An Unwanted Inheritance by Imogen Clark

From million-copy bestselling author Imogen Clark comes a story of three siblings and a suitcase full of cash. Will the unexpected windfall tear them apart?

When their father dies unexpectedly, siblings Max, Ellie and Nathan can’t even contemplate emptying his house—not least because he spent his last decade curating what feels like a museum to his polished public image. So it is Max’s wife, Caroline, who finds the suitcase under a bed… A suitcase stuffed full of an awful lot of cash.

The source of the money is a mystery to them all, and each has a strong opinion about what to do with it. Ellie and her husband James have an expensive lifestyle to maintain and could do with their share of the windfall—James in particular, for reasons he doesn’t dare reveal. Nathan can’t be trusted with money, as the others all know; he’s desperate to get his hands on some (or all) of the cash. But Caroline is the one guarding the suitcase, and she’s insisting to Max that they take it to the police.

The three siblings have always been close. But now, with this money from nowhere threatening to rewrite what they thought they knew about their father and their family, nothing seems certain. Could it really tear them apart?

My thoughts:

Thank you to the Tandem Collective for the opportunity to join the readalong for An Unwanted Inheritance by Imogen Clark published by Lake Union. This is the first book I’ve read by this author.

I enjoyed reading An Unwanted Inheritance along with a group of other book enthusiasts. Sadly due to the postal strikes and Christmas post, some of the group are only just receiving their books. I’ve held off sharing my review for a few days to allow other people time to receive their books. However this is a non-spoiler review.

Loved the synopsis – this book explores what you would do if you find a suitcase of money hidden under the spare bed after the death of your father-in-law. Would you tell the other adult children of your father-in-law? Would you keep it if you thought it may be ill gotten gains?

This book explored so many ideas. Tony’s adult children lived very different lives and had varying thoughts about what to do with the money. This made me wonder how my own family and friends would deal with this quandary, and we’ve enjoyed discussing it. The issue is further complicated by the fact that Caroline is the childhood best friend of Ellie, who is about to celebrate her 40th birthday in expensive style.

Happy to recommend this book. What would you do if you found a suitcase of money when a close relative died?