The Inheritance by Michael Phillips
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The death of the clan patriarch has thrown the tiny Shetland Islands community of Whale’s Reef into turmoil.
Everyone assumed MacGregor Tulloch’s heir to be his grand-nephew David, a local favorite, but when it is discovered that MacGregor left no will, David’s grasping cousin Hardy submits his own claim to the inheritance, an estate that controls most of the island’s land. And while Hardy doesn’t enjoy much popular support, he has the backing of a shadowy group of North Sea oil investors. The courts have frozen the estate’s assets while the competing claims are investigated, leaving many of the residents in financial limbo. The future of the island-and its traditional way of life-hangs in the balance.
Loni Ford is enjoying her rising career in a large investment firm in Washington, DC. Yet in spite of her outward success, she is privately plagued by questions of identity. Orphaned as a young child, she was raised by her paternal grandparents, and while she loves them dearly, she feels completely detached from her roots. That is until a mysterious letter arrives from a Scottish solicitor. . . .
My thoughts:
The Inheritance is the beginning of a family saga set among the Shetland Islands. Michael Phillips brings together past and present as an inheritance and a way of life fall into jeopardy.
While I enjoyed the setting, the narrative was heavy and seemed to make very little progression. The story volleys back and forth between two seemingly unrelated story lines that do not converge until the book’s conclusion. A myriad of characters and details effectively set the stage for what I anticipate will become a more engaging story line as the series continues. Although my interest in the story waned, The Inheritance does leaves me contemplating the future of Whale’s Reef and its residents.
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Michael Phillips is a bestselling author with more than 70 of his own titles. In addition, he has served as editor/redactor of nearly 30 more books. He is known as the man responsible for the reawakened interest in George MacDonald of the last 30 years. In addition to the MacDonald titles adapted/edited for today’s reader, his publishing efforts in bringing back full-length quality facsimile editions also spawned renewed interest in MacDonald’s original work. Michael and his wife, Judy, spend time each year in Scotland but make their home near Sacramento, California.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own. Click here to read what other bloggers are saying about The Inheritance.
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