The Inheritance

by Howard Linskey

A manor house and money beyond her wildest dreams. It could all be hers, if she catches a killer . . . 

Sarah doesn't know much about her estranged aunt, Evelyn.

So when Evie dies, Sarah is shocked to hear her final wishes.

Evie wants Sarah to inherit her fortune - including a foreboding mansion in a small Northumberland town.

But that's not all she wants. For most of her life, she'd been haunted by the loss of a friend. A girl who'd gone missing, from the very house Evie has left to Sarah. A girl who was never found. A house whose secrets were never revealed.

Now, her conditions are simple. Sarah can have everything - but she has to catch a killer first...

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense

400 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2022

About the author

ABOUT ME
A bit about me and my books. I am an author with Canelo, currently writing a series of William Shakespeare mysteries. The first is 'A Serpent In The Garden' which sees Will forced to look into the mysterious death of a lady in Elizabethan London. .

I am also the author of a series of books set in the north east of England, featuring journalists Tom Carney & Helen Norton with detective Ian Bradshaw, who all appear in ‘The Chosen Ones’, ‘The Search’, 'Behind Dead Eyes’ and ‘No Name Lane' and the standalones, 'Alice Teale Is Missing', 'Don't Let Him In' and The Inheritance'.

My WW2 historical novels include ‘Hunting the Hangman’, which tells the true story of the assassination of Nazi General, Reinhard Heydrich, and ‘Ungentlemanly Warfare’. The latter features SOE agents, Harry Walsh and Emma Stirling and OSS agent, Sam Cooper.

My earlier novels, the David Blake books, have been optioned for TV by Harry Potter producer, David Barron. The Times newspaper voted 'The Drop' one of its Top Five Thrillers of the Year and 'The Damage' one of its Top Summer Reads. Both books broke into the top five Amazon Kindle chart.

I’m honoured to be the ghost writer of ‘Surviving Hell’ which tells the true story of former Para, Nick Dunn, one of the Chennai Six, who were wrongfully imprisoned in India for years, having committed no crime, and 'Surviving Hell', the autobiography of Princess Diana's former bodyguard, Lee Sansum.

On a far lighter note, I am also the writer behind ‘The Little Book Of Pintfulness’ a mindfulness spoof, which comprehensively proves that life is just better with beer. Please read responsibly.

Prior to becoming a full-time author, I led a series of different lives with a number of jobs, including barman, journalist, catering manager and marketing manager for a celebrity chef, as well as in a variety of sales and account management roles. I can confirm that writing books definitely beats working for a living.

I started writing many moons ago and was first published in the Newcastle United football fanzine, 'The Mag'. I then became a journalist and wrote for regional newspapers. I have also written for magazines and web sites and was once the English Premier League football correspondent for a Malaysian magazine. I've stopped all of that nonsense now, preferring to make up stuff instead and call myself an author.

I'm originally from Ferryhill in County Durham but, like most of the people I grew up with, I left the north east in search of work and never quite made it back. I am now settled in Hertfordshire with my lovely wife Alison and wonderful daughter Erin.

I'm still a long-suffering Newcastle United fan and can only assume that Mike Ashley is a punishment inflicted upon us for all of the crimes we committed in our past lives.

I am represented by the best Literary Agent in the UK, Phil Patterson at Marjacq. Catherine Pellegrino looks after my foreign rights there. If you are Brad Pitt and you wish to play David Blake in a movie then Leah Middleton takes care of Film and TV rights:

Marjacq Scripts Ltd
The Space
235 High Holborn
London WC1V 7LE

+44 (0) 20 7935 9499
F +44 (0) 20 7935 9115
enquiries@marjacq.com

Reviews

[Rachel Hanes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was chosen for my November Book Club. I had never heard of this author prior to reading this book, and I was generally pleased with this mystery. In fact, the general consensus from book club was that we all liked this book (it wasn’t the greatest), but moving forward we would all definitely read another book from this author in the future. So I do believe that that is a good sign.

This story starts off with Sarah, who is a struggling author. Sarah is having a hard time making ends meet. Then Sarah gets a call that her Aunt Evelyn (Evie) has passed away, and she is set to inherit a large fortune if she can solve a 36 year old cold case. This cold case involves the disappearance of Aunt Evelyn’s best friend, Lucy Woodfell. Lucy disappeared 36 years ago, and no one has heard from her since, and no body was ever found. Aunt Evelyn does believe that she is dead, and she left a list of six possible suspects who could be involved in Lucy’s death. Four of the six suspects are members of Lucy’s own family. Sarah doesn’t know it, but she will definitely have her hands full when she learns about all the dysfunctional members of Lucy Woodfell’s family…

Sarah has six months to solve the case of Lucy Woodfell and gain Aunt Evelyn’s inheritance, and the pressure is on. In doing so, Sarah is able to move into Aunt Evelyn’s mansion which used to belong to the Woodfell family. At night there are strange noises, photos are moved, and strange things are left on the dining room table. Are there ghosts in this mansion? Or is someone messing with Sarah?

All in all, this was a decent read. There were some discrepancies along the way (many things that I know I wouldn’t be doing if I was in Sarah’s shoes), but we had a great discussion and many laughs with this book at book club- so for that I’m probably giving this a bit of a higher rating.
3.5 stars (rounded up)

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
Successful novelist Evelyn Moor leaves all her worldly goods to her niece Sarah Hollis on one condition. She has to solve a 36-year-old mystery of the disappearance of Evelyn’s close friend Lucy Woodfell who vanishes in 1986 aged 34. If Sarah fails to get justice for Lucy, Evelyn’s money will go elsewhere. Sarah is a smart cookie, she is witty and clever but where to start in the investigation? She heads for Craigsmoor Manor, Lucy‘s former ancestral home in Northumberland which Evelyn purchases many years ago. Does the answer lie there?

This is another enjoyable read from Howard Linksey. It’s a good slow burner character driven mystery that is compelling reading. Sarah is an excellent “companion“ to take us through the mystery of Lucy‘s whereabouts. She provides illuminating insights into not just Lucy but also her family especially her siblings and she often does so with dry humour. They are a blue blooded lot but their reputations are not exactly pristine and they’re not especially likeable. However, they are an interesting bunch at the very least. Lucy comes to life via Evelyn and she too is an interesting character.

The setting in Northumberland and at Craigsmoor Manor is excellent and there are some atmospheric descriptions making it almost a character in its own right. Its age and history and its past allows the author to create some creepy and claustrophobic scenes and at times there is some lingering menace. There isn’t a huge amount of tension but there is oodles of atmosphere as it builds to a good ending.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable and entertaining novel from beginning to end.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

To get the inheritance you have to solve a 30 year old mystery sounds easy but someone is trying to stop you. A slow burner but it did get better. All in all a good read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely, clever and juicy mystery. I have been trying to read this author for quite a while but could not find all his books. After this mystery I am a fan.

The main character was charming and the plot kept me guessing until the very end. I really love the way Linskey wrote this mystery. It has everything, romance, intrigue, a manor that creaks and whisper during the night, accidents, suicides, tunnels and priest holes.

In my wishlist there are three books by this author that I need to buy, so I will do it promptly after this experience. To this reader having a book by Linskey is the same as wanting to read Christie, they are proper and clever English mysteries.

[Karen Chong · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 / 5

The premise of the book looked promising, it had all the right elements to lure you in to read. But sadly - I don’t think it was right for me.

I preferred the start of the book as opposed to the investigation part and ending, it just felt like the book was dragging on with slow pacing which almost nearly made me DNF. I didn’t expect the ending, but due to the weird path of the investigation and slow reveal of answers the plot was pushed to an extreme end.

This book wasn’t my cup of tea, if you like historical related crime/ solving books this is your go to. But unfortunately for me it was a little bit of a miss. But I really I’m glad to have read such book, I’ve not read many historical crime solving genres- so it’s good to get confirmation on what I do and don’t like.

To note this book was borrowed my local library, this review is solely my opinion.

[Mădălina Udrescu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Să te trezești peste noapte unicul moștenitor al unei averi considerabile poate fi o lovitură năucitoare, un vârtej amețitor de sentimente provocat de antiteza dintre suferința sfârșitului funest al unui membru al familiei, oricât de îndepărtat ar fi respectivul, și posibilitatea unui nou început pentru cei care rămân, încă o vreme, în lume. Durerea, șocul, neputința în fața morții și, în cele din urmă, resemnarea sunt acompaniate de îndoială și scepticism, ajungând să te întrebi la fiecare pas: De ce eu? Dar mai ales de teama că vei fi aruncat într-un război inegal, în care inamicul sunt celelalte rude care se materializează din neant, doar ca să pună mâna pe o parte cât de mică din moștenire. Însă cel care și-a petrecut mare parte din existență transformându-și pasiunea într-o adevărată comoară știe cum să aranjeze lucrurile, în așa fel încât să te pună la adăpost din calea hienelor nesătule, având în vedere că tu ești singurul care poate descuia ușile ferecate ale unui trecut întunecat și învăluit în mister. Responsabilitatea moștenirii cade acum pe umerii tăi, la fel și îndeplinirea cu sfințenie a ultimelor dorințe ale răposatului, indiferent de natura acestora. Fie că e vorba despre cum și unde vrea să fie înmormântat, fie de vânzarea unor proprietăți sau donarea unor sume semnificative de bani către cine știe ce fundație, misiunea ta e să faci tot ce-ți stă în putință ca să împlinești cerințele testamentare. Dar dacă sarcina pe care o primești presupune să scotocești după cadavre și să găsești un criminal? Ce ai face? Ai da bir cu fugiții? Sau ți-ai pune mintea la contribuție ca să pui indiciile cap la cap și să pornești pe urmele ucigașului de acum treizeci și mai bine de ani?

Evelyn Moore, una dintre cele mai cunoscute romanciere din Marea Britanie, și nu numai, s-a stins din viață, lăsându-i nepoatei sale întreaga avere și o sarcină dificilă de rezolvat. Înainte ca Sarah, la rândul ei scriitoare de romane polițiste, să-și primească moștenirea, trebuie să afle cine a ucis-o pe Lucy Woodfell, prietena din adolescență a mătușii sale. Cu toate că nu era apropiată de Evelyn, Sarah își asumă rolul de detectiv și pornește o anchetă pe cont propriu, hotărâtă să afle cine, când, unde și cum a ucis-o pe Lucy. Meticulozitatea și inteligența cu care îmbină amănuntele, reasamblând tabloul din trecut, îi face de rușine pe polițiștii care au lucrat pe-atunci la caz și care s-au mulțumit să arunce vina în cârca primului nefericit ieșit în cale. În ciuda faptului că tânăra a fost ucisă cu mai bine de treizeci de ani în urmă, protagonista noastră e determinată să afle adevărul, folosindu-se de articolele vechi din ziare, declarațiile rudelor și prietenilor, plus mărturia lui David Young, bărbatul debil psihic care și-a bătut iubita până a lăsat-o fără suflare și care a fost trecut în capul listei de suspecți. Însă ițele sunt mult mai încurcate decât par la prima vedere, iar Sarah trebuie să refacă tot drumul, discutând din nou cu toți cei implicați în acest caz enigmatic. Ați fi tentați să spuneți că Sarah face asta pentru bani... Dimpotrivă, nu banii o atrag în acest cerc vicios, ci dorința de aventură, adrenalina și imboldul puternic de a prelua povara trecutului și de a face dreptate, dar și speranța că va reuși să-și termine cel mai recent roman. Ea se mută în conacul Cragsmoor, o proprietate impunătoare și somptuoasă, impregnată de istorie și secrete – casa în care au copilărit Lucy și cei trei frați vitregi mai mari, Oliver, Freddie și Persephone – pe care mătușa sa l-a cumpărat cu ceva timp în urmă, nădăjduind că va da peste vreo urmă care  să-i spună ce sa întâmplat cu prietena ei.

Firul narativ din prezent dirijat de Sarah este completat de cel din trecut, prezentat prin ochii lui Evelyn, o elevă modestă care visează să fie acceptată în grupul fetelor din vârful ierarhiei. Inițial, celelalte fete de la internat au făcut tot posibilul s-o facă să se simtă ca o intrusă în lumea lor exclusivistă și privilegiată, însă, câteva întâmplări mai târziu, Evie ajunge să se împrietenească cu Lucy și să-și petreacă vacanțele cu ea. Astfel, facem cunoștință cu familia Woodfell, ai cărei membrii sunt învăluiți într-o aură rece, distantă și misterioasă. De la părinți, până la copii, toți au ceva de ascuns, toți sunt rezultatul alegerilor dictate de capul familiei, care îi mută ca pe niște pioni pe o tablă de șah, în funcție de interesele familiei. Evie pătrunde în bula lor de cristal, ajungând să facă parte din familie, și, în același timp, să se afle la ani lumină de clanul Woodfell.    

Autorul evidențiază din toate punctele de vedere discrepanțele dintre trecut și prezent, mai ales evoluția personajelor. Dacă în trecut Oliver, Freddie, Sephy și Lucy duceau o viață perfectă, cel puțin în aparență, singura lor grijă fiind să-i facă pe plac tatălui sever, chiar dacă asta însemna să-și sacrifice fericirea printr-o căsătorie aranjată, așa cum a fost în cazul Persephonei, în prezent au ajuns în postura unor oameni degradați moral, Oliver și Freddie fiind captivi în ghearele viciilor – droguri și jocuri de noroc –, în timp ce Sephy poartă pe umeri povara infidelității. Vârsta nu i-a făcut mai înțelepți, ba din contră, i-a făcut mai nechibzuiți, faptele lor din trecut afectând și următoarele generații. Dar, dacă Sarah n-ar fi acceptat misiunea încredințată de mătușa ei cu limbă de moarte, rănile familiei Woodfell ar fi rămas cicatrizate, secretele adânc îngropate, iar nuditatea trupului nu s-ar fi transformat într-o pustietate sufletească.

Howard Linskey construiește un roman mystery gotic, incitant, ce emană o energie întunecată, așa cum numai în filmele vechi mai întâlnești. Ritmul nu foarte alert al întâmplărilor îți oferă răgazul de care ai nevoie ca să te implici activ în ancheta desfășurată de Sarah, să-ți dai cu presupusul, să urmezi propriile tale piste, ca deznodământul să-ți arate calea cea dreaptă, neașteptată, plină de revelații grotești și adevăruri dezonorante. Cu toate că avem destul de multe personaje angrenate în narațiune, autorul așază Conacul Cragsmoor în centrul lumii, devenind, indirect,  și protagonistul poveștii. Casa, în ciuda faptului că e o simplă construcție din lemn și cărămidă, a înglobat în structura sa zeci de ani de minciuni, lacrimi și taine letale, fiind unicul martor al evenimentelor din trecut și cheia elucidării misterului din prezent. Pentru Lucy și familia ei, conacul a fost aproape o temniță, pentru Sarah a fost locul unui nou început, atât pe plan personal, cât și în ceea ce privește cariera, în pofida faptului că nu aparține deloc acelei lumi în care eticheta și relațiile ierarhice subjugă omenia și bunătatea.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Hollis's aunt Evelyn Moore leaves everything in her will to her niece, with one condition, that she has to move to a house called Cragsmoor Manor and solve the mystery of Lucy Woodfell who disappeared from the house thirty years ago.

Evelyn believed her friend Lucy was murdered and wants Sarah to prove it. If she does she will inherit everything. She has to catch a killer in six months!!!

A book that held me captive from the first page, tense and exciting I just adored it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Un thriller magistral..." sa nu exageram... Un thriller foarte bun, dar departe de a fi magistral. Mi-a plăcut călătoria purtata spre a afla criminalul, dar ii lipsește acel element care vine cu nerăbdarea de a da pagina, doar ca să mai afli ceva. Oricum, o data începută, nu e de lăsat din mana, doar ca ii lipsește acea doza de curiozitate/alertă care mai ca te face sa uiți sa respiri.

[Oana Lambrache · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evelyn Moore, o cunoscută scriitoare din Marea Britanie, lasă întreaga moștenire nepoatei sale, Sarah, scriitoare la rândul ei. Singura condiție este ca Sarah să dezlege misterul dispariției lui Lucy, prietena mătușii ei despre care aceasta credea că este moartă. Practic, Sarah trebuie să îl găsească pe cel sau cea care a ucis-o pe Lucy, să descopere motivul crimei și să aducă persoana vinovată în fața legii, iar pentru asta are la dispoziție 6 luni. La finalul lor, Sarah ori va fi găsit vinovatul și va intra în posesia întregii averi a lui Evelyn, ori va rămâne cu "alocația" de 20000 de lire pentru a începe investigația.

Cu ajutorul notițelor lăsate de mătușa ei, Sarah își începe ancheta: reia lista suspecților și a celor care au declarat să au văzut-o pe Lucy mergând spre plajă, discută cu cei trei frați ai fetei și cu polițiștii care au lucrat la caz, ba chiar și cu cei doi principali acuzați - un bărbat care își bătuse iubita până la moarte și un adolescent care se afla pe plajă și care nu o văzuse deloc pe Lucy în acea zi pe plajă.

Romanul este scris din două perspective: cea a Sarei din prezent și cea a mătușii ei, care povestește diferite momente din timpul petrecut alături de Lucy (neînțelegerile din primele zile, acceptarea și prietenia care le-a legat pentru totdeauna, dar și detalii despre familia lui Lucy și secretele pe care aceștia le ascundeau de cei din jur).

Mi-au plăcut modul în care a fost contruit romanul și faptul că am avut senzația că personajul principal este chiar conacul familiei lui Lucy - o casă veche, impunătoare, care ascunde legende despre camere secrete, dar și adevărul despre ceea ce s-a întâmplat cu ani în urmă. Iar Sarah este singura care poate dezlega ițele morții lui Lucy, chiar dacă asta vine la pachet cu minciuni și adevăruri de neimaginat.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well. I really rather enjoyed this. Ate it up in fact - gone in a day. It’s one of those books - packed with intrigue, family secrets and long hidden rooms - that just really sucks you in and makes you feel completely absorbed by everything that is going on as you try, alongside want to be heir to a fortune, Sarah, to solve the mystery of what really happened to Lucy Woodfell.

I loved the premise of this story - a young writer, struggling to really make ends meet, who is offered a lifeline by her recently deceased Aunt. There’s just one catch. In order to inherit her Aunt’s wealth, something Sarah didn’t realise existed, she has to solve the mystery of who murdered Lucy Woodfell. assuming it was a murder. Sarah’s Aunt Evelyn is certain, evidence is less conclusive. Police were baffled, family were at a loss, but someone, somewhere, knows the truth …

It’s a perfect mystery, told to readers as Sarah looks back through the history of her new home and the Woodfell family, trying to get family members and key suspects to talk to her, interrogating letters and clues left for her by her Aunt. You can really feel the tension, and the intrigue start to build, as well as Sarah’s determination, and I found that this slow build up mirrored my own fascination with what may have happened. Howard Linskey is adept at building up mystery and he does so with aplomb here, giving readers a slightly modernised slant on what is effectively a very traditional mystery.

Sarah was a character I found I could like very quickly. She was very down to earth, somewhat self deprecating at times, and very aware of her failings as a writer - doubts and fears that every writer worth their salt suffers from over the terms of their career. We meet her at a very difficult stage in her life, between contracts trying to create that one magical manuscript that just won’t write itself, and now faced with a second deadline - 6 months to solve a mystery. Everything about her felt real, and her ineptitude when dealing with her Aunt’s staff and Lucy’s family brought wry smiles to my face more than once.

There are clues abound throughout the novel if you care to look for them, and whilst you may second guess some of the key facts, the truth remains very well hidden and for very good reason. Perhaps the perpetrator was very high on my list of suspects from the off, the motive most definitely not. It’s a book that had a very traditional, almost Christie-squeeze feel to it, largely due to the sprawling Manor House that Sarah inherits I’ll admit, but it is that classic narrative and atmosphere that will keep mystery purists very happy indeed.

I do love that Howard Linskey can deliver to readers something just a little different with each and every book, and this is another prime example. What is clear is that he can write strong and determined female characters brilliantly, and dish out a most suspenseful story that will keep you guessing to the very end. He also brings a smile to my face giving me stories I just devour, and this was absolutely not exception. Most heartily recommended.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Inheritance by Howard Linskey.
When Sarah's Aunt Evelyn passes away, she discovers a hidden fortune has been left to her, including a foreboding mansion in a small Northumberland town. But it comes with one condition. For most of her life, Evelyn had been haunted by the loss of a friend who went missing in Cragsmoor - the very house Evelyn has left to Sarah. Now, Evelyn's final wish is for Sarah to return to Cragsmoor and uncover the truth. If she does, she will inherit everything. But someone wishes for the secrets of Cragsmoor to remain hidden.
I really enjoyed this book. Captivated from first page. 5*.

[Chris Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fascinating novel from the excellent Howard Linskey. Sarah is an impoverished writer whose life seems about to improve drastically when she inherits her late aunt's fortune, but there is a catch! She will only inherit if she can solve the suspected murder of Aunt Evelyn's best friend. She moves up to the North East and takes up residence in the mansion where the friend once lived and attempts to track down the killer. Tense, exciting and well written, this is an involving and surprising novel throughout.

[Kath Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah’s aunt has died and left her a huge manor house, with one condition attached. Her aunt’s best friend Lucy disappeared from there years ago, and she wants Sarah to solve the mystery. I found this an intriguing premise. It’s effectively a cold case, with some of the survivors proving to be part of a really dysfunctional family. I enjoyed the way the story panned out, Sarah following clues in the fabric of the old building. It’s very well written and comes to a satisfying conclusion. My first, but not my last, by this author.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah is an author waiting for her next big seller. She has just lost her Aunt Evelyn. As she sits down with the solicitor to go over the will she discovers she is to become very wealthy. There’s just one catch. She has six months to [discover what happened to her Aunts best Friend. And hopefully catch a killer. If she fails it all goes to the Conservative party.

Sarah moves into Cragsmoor. Evelyn’s friends family home. The home Evelyn brought and kept as a shrine. The home Sarah stands to inherit.
It comes complete with an ageing housekeeper and a handyman. Sarah soon begins to feel her presence isn’t welcome as mysterious things start to happen. Will she ever discover the truth.

I loved the character of Sarah and Cragsmoor House. This was a real quick and easy read. In a sense it reminded me of the Inheritance Games by Jennifer iLynn Barnes. However, what I love about this, is that it’s all wrapped up in one book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Stuff 'n' Things

What an enthralling read!

Sarah will inherit a small fortune and a grand house IF she is able to solve the mystery of the disappearance of her late aunt's best friend something neither her aunt or the Police were able to do in over 30 years ... Sarah has 6 months and if she fails, it all goes to the Conservative Party!!!

This book is full of interesting characters; most of which are not particularly likeable but this works really well with the story and brings up all manner of likely suspects. The setting of Craigsmoor Manor is wonderfully described and creates additional atmosphere and a creeping sense of foreboding.

The plot is intriguing and very engaging and although it's a slow burn, the author keeps you gripped by his excellent story telling and I would definitely recommend to those who love a great mystery.

My thanks must go to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Inheritance.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re in the market for an atmospheric thriller packed with twists and turns this one is definitely for you.

Sarah is a struggling novelist (and very likeable protagonist) whose aunt has recently passed away. Sarah is set for a substantial inheritance including a manor house but only if she can solve a decades old mystery.

The suspects are neatly lined up and whittled down to the novels very satisfactory conclusion.

A fantastic book to curl up with on a dark night!

Thanks to Netgalley for access to the ebook in return for an honest review.

[Charlotte Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Loved the concept. Loved the pace. Lobed the story. Excellent mystery.

[Joanne Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah is an author working on her new book when her Aunt Evelyn who was a world famous author passes away leaving Sarah her mansion - there is a condition attached to the inheritance and that is that Sarah has to solve a decades old disappearance of Evelyn's best friend in order to keep her inheritance.
Sarah is a really likable character and i was willing her on to solve the case!
A really thrilling read.

[Emily Burrows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah is an up and coming author, trying to work on her book deadline. Her Aunt Evelyn, a world famous author, passes away, leaving Sarah her mansion, one one condition…she has to solve a 30+ year old mystery to earn the inheritance.
Sarah moves into the mansion and has a mixed welcome party for the housekeeper and gardener. Sarah is determined to find out what happen to Aunt Evelyn’s close friend Lucy, who lived in the mansion prior to Evelyn and went missing without a trace.
I really warmed to Sarah’s character and willed her on to solve the mystery. Another truly gripping read from Howard Linskey, and highly recommended.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked The Inheritance but didn’t love it. It was well written with some great characters and an interesting plot line. It did keep me entertained but I felt the pace dropped off throughout the middle section of the book. I would rate this book 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Joseph Penguin Random House and the author for the chance to review.

[Mana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah is a struggling author and when her aunt Evelyn dies, she could inherit a vast fortune, including a Cragsmoor Manor that was once a home of the Woodfell family, the family where lived aunt's friend Lucy and who disappeared without a trace decades ago. Sarah has to resolve the mystery to get the inheritance.
Sarah is almost getting used to Evie’s idea, however eccentric. There is a certain cold logic to it and the case sounds intriguing.
When she moves into the manor, she meets different people, everyone with a secret or two. And the manor seems haunted, too. The danger is lurking from every corner.

Prepare for a perfectly crafted family drama, scenic descriptions, and vivid characters. The plot is well developed, just the ending is too simple for my taste.
Regardless, the book is worth reading.

3,5/5

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was more of a whodunit with a puzzle to solve. It's a family drama with a thriller part.
Gripping and entertaining even if it's not what I expected.
The author did a good job in building the suspence and the clues were left to helpt you to solve the plot.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Aria Harlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written with a creepy atmosphere. It is fast paced and twist6y and kept me guessing the whole way through. I loved it.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed quite a few books by this author, including his Ian Bradshaw series, so I was quite excited to get my mitts on this, his latest stand alone.
This book features Sarah, an author, following in her Aunt Evelyn's footsteps in that career. On her Aunt's death, Sarah finds out that she is in line to inherit all. Including Cragsmore, the old mansion in which Evelyn spent her latter years. Sadly, for Sarah anyway, it's not all as cut and dried as that, as there is a proviso. She will inherit, if - and only if - she manages to solve the mystery of the disappearance of her Aunt's friend Lucy who disappeared some thirty odd years ago from Cragsmore which was her family home then. Evelyn believes that Lucy was murdered and wants Sarah to figure it all out. She must move in to Cragsmore and will have six months to solve it or her inheritance, well, you really don't want to know who's next up for all that money!
Well... this book hit the ground running for me. A big mansion with hidden secrets, a cold case which everyone (but Evelyn) had long since given up on, and a whole cast of believable characters. All wrapped up in an interesting and intriguing mystery that had me on my toes throughout.
After the initial bombshell of the will, things settle in nicely as the layers of intrigue buildup for Sarah. Which is kinda what you'd expect as she is opening up a box that has been left for many years for a lot of people. You wouldn't expect her to suddenly stumble on the key piece of evidence early on. Especially as so many professionals have given up and her own experience in these things is limited to fiction! So it's a slow burn initially as the pieces are pulled into place.
And then, once the set up is complete, it's a bit of a race to the end. An ending that wholly satisfied. Ok so for full disclosure, it's all a wee bit on the fantastical side of reality but I think when you read this book you'll be well able to forgive the author this in exchange for a couple hours of wild entertainment.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

[Ioana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

"Nu voi uita niciodată prima dată când am văzut conacul, care era la fel de mare şi impunător pe cât mi-l imaginasem. Casa lui Lucy mi se părea imensă şi fiecare părticică din ea era impregnată cu istorie. Era făcut dintr-o piatră cenuşie, înne- grită de secolele de vreme aspră din Northumbria. Arăta ca dintr-un roman gotic şi eram, în acelaşi timp, entuziasmată şi puţin speriată de ideea de a dormi acolo. Dacă fantomele pândeau peste tot prin Anglia, atunci cu siguranţă Conacul Cragsmoor era locul ideal pe care să-l bântuie."

"Moștenirea" este thrillerul care o poarta pe Sarah, o tânără scriitoare de cărți polițiste/mystery, in trecutul misterios al mătușii sale, la rândul ei o apreciata scriitoare de cărți polițiste, cu 36 de ani in urma, când cea mai buna prietena a ei a dispărut fără urmă. Mătușa Evie moare de bătrânețe, iar moștenirea acesteia va rămâne nepoatei sale...doar daca aceasta va fi capabilă să afle ce s-a întâmplat cu prietena ei, misterul nefiind dezlegat de nimeni altcineva. Astfel, Sarah ajunge la conacul Cragsmoore, cumpărat de mătușă chiar de la familia prietenei ei, și începe să dezgroape cele mai întunecate secrete...la propriu. În curând, își dă seama că fata dispărută a fost ucisa, însă lista cu posibilii suspecti este destul de mare, iar majoritatea acestora fac parte din familia dispărutei.

Cartea se citește repede și tine cititorul in suspans pe măsură ce posibilii suspecti la crimă își fac trecutul cunoscut. Poveștile lor sunt complicate și întunecate, căci toți au mers pe drumuri greșite, pavate cu decizii incorecte, vicii, desfrâu și risipirea averii. Nu am intuit decât spre final care a fost motivul crimei, toți aveau ceva important de ascuns. Mi-a plăcut mult ideea cu ascunzătorile pentru preoți, din vremurile apuse ale Angliei. Nu știam despre aceasta parte a istoriei și am apreciat-o. Însă aș fi vrut mai multă acțiune, mai multe răsturnări de situație, iar Sarah sa fie mai interesant conturată. Pentru o protagonista a cărții, mi s-a părut prea puțin interesanta, mai ales daca ne gândim că e scriitoare.

Recomand cartea celor care sunt la inceput cu genul thriller și doresc o lectură rapida.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

We meet Sarah who is an author just like her Aunt Evelyn although she is in a bit of a slump when it comes to her next novel. When Evelyn dies, Sarah is both surprised and happy to find out she has been left everything. Unfortunately for Sarah, she has to solve the disappearance of her Aunt’s closest friend, Lucy, who disappeared many years before within six months to get the full inheritance.

I felt sorry and excited for Sarah. The inheritance could be an end to her financial situation but to basically solve a cold case that the police previously were unable to solve, well the likely hood is very slim. The story is set in an old manor house, Cragsmoor, which was a great setting as the house has a lot of history to it. I loved envisioning the property and all the secrets it held within in it. I didn’t envy Sarah living in this big old building by herself though and as the nights draw in, the creaks and groans were enough to raise the hairs on my arms!

There are plenty of people to suspect in Lucy’s disappearance which is unlucky for Sarah but the bit of luck she does have is that even though they are a lot older, they are all still alive. Everyone is reluctant to talk and all seem to be hiding something which makes it even harder for poor Sarah and the inevitable clock is ticking away and you can feel the pressure mounting on whether she will solve it in time.

The Inheritance is a dark whodunnit that kept me guessing until the all important conclusion. As secrets start to be revealed, it made this an absolute page-turner of a read that I couldn’t devour quickly enough. With a protagonist that readers will fully get behind, this was an atmospheric and gripping story that is well worthy of five stars. It would make a great mini series or film.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for an advance copy of The Inheritance, a stand-alone thriller set in Northumberland.

Sarah Hollins’s aunt Evelyn has left her everything in her will with one proviso, she has to move to a house called Cragsmoor and solve the mystery of Lucy Woodfell, Evelyn’s best friend, who disappeared from the house thirty-six years ago. Evelyn believed Lucy was murdered and wants Sarah to find her killer and prove it.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Inheritance, which is a gripping read with a good mystery. I am a bit loathe to call it a thriller, because there aren’t too many thrills or much tension, it’s more of an old fashioned mystery with Sarah gradually hunting down clues. The novel includes several adult themes, so it’s more like a Famous Five for adults as it includes tales of ghosts, secrets rooms and even a tunnel. What more could a reader want?

The novel, in terms of plot development, is quite slow to start (apart from the bombshell conditions in the will), with Sarah getting a feel for the situation and the brush off from most of the main suspects. Somehow, though, that doesn’t matter as the author has an inviting style of writing that draws the reader in and allows them to quickly identify with Sarah and her investigation.

It heats up in the second half as Sarah starts to make progress and I even more glued to the pages than before. The solution, when it comes, is fairly spectacular, but in keeping with the vibe of the novel, which seems to be entertainment rather than realism. In this it succeeds admirably.

The Inheritance is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

With thanks to the author, publishers Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange of my honest and unbiased review.

What a fantastic premise for a story! A terminally ill aged author updates her will to bequeath her entire and considerable estate to her niece, on the condition that said niece, herself a struggling author, is able to solve a 30-year old mystery and discover the fate of her aunt’s best friend, who went missing in mysterious and suspicious circumstances all those years ago.

The novel had an expertly-woven plot, with lots of twists and turns and so many possible culprits throughout. It really did keep me guessing, and sent me down quite a few priest … err, I mean rabbit holes! I thought I had figured it all out about three quarters of the way through, but boy was I wrong! That ending was explosive, and completely unexpected!

I enjoyed how the story was told by the author, along old and modern timelines, through a combination of personal interviews, manuscripts and letters. All of the characters were very well developed and explained, with the dialog of Sarah’s character in particular being very witty and funny in parts.

Overall a very enjoyable experience, and definitely a new addition to my list of favourite authors.

[Angela Mellor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Inheritance was a twisty thriller slash whodunnit that was easily read.
Sarah when we meet her is grieving her Aunt Evelyn’s death, she goes to the solicitor and is shocked to find her Aunt owned a mansion that Sarah knew nothing about, to Sarah her Aunt struggled for money and spent cautiously. The mansion can be Sarah’s but only if she can solve a thirty year old outstanding murder. She moves east to Cragmoor Manor and has all expenses paid for six months, if she fails to find the murderer of Evelyn’s best friend she loses the mansion and everything that comes with it.
This was an easy read and kept me turning the pages, there were a lot of characters but it was well written so I didn’t get confused. I loved following Sarah on her quest and how she adjusted to life from a one bed flat in London to this huge place. A decent thriller that I would recommend.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Michael Joseph Penguin Random House for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.