For me, the characters were unlikeable and I found the pace inconsistent. It’s not a terrible book, not at all. I suppose I just had very different ideas on what it would be to what it actually was. Which is a shame. What would you do if you found a large amount of money in a suitcase under the bed of a deceased relative ? That’s the dilemma facing siblings Max, Ellie and Nathan. Blog – I’ve been writing my blog since 2008 so if you dig deep you’ll find lots of posts about how I became a writer, amongst many other topics. It was quite a short read and I think would’ve been a good Christmas read as it was to do with families, coming together in tough times… but they also had a very tough decision to make. Which would either tear them apart or make them stronger.

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? One finds a stash of cash hidden by the man they thought they knew, and it raises all sorts of dilemmas. It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Imogen Clarke’s writing. And here she continues to deliver with a riveting read that combines family conflict and mystery with thought-provoking questions about honesty and integrity. It’s beautifully crafted with a genius final twist, and I loved it. For 4 years running, we have been awarded ‘Best UK Probate Research Firm’ since 2019 at the UK Probate Research Awards, and have won the same award at the British Wills and Probate Awards in 2020. 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.This novel explores the scenario of an unexpected discovery by a family member, on the death of their father. The way each character relates to each other and the people around them from close friends to casual acquaintances tells the reader a great deal. By the close of the story, I knew what I wanted to happen to the money but I could not see how it could come about. Thankfully, I can report without spoilers that Imogen guides this story expertly, to reach an utterly satisfying and clever solution. The story follows a family who loses their Dad unexpectedly. A member finds a suitcase of cash under the bed and there the story begins. The family has their own changes/demons and challenges to overcome throughout the book and decide what would be the right, moral thing to do. The inclination to hoard typically begins in the teenage years, but experts say it can also be triggered—or made worse—by brain damage, a traumatic life event, or depression. As the hoarders age, the piles grow, gradually eclipsing everything else in their lives.

Sometimes, however, circumstances dictate a more drastic and immediate approach. Kathleen C. of New Rochelle, N.Y., took her mother's recent stroke as an opportunity to enforce change. Kathleen and her brother entered the home for the first time in years—filling Dumpsters, tossing old furniture, getting five cats declawed, and bringing in contractors to make the home safe and navigable again. At times, her mother gets angry about what's happened to a lot of her stuff, but Kathleen has no regrets. "I can't imagine what would have happened if she'd died and we had to deal with the grief on top of it all. I think it would have been impossible." The four Bliss siblings have got a loving yet complex bond, however when Dorothy, their mom, dies apparently without any will, this relationship gets put to the test. While these mourning siblings attempt to make sense of this situation, one of them gets caught with a secret: before Dorothy entrusted her favorite daughter with her will and this letter. And she told her to destroy them both. Max, Ellie and Nathan have suddenly lost their beloved larger than life father. When it falls to Max and his wife Caroline to clear his house out, she finds a suitcase full of money!On a positive note, there were lots of things I did like about this book. The premise - as I’ve mentioned. I also liked the explanation regarding where the money came from. I thought that was very cleverly done. The mystery of its acquisition forced us to contemplate the integrity of Tony throughout the book. You’d have thought the discovery of a suitcase stuffed with money would bring joy to this tight-knit family. Not a bit of it. It tears them apart. Not only is there doubt about the legality of the stash, and what their father had done to obtain it, but they all have conflicting views of how it should be split, if at all.

She will begin with a question, like with “Postcards” this question was what sort of woman would up and leave her kids? From there she comes up with her characters and will dump them into the middle of a crisis and see what happens.

Uncommon Knowledge

Caroline is married to Max, the eldest son. She found the money. Her instincts, and that of her husband, are to keep everything above board.

Brimful of emotion – a wonderful plot, and characters that you are rooting for, even when you know you shouldn’t. An Unwanted Inheritance is that gem of a thing: a story to truly lose yourself in – I LOVED IT!” – Faith Hogan, bestselling author of The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club Thank you to @tandemcollectiveuk, @ImogenClarkAuthor and @LakeUnion for allowing me on #AnUnwantedInheritanceReadalong as always, the group readalong was a pleasure and I loved chatting about our thoughts. Ellie, Nathan and Max are siblings. Ellie is married to James, a wealthy and aspiring property dealer. Their two girls go to an expensive school and they have a lifestyle to maintain. Max is married to Caroline. Caroline has known Ellie since childhood - Ellie’s family provided the happiness that had been lost in her own family. Nathan is single..his girlfriend left him when his habit got out of control. When their father dies unexpectedly Caroline finds a suitcase under the bed in the family home. It is full of money… Legally, there are two ways to refuse an inheritance. You can either disclaim it or create a deed of variation in the Will. But to make sure your wishes are taken into account, declining inheritance must be made in writing, and done within two years of the date of death of the testator.

A Note From the Publisher

I always feel like I literally 'dive into the family' with all of Imogen's books and can easily visualise the scene and characters with ease The story explores the siblings’ reasons for wanting the money, looking into their relationships with each other and their father. And, I felt that the way the dreadful characters forced the reader to examine their own values and beliefs was also quite clever. I often found myself contemplating what I’d have done in the situations the characters were faced with. What happens when you drop a bag of cash right in the middle of three siblings and their families? A whole lot of good fun and drama. An Unwanted Inheritance delightfully explores the flaws that come with being human as Clark plunges us into a story about what is right and wrong and what it means to be a family. She ratchets up the tension as the story races to its surprising and oh, so satisfying conclusion.” — Boo Walker, bestselling author of The Singing Trees We complete hundreds of pro-bono cases every year, helping with stories of reunions of family separated by war or forced adoption and reuniting people with family heirlooms such as their ancestors lost war medals or long-lost books.