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The Inheritance
She's got secrets to keep,burdens to carry,and anger to burnThe author of the bestselling The Hunted returns...'A ferocious tale.' Canberra Weekly'Heart-in-mouth reading.' Queensland Reviewers' Collective'More twists than a roller-coaster.' Herald SunA young woman is hiding out in a sleepy North Queensland tourist town, trying to stay under the radar, when she stumbles across a dangerous drug cartel. Anyone else might back away, pretend they haven't seen anything, keep quiet, but Maggie is no ordinary girl.She has to get out of town - fast. She heads towards Melbourne, where she just might find the answers she about her mother, her past and the sins of her father. With a dubious cop as her ally, the police tracking her and a dangerous biker gang on their trail, Maggie's troubles are doubling down fast.'A heroine you can't look away from, pure thrills and wallop, wilder and gamier than your average Aussie noir, this is fierce storytelling.' Kyle Perry'The Inheritance locks the reader in the trunk and puts the pedal to the metal for twenty-two blistering chapters.' Jack HeathThis Kindle edition of The Inheritance includes an *exclusive* short story, The Survivors What readers are 'I felt like a needed a lie down after this high octane adrenaline fuelled ride by Gabriel Bergmoser.''I felt like I was reading an action film.''Holy Moly this book is amazingly gripping and what a bloody thrill ride! (When I say bloody, I mean bloody!)''I read it in two breathless sittings.''Action a-plenty in this fast-paced tension filled thriller. And an awesome protagonist - Maggie is one tough lady not to be messed with.'
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2021
33 people are currently reading
559 people want to read
About the author
Gabriel Bergmoser
17 books256 followersGabriel Bergmoser is a Melbourne based author and playwright. After starting out in the youth theatre scene with his early plays Windmills, Life Without Me and Hometown, Gabriel completed his Masters of Screenwriting at the Victorian College of the Arts. He co-founded the independent production company Bitten By Productions, entering the Melbourne theatre scene with the one-act comedy Reunion and the futuristic Babylon Trilogy of noir thrillers. Gabriel's 2015 Beatles comedy We Can Work It Out opened to sell out shows and rave reviews – it has also been performed in Queensland and returned to Melbourne stages for the 2018 Fringe Festival.
In 2015 he won the prestigious Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award for his pilot screenplay based on Windmills and was flown to the International Emmys in New York to accept. The same pilot was later nominated for the Monte Miller Award. In 2016 his first young adult novel, Boone Shepard, was published by Bell Frog Books; it was later shortlisted for the Readings Young Adult Prize the day after the sequel, Boone Shepard's American Adventure was released. The third book, Boone Shepard: The Silhouette and the Sacrifice, was released in 2018 and a television adaptation is currently in development with Pirate Size Productions.
His 2016 plays The Lucas Conundrum, Regression and The Critic opened to excellent reviews while his early 2017 play Springsteen sold out its entire season. His play Heroes was nominated for the 2017 Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama Writing and went on to win several awards, including five for Best Production and three for best script, on the 2017 VDL One Act Play Festival circuit. His first musical, Moonlite (featuring original songs by Dan Nixon) was performed as part of the 2018 Midsumma Festival; it received rave reviews, sold out its entire season, and was later selected for the highly sought after Home Grown Grassroots development initiative. His 2019 play, The Trial of Dorian Gray, sold out its entire season, was extended, then sold out again. Several of his plays have been published by Australian Plays.
In 2019 Gabriel signed a two book deal with Harper Collins, with the first, The Hunted, scheduled for publication in July 2020. The Hunted will be published in the UK by Faber with translation rights having sold to Bulgaria, Greece, Germany, Italy and France. The film adaptation is currently being developed in a joint production between Stampede Ventures and Vertigo entertainment in Los Angeles, with Gabriel writing the screenplay. He has since signed a second two book deal with Harper for his YA coming of age novel The True Colour of Little White Lies and a follow up.
In 2015 he won the prestigious Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award for his pilot screenplay based on Windmills and was flown to the International Emmys in New York to accept. The same pilot was later nominated for the Monte Miller Award. In 2016 his first young adult novel, Boone Shepard, was published by Bell Frog Books; it was later shortlisted for the Readings Young Adult Prize the day after the sequel, Boone Shepard's American Adventure was released. The third book, Boone Shepard: The Silhouette and the Sacrifice, was released in 2018 and a television adaptation is currently in development with Pirate Size Productions.
His 2016 plays The Lucas Conundrum, Regression and The Critic opened to excellent reviews while his early 2017 play Springsteen sold out its entire season. His play Heroes was nominated for the 2017 Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama Writing and went on to win several awards, including five for Best Production and three for best script, on the 2017 VDL One Act Play Festival circuit. His first musical, Moonlite (featuring original songs by Dan Nixon) was performed as part of the 2018 Midsumma Festival; it received rave reviews, sold out its entire season, and was later selected for the highly sought after Home Grown Grassroots development initiative. His 2019 play, The Trial of Dorian Gray, sold out its entire season, was extended, then sold out again. Several of his plays have been published by Australian Plays.
In 2019 Gabriel signed a two book deal with Harper Collins, with the first, The Hunted, scheduled for publication in July 2020. The Hunted will be published in the UK by Faber with translation rights having sold to Bulgaria, Greece, Germany, Italy and France. The film adaptation is currently being developed in a joint production between Stampede Ventures and Vertigo entertainment in Los Angeles, with Gabriel writing the screenplay. He has since signed a second two book deal with Harper for his YA coming of age novel The True Colour of Little White Lies and a follow up.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
September 27, 2021
I didn't realise this was a sequel to Gabriel Bergmoser's Australian Outback Noir, The Hunted, but to be honest it did not make much difference to how much I enjoyed this that I had not read the first book. This is, however, a brutally violent, adrenalin fuelled thriller where carnage is the norm, featuring the protagonist, a young Maggie, a woman who you barely notice, she has a talent for fading into the background. It begins with Maggie working in a bar in the tourist coastal town of Port Douglas in North Queensland, having escaped her traumatic past, and looking to live a much sought after life of normalcy. This turns out to be a pipe dream, when she follows a drug cartel leader to a warehouse that explodes after she rigs an improvised bomb. This brings Cooper Harrison, a cop friend of her father, Eric, back into her life.
Cooper was a man she had invested so many of her dreams as a child into, wanting him to take her away from the drunk and abusive Eric, and make her part of his family. This never happened, but there is a part of Maggie that clings to her old illusions, as she and Cooper drive back to Melbourne to claim her inheritance from her dead father, which includes a hard drive that Cooper believes has the identity of a serial killer identified by her father. Maggie wants the hard drive because it contains vital information on the mother she has been searching for so long, a mother that had abandoned her. However, there are others who want the hard drive too, including a biker gang known as the Scorpions. A fugitive from the law, Maggie finds herself having to fight for her life from threats around every corner, having to rely on her deadly skills, wits and courage, ending up betrayed, battered, and scarred for life.
Maggie's traumatic background is detailed in the narrative, such as the horrors of her childhood and foster homes, her efforts to become an ordinary student, finding a friend, Ness, only for the friendship to fall apart, leaving her once again lonely, and ostracised from society. The monetary gains, home and hard drive are not the only aspects that Maggie stands to inherit, there is the more problematic inheritance of her trauma and a personal history that has defined who she is, making her a prisoner of the past, can she learn to forge her own destiny and path in life? This is a engaging and entertaining thriller, packed with suspense and violence, of family, fathers, corrupt cops, redemption and hope. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Cooper was a man she had invested so many of her dreams as a child into, wanting him to take her away from the drunk and abusive Eric, and make her part of his family. This never happened, but there is a part of Maggie that clings to her old illusions, as she and Cooper drive back to Melbourne to claim her inheritance from her dead father, which includes a hard drive that Cooper believes has the identity of a serial killer identified by her father. Maggie wants the hard drive because it contains vital information on the mother she has been searching for so long, a mother that had abandoned her. However, there are others who want the hard drive too, including a biker gang known as the Scorpions. A fugitive from the law, Maggie finds herself having to fight for her life from threats around every corner, having to rely on her deadly skills, wits and courage, ending up betrayed, battered, and scarred for life.
Maggie's traumatic background is detailed in the narrative, such as the horrors of her childhood and foster homes, her efforts to become an ordinary student, finding a friend, Ness, only for the friendship to fall apart, leaving her once again lonely, and ostracised from society. The monetary gains, home and hard drive are not the only aspects that Maggie stands to inherit, there is the more problematic inheritance of her trauma and a personal history that has defined who she is, making her a prisoner of the past, can she learn to forge her own destiny and path in life? This is a engaging and entertaining thriller, packed with suspense and violence, of family, fathers, corrupt cops, redemption and hope. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
September 17, 2021
4.5 stars. Warning: Extreme violence.
Gabriel Bergmoser, the author, in his first relentless, high-octane thriller The Hunted, displayed a talent for writing gritty action scenes. He kept the reader gasping and on the edge of their seat. There are plans for the Hunted, set in the dry remote Outback to be made into a movie.
The Hunted began when a young woman, Maggie, stumbled out of a car at an isolated gas station. She was badly injured and covered with blood and mud and promptly passes out in the dirt. All sorts of mayhem and chaos follow.
The Inheritance begins with Maggie working in a bar in a resort town in tropical North Queensland. She is living a quiet life under the radar until acting like an avenging angel she is forced to flee. Her intention is to return to Melbourne to obtain information from her dead father's belongings. She believes there may be evidence of her mother's whereabouts. Her mother deserted her when she was young. She was left in the care of her drunken, bad-tempered father, Eric, who beat her. Eric was once a policeman, but liquor and anger issues related to his obsession with a case ended his career in law enforcement. Maggie is joined in her journey to Melbourne by an ex-cop who was a friend of Eric's. As a child, she admired him and dreamed he would rescue her from her abusive home situation and take her into his family. He let her down. Can she trust him now? This former policeman is intent on retrieving a hard drive of Eric's. This would expose criminal activities, implicate a biker gang, and expose a past serial killer that her father never revealed.
After learning about the compelling Maggie's background, her secrets, flaws, and anger, the story becomes a propulsive adrenaline-rush. Many others will do anything to retrieve the hidden hard drive. Maggie becomes the subject of a highly explosive chase. She is wanted for murder by the police department in Queensland, and there are some crooked ex-cops on her trail. She is pursued by a drug cartel and their assassins, a vicious biker gang, and its prospective recruits willing to kill to prove their worth.
Maggie becomes maimed and injured during this wild chase to retrieve the information on the hard drive but is energized by thoughts of vengeance. All these gangsters should be afraid, very afraid!!
There are shootings, explosions, strangulations, slashings, stabbings, incinerations, and a beheading in the wild, vivid violence, and carnage during the confrontations. There are twists and surprises galore, some of them unpleasant.
I realize the extreme, bloody violence so vividly described will not appeal to all readers, and some should beware. However, for those who enjoy a thrilling, fast-paced, intense action thriller, Bergmoser is becoming recognized as tops in this sort of disturbing story writing. I hope he and his readers follow Maggie's adventures and misadventures into hopefully a more tranquil life, but I foresee more violence in her future.
Gabriel Bergmoser, the author, in his first relentless, high-octane thriller The Hunted, displayed a talent for writing gritty action scenes. He kept the reader gasping and on the edge of their seat. There are plans for the Hunted, set in the dry remote Outback to be made into a movie.
The Hunted began when a young woman, Maggie, stumbled out of a car at an isolated gas station. She was badly injured and covered with blood and mud and promptly passes out in the dirt. All sorts of mayhem and chaos follow.
The Inheritance begins with Maggie working in a bar in a resort town in tropical North Queensland. She is living a quiet life under the radar until acting like an avenging angel she is forced to flee. Her intention is to return to Melbourne to obtain information from her dead father's belongings. She believes there may be evidence of her mother's whereabouts. Her mother deserted her when she was young. She was left in the care of her drunken, bad-tempered father, Eric, who beat her. Eric was once a policeman, but liquor and anger issues related to his obsession with a case ended his career in law enforcement. Maggie is joined in her journey to Melbourne by an ex-cop who was a friend of Eric's. As a child, she admired him and dreamed he would rescue her from her abusive home situation and take her into his family. He let her down. Can she trust him now? This former policeman is intent on retrieving a hard drive of Eric's. This would expose criminal activities, implicate a biker gang, and expose a past serial killer that her father never revealed.
After learning about the compelling Maggie's background, her secrets, flaws, and anger, the story becomes a propulsive adrenaline-rush. Many others will do anything to retrieve the hidden hard drive. Maggie becomes the subject of a highly explosive chase. She is wanted for murder by the police department in Queensland, and there are some crooked ex-cops on her trail. She is pursued by a drug cartel and their assassins, a vicious biker gang, and its prospective recruits willing to kill to prove their worth.
Maggie becomes maimed and injured during this wild chase to retrieve the information on the hard drive but is energized by thoughts of vengeance. All these gangsters should be afraid, very afraid!!
There are shootings, explosions, strangulations, slashings, stabbings, incinerations, and a beheading in the wild, vivid violence, and carnage during the confrontations. There are twists and surprises galore, some of them unpleasant.
I realize the extreme, bloody violence so vividly described will not appeal to all readers, and some should beware. However, for those who enjoy a thrilling, fast-paced, intense action thriller, Bergmoser is becoming recognized as tops in this sort of disturbing story writing. I hope he and his readers follow Maggie's adventures and misadventures into hopefully a more tranquil life, but I foresee more violence in her future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2021
We first met Maggie in Bergmoser's high octane thriller The Hunted where she was ruthlessly hunted down by men who wanted to kill her. Having survived that she's now working in a bar in North Queensland, keeping a low profile and hoping to stay hidden. Unfortunately that's not to be, as one reckless act draws the attention of an old family friend in Melbourne, a friend of her father's and fellow police officer. He persuades Maggie to return to Melbourne to help him look for information left by her dead father. Information that he needs to solve a crime, as well as information that Maggie wants on the whereabouts of her mother, who deserted them when she was very young.
Maggie's arrival back in Melbourne does not go unnoticed by certain people who want her dead or want her father's information and soon the police, a nasty group of bikies and a drug lord are all gunning for her. Maggie could give Jack Reacher and Orphan X a run for their money in the inventiveness of her methods for escaping the brutes sent after her. Along the way Maggie learns more about her father and the secrets that led to him becoming moody and violent. The novel is brutal and violent and the body count is high, but it's a thrilling ride if you don't mind a bit of blood shed along the way.
Maggie's arrival back in Melbourne does not go unnoticed by certain people who want her dead or want her father's information and soon the police, a nasty group of bikies and a drug lord are all gunning for her. Maggie could give Jack Reacher and Orphan X a run for their money in the inventiveness of her methods for escaping the brutes sent after her. Along the way Maggie learns more about her father and the secrets that led to him becoming moody and violent. The novel is brutal and violent and the body count is high, but it's a thrilling ride if you don't mind a bit of blood shed along the way.
January 29, 2024
The Inheritance (The Hunted Series, #2) by Gabriel Bergmoser
Synopsis /
A young woman is hiding out in a sleepy North Queensland tourist town, trying to stay under the radar, when she stumbles across a dangerous drug cartel. Anyone else might back away shaking their head, pretend they hadn't seen anything, keep quiet, even though people are getting hurt. But Maggie is no ordinary girl. She's got skills, as well as plenty of secrets to keep, burdens to carry - and anger to burn.
When circumstances mean that she has to get out of town - fast - she heads towards Melbourne, where she just might find the answers that she needs - answers about her family and who she really is. With a bent cop for a dubious ally, the police tracking her and furious bikers on her trail, Maggie is in deep trouble. She's only got her ingenuity and wits on her side - and a determination not to inherit the sins of her father.
My Thoughts /
TW: Extreme Violence.
[October 2023] I made a comment about the 'body count' in my review of the first instalment of The Hunted Series, aptly titled The Hunted - and although [the body count] was 'somewhat' in keeping with the story, the bodies WERE dropping quick. In fact, my concluding sentence read - "I just hope the body count is not so high in the next one."
[January 2024] The laidback tropical town of Port Douglas is the gateway to two UNESCO World Heritage-listed natural wonders, the Great Barrier Reef and the vast expanse of the Daintree National Park, home to a biodiverse rainforest. It's also the setting for Gabriel Bergmoser's The Inheritance which is the second book in The Hunted Series.
I wasn't sure what to expect with the story in this one. As I read, I realised it was a continuation (of sorts) from the first book. My expectation about the body count, however, was not realised. However much I enjoyed the first book, justifying to myself that the body count was in keeping with the theme of the story, I'm not sure the same can be said for The Inheritance. To be frank, this is a brutally violent story, where death and carnage is the norm rather than the exception. The death scenes read like something out of a non-fiction novel, rather than Australian Outback Noir fiction. Some might say that's a good thing - writing scenes that read true to life. But honestly(?), there are profuse paragraphs filled with descriptions of extreme violence, which I'm having a hard time justifying as, 'in keeping with the story'.
The Inheritance focuses on Maggie's story. We met Maggie briefly in The Hunted, but now we get to learn her backstory and what motivates her actions in The Inheritance. Maggie has a personal vendetta to fulfil and anyone who gets in her way had better watch out because she will do whatever it takes to finish what she's started.
I’m not pretending to know your story, but a girl your age doesn’t collect that many scars without being involved in some deeply improper shit.
It takes Bergmoser some time to fill us in on the picture of Maggie’s past and the events that have forced her to reach this point. So, for a while, I didn’t fully understand her unwavering commitment to violence and the path she's chosen to walk.
Maggie shrugged. ‘I don’t think I have any mates. Dead or alive.’ Carlin looked at her. He went to speak but didn’t. He returned to his whittling. ‘Either sad or wise. Not sure which.’
In Maggie's mind, the violence is about retribution - for righting a wrong, and some of it is retaliation for events that she herself has brought-on in her childhood. But now, in adulthood, she's stuck in a never-ending cycle of attack and retreat. Rinse then repeat.
Told in the third person across two timelines, before and after the death of Maggie’s father, the story opens with Maggie working in a bar in the resort town of Port Douglas. She lives a quiet life, actively keeping under the radar; until she's not, and is forced to flee. Maggie had an unfortunate childhood. Her mother deserted her when she was young, and she was left alone in the care of her drunken, ill-tempered father. Eric (her father) was not always like this, before the drink took over, he was a highly regarded police officer, but the alcohol and anger issues put paid to his career. When her father died , Maggie was sent to a children's home. Let's just say that that didn't end well.
There were things I did enjoy about this novel. The story was fast paced. I admired Maggie's unyielding determination to survive against the odds and her steadfast loyalty to those she regarded as family. However, the level of violence this young lady was capable of, and frequently, without remorse or reflection, was a little overwhelming and engulfed any feelings of empathy I had towards her.
At the conclusion of this book, I seem to have arrived at a tipping point. I enjoyed The Hunted for what it was, but I think, on this occasion, a lot of unnecessary blood was spilled.
Rounded up to 3.5 stars
Synopsis /
A young woman is hiding out in a sleepy North Queensland tourist town, trying to stay under the radar, when she stumbles across a dangerous drug cartel. Anyone else might back away shaking their head, pretend they hadn't seen anything, keep quiet, even though people are getting hurt. But Maggie is no ordinary girl. She's got skills, as well as plenty of secrets to keep, burdens to carry - and anger to burn.
When circumstances mean that she has to get out of town - fast - she heads towards Melbourne, where she just might find the answers that she needs - answers about her family and who she really is. With a bent cop for a dubious ally, the police tracking her and furious bikers on her trail, Maggie is in deep trouble. She's only got her ingenuity and wits on her side - and a determination not to inherit the sins of her father.
My Thoughts /
TW: Extreme Violence.
[October 2023] I made a comment about the 'body count' in my review of the first instalment of The Hunted Series, aptly titled The Hunted - and although [the body count] was 'somewhat' in keeping with the story, the bodies WERE dropping quick. In fact, my concluding sentence read - "I just hope the body count is not so high in the next one."
[January 2024] The laidback tropical town of Port Douglas is the gateway to two UNESCO World Heritage-listed natural wonders, the Great Barrier Reef and the vast expanse of the Daintree National Park, home to a biodiverse rainforest. It's also the setting for Gabriel Bergmoser's The Inheritance which is the second book in The Hunted Series.
I wasn't sure what to expect with the story in this one. As I read, I realised it was a continuation (of sorts) from the first book. My expectation about the body count, however, was not realised. However much I enjoyed the first book, justifying to myself that the body count was in keeping with the theme of the story, I'm not sure the same can be said for The Inheritance. To be frank, this is a brutally violent story, where death and carnage is the norm rather than the exception. The death scenes read like something out of a non-fiction novel, rather than Australian Outback Noir fiction. Some might say that's a good thing - writing scenes that read true to life. But honestly(?), there are profuse paragraphs filled with descriptions of extreme violence, which I'm having a hard time justifying as, 'in keeping with the story'.
The Inheritance focuses on Maggie's story. We met Maggie briefly in The Hunted, but now we get to learn her backstory and what motivates her actions in The Inheritance. Maggie has a personal vendetta to fulfil and anyone who gets in her way had better watch out because she will do whatever it takes to finish what she's started.
I’m not pretending to know your story, but a girl your age doesn’t collect that many scars without being involved in some deeply improper shit.
It takes Bergmoser some time to fill us in on the picture of Maggie’s past and the events that have forced her to reach this point. So, for a while, I didn’t fully understand her unwavering commitment to violence and the path she's chosen to walk.
Maggie shrugged. ‘I don’t think I have any mates. Dead or alive.’ Carlin looked at her. He went to speak but didn’t. He returned to his whittling. ‘Either sad or wise. Not sure which.’
In Maggie's mind, the violence is about retribution - for righting a wrong, and some of it is retaliation for events that she herself has brought-on in her childhood. But now, in adulthood, she's stuck in a never-ending cycle of attack and retreat. Rinse then repeat.
Told in the third person across two timelines, before and after the death of Maggie’s father, the story opens with Maggie working in a bar in the resort town of Port Douglas. She lives a quiet life, actively keeping under the radar; until she's not, and is forced to flee. Maggie had an unfortunate childhood. Her mother deserted her when she was young, and she was left alone in the care of her drunken, ill-tempered father. Eric (her father) was not always like this, before the drink took over, he was a highly regarded police officer, but the alcohol and anger issues put paid to his career. When her father died , Maggie was sent to a children's home. Let's just say that that didn't end well.
There were things I did enjoy about this novel. The story was fast paced. I admired Maggie's unyielding determination to survive against the odds and her steadfast loyalty to those she regarded as family. However, the level of violence this young lady was capable of, and frequently, without remorse or reflection, was a little overwhelming and engulfed any feelings of empathy I had towards her.
At the conclusion of this book, I seem to have arrived at a tipping point. I enjoyed The Hunted for what it was, but I think, on this occasion, a lot of unnecessary blood was spilled.
Rounded up to 3.5 stars
January 29, 2023
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**4.5 stars**
The Inheritance by Gabriel Bergmoser. (2021).
Maggie is hiding out in a sleepy North Queensland tourist town trying to stay under the radar when she stumbles across a dangerous drug cartel. Maggie is no ordinary girl; she's got skills, secrets to keep, burdens to carry and anger to burn. When she has to get out of town fast she heads towards Melbourne to get answers about her family. With a bent cop for a dubious ally, the police tracking her and furious bikies on her trail, Maggie is in deep trouble. She's got only her ingenuity and wits on her side - and a determination not to inherit the sins of her father.
I was so happy to finally pick this one up after loving 'The Hunted' - where we first met Maggie (this book is technically a sequel but could absolutely be read as a standalone). Maggie is one of my favourite leads in a crime thriller story because she's just so bad-ass! Okay yes, she is quite aggressive and violent, but I really feel that's only towards people that probably deserve it... and give the girl a break, she's been through some rough stuff. I don't think (well I hope anyway) that Maggie's story is finished and hopefully there will be more to come.
Overall: highly recommend this thriller for anyone who enjoys a fast pace, a lot of action, and those who don't mind descriptive violence.
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**4.5 stars**
The Inheritance by Gabriel Bergmoser. (2021).
Maggie is hiding out in a sleepy North Queensland tourist town trying to stay under the radar when she stumbles across a dangerous drug cartel. Maggie is no ordinary girl; she's got skills, secrets to keep, burdens to carry and anger to burn. When she has to get out of town fast she heads towards Melbourne to get answers about her family. With a bent cop for a dubious ally, the police tracking her and furious bikies on her trail, Maggie is in deep trouble. She's got only her ingenuity and wits on her side - and a determination not to inherit the sins of her father.
I was so happy to finally pick this one up after loving 'The Hunted' - where we first met Maggie (this book is technically a sequel but could absolutely be read as a standalone). Maggie is one of my favourite leads in a crime thriller story because she's just so bad-ass! Okay yes, she is quite aggressive and violent, but I really feel that's only towards people that probably deserve it... and give the girl a break, she's been through some rough stuff. I don't think (well I hope anyway) that Maggie's story is finished and hopefully there will be more to come.
Overall: highly recommend this thriller for anyone who enjoys a fast pace, a lot of action, and those who don't mind descriptive violence.
July 31, 2021
If I had a complaint about The Hunted—the visceral, blood-soaked prequel to The Inheritance—it was that I didn't get to know the cast until too late. It was structured like a film, where an actor's charisma can make a character likeable even if everything about them is shrouded in mystery. Books don't work like that, at least not for me—the reader needs to care about the characters from the beginning, which is difficult if you only discover what's driving them at the end.
Not an issue this time around—we know Maggie now. And if you missed The Hunted and don't know Maggie, The Inheritance starts off with an unapologetic summary of who she is and what she's running from. (Some spoilers for The Hunted follow, but as I've said, I think that book actually works better if you already know this.) On page three she kills her father. Two pages and one year later, she sees a sleazy bad guy in a bar. On a whim, she follows him to his hideout, and by page 22 she's destroyed it with an improvised explosive. This sets the tone for the rest of the book—Australian metro-noir, full of blackhearted villains and ruthless heroes, running on rocket-fuel and unquestionably one of the best thrillers of 2021.
The plot in a nutshell: Maggie—damaged, resourceful, always in motion—learns that her dead father may have had information about her missing mother. She goes to Melbourne, looking for clues. But she has to watch out for the police, who might arrest her for her father's murder, and she has to avoid the bikie gang her father may have been involved with. Plus, there's a serial killer on the loose. As all these threats converge on Maggie, the reader may get worried for her welfare—but soon realises it's the bad guys who should be scared.
There's a lot to like here—intriguing characters, vivid descriptions, punchy dialogue. But the thing I enjoyed most was how often The Inheritance subverted my expectations. There was violence when I expected dialogue, and dialogue when I expected violence. Every time a new group of bad guys showed up, I thought to myself, "OK, now Maggie will be captured, the villain will do a monologue, and all will be revealed." Then I would watch in astonishment and delight as Maggie managed to stab, bludgeon, burn and mutilate her way out of trouble, again—only for an even bigger, badder bunch of villains to appear.
It's hard to write a good fight scene. You're wrestling (often literally) with not just the usual problems of character, emotion and style, but also trying to explain complex choreography in a way that won't leave the reader discombobulated or worse, bored. This is even harder when your hero is a woman, because you have to ask yourself a range of additional questions. Is it reinforcing a stereotype if one of the male characters comes to her aid? By depicting violence against women, am I implicitly endorsing it? Writers sometimes handle their female action heroes with kid gloves. In some cases, you can almost hear the author muttering to themselves, "Yes, she's gotta kick ass, because feminism, but she has to look hot while she's doing it."
None of this seems to pose a challenge to Bergmoser. The fight scenes are a joy to read—a festival of carnage, perfectly executed (again, often literally). Maggie does things to her foes that will shock and delight even the most jaded of crime fans. I winced so hard that I think the wrinkles might be permanent. Maggie also gets savagely beaten, stabbed, strangled and worse—in short, she's treated the same way male action heroes are, and I was surprised by how refreshing I found that.
I don't know where the series is going from here. But I know I'd better stock-up on anti-anxiety medication now, because there's no way I won't be reading the next book.
Jack Heath is the author of Kill Your Brother.
Not an issue this time around—we know Maggie now. And if you missed The Hunted and don't know Maggie, The Inheritance starts off with an unapologetic summary of who she is and what she's running from. (Some spoilers for The Hunted follow, but as I've said, I think that book actually works better if you already know this.) On page three she kills her father. Two pages and one year later, she sees a sleazy bad guy in a bar. On a whim, she follows him to his hideout, and by page 22 she's destroyed it with an improvised explosive. This sets the tone for the rest of the book—Australian metro-noir, full of blackhearted villains and ruthless heroes, running on rocket-fuel and unquestionably one of the best thrillers of 2021.
The plot in a nutshell: Maggie—damaged, resourceful, always in motion—learns that her dead father may have had information about her missing mother. She goes to Melbourne, looking for clues. But she has to watch out for the police, who might arrest her for her father's murder, and she has to avoid the bikie gang her father may have been involved with. Plus, there's a serial killer on the loose. As all these threats converge on Maggie, the reader may get worried for her welfare—but soon realises it's the bad guys who should be scared.
There's a lot to like here—intriguing characters, vivid descriptions, punchy dialogue. But the thing I enjoyed most was how often The Inheritance subverted my expectations. There was violence when I expected dialogue, and dialogue when I expected violence. Every time a new group of bad guys showed up, I thought to myself, "OK, now Maggie will be captured, the villain will do a monologue, and all will be revealed." Then I would watch in astonishment and delight as Maggie managed to stab, bludgeon, burn and mutilate her way out of trouble, again—only for an even bigger, badder bunch of villains to appear.
It's hard to write a good fight scene. You're wrestling (often literally) with not just the usual problems of character, emotion and style, but also trying to explain complex choreography in a way that won't leave the reader discombobulated or worse, bored. This is even harder when your hero is a woman, because you have to ask yourself a range of additional questions. Is it reinforcing a stereotype if one of the male characters comes to her aid? By depicting violence against women, am I implicitly endorsing it? Writers sometimes handle their female action heroes with kid gloves. In some cases, you can almost hear the author muttering to themselves, "Yes, she's gotta kick ass, because feminism, but she has to look hot while she's doing it."
None of this seems to pose a challenge to Bergmoser. The fight scenes are a joy to read—a festival of carnage, perfectly executed (again, often literally). Maggie does things to her foes that will shock and delight even the most jaded of crime fans. I winced so hard that I think the wrinkles might be permanent. Maggie also gets savagely beaten, stabbed, strangled and worse—in short, she's treated the same way male action heroes are, and I was surprised by how refreshing I found that.
I don't know where the series is going from here. But I know I'd better stock-up on anti-anxiety medication now, because there's no way I won't be reading the next book.
Jack Heath is the author of Kill Your Brother.
July 16, 2021
Another thrill ride from Gabriel Bergmoser. Imagine an action movie with a lot of death, explosions and running from the law. Oh and bikers... a lot of bikers. Maggie from The Hunted returns with a book all about her story and I was so happy to get an advanced copy. If you loved The Hunted you will love The Inheritance. It is dark and violent and ver graphic.. you have been warned!!
Maggie is one tough cookie. She doesn’t take crap from anyone and that gets her into trouble. She is hiding out in Port Douglas, in far North Queensland. She spends her nights working in the local pub and staying under the radar. But she can’t help herself and ends up needing to flee quickly and travels back to her childhood home in Melbourne.
Here she must confront her past and claim her inheritance from her now deceased father. But there are plenty of others that want a part of it, believing he held the key to a mystery. She has to fight for her life, and she trusts nobody. She never gives up and can think on her feet so well. But she is just one girl against the worst of the Melbourne criminal world.. will she survive.
A big thanks to Harper Collins Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read. Released in Australia July 28th
Maggie is one tough cookie. She doesn’t take crap from anyone and that gets her into trouble. She is hiding out in Port Douglas, in far North Queensland. She spends her nights working in the local pub and staying under the radar. But she can’t help herself and ends up needing to flee quickly and travels back to her childhood home in Melbourne.
Here she must confront her past and claim her inheritance from her now deceased father. But there are plenty of others that want a part of it, believing he held the key to a mystery. She has to fight for her life, and she trusts nobody. She never gives up and can think on her feet so well. But she is just one girl against the worst of the Melbourne criminal world.. will she survive.
A big thanks to Harper Collins Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read. Released in Australia July 28th
December 31, 2021
The Inheritance by Aussie author Gabriel Bergmoser is another fast-paced action-packed book. I honestly thought after reading his debut novel The Hunted that perhaps this book wouldn’t be as good, well was I wrong. A well written thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. I loved this book and can’t wait to read more by this author. Highly recommend.
June 18, 2021
So I really enjoyed The Hunted, I did enjoy this but not as much. I felt I lost what was happening bit and it jumped around a bit for me but Maggie is an awesome character who is not afraid to kick butt and I love that about her!!
May 25, 2022
4.5 stars
The second book by Gabriel Bergmoser is just as thrilling, bloody, violent, fast paced and action-packed as his first, The Hunted, but not as barbaric which was a relief. A fantastic edge of your seat read!
Listened to the audio version. Loved it!
The second book by Gabriel Bergmoser is just as thrilling, bloody, violent, fast paced and action-packed as his first, The Hunted, but not as barbaric which was a relief. A fantastic edge of your seat read!
Listened to the audio version. Loved it!
March 30, 2023
I'm really confused how this isn't listed as a sequel to The Hunted. Its got the same main character and the plot picks up where the last was left. CONFUSED!
August 25, 2021
A young woman is hiding out in a sleepy North Queensland tourist town, trying to stay under the radar, when she stumbles across a dangerous drug cartel. Anyone else might back away shaking their head, pretend they hadn't seen anything, keep quiet, even though people are getting hurt. But Maggie is no ordinary girl. She's got skills, as well as plenty of secrets to keep, burdens to carry - and anger to burn.
When circumstances mean that she has to get out of town - fast - she heads towards Melbourne, where she just might find the answers that she needs - answers about her family and who she really is. With a bent cop for a dubious ally, the police tracking her and furious bikers on her trail, Maggie is in deep trouble. She's only got her ingenuity and wits on her side - and a determination not to inherit the sins of her father.
4.5 stars
This is the follow-up novel - the long-awaited follow-up novel - to The Hunted
(see my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
For everything that book was, this one was almost the complete opposite!
A short summary of the plot: Maggie is chilling in QLD when she gets a visit from a former colleague of her father's who convinces her to return to Melbourne and collect the inheritance from her dead father's estate. In that inheritance is a hard drive containing not only some evidence on some serious bad guys, but also some information on the whereabouts of her mother.
In my review of The Hunted, I stated that I thought the author wasn't sure who the hero was meant to be for that book. No such problem this time around. Maggie is clearly the protagonist here: from the blowing up of a warehouse in the first few pages, we know Maggie is front and centre. Sure, there are other characters that come and go who could be placed in the "good guy" column, but Maggie is the star of the show.
On the flipside of that, I had a little trouble identifying the "bad guy" here. In the first book, it was very clear - they turned up at the service station and that was it. But this book has the drug baron that Maggie annoys, then we have a bikie gang who try and get the hard drive for their own protection, and then there is also the bad cop (or two) who will try and break the law to get that same hard drive. Every time it seems like Maggie has death with one, another shows up, and then another...
The biggest difference between The Hunted and this one was the pacing. The Hunted was flat-out, 100% adrenalin-rush, action thriller. There wasn't as lot of character development or depth to the plot - simply a revenge tale, to be honest. This book was quite the opposite - and quite possibly the strength of the novel. Don't get me wrong - there is still plenty of fight scenes, blood, murder, incinerations, gunshots and violence - but it really wasn't the focus. I really enjoyed reading a lot more of Maggie's backstory - who her father was, who he became, what drove her to be so strong and determined. There was a lot of introspection from her as well, as she tries to come to terms with the unfolding story of her history. That really added some depth to her character and made me feel more empathy for her. Not only that, we got to learn the motivations from some of her dad's former colleagues for "going rogue", and we get some insight into the motivations for the leader of the bikie gang as well. All this really helped to flesh this book out to be a more rounded story than the previous one.
I also liked the change in scenery as well. Right now, it seems that every Australian crime noir novel is set in the outback. I was nice to see this one travel from the sunny QLD coast to the gritty and dark streets of Melbourne. It added an air of legitimacy for me (Underbelly, anyone???) and I could almost see the streets and buildings as the author describes them!
So, no, this isn't the same as the first book for a number of reasons. Not as much action, but enough to keep the reader turning the pages, but the addition of backstories and motivations for the characters made this a much more fulfilling read!
I look forward to another!
Paul
ARH
When circumstances mean that she has to get out of town - fast - she heads towards Melbourne, where she just might find the answers that she needs - answers about her family and who she really is. With a bent cop for a dubious ally, the police tracking her and furious bikers on her trail, Maggie is in deep trouble. She's only got her ingenuity and wits on her side - and a determination not to inherit the sins of her father.
4.5 stars
This is the follow-up novel - the long-awaited follow-up novel - to The Hunted
(see my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
For everything that book was, this one was almost the complete opposite!
A short summary of the plot: Maggie is chilling in QLD when she gets a visit from a former colleague of her father's who convinces her to return to Melbourne and collect the inheritance from her dead father's estate. In that inheritance is a hard drive containing not only some evidence on some serious bad guys, but also some information on the whereabouts of her mother.
In my review of The Hunted, I stated that I thought the author wasn't sure who the hero was meant to be for that book. No such problem this time around. Maggie is clearly the protagonist here: from the blowing up of a warehouse in the first few pages, we know Maggie is front and centre. Sure, there are other characters that come and go who could be placed in the "good guy" column, but Maggie is the star of the show.
On the flipside of that, I had a little trouble identifying the "bad guy" here. In the first book, it was very clear - they turned up at the service station and that was it. But this book has the drug baron that Maggie annoys, then we have a bikie gang who try and get the hard drive for their own protection, and then there is also the bad cop (or two) who will try and break the law to get that same hard drive. Every time it seems like Maggie has death with one, another shows up, and then another...
The biggest difference between The Hunted and this one was the pacing. The Hunted was flat-out, 100% adrenalin-rush, action thriller. There wasn't as lot of character development or depth to the plot - simply a revenge tale, to be honest. This book was quite the opposite - and quite possibly the strength of the novel. Don't get me wrong - there is still plenty of fight scenes, blood, murder, incinerations, gunshots and violence - but it really wasn't the focus. I really enjoyed reading a lot more of Maggie's backstory - who her father was, who he became, what drove her to be so strong and determined. There was a lot of introspection from her as well, as she tries to come to terms with the unfolding story of her history. That really added some depth to her character and made me feel more empathy for her. Not only that, we got to learn the motivations from some of her dad's former colleagues for "going rogue", and we get some insight into the motivations for the leader of the bikie gang as well. All this really helped to flesh this book out to be a more rounded story than the previous one.
I also liked the change in scenery as well. Right now, it seems that every Australian crime noir novel is set in the outback. I was nice to see this one travel from the sunny QLD coast to the gritty and dark streets of Melbourne. It added an air of legitimacy for me (Underbelly, anyone???) and I could almost see the streets and buildings as the author describes them!
So, no, this isn't the same as the first book for a number of reasons. Not as much action, but enough to keep the reader turning the pages, but the addition of backstories and motivations for the characters made this a much more fulfilling read!
I look forward to another!
Paul
ARH
August 5, 2021
2.5 stars ⭐️
Honestly this book fell flat for me. It wasn’t ‘unputdownable’ like one of the reviews promised, instead the story plodded along for the first 100 pages. Eventually the pace and the intrigue picked up, but if I wasn’t persistent I easily could’ve given up on this.
A young woman on the run from her past, is confronted with the possibility of finally getting answers about the mother who abandoned her. But to get them she has to return to Melbourne where a bikie gang, a drug cartel and the police are all looking for her. All hell breaks loose when she gets to Melbourne and bodies drop wherever she goes.
I think my ambivalence is largely due to the lack of connection I felt towards the protagonist, Maggie. Even if you’re vastly different to a character, usually there are personality traits, experiences or values that you share. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case here. It may have been the author’s intent to have this divide between the character and the reader because there was a detachment between Maggie and the world. If this was true, Bergmoser sacrificed a connection to the character for the sake of a metaphor. Sometimes writers can make this work, however I would’ve preferred to actually like and understand the character instead of feeling as lost as she was.
The start was slow and lacklustre. I wasn’t drawn in and it wasn’t until over a third of the way through that I felt the first pull of intrigue. Before that I was reading for the sake of reading, not actual interest.
The action was well written and provided a layer of intensity the rest of the book sometimes lacked. The scenes were well thought out and the protagonist displayed some real craftiness which was different to your everyday, typical fight scenes. I did wonder, however, how this young woman with no training could take down all these thugs and assassins? A tad unrealistic, but still enjoyable.
This review may sound rather negative, but I promise The Inheritance wasn’t all bad. The pace eventually picked up, there were some likeable characters and a really great twist. I actually did enjoy the ending so it did finish on a good note.
Honestly this book fell flat for me. It wasn’t ‘unputdownable’ like one of the reviews promised, instead the story plodded along for the first 100 pages. Eventually the pace and the intrigue picked up, but if I wasn’t persistent I easily could’ve given up on this.
A young woman on the run from her past, is confronted with the possibility of finally getting answers about the mother who abandoned her. But to get them she has to return to Melbourne where a bikie gang, a drug cartel and the police are all looking for her. All hell breaks loose when she gets to Melbourne and bodies drop wherever she goes.
I think my ambivalence is largely due to the lack of connection I felt towards the protagonist, Maggie. Even if you’re vastly different to a character, usually there are personality traits, experiences or values that you share. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case here. It may have been the author’s intent to have this divide between the character and the reader because there was a detachment between Maggie and the world. If this was true, Bergmoser sacrificed a connection to the character for the sake of a metaphor. Sometimes writers can make this work, however I would’ve preferred to actually like and understand the character instead of feeling as lost as she was.
The start was slow and lacklustre. I wasn’t drawn in and it wasn’t until over a third of the way through that I felt the first pull of intrigue. Before that I was reading for the sake of reading, not actual interest.
The action was well written and provided a layer of intensity the rest of the book sometimes lacked. The scenes were well thought out and the protagonist displayed some real craftiness which was different to your everyday, typical fight scenes. I did wonder, however, how this young woman with no training could take down all these thugs and assassins? A tad unrealistic, but still enjoyable.
This review may sound rather negative, but I promise The Inheritance wasn’t all bad. The pace eventually picked up, there were some likeable characters and a really great twist. I actually did enjoy the ending so it did finish on a good note.
January 29, 2023
A young woman is hiding out in a sleepy North Queensland tourist town, trying to stay under the radar, when she stumbles across a dangerous drug cartel. Anyone else might back away shaking their head, pretend they hadn't seen anything, keep quiet, even though people are getting hurt. But Maggie is no ordinary girl. She's got skills, as well as plenty of secrets to keep, burdens to carry - and anger to burn.
I read The Hunted last year and loved it, so was very excited to read its sequel - and it’s just as brilliant and entertaining. Just like his previous novel, this one is jam packed full of action, intriguing characters and vivid, edgy prose. I loved the how the scenery changed from areas of costal Queensland to the streets of Melbourne - Melbourne being my hometown gave it an extra layer of authenticity.
TW- As with The Hunted, this one has a fair bit of violence that even made me squeamish.
Another winner from a very talented Aussie author. I can’t wait to see what he comes out with next.
I read The Hunted last year and loved it, so was very excited to read its sequel - and it’s just as brilliant and entertaining. Just like his previous novel, this one is jam packed full of action, intriguing characters and vivid, edgy prose. I loved the how the scenery changed from areas of costal Queensland to the streets of Melbourne - Melbourne being my hometown gave it an extra layer of authenticity.
TW- As with The Hunted, this one has a fair bit of violence that even made me squeamish.
Another winner from a very talented Aussie author. I can’t wait to see what he comes out with next.
May 29, 2022
Maggie, een jonge vrouw, houdt zich schuil in een slaperig toeristenstadje in Noord-Queensland. Ze doet een poging om haar traumatische jeugd te ontvluchten. Maar dan stuit ze op een levensgevaarlijk drugskartel en ze kan zich niet langer gedeisd houden.
Maggie wordt gedwongen om te vluchten en besluit naar Melbourne te vertrekken. Hier hoopt ze antwoorden te vinden over haar moeder, haar verleden en het leven van haar vader. Maar de problemen blijven zich maar opstapelen. Het blijkt namelijk dat er ook nog een gevaarlijke motorbende achter haar aan zit.
Het begint met een spannende proloog over Maggie en haar vader en dit roept meteen vragen op. Hierna maken we een sprong in de tijd en zijn we een jaar verder. Maggie heeft ondertussen een baantje in een bar gevonden, maar al gauw lopen dingen uit de hand. Ze stuit namelijk op een drugskartel en vanaf dat moment moet ze vluchten. Er volgt een spannend kat en muis spel. Terwijl Maggie meer over haar vader wil weten, wordt ze ook nog eens achterna gezeten door een hele gevaarlijke motorbende.
Je komt ondertussen meer over het verleden van de vader van Maggie te weten en het is al gauw duidelijk dat hij niet de ideale vader voor haar was. Ook zijn er vragen over haar moeder, want waarom heeft zij haar kind verlaten?
De schrijfstijl van Gabriel Bergmoser is fijn, maar het verhaal zelf zit, voor mij persoonlijk, regelmatig vol ongeloofwaardigheden: een vrouw die het, voor een groot deel, helemaal alleen opneemt tegen een drugskartel EN een gevaarlijke motorbende. Er zit veel agressie en actie in het verhaal en het is eigenlijk geen moment rustig.
Ik wil @thrillerlezers en @lsamsterdam heel erg bedanken voor dit recensie-exemplaar. De volledige recensie kun je lezen op de blog van @thrillerlezers (zie linkje in mijn insta story)
Beoordeling: 2,5 ⭐️
Maggie wordt gedwongen om te vluchten en besluit naar Melbourne te vertrekken. Hier hoopt ze antwoorden te vinden over haar moeder, haar verleden en het leven van haar vader. Maar de problemen blijven zich maar opstapelen. Het blijkt namelijk dat er ook nog een gevaarlijke motorbende achter haar aan zit.
Het begint met een spannende proloog over Maggie en haar vader en dit roept meteen vragen op. Hierna maken we een sprong in de tijd en zijn we een jaar verder. Maggie heeft ondertussen een baantje in een bar gevonden, maar al gauw lopen dingen uit de hand. Ze stuit namelijk op een drugskartel en vanaf dat moment moet ze vluchten. Er volgt een spannend kat en muis spel. Terwijl Maggie meer over haar vader wil weten, wordt ze ook nog eens achterna gezeten door een hele gevaarlijke motorbende.
Je komt ondertussen meer over het verleden van de vader van Maggie te weten en het is al gauw duidelijk dat hij niet de ideale vader voor haar was. Ook zijn er vragen over haar moeder, want waarom heeft zij haar kind verlaten?
De schrijfstijl van Gabriel Bergmoser is fijn, maar het verhaal zelf zit, voor mij persoonlijk, regelmatig vol ongeloofwaardigheden: een vrouw die het, voor een groot deel, helemaal alleen opneemt tegen een drugskartel EN een gevaarlijke motorbende. Er zit veel agressie en actie in het verhaal en het is eigenlijk geen moment rustig.
Ik wil @thrillerlezers en @lsamsterdam heel erg bedanken voor dit recensie-exemplaar. De volledige recensie kun je lezen op de blog van @thrillerlezers (zie linkje in mijn insta story)
Beoordeling: 2,5 ⭐️
August 14, 2021
I was a massive fan of The Hunted and I'm a massive fan of The Inheritance too.
First we have Maggie, one of the most unusually engaging main protagonists you'll come across, then we have an action packed narrative of huge page turning quality all plotted and written pitch perfectly.
I read it in two breathless sittings, the edgy, unpredictable story keeps you hooked in throughout until the big finale which was truly excellent.
Can't wait to see what happens next....
First we have Maggie, one of the most unusually engaging main protagonists you'll come across, then we have an action packed narrative of huge page turning quality all plotted and written pitch perfectly.
I read it in two breathless sittings, the edgy, unpredictable story keeps you hooked in throughout until the big finale which was truly excellent.
Can't wait to see what happens next....
November 26, 2021
Setting: Queensland and Melbourne, Australia. Fresh from her exploits in The Hunted, Maggie is hiding out in a small North Queensland town - but inadvertently stumbles across a dangerous drug cartel. She suddenly feels an urge to leave town so it may be fortuitous that a police officer from her Melbourne past turns up and persuades her to travel with him to Melbourne to help in one of his cases - and where she also hopes she can find out more information on her still-missing mother. Arriving in Melbourne, she finds the police are searching for her, there is a biker gang after her and her police officer 'friend' is not as upfront as she first thought....
I was really looking forward to reading this one, having enjoyed The Hunted so much - there is no real need to have read The Hunted before in order to enjoy The Inheritance but there was also a short story at the end of my kindle edition which was set just after the events in The Hunted, which you would need to have read first to enjoy the short story. Another gripping and violent read from the pen of Gabriel Bergmoser and I certainly hope there will be more from him, and especially featuring 'danger magnet' Maggie! - 9.5/10.
I was really looking forward to reading this one, having enjoyed The Hunted so much - there is no real need to have read The Hunted before in order to enjoy The Inheritance but there was also a short story at the end of my kindle edition which was set just after the events in The Hunted, which you would need to have read first to enjoy the short story. Another gripping and violent read from the pen of Gabriel Bergmoser and I certainly hope there will be more from him, and especially featuring 'danger magnet' Maggie! - 9.5/10.
August 8, 2021
An enjoyable, fast-moving read, something to read if you're in lockdown and need an escapist entertainment.
The book is a follow-up to THE HUNTED, and we see that book's heroine Maggie, return.
She is living quietly in the coastal resort of Port Douglas. But life doesn't stay quiet long for Maggie, she not only upsets a local drug baron there, but a cop all the way from Melbourne has tracked her down and persuades her to come back with him to face issues from her past. But he has other motives in mind and Maggie is making a mistake by agreeing to accompany him on the journey back South.
We learn more about Maggie's past and her hardship with her violent cop-father and meet his two colleagues - two bent cops who agree to work along with and protect the violent thug biker gang, the Scorpions.
It seems everyone, both cops and the Scorpions, want some hard drive that has information/ evidence on it that they don't want getting into the public domain and only Maggie seems to know where it is.
The story from here has its twists and turns and bursts of violence. Despite the bursts of violence, the book isn't quite the blood and gore story THE HUNTED was. While THE HUNTED was full of gore and had a minimal plot, this follow-up is more densely plotted, and even seemed a bit convoluted at times. But this is common with noir tales. The expected improbabilities are there, Maggie gets through every scrape that comes her way and escapes - albeit battered and bruised.
The book was fast moving and easy to get through, but I think I enjoyed the first book more.
But other people may think this book to be the more substantial one, and therefore the better read. Judge for yourself.
The book is a follow-up to THE HUNTED, and we see that book's heroine Maggie, return.
She is living quietly in the coastal resort of Port Douglas. But life doesn't stay quiet long for Maggie, she not only upsets a local drug baron there, but a cop all the way from Melbourne has tracked her down and persuades her to come back with him to face issues from her past. But he has other motives in mind and Maggie is making a mistake by agreeing to accompany him on the journey back South.
We learn more about Maggie's past and her hardship with her violent cop-father and meet his two colleagues - two bent cops who agree to work along with and protect the violent thug biker gang, the Scorpions.
It seems everyone, both cops and the Scorpions, want some hard drive that has information/ evidence on it that they don't want getting into the public domain and only Maggie seems to know where it is.
The story from here has its twists and turns and bursts of violence. Despite the bursts of violence, the book isn't quite the blood and gore story THE HUNTED was. While THE HUNTED was full of gore and had a minimal plot, this follow-up is more densely plotted, and even seemed a bit convoluted at times. But this is common with noir tales. The expected improbabilities are there, Maggie gets through every scrape that comes her way and escapes - albeit battered and bruised.
The book was fast moving and easy to get through, but I think I enjoyed the first book more.
But other people may think this book to be the more substantial one, and therefore the better read. Judge for yourself.
July 24, 2021
Follow-up to Bergmoser's bloodthirsty Hunted, although this could be read as a standalone with no problems. The action follows Maggie from the outback via Queensland back to her hometown of Melbourne.
September 7, 2021
2.5 stars. Clearly I prefer reading about incestuous outback cannibals than bike gangs and organized crime. The Hunted got 5 stars from me, this unfortunately, gets half that.
May 9, 2022
This wasn’t too bad, I enjoyed it. Like an action film that doesn’t really require a lot of brain power. I enjoyed this more than The Hunted. I didn’t really care for The Hunted. I felt this was better paced and the character is better fleshed out and more developed. The author does write non-stop, action scenes very well. The Inheritance is a sequel to The Hunted. We continue the story of Maggie, she is now working in a bar in a resort town in tropical North Queensland. She is living a life under the radar, a quiet life and not drawing any attention to her until she decides to exact some revenge and she is forced to flee. Her intention is to return to Melbourne to obtain some of her fathers belonging, in the hopes of finding her mother, who she believes is alive and to gain more information about the death of her father. And that is when things really hit the fan, and it’s a fight for her to stay alive.
August 29, 2023
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
What a fitting follow up to The Hunted.
The Inheritance gave the background to Maggie's story that was missing from The Hunted. It gave the why to the what the f***!?
This book was still viciously violent, but I almost felt that it was all justified. Maggie had reasons to do the things she does.
Full of crooked cops, bloodthirsty gangsters and bikies, and the kick arse heroine Maggie, The Inheritance is another gripping and tightly wound storyline that will have you wondering what is going to happen next.
I enjoyed these books more than I thought I would, given that I'm not much into bikies and the criminal underworld as a storyline. Extremely well written and with characters that you either cheered for or waited for their demise.
What a fitting follow up to The Hunted.
The Inheritance gave the background to Maggie's story that was missing from The Hunted. It gave the why to the what the f***!?
This book was still viciously violent, but I almost felt that it was all justified. Maggie had reasons to do the things she does.
Full of crooked cops, bloodthirsty gangsters and bikies, and the kick arse heroine Maggie, The Inheritance is another gripping and tightly wound storyline that will have you wondering what is going to happen next.
I enjoyed these books more than I thought I would, given that I'm not much into bikies and the criminal underworld as a storyline. Extremely well written and with characters that you either cheered for or waited for their demise.
October 18, 2021
The Hunted was a five star read for me, so I was excited to pick this up. Sadly I couldn't get into it as I found it confusing. I didn't realise it was about a character from The Hunted until around page 50 and now I feel I should have re-read The Hunted before starting this. I felt I was missing a lot of information in order to clearly picture the characters and their motives.
December 7, 2022
A lot of killing and action! A lot if truths get revealed and she has to fight for her life because of her father’s mistakes. I really enjoyed the writing style:) 3.75/5⭐️
July 21, 2021
Maggie's need to help others and right wrongs takes her on another amazing thrill ride and drags the reader right along with her by the scruff of the neck, loving every white knuckled minute of it!! Her past confronts her and allows the reader to learn a bit more about how the fierce Maggie we meet in The Hunted came to be. Gabriel Bergmoser has an incredible ability to make the reader feel every, bump, jolt, twist, surprise and shock, whilst creating fully rounded compelling, complicated and flawed characters that we as the reader instantly relate to. They are living breathing human beings in all their glory and imperfection. Some are right where they are supposed to be, some like Maggie, are thrust into a dangerous world and have to fight for survival.
Cant wait to see where she takes me next!
Cant wait to see where she takes me next!
May 19, 2022
De erfenis: een thriller met emotie, ruwheid en gekartelde kantjes.
De erfenis, een thriller om nooit te vergeten. Eentje, die onder je huid en in je hoofd kruipt. Hopelijk volgt de film!
Auteur
De 31-jarige en Australische Gabriel Bergmoser heeft al een enorme loopbaan achter de rug. Hij heeft vooral veel filmscripts, theaterstukken en ook musicals geschreven. In 2019 sloot hij een deal voor 2 boeken bij Harper Collins. Voor zijn eerste boek ‘Opgejaagd’ kan hij alvast de filmrechten op zak steken. De Erfenis mag voor mij ook op het beeldscherm verschijnen.
Cover
Wervelend, opvallend, scherp. Precies zoals het moet.
De erfenis: het verhaal
Maggie blijft constant onder de radar in Australië. Een vreemde opvoeding geeft haar heel wat bagage én geld. Haar zonderling gevoel voor rechtvaardigheid brengt haar altijddurend in onmogelijke en ruwe situaties. Maggie blijft op de vlucht, toch hunkerend naar de oplossing van haar jeugdjaren. Ze wil de losse eindjes aan elkaar knopen. Zowel de politie als de onderwereld jaagt op haar. Maar Maggie is een ongewoon individu.
Mijn gedacht
Briljant! Fantastische karakters. Hoofdpersonage Maggie kleeft aan je en je kan niet anders dan een vreemde soort sympathie voor haar voelen. Ruw, snel, apart. JEUJ!
Gelukkig heeft de auteur niet zo veel jaren op de teller staan en kan hij nog laaaaaang verder pennen. Zijn vorige 'Opgejaagd' staat op mijn NTL (nog te lezen).
De erfenis, een thriller om nooit te vergeten. Eentje, die onder je huid en in je hoofd kruipt. Hopelijk volgt de film!
Auteur
De 31-jarige en Australische Gabriel Bergmoser heeft al een enorme loopbaan achter de rug. Hij heeft vooral veel filmscripts, theaterstukken en ook musicals geschreven. In 2019 sloot hij een deal voor 2 boeken bij Harper Collins. Voor zijn eerste boek ‘Opgejaagd’ kan hij alvast de filmrechten op zak steken. De Erfenis mag voor mij ook op het beeldscherm verschijnen.
Cover
Wervelend, opvallend, scherp. Precies zoals het moet.
De erfenis: het verhaal
Maggie blijft constant onder de radar in Australië. Een vreemde opvoeding geeft haar heel wat bagage én geld. Haar zonderling gevoel voor rechtvaardigheid brengt haar altijddurend in onmogelijke en ruwe situaties. Maggie blijft op de vlucht, toch hunkerend naar de oplossing van haar jeugdjaren. Ze wil de losse eindjes aan elkaar knopen. Zowel de politie als de onderwereld jaagt op haar. Maar Maggie is een ongewoon individu.
Mijn gedacht
Briljant! Fantastische karakters. Hoofdpersonage Maggie kleeft aan je en je kan niet anders dan een vreemde soort sympathie voor haar voelen. Ruw, snel, apart. JEUJ!
Gelukkig heeft de auteur niet zo veel jaren op de teller staan en kan hij nog laaaaaang verder pennen. Zijn vorige 'Opgejaagd' staat op mijn NTL (nog te lezen).
June 9, 2021
Action a-plenty in this fast-paced tension filled thriller. And an awesome protagonist - Maggie is one tough lady not to be messed with.
Maggie is hiding out in sleepy North Queensland, when circumstances and her actions put her on the radar. She must head to Melbourne and confront a past that haunts her.
Maggie is hiding out in sleepy North Queensland, when circumstances and her actions put her on the radar. She must head to Melbourne and confront a past that haunts her.
November 1, 2021
Maggie sensed danger the moment the man walked through the door.’
So, who is Maggie? She is a young woman who has fled Melbourne for good reason and is trying to stay under the radar in Port Douglas where she works in a bar. A man enters the bar and seems to have something over her boss. Maggie follows him to a warehouse, and with an improvised bomb explodes the warehouse. Maggie didn’t think she’d been seen but she has. And killing the leader of a drug cartel has consequences.
Maggie has skills and secrets, and a past that she’s trying to keep in the background. But she needs to get out of Port Douglas, and when a man from the past enters her life, she agrees to accompany him to Melbourne.
There are several elements to this fast-paced story: crooked policemen, a bikie gang, and the consequences of Maggie’s father Eric’s obsession with a serial killer. The man who convinces Maggie to travel back to Melbourn to claim her inheritance is one of the policemen who worked with her father. Maggie remembers him as a good guy and hopes that part of what her father has left her will provide clues to her missing mother’s whereabouts. Maggie is in danger every step of the way: members of the drug cartel want revenge, some of those from her father’s past want the information Maggie is seeking. Who can she trust?
This is not a book for the squeamish: it is action-packed and full of violence. It is also a sequel, to Gabriel Bergmoser’s ‘The Hunted’ which I have not yet read. While I don’t need to read ‘The Hunted’ to follow the story in ‘The Inheritance’, I will. I am hooked.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
So, who is Maggie? She is a young woman who has fled Melbourne for good reason and is trying to stay under the radar in Port Douglas where she works in a bar. A man enters the bar and seems to have something over her boss. Maggie follows him to a warehouse, and with an improvised bomb explodes the warehouse. Maggie didn’t think she’d been seen but she has. And killing the leader of a drug cartel has consequences.
Maggie has skills and secrets, and a past that she’s trying to keep in the background. But she needs to get out of Port Douglas, and when a man from the past enters her life, she agrees to accompany him to Melbourne.
There are several elements to this fast-paced story: crooked policemen, a bikie gang, and the consequences of Maggie’s father Eric’s obsession with a serial killer. The man who convinces Maggie to travel back to Melbourn to claim her inheritance is one of the policemen who worked with her father. Maggie remembers him as a good guy and hopes that part of what her father has left her will provide clues to her missing mother’s whereabouts. Maggie is in danger every step of the way: members of the drug cartel want revenge, some of those from her father’s past want the information Maggie is seeking. Who can she trust?
This is not a book for the squeamish: it is action-packed and full of violence. It is also a sequel, to Gabriel Bergmoser’s ‘The Hunted’ which I have not yet read. While I don’t need to read ‘The Hunted’ to follow the story in ‘The Inheritance’, I will. I am hooked.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
January 20, 2022
This sequel to The Hunted carries on the premise of the first book whilst perhaps trying a little too hard to connect the dots on the story. The Hunted had a solid idea and it worked because the suspension of belief played enough to be both exciting and believable. These elements are there in the sequel but not nearly to as great effect. The plot is messy and the twists and turns are just a bit too convenient. That Bergemoser manages to keep you engaged all the way through speaks to the strength of his writing. But you feel as if the character has done their dash a bit with their journey. I don't know why the author didn't try and pick up Maggie's mother's story more. Perhaps the publisher wants a series out of it but reading it you get the feeling this is a forced expansion rather than a natural continuation of the original. I would read part 3 if it came along but only if it tied a bow on the overall story arc rather than trying to pull more out of it. There are hints at the continuation of the narrative but the afterword puts a dampener on this as the author admits this work was a struggle. The original novel worked because it fitted within the classic outback horror genre but here it seems almost as if the character has been squeezed into Lisbeth Salander territory and it just doesn't work as well as a result. Despite all of this it is still an enjoyable read and when it works it works well. The Hunted will surely be made into a film and the sequel will likely follow. I just hope that Bergenmoser if he decides to return to the character taps into the original convention and the story arc rather than trying to generate a franchise .
November 17, 2022
This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time! I'm a sucker for a crime/thriller and this didn't disappoint! The end of every chapter was a page turner and made me want MORE!
Towards the end it tapered off a bit, as I could tell it was trying to close up the story but still be fast-paced (maybe a bit too fast paced for my liking, especially for the ending of a book). But other than that, absolutely incredible!! *** EDIT: I wrote this before finishing the end because I was kind of over it... BUT OMFG! Nope, the end was perfect in every way shape and form! I'm so glad I kept going omg ***
My favourite relationship was Maggie and Ness - this was on a very personal, relatable level but it made me cry just a bit. "There weren't many people who could make Maggie laugh, or just feel slightly at ease..."
I did mess up & read this one first before The Hunted BUT I would consider reading this again after The Hunted! Very very enjoyable
Towards the end it tapered off a bit, as I could tell it was trying to close up the story but still be fast-paced (maybe a bit too fast paced for my liking, especially for the ending of a book). But other than that, absolutely incredible!! *** EDIT: I wrote this before finishing the end because I was kind of over it... BUT OMFG! Nope, the end was perfect in every way shape and form! I'm so glad I kept going omg ***
My favourite relationship was Maggie and Ness - this was on a very personal, relatable level but it made me cry just a bit. "There weren't many people who could make Maggie laugh, or just feel slightly at ease..."
I did mess up & read this one first before The Hunted BUT I would consider reading this again after The Hunted! Very very enjoyable
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