Inheritance

by Gillian Slovo, Olivia Darnley (Narrator)

Deborah is a successful crime writer whose life is upended by her sister Gail's suicide. She receives an unexpected inheritance – taking her back to South Africa, where she confronts long-buried family secrets, political corruption, and the complexities of memory and forgiveness.





Building on a distinguished career that includes the Orange Prize–shortlisted Ice Road and the bestselling memoir Every Secret Thing, Gillian Slovo brings her signature blend of psychological acuity and political awareness to Inheritance. Listeners are invited into a richly layered narrative that not only unravels the mysteries of a fractured family, but also probes the wider consequences of historical injustice and personal repression.





Moving between London and a country still negotiating the legacy of apartheid, this is a gripping and psychologically rich story about memory, inheritance and the moral weight carried from one generation to the next.

Audible Audio

Expected publication October 8, 2026

About the author

Novelist Gillian Slovo was born in 1952 in South Africa, the daughter of Joe Slovo, leader of the South African Communist party, and Ruth First, a journalist who was murdered in 1982.

Gillian Slovo has lived in England since 1964, working as a writer, journalist and film producer. Her first novel, Morbid Symptoms (1984), began a series of crime fiction featuring female detective Kate Baeier. Other novels in the series include Death by Analysis (1986), Death Comes Staccato (1987), Catnap (1994) and Close Call (1995). Her other novels include Ties of Blood (1989), The Betrayal (1991) and Red Dust (2000), a courtroom drama set in contemporary South Africa, which explores the effects of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Reviews

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

A very solid 3.5/5.

I did find this to have a slow start and that caused me to take a while to get really invested in this story and its mystery.

But it eventually sped up and had me very intrigued and captivated.

This is for the mystery readers that like family drama and family secrets. This book is full of family secrets. Some that are more mysterious and some that are purposefully hidden. There's a lot of unpacking for our main character to do (and not just related to her inheriting a new house).

And I loved the inclusion of The Cotswolds. I love The Cotswolds!

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. 3.75⭐️ Olivia Darnley did a phenomenal job with the narration and I loved the South African accents!

While the book started off slow, the mystery surrounding Deborah’s sister’s death got interesting fast! Full of twists and turns – it was easily to get immersed in the family drama, long-buried secrets, and political issues that encompassed this book. Listened to this on my drive home from a work trip and it made the time fly by!

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of Inheritance by Gillian Slovo and Narrated by Olivia Darnley. I enjoyed this story. It was a family drama with some political aspects to it. It explores relationships and forgiveness, It kept my interest and intrigued me. Publication date is October 8. Reserve your copy now. I gave this a 4 star rating.

[Vanessa Renderos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this ALC.
I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars.
Started it off and it was a slow burn got interesting halfway through, but I do feel like the ending fell flat I didn’t really get that thriller suspense vibe.