When I was offered a book that was described as Succession meets The White Lotus I clearly couldn’t say no, and that’s exactly what was delivered.

How The Other Half die by Rachel North introduces us to Geri. Head of an incredibly successful business founded by her Grandfather she invites her estranged brothers children to her private island to celebrate her 70th birthday and to announce who she wants as her successor. As each of them frantically try to outdo the other to gain the coveted prize secrets and lies start to unravel as loyalty is tested and family coverups start to appear

How the Other Half Die was a fun read that I throughly enjoyed. The relatively mundane plot of successful business leader getting older and wanting to pass on a legacy was brought to life by the setting and characters in this story. The island they all met on was as bleak as it was welcoming, lots of cliffs and rugged rocks, alongside luxury accommodation, swimming pools and private caterers. 

All the characters were quite unlikeable, they were spoilt and manipulative with very little in the way of family values and family bond. Even Juliet who brings her baby daughter to the island and clearly has some redeeming features is quite ruthless in her attitude (which is of course a trait that most rich business people probably have to have!) The arrival of Geri’s brother just tops off the unlikeable crowd, a thoroughly horrible man who is happy to fleece his own children to get what he wants. I found myself mostly on the side of Geraldine although she was just as bad as the rest of them.

This was a really enjoyable read with some big twists and turns. I liked the fact that the story unfolded through differing viewpoints as it gave it an interesting insight into why the characters acted the way they did. The writing was engaging and it was an easy read that flitted seamlessly between characters.

Another great read that I’d recommend if you like a bit of rich family drama.

Get your copy here https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/how-the-other-half-die-rachel-north/7825073?ean=9781805460572