annabelile öelda, et hakka elama! Kui ta siis hakkas ja end kehtestas, siis koheselt tundis suuri süümepiinu ... ning andis alla.
Eclairile omaselt on loos rohkelt perekonnasaladusi, mõned etteaimatavad, mõned tulevad lagedale sammhaaval. Jätkuvalt - "Mälestuste toad" on tema parim.

[Gill Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never read any of Jenny Eclairs books before and as I love her as a comedian I thought I’d try one of her books. I wasn’t disappointed, it wasn’t funny although there are amusing parts but it was a book I could really get into. I’ll be wanting to read all her others now.

[Cleopatra Pullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have recently decided that my favourite audio listens tend to be those read by their authors, and this book fits that category perfectly!

Inheritance is a book cantered around a holiday home bought by the wealthy Peggy Carmichael some seventy years ago. But, Kittiwake, was soon the scene of a terrible tragedy and the family left. As the reader though we hop back and forth seeing the next generation, and the one after that through the author's sharp observational eye.

The story was great and the characters, inspired. Admittedly there aren't many that you'd wish to spend too much time with but they easily discernible and fully formed which in my mind is far more important. The plotting is meticulous and revelations perfectly timed.

I can see the ending may not suit everyone, but I loved it, especially the epilogue.

Well worth a listen.

[Lia Valenti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Libro noioso e prolisso.