The Inheritance by Michael Phillips review

The Inheritance, by Michael Phillips: " Macgregor Tulloch was clan cheif of Whales Reef of the Shetland Islands community. He loved his nephew David. When Macgregor passes away, everyone assumes David was the heir to the estate that controls most of the island's land. However the will was nowhere to be found. Hardy is another Nephew who decides he should claim the inheritance. He is involved with an oil invester who will pay quite a bit for that kind of control. Many of the locals become financially burdened when the assets to the estate are frozen while the courts investigate the claims. Loni Ford was orphaned as a child and raised by her grandparents. She now works for an investment firm in Washington, DC. What happens when a mysterious letter is delivered from Scotland? 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. ."

I haven't read many of Michael Phillips books in the last number of years, but fondly remember that he is a master storyteller, weaving history and character in his plots.  Michael is definitely a heart whose stories are poetic and lyrical.  I was immediately drawn into the story from the beginning and loved that he started with the early history of past generations. Although I haven't been to Scotland, his descriptions of the Shetland Islands took me back to the green hills dotted with sheep that I saw in Ireland.  I was intrigued by the current day lives of both David and Loni and wondered how they would intermingle.  Michael Phillips books have never been ones that you want to rush through, because they take you on a journey to another time and place.  There were a couple of deviations in the plot that I felt could have been left out, but all in all it was a captivating book.  I loved the way it ended and can't wait for the next book in the series which comes out in October.  I will definitely be following up on this series.  If you like stories that are historical and have depth to them, you'll like this one.  On a 1-5 scale with 5 being the highest, I would rate this 5.
I was provided this book free as a Bethany House Blogger review and received no compensation for it, other than my honest review.

  Take some time and read a good book!
Noreen