The Heirs by Susan Rieger

The Heirs is an exceptional story about the complexities of family ties. The story starts with the death of the family patriarch, Rupert Falkes, a wealthy and prominent attorney in New York City.  He dies leaving behind a wife, Eleanor, and five sons. Six months after his death a woman comes forth and declares that she had two sons by Rupert. At first, the family dismisses the claim as a gold seeker looking for a way to make money. As the story progresses and more family secrets are revealed the truth is slowly uncovered but not before the whole family is pushed into turbulence.

The whole family is dysfunctional. Some of the characters I liked and some I didn’t. Eleanor’s character was the best by far mainly because she was the most believable. However, some of the sons lacked in development. They made stupid decisions, which all people make, I just never fully understood why and that detracted a little from the story. Nonetheless, it was not enough of a flaw to affect my overall rating of the book.

This book is not one I would normally read; yet, I enjoyed it immensely. It was the nuances of the characters and plot that drew me in. The plot was not fast or super suspenseful, instead it was a delicate balance of family intrigue and sublime reader seduction. Simply put, Rieger is an exceptional writer. It makes me want to read more by her. If you enjoyed reading The Nest, then is a must read for you.

I received an ARC copy from the publisher via Library Thing’s early reviewers program.