The Heirs

A Novel

By: Susan Rieger

Narrated by: Kimberly Farr

Brilliantly wrought, incisive, and stirring, The Heirs tells the story of an upper-crust Manhattan family coming undone after the death of their patriarch.

Six months after Rupert Falkes dies, leaving a grieving widow and five adult sons, an unknown woman sues his estate, claiming she had two sons by him. The Falkes brothers are pitched into turmoil, at once missing their father and feeling betrayed by him. In disconcerting contrast, their mother, Eleanor, is cool and calm, showing preternatural composure.

Eleanor and Rupert had made an admirable life together - Eleanor with her sly wit and generosity, Rupert with his ambition and English charm - and they were proud of their handsome, talented sons: Harry, a brash law professor; Will, a savvy Hollywood agent; Sam, an astute doctor and scientific researcher; Jack, a jazz trumpet prodigy; Tom, a public-spirited federal prosecutor. The brothers see their identity and success as inextricably tied to family loyalty - a loyalty they always believed their father shared. Struggling to reclaim their identity, the brothers find Eleanor's sympathy toward the woman and her sons confounding. Widowhood has let her cast off the rigid propriety of her stifling upbringing, and the brothers begin to question whether they knew either of their parents at all.

A riveting portrait of a family, told with compassion, insight, and wit, The Heirs wrestles with the tangled nature of inheritance and legacy for one unforgettable patrician New York family. Moving seamlessly through a constellation of rich, arresting voices, The Heirs is a tale out of Edith Wharton for the 21st century.

©2017 Susan Rieger (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Brilliantly constructed and flawlessly written...an emotional and satisfying story of how a complicated family and their outliers handle life's most pivotal moments." ( Library Journal)

"[An] assured novel of family, money, and secrets, reminiscent in theme and tone of Edith Wharton...just in time for poolside reading, this elegant novel wears its intelligence lightly." ( Kirkus)

"Rieger wrestles perceptively with difficult questions and...shines incrementally increasing light on the Falkes' extended web of familial and emotional ties, sucking the reader into the tangle of emotions and conflicting interests...a tense, introspective account of looking for truth, and instead finding peace." ( Publishers Weekly)

The Heirs

Excellent read. The story line kept me engaged. I would definitely recommend to a friend.

loved this book

I didn't want this book to end. It was delightful. The narrator distracted from the story when she tried to speak with an accent as she didn't sound British or from Brooklyn.

Good, but not great

Any additional comments?

I had a hard time caring about these characters. They seemed quite stereotyped to me.

Intelligent, touching and deep, yet with levity!

The story was touching and told from perspectives
that were haughty, yet relatable - situations I expect my grandparents and parents may have know. people can imagine their parents and grandparents may have encountered, yet there are contemporary perspectives, those my children may be able to relate to as well. Although the story follows boys/men coming age, it is so lovely narrated from a woman’s perspective. Told through the eyes/hearts of women. The story deftly describes coupling and mothering, I highly recommend the book and listening to the audio version! I loved it. Right up there with Tom Lake.

Great listen!

Truly enjoyed this audio book. Was excited for my drive each day looking forward to hearing what came next.

Grief and the secrets it reveals

This felt like a soap opera at times but was an interesting look into grief and how that brings secrets out. It does fluid time changes and was occasionally difficult to know what was happening, but I think that was because I was listening and not physically reading.

Rich, complex, and charming

This novel has one of the most interesting structures I've run across for some time. It begins with the death of Rupert Falkes, a rich Manhattan attorney. Falkes leaves behind his wife Eleanor and five sons as well as a substantial amount of money for everyone in the family.

Shortly after the funeral Eleanor receives a letter from a woman claiming that Rupert also left two other sons she knew nothing about and had provided an income for them for many years. All she has to offer for proof is a photo of herself with someone who may or may not be Rupert. It it true or is it larceny? The book looks at the reactions of the widow and sons in dealing with this new perspective on Rupert's life as it also carves away mysteries about Rupert's life.

Rupert is a wonderfully complex character. Born in England and abandoned at birth Rupert is raised in a religious boys home. He's so loved by the reverend running the home that Rupert is the only boy with whom he shares his last name. (The other foundlings are given names out of Dickens.) Rupert is bright enough to make his way through England's public schools and land at Cambridge. He then makes his way to America and manages to get a full scholarship at Yale Law after a meeting on a train. Rieger is pretty unflinching in giving us a character, or at least a presence, complete with his charms and flaws, from his sexual drive to a skill at bringing law clerks near tears with a few words.

HIs upbringing, time in the US, and marriage are all brought out in deeper and deeper detail as the book progresses while it also details the lives of the five sons, all Princeton grads going off in unique directions as an attorney, a doctor, a jazz musician, an agent, and a law professor. Rieger gives a warm picture of the sons and brothers. "The world's first murder was between brothers," says one. "Whoever wrote the Bible knew his onions." I think many writers would have stuck with the main characters and the letter, but Rieger manages to give such a full look at the sons, from childhood through university, that the reader ends up feeling they're as well known as Rupert.

The book eventually resolves the mystery of the two bastard sons as well as the secret of Rupert's abandonment. It also brings in an amazing number of secondary characters, including a doctor who has held a lifelong love for Eleanor and hopes that Rupert's death will finally bring them together.

The complexity and fullness of the book make it a wonderful read while the way Rieger weaves in and out of the present tense pulls the reader along from one finely drawn moment to the next.

A lovely family story.....

I loved this book. I am sure that many people wouldn't give it 5 stars because the story itself isn't anything over the top. I loved the way it was written. The author tells the story in a unique way alternating between past and present and going deeper into explanations as she relays details from the point of view of several characters. A friend that read the book thought the ending was predictable. I found the ambiguity gratifying. The narrator did a fantastic job.

Good story, unsatisfying ending

Well written, lots of interesting characters but a very unresolved ending, which left me feeling unsatisfied. Too many questions left unanswered. Good narration.

a family history

interesting take on an unusual story. audio book time well spent with well paced reader.