A Deadly Inheritance

by Kelley Armstrong

After discovering she's an heiress to a billion-dollar corporation, seventeen-year-old Liliana finds herself at a new boarding school where she must navigate secret societies and a deadly competition. Not to mention two handsome boys.

The Reappearance of Rachel Price meets The Inheritance Games series in this new YA thriller from bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

In the wake of her mother's death, Liliana Chamberlain's estranged (and very wealthy) grandparents swoop in. Or their lawyer does. Her grandparents aren't ready to meet her, but they want her to have the life her mother walked away from, starting with Westwood Academy, the elite boarding school her mother attended. It should be a Cinderella dream come true, but Lili has serious misgivings. Yet she doesn't have a choice, being under eighteen and dead broke.

Westwood Academy is a school of secrets as well as intriguing classmates, including Hollywood golden boy Theo Dubois and the mysterious Maddox Moreno. As she gets to know them all, Lili realizes there's more to the school than elite-level networking. Something deadly.

For the new girl at school, investigating the deaths of past students — including Maddox's own sister — is a very dangerous game. Do those deaths have something to do with why her mother fled Westdale at the cost of her inheritance?

When a fun night out turns bloody, Theo is the prime suspect, and Liliana must race against time to connect the past with the present and discover the truth behind her inheritance.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Dark Academia, Fiction, Romance

424 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 24, 2026

About the author

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly think Kelley Armstrong could write the dictionary and I'd read it. She has easily become one of my favorite authors, and this book was just as good as her others. I really enjoy her flexibility and creativity. This went more into the YA realm, but had great twists that had you guessing until the very end. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to Net Galley and Tundra Book Group for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published March 24, 2026.

3 stars

Liliana’s mother has died and now the teenager is living on her own, hoping to make it to her 18th birthday and then to college before social services becomes aware of her. But just as child welfare finds her so does a lawyer named Cecelia. She works for the ultra-wealthy Chamberlain family and tells Liliana that, through her mother, she, Liliana, will be the sole heir to the fortune.

Liliana is immediately whisked away to an unusual boarding school that students only attend for their senior year of high school, Westdale Academy. Her mother went there too. It has lots of secrets, including dead former students, something Liliana decides to investigate. A few students in each year compete for some type of academic prize that Cecelia tells her not to worry about but that only makes her more determined to be a part of it. .

She also meets possible friends, possible love interests Theo Dubois, son of Hollywood royalty and the mysterious Maddox Moreno. Theo is also competing for the prize, Maddox seems to be keeping many secrets.

So, the story was OK, but had some holes (the prize is really built up then goes nowhere. Why did Liliana’s mother not reach out for help when she was ill? Her grand plan was to leave behind an underage orphan?). I was totally fine that Liliana was interested in both boys but I did cringe a little when…..SPOILER!!!!!! Skip to the end of this paragraph if you don’t want a minor spoiler!!!!! OK, she’s topless in bed with Maddox, then Theo comes into Maddox’s room and starts kissing her good morning. Ugh, no. It’s great that y’all have no labels and all that, but you guys are seventeen. Save something for when you are adults, please. Plus, you are making me vomit. Thanks.

Otherwise this was just your standard someone-finds-out-they’re-an-heir-goes-to-boarding-school-solves-mysteries thing.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was younger, I read so many books with scenarios like this. Parents die, child turned orphan, suddenly you are rich. It had me half convinced that the way to find your fortune was to become an orphan (but not really).

I have read so many books by Kelley Armstrong and have loved every single one of them. It doesn't matter what genre she is writing, every book is incredible. Saw another reviewer say they would read a dictionary written by her, and I would have to agree!

Definitely would recommend this and every other book by her!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

[Erin Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

✨✨✨Entertaining & Enjoyable✨✨✨

I really like this author and I was so excited to read this one! I enjoyed A Deadly Inheritance! It’s an entertaining and quick read! I really loved the murder mystery and well done atmosphere!!!

This book is definitely a page turner, but there are a few logic holes here and the love triangle was unrealistic as well. Especially for being YA. I think I would have rather this one have no romance instead of the throuple situation. 😬

This isn’t my favorite book by the author, but I still liked it. It was entertaining and enjoyable!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released March 24, 2026.

[Spiri Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

POLY !!

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of A Deadly Inheritance by Kelley Armstrong in exchange for an honest review. Kelley Armstrong has written another great standalone novel. I believe this book is enjoyable for ages 16-60, I'm 47 and fit nicely in that range. As a child of poverty, I often had the fantasy of a rich relative leaving me a nice inheritance and of going off to boarding school. It never happened to me and a sinister version of it has happened to Liliana Green, now Chamberlain. It's not all bad though, and Lili finds a new family as well to be a part of. This book has a mystery, murder and even a bit of mayhem to enjoy. I'm not surprised that Armstrong has written another winner with A Deadly Inheritance.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the description of this book it sounded completely different than Kelley Armstrong's previous works so I was a bit surprised if not intrigued by it. As an avid fan of all of her work I have learned to not let that stop me because no matter what she creates she always manages to put her own sense of style and flair on it that keeps us frothing at the mouth and ready to drop everything to read it. This book was very different but it still had the style we have come to expect and love. Kelley Armstrong always manages to write such strong characters and in young adult books especially I feel that it is important for kids to read about positive characters that they can relate to. This book had everything you could want in a YA book, characters with lots of depth and my favourite part an easy to follow plot that wasn't completely centered around a love triangle. The book begins with our main character trying to figure out how she is going to survive after the death of her mother. With the landlord barking at the door and CPS doing a welfare check she just knows time is up for her. Suddenly a woman appears to collect her. This woman claims she is the granddaughter of a very wealthy family and the heir to their empire. In a flash Lilian goes from trying to survive to having the world at her feet, however instead of going home she ends up at an elite private school unlike anything she's ever heard of. This school is the best of the best and her stepping stone to getting anything she's ever dreamed of. This is when the story broke into almost multiple different plots however each one was beautifully connected and intertwined with the previous. We get deeper into who Lilian's mother was and what caused her to walk away from a life of luxury was other choice or not? We also get secret societies, and the murder of a classmate who Lilian is desperate to see come to justice and in doing so she also manages to learn more about her background and her mysterious inheritance. Right when you think that can be enough throw in a love triangle that doesn't supersede the plot and this book will have anyone invested. Now this might seem a bit over kill however I loved all of these aspects and how they all connected to flawlessly almost blending in with each other. It was very easy to follow and the seperation between each plot gave the reader a breather that then let them fully engage with the next wave of problems that hit our character. I didn't expect this book to be as dark as it was but it made perfect sense and was the final touch to make me go from just enjoying this book to never wanting to leave the characters behind. There was such an ominous feeling to every page that only got darker and more intense as the story progressed. With so many twists and turns I never knew what was going to happen but loved the thrill. There was such a light feeling to the writing of this book that despite a very serious plot it almost felt light like I was reading a gossip girl book. I loved that because I found myself easily getting lost in the pages and the intensity of the plot but the lightness of the wording made time just slip away. This is one book I cannot wait to see hit shelves and I will be first in line to add it to my ever growing collection of works by this fantastic author who never ceases to impress me.

[Christina W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley and Tundra Book Group for the ARC of 'A Deadly Inheritance ' by Kelley Armstrong!

This is a YA Thriller, perfect for fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes, as this is a perfect mix of the Inheritance Games meets The Fixer.

I really enjoyed the thriller aspect of the story! I'm always a sucker for a boarding school/wealthy teen drama setting, and the mystery of the secret societies, seemingly deadly Optima competition and Liliana's search for her parents' history at the school all give the reader so much to sink their teeth into.

Armstrong did lose me a little bit with the why choose/poly relationship storyline. That's not typically a trope I read, and certainly not one I was expecting in a YA novel. As a long time reader of Armstrong's work, this is not something I have seen from her before, so it's definitely cool that she's trying something new, but again I'm not super sure the YA genre is where I'd personally start with that. All that being said, I did really enjoy the dynamics between Liliana, Theo and Maddox, and had warmed to the trio by the epilogue.

This was probably a 3.75 ⭐️ read for me, rounded up for Goodreads.

[Cassie Nosko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much NetGalley, Kelley Armstrong and Tundra Book Group for providing me with a earc to review and provide my honest feedback.

Kelley Armstrong usually writes captivating, thrilling novels yet this one unfortunately fell short for me 😔

Initially the description of this book caught my attention, and the possibilities seemed endless yet the story alone had major holes in it.

Lilianna's mother passes, and she is praying that social services won't catch on before she makes it to college. At the exact same time social services finds her, a lawyer named Cecelia does too thus takes her away with the promise with a major inheritance.

I think too much transpires and major parts are left unattended to within the book.

Was this my favourite book by the author? Unfortunately no.
Am I disappointed? Yeah.
Will I be recommending this book? No.
Will I continue to read Kelley Armstrong books? Yes!

⭐️⭐️✨/5

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has been quite a while since I’ve read a book by this author. I have really enjoyed her books in the past and her newest release (with a thriller/dark academia vibe) seemed right up my alley.

It started off okay with the main character’s arrival at the boarding school her mother attended. She was kind of a fish out of water as she grew up with nothing only to find out she was actually a billionaire and able to attend this super exclusive school.

However, the mystery aspects were convoluted and not well explained. For being a thriller, the pacing was slow. The final resolution was exciting enough but it took way too long to get there.

Also, I didn’t like the romance. At all. With either guy. This is a love triangle but with polyamory/throuple and it was weird to have something like that in YA. I’m all for characters dating casually at a young age but this was something else entirely. Even worse, both guys were not good. I liked one more than the other but only barely, and the main character was kind of bland for having that much attention from both of them.

I’m glad everything was wrapped up in one volume, but sadly this was a bit of a disappointment for me.

[Tracy Shouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat. After finding out she is to inherit a fortune, Lili is enrolled in a private boarding school. Once there she starts investigating why her mother gave up her inheritance and stayed on the move so that her parents could not find her. Soon Lili discovers that the school has a past of students dying or being hurt. Were her parents involved in one of the deaths that occurred when a girl was killed in a car crash? Is this death connected to other deaths? Lili along with her newfound friends embark on a quest to learn what has been going on at the school and how it is all connected. The dynamics of the love triangle to me was unrealistic and I think young adults will not connect with these characters because of this. It's a good read but it fell short in my opinion. Life and love can get very messy at times, and I feel that these characters are portrayed as just a little too perfect.

[layan ليان]

I received the arc a while ago, not sure about it but I’ll give it a go. Sounds extremely similar to the inheritance games though 😭

[Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so rare to find mature teen characters who act like teenagers but not like complete idiots. It shouldn't be, but it is. There were several situations here that could easily have been mishandled spectacularly, but were instead treated with grace and consideration.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to start this off by saying that I am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong and am always excited when I see anything new from her. She is one of my auto-buy authors, so I was thrilled to receive this ARC.

This was a stand alone YA mystery introducing us to FMC Liliana Chamberlain (formerly Greene), a 17 year old teenager who was living alone after the death of her parents, trying to figure out how she was going to make it financially until graduation in May. Out of the blue, she is "discovered" by her grandparent's attorney and is told that she is the last surviving heir to a billion dollar fortune. With that, she is told that she will IMMEDIATELY transfer to Westdale Academy, the elite boarding school her mother attended, and begin to embrace her new life.

Of course, everything is a huge shock for Lili, as she is thrown into a society and culture that she is unprepared for. She never knew that her mother and father had run away from Westdale after her mother learned she was pregnant. She never knew ANYTHING about her grandparents or their history. Apparently, their family was constantly on the move for most of her life, never staying in one place for long, and she is now beginning to realize the reasons behind the events of her life.

And so the story begins.

Once Lili gets to Westdale, all kinds of things happen. There is a storyline surrounding the competition for "Optima", which is the selection for one student who is "the best of the best". There is also a storyline surrounding her love life, which becomes somewhat complicated. Then there is the mystery of what happened to make her mother run away from her entire life in the first place. And finally, there is also the storyline of someone trying to hurt or kill her.

Needless to say, that's a lot.

It felt like this book was all over the place. The book FELT chaotic. To me, it felt like the book never knew exactly WHAT it was trying to focus on because Lili is running in a hundred different directions at once. That might have worked except that nothing about it felt realistic.

Lili is brand new to the school and to this life yet immediately, she catches the eye of the very famous son of Hollywood royalty - Theo Dubois -who is the "it" boy at the school. She is accepted into the elite and supposedly exclusive society - The Lilith's. Of course, she is immediately the front runner for Optima. During her "investigation", she is able to roam the school at will, a school that supposedly has excellent security. Yet she spends most of her free time and even some nights, in places other than her room without anyone being the wiser.

Without going into spoilers, it is hard to go into greater detail but the instant attraction between Lili and Theo and then Maddox felt unrealistic. For some reason, it never FELT true. It was like they met on her first day and they attached themselves to her immediately......without any real reason to support it. And do not get me started on the fact that for supposedly very famous people, there was NO way that their unique relationship situation was going to go unnoticed and definitely not going to go without some type of blowback.

So now, the good. I liked the relationships that Lili eventually develops. She ends up making her first real friends at Westdale. I also liked the buildup of tension that continued to grow as the story unfolds. There were many rabbit holes and false trails that were spread throughout the book and that helped to increase the suspense - though it also created some of the chaos.

All in all, this was a fairly quick and easy read that I did enjoy. While this was not one of my favorite books from Ms. Armstrong, she has built up enough loyalty from me throughout the years that I will not hesitate to continue to read whatever she puts out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Book Group | Tundra Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. This book will be out for publication on March 24, 2026.

[Gina Malanga · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really a 3.5 for me.

When Liliana‘s mom died, she found herself an orphan with no way to pay the rent and is wondering how she’s going to finish school and get to college in the fall. That all changes when a lawyer shows up and says that she’s actually the errors to a billionaire’s family and that she’s now being enrolled in an elite private school. Now all of this seems fairly ridiculous, but it works in the context of the story, although there are some pretty big holes. What follows next is heart, murder mystery part love story and both are a little bit hole filled.

The murder mystery part is that there’s a secret Society within the secret societies and people tend to go missing and/or are dying and Liliana needs to find out why. Partly because her parents seemed to have a bit of a sore in history with the school that she is unaware of and is trying to figure out exactly what happened to her mom and dad.

In the midst of all of this, there is a bit of a trouble/open relationship/polyamorous thing happening. Now I’m super open minded think that this is great in a story, but I just wonder how appropriate it is for teenagers given that this is a YA marketed book. I’m not sure as a high school English teacher that I would give this certainly not to ninth graders but I think even for 12th graders it feels a little bit of a grown concept. Which isn’t to say that teenagers can’t have the same thoughts and feelings, I just wonder about the ease with which the relationship seems to transpire and that for most teenagers it would never be this easy and un messy. I just thought it took up a lot of time in the story and I’m not sure why.

Also, as I always say these books are just too long. Teenagers who are reluctant readers who maybe would actually really like a murder mystery like this are not going to stick around for 450 pages. I say this about so many YA authors and their books, but I’m not a publisher so I don’t have much control over it.

[RonRonReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me reading my kindle while cooking, when I usually listen to my audiobook!

Liliana’s mom passed away and she’s left to survive on her own until she’s 18. That is until her estranged grandparents “take her in”—is shipped off to Westdale Academy, an exclusive boarding school, after finding out she’s a billionaire heiress. She makes new friends, starts dating and is in the running for an elite society. She also stumbles upon a few deaths—past and present. She works to uncover the secrets about her mom’s past, why they were estranged from her grandparents, what it has to do with Westdale, and if these deaths are related. Strange things start happening to her as she gets closer to the truth, but who can she trust?

I simply could not put this book down. I enjoyed the overall plot. It had me hooked from the beginning, wondering where this (no longer) poor 17 year old girls life was headed. Throughout the book, I had no idea who to trust and there’s no particular villain so I was skeptical of almost every character. While there were a lot of characters, it wasn’t hard to keep track of everyone, given they were so developed within the book. Most everyone plays an important role, so it doesn’t feel like there’s random people to fluff up the story. Also, Liliana’s love life is very modern day and I appreciated how it was incorporated!

My only cons were, I found it slightly longer than I wanted, semi-unrealistic (i.e. the clubhouse hideout), and somewhat cliche (i.e. each rich kid had a family member despise/disappointed in them). I know I said it was longer than I wanted but the ending felt rushed to me, as I was left with two unanswered questions at the end.

Overall, I recommend this book! Especially if you’re a fan of family secrets, love triangles and secret societies, plus it’s an easy YA read. And thanks to NetGalley, Kelley Armstrong and Tundra books for the e-ARC!

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kelley Armstrong is one of my top five authors, so I was genuinely excited to receive an advance copy of A Deadly Inheritance. While I’m probably not the intended young adult audience, I was still eager to see what she would do with this story.
The novel follows Liliana Green, a recently orphaned teen doing everything she can to stay under the radar and avoid foster care. Within the first chapter, we learn that she is the sole surviving heir to a billionaire family fortune. She’s quickly swept away to Westdale, an elite academy whose graduates are practically guaranteed admission to the university of their choice.
At Westdale, Liliana is welcomed into a tight circle of gifted, charismatic students. She soon discovers that her mother once attended the same school but left abruptly, cutting ties with both the institution and her powerful family. As Liliana begins digging into why her mother walked away, she uncovers unsettling secrets, past disappearances, and suspicious deaths that eventually put her own life in danger.
On paper, this has all the ingredients of a gripping read: a mysterious academy, buried family secrets, hidden agendas, and a hint of romance. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite live up to the promise for me. The characters felt somewhat predictable, which surprised me given Armstrong’s usual talent for layered, compelling casts. The twists lacked the punch I’ve come to expect from her work.
That said, I was invested enough to see the story through to the end, which says something. For a young adult audience, especially readers new to romantic suspense, this would likely be an engaging and satisfying introduction to the genre.
I’m giving this 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Kelley Armstrong remains one of my favorite authors, but I think her adult novels are still where she truly shines for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[PamG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kelley Armstrong’s standalone novel, A Deadly Inheritance, is a young adult dark academia mystery featuring a boarding school, secret societies, and family secrets. After her mother dies, Liliana learns that she’s an heiress to a billion-dollar corporation. One of their lawyers is assigned to be her guardian and moves her to the elite boarding school her mother attended, Westwood Academy. Westwood is full of secrets and intriguing classmates, including Theo and Maddox. However, as Liliana gets to know them, she quickly learns that there’s more to this school than networking. There’s something deadly.

Liliana is introverted, quiet, and studious, but she’s also competitive and lives challenges and has a talent for research. Theo is smart athletic, charismatic, and compassionate. Maddox is grieving for his sister who died. He’s doesn’t do small talk, but he’s protective and somewhat broken.
The first chapter is heart-wrenching. It pulls readers into Liliana’s life and struggles quickly. The author does a good job of world-building as well as building tension, throughout the novel. The mystery of the secret societies, a school competition, and Liliana’s search for her parents’ story are just the beginning with the last 30 per cent or so of the book being more action packed. Several themes run through the story including trust, competition, friendship, family, power, murder, assault, grief, romance, and much more.

Overall, the author has written an engaging and enjoyable novel with likeable main characters and several plot twists to keep a reader on their toes.

Tundra Book Group – Tundra Books and Kelley Armstrong provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for March 24, 2026.
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My 3.48 rounded to 3 stars review is coming soon.

[SJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐/5
Spoilers Ahead

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Book Group for the opportunity to read an ARC of Deadly Inheritance by Kelley Armstrong.

This YA thriller follows seventeen‑year‑old Liliana, who suddenly discovers she’s heir to a billion‑dollar empire and is whisked off to Westdale Academy — an elite boarding school full of secrets, powerful families, and a deadly history. Between navigating hidden societies, unraveling past student deaths, and dealing with two very different boys, Lili finds herself pulled into a dangerous mystery tied directly to her mother’s past.

I genuinely enjoyed this one. Armstrong’s writing is strong, the pacing moves quickly, and the atmosphere of Westdale Academy is exactly the kind of twisty, secret‑laden setting that YA readers love. For some reason, I was convinced the culprit would end up being Cecelia or Theo — I never suspected the real villain. Maybe that’s on me, but the reveal did make sense within the world Armstrong built. That said, it does seem like a questionable business model to let wealthy heirs die on your watch… but I suppose the rich get away with everything.

As a 38‑year‑old reader, I can tell this book is aimed at a younger audience, and I think teen readers will absolutely devour it. There were a few points where my attention drifted, which made it harder to finish, but that’s more about me aging out of the target demographic than any flaw in the writing itself. The throuple element didn’t bother me at all — if that’s something that would bother you, this probably isn’t your book.

Overall, Deadly Inheritance is a well‑written, twisty YA thriller with plenty of intrigue, drama, and danger. Younger readers especially will have a great time with it.

3 stars.

DeadlyInheritance #KelleyArmstrong #YAThriller #NetGalleyReview #BookReview

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I picked this book up I can say that I did not expect this from a YA novel. I was surprisingly (and gleefully) wrong in my expectations and I well undershot them. Not only was I hooked immediately, I found it very tough for me to put it down. I do always expect great writing for Kelly Armstrong, and A Deadly Inheritance certainly delivered, which shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did coming from such a wonderfully well-written author. 


While the general concept of the girl finds out she's rich trope and has to deal with the ugly side of what that sudden wealth can bring can be overplayed, I didn't get that feel of a played out story with this title. The plot was enjoyable and unfolded gracefully with plenty of twists, second guessing and the end game villain not being at all who you expect. Based in a elite high school, you expect the cliché cliques, bullying, deception and backstabbing. While this book did include all of those things, it was done a bit unexpectedly and refreshingly. I also like that the characters were in a mature relationship (leaving this vague as to not include spoilers) as often you see so much jealously and insecurity in young relationships. I feel as adults we sometimes forget what its like to be a teen and we assume that all young romances are immature and boring. It was refreshing to read about the main characters relationship and the way Armstrong chose to write it because it showed emotional maturity, while still be explorative and shy. 


Armstrong renewed my faith in YA novels a little bit with this one, and I am excited to pick up a copy when its released as well as more YA titles in the future. 


Thank you to Kelly Armstrong, NetGalley and the Tundra book group for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

[Athena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

Plot
After learning she’s the secret heiress to a billion-dollar fortune, seventeen-year-old Liliana Chamberlain is sent to Westwood Academy, an elite boarding school filled with privilege, secrets, and danger. As she uncovers a deadly pattern tied to past student deaths—including one close to her—and navigates a tense love triangle, Lili begins to suspect her inheritance is linked to a dark truth her mother died trying to escape.

Thoughts
I really enjoyed Kelley Armstrong’s A Rip Through Time series, so I went into this book with high expectations. While there were elements I liked, it ultimately didn’t quite deliver what I was hoping for.

The story lost me when it began focusing heavily on Lili and her romantic entanglements with Theo and Maddox. Both characters were interesting enough on their own, but the fact that they were seemingly fine with dating her at the same time pulled me out of the story rather than adding intrigue. The love triangle ended up overshadowing the plot, and not in a way that felt necessary or compelling.

What I missed most was the mystery. I was expecting the sharp, engaging investigative thread that made A Rip Through Time so enjoyable, but here it often took a back seat to the romantic drama. There were moments where the premise showed real promise, yet the tension and urgency of the mystery never fully developed.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad read, but it didn’t live up to my expectations. If you’re reading primarily for the romance, you may enjoy it more than I did but if, like me, you were hoping for a stronger mystery, this one might feel a bit underwhelming.

Thank you NetGalley and Tundra Book Group for sending me an arc.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am beyond delighted to review A Deadly Inheritance!

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a YA Armstrong novel, but this one harkens back to when I was, myself, a young adult devouring Darkest Powers and Women of the Otherworld. A lot has changed in *dainty cough* twenty years, but Armstrong still taps into that YA energy and makes it feel effortless.

For those young enough to be unfamiliar with Kelley Armstrong, this is right up your alley if you love Karen McManus or Holly Jackson!

I personally thought this was a fun story. It’s aspirational - who doesn’t want to know what it’s like to be a secret billionaire heiress and be part of a juicy throuple? (Mild spoiler, but if you didn’t see it coming in the first five minutes… shame on you.) It’s far‑fetched in the best YA way, but undeniably fun.

It captures all the flashes of being a young adult without actually having to be a young adult again (ew). I appreciated the inclusion of gender identity, though the NB character felt more like a token nod. Sexual fluidity, however, is handled with a light, affirming touch. The big P‑word for polyamory isn’t used, but that’s essentially what’s happening.

I felt the ending wrapped up a little too quickly, with a few loose ends left dangling, but the epilogue delivers the classic HEA that YA readers expect.

Overall, this is a strong jump into securely non‑paranormal YA, and Armstrong continues to steamroll into new genres - successfully, I might add!

A huge thank‑you to NetGalley, Tundra (🤍🇨🇦), and Kelley Armstrong for the invitation and the trust. I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Jaimie · Rating 4 out of 5]

*received as an ARC from the publisher
Picking up this book felt like a literal manifestation of the “do not cite the deep magic to me,witch, I was there when it was written” meme, which is maybe a first for me as a reader, as we’re once again seeing the literary cycles repeat themselves - with the same authors. I vividly recall being excited for another paranormal romance author, when the field was pretty limited way back in 2001, and being super disappointed with Bitten (much less its sequels, that didn’t even make it onto my TBR), but I decided to give her latest a shot anyways. I expected some sort of supernatural happenings in this story, which is a slightly predictable poor girl discovers she’s an heiress and gets shipped off to a fancy finishing school trope, but Armstrong kept the narrative strictly in the realistic spooky thriller lane. I don’t generally go for books like this (they’re too close to the mystery genre, or they’re too gruesome and reality is scary enough), but I found myself getting caught up in the characters and the lore of the elite finishing high school - if only as a bit of light and fun reading. Armstrong’s characters are definitely all based on predictable types (the ice blonde heiress, the golden boy, and the loner with a heart of gold), but I’d be lying if I said the familiarity wasn’t reassuring, and left plenty of room for entertainment. Did we laugh at the love triangle that gets updated to include modern polyamory “norms”? Maybe. We’ll chalk my enjoyment of this book up to another entry in the borderline romance era we seem to be going through at the moment (laughs in /fanfiction.net flashbacks).

[Hope Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is…fine. And honestly, that might be the biggest problem.

A Deadly Inheritance has a great setup: creepy old English manor, surprise inheritance, family secrets, and the promise that something bad definitely happened and might happen again. On paper, it’s exactly the kind of thing I should love. In reality, it never quite commits to being as dark or messy as it wants you to think it is.

The atmosphere is doing most of the work here. The house is gloomy, the history is shady, and everything looks like it should be more intense than it is. But the actual mystery moves at a very polite pace. Not a “slow burn” so much as a “we’ll get to it eventually, no rush.” A lot of the reveals feel obvious well before the book treats them like big moments, which takes the fun out of the whole thing.

The main character is capable enough, but emotionally she’s kind of…flat. Big secrets come out and the reactions are surprisingly calm for a story involving murder and betrayal. There were multiple moments where I thought, Wow, you’re taking this very well considering the circumstances.

Nothing here is bad. The writing is smooth, the plot makes sense, and it’s easy to read. It just plays things extremely safe. For a book with “deadly” in the title, it feels more like a cozy mystery that keeps insisting it’s darker than it actually is.

Overall, three stars for a solid premise, decent vibes, and a story that’s perfectly okay. I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it, and I probably won’t think about it much now that I’m done—which might be the most honest review of all.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book opens with Liliana Green trying to figure out if she can sell an appliance in a rented apartment to pay for food, when CPS shows up to check in on her since she is, in fact, a minor. All within that same moment, Cecelia (her grandparents' attorney) swoops in, saves the day so Lili doesn't get sent off to foster care, and breaks the news that oh, by the way, Lili is actually related to the Chamberlain family and is super wealthy. Like, heiress of billionaires wealthy. Cecelia brings Lili to Westdale Academy, an uber private school for wealthy kids located outside of Savannah, Georgia. There are a number of questions that Lili has, like why she never heard from her mother about this school and why do students keep getting hurt or dying.

I really enjoyed this book and got through it very quickly. For me, it felt a bit rushed overall so I was surprised when I realized it was like 425 pages. There was a lot happening and everything unfolded very quickly both on the page and timeline-wise in the book. I enjoyed following along with Lili's attempt to figure out all of the mysteries going on within the school, though wasn't shocked by the revelations at the end. I definitely got the vibes from the other books mentioned in this book's description (The Reappearance of Rachel Price and The Inheritance Games series) and since I enjoyed those books it's not a huge surprise I liked this too. I'd give this a 4.5 stars but with the feeling of rushing I wouldn't round up to 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tundra Books for the opportunity to read this as an ARC!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Thoughts

I’m always up for a young adult story that mostly takes place within a private school setting.

Westdale Academy is more than just an elite boarding school for Liliana to finish out her senior year of high school.

The Academy turns out to be where her own mother was sent as well.

Having lost her father and more recently her mother also, at 17 Lili is an orphan who is trying desperately to make it to 18 without being caught by Child Protective Services.

At the last of her resources and in danger of losing the roof over her head Lili is caught between a rock and a hard place as the saying goes.

When her wealthy grandparents lawyer shows up the same day a CPS agent does Lili finds herself thrust into a situation she never experienced before.

Luckily being a fast learner means she quickly catches up to her new curriculum and also has the opportunity to make friends among other classmates.

I enjoyed very much the setting, the interaction between Lili and her classmates, the way she was able to get a little more information about her mother and especially how over time she put together the clues that allowed her to solve several mysteries by books end.

Friendships, danger, mystery, romance secrets and more made this a read that was easy to follow and twisted enough to keep me guessing until its truths were revealed in full.

[EArc from Netgalley]

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A DEADLY INHERITANCE takes place at an exclusive academy where only extremely wealthy kids attend. Liliana lost both of her parents—her mom most recently—and is struggling to survive and avoid DHS until she reaches her 18th birthday. But just like that, she discovers that her grandparents are billionaires, and while her mother was disowned, her grandparents are willing to accept her into the family, despite that they’ve never met.

Lili is whisked off to the Westdale Academy to finish her senior year. Lili’s time at the school is interesting. She’s smart and a quick study, as well as a down-to-earth and genuinely nice person. So she’s very likable. I liked that the author didn’t fill the school with a bunch of mean girls, and that Lili is even able to form several meaningful friendships at the school.

There are a few mysteries surrounding her mom and the school that Lili begins to investigate. However, I lost interest when the plot took a turn by giving Lili two love interests who were both agreeable with her dating the two of them at the same time. And one of them was bisexual. This was just too much.

While the writing and plot were initially engaging, this book was ultimately a letdown.

🌟Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.🌟

[Marty Tool · Rating 3 out of 5]

First I must clarify I'm 70 years old and this is a young adult mystery. Enjoyed the book and characters, but found it a bit off as these characters are supposed to be 17 years old, they come from very privileged backgrounds and elite educational programs but they just seemed too mature and too advanced.
That being said, the beginning of the book Liliana is in a desperate situation. Her mother died a few months before and she is in survivor mode, dodging Social Services and keeping a roof overhead and something to eat. As her world begins to collide with fact, a woman claims she is her attorney and guardian appears and everything changes. She finds out why her parents were always moving them from place to place, and she is a billion dollar heiress, she is swept into luxury and elite boarding school education. For a girl who is supposed to be introverted, she certainly makes friends and assimilated well into the society of the school. There are various societies and hiarchy that comes from competition. However she discovers a few deaths have happened over the years, and questions of why her mother dropped out of the school and ran away begin to gnaw at her and she goes looking for answers. Thus the mysteries begin. Well written good world building, thanks to NetGalley and Kelly Armstrong for an early ARC for an honest opinion.

[Laney Estel · Rating 4 out of 5]

🔥 Want dark academia with real stakes and a heroine chasing the truth about her own past? This delivers dangerous secrets, suspicious classmates, and an inheritance worth killing for.

First Line: Rosalyn Chamberlain has fled Westdale Academy. As head of the Lilith Society, she kept a journal. Get it before the Liliths add it to the archives.

Reasons to Read:
🏫 Elite Secrets – Lili is forced into an exclusive boarding school tied to the wealthy family her mother ran from years ago.
🕯️ Dead Students – As she investigates mysterious deaths connected to the academy, Lili discovers the school’s polished reputation hides something lethal.
🧩 Hidden Past – Clues about the murders begin pointing toward the truth about why her mother abandoned both the school and her inheritance.
Thoughts: This book is very similar to another book I read earlier this year, without the magic component. Dark academia with secret societies and a love triangle. But this book is definitely more appropriate for a Young Adult reader, and I enjoyed the mystery a lot. You are definitely suspicious of a lot of people in this book and that helps with the misdirect. I loved the characters of Lili, Theo, and Maddox with their damage and complexity. But this is definitely a young adult book so I would definitely approach it from that mindset.

[Znowaira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Tundra Book Group for sending me this eARC. The synopsis made this book sound right up my alley, and I was actually instantly invested. Liliana's journey was really exciting to read about, and she was easy to root for. The other characters were also written well: the Liliths weren't the mean girls I thought they were going to be (not even Allegra!) and Theo wasn't the stereotypical shallow rich guy. The tension and mysteries were piling on top of each other, but even beforehand, I never found the story uninteresting because it was written well. Lilliana was settling in and making friends, while small hints were being dropped to set up the bigger picture later on.

The main issue with this book was the romance. I expected a love triangle going in, which I was willing to put up with to read about an elite boarding school mystery. However, it was painful to read, and it ruined my experience because the second half of the book just kept emphasising on the weird romance bit. Furthermore, the ending felt rushed. We were thrust from a showdown to an epilogue all of a sudden, and it didn't feel like the story was tied up nicely. Plus, the prologue was never explained. Both of these problems unfortunately held an otherwise excellent novel back.