What are people saying about The Deed?
'Now that's the way to bury your old man ... he sank into his Jason recliner, wincing. A burial: a body wrapped in handwoven cloth, women dancing and wailing. Too much, in Tom's opinion, but at least they were mourning. To hell with that, at least they showed up.'
Tom Edwards is dying, and cranky. He's made his peace with the dying part. But he'd bet his property - the whole ten thousand acres of it - that there'd be no wailing at his funeral. His kids wouldn't be able to chop down a tree, let alone build a coffin to bury him in.
Then Tom has an idea ...
Christine is furious, David ashen-faced, and Sophie distracted. Only Jenny listens carefully as Vince Barton, of Barton & Sons, reads their father's will. Either they build his coffin - in four days - or they lose their inheritance. All of it.
A perceptive and unforgettable debut novel, The Deed explores the messy, sometimes volatile, complications that only the best and worst of family can bring. Sometimes greed can be good.
Sibling rivalry, a shifty lawyer, a multilinnion-dollar inheritance. What could go right?
The Deed out now!
What People Are Saying About The Deed on Good Reads
Dripping with my tears and the authors irony all the way through! Hilarious, witty, heartfelt. Characters that will make you grimace on one page and sob the next. Clever pacing. Highly recommend that anyone and everyone read this book.
— Lorien, Good Reads
It is an awesome read, starts gritty and full of interesting characters and situations. I loved the character developments and relationship interplays between the siblings and their other halves. Highly recommend for an easy weekends read.
— Kirsten, Good Reads
Was recommended to me by my Dad and I'm so glad he told me about it. I giggled, cringed and cried. What a good read and bringing home the importance of talking to your parents while you are blessed to have them with you still.
— Merrin, Good Reads
Such a triumphant debut. Congratulations Susannah Begbie, your Richell Prize-winning novel was entertaining from start to finish. It had everything: humour, honesty, heartbreak and humility all tucked up in an eloquent and beautifully written narrative.
— Robyn, Good Reads
This is a really well written debut novel, you can tell a lot of work has been put into revision and editing to provide a clear and focused storyline. It is funny, sad, interesting and a great insight into life in rural Australia without being a cliche.
— Reader, Good Reads
A great weekend read. Love the setting, concept, plot twists and interesting characters that hook you in from the start. A wonderful first book from Susannah Begbie, hopefully the first of many. Highly recommended!
— Grace, Good Reads
I absolutely loved this character driven debut novel that explores family dynamics and the fallout of wills and inheritance. Set in the small town of Coorong, I loved getting to know the area and all the small town politics and agriculture. The property of Ellersley sounded amazing. Whilst the subject matter seemed morbid it had me laughing out loud at times.
Full of interesting and quirky characters. I loved getting to know father Tom, his four children David, Christine , Jenny and Sophie. All four children had very distinct personalities, some likable, others not so much. I loved seeing their family story play out over the dual timelines. It really captured family roles and dynamics well. Lawyer Vince made for a good antagonist, although I did feel for getting entangled into this family drama.
I was hooked immediately and found that the short chapters kept the story moving. I loved the underdog element and the race against the clock. It would make a great movie- I could see it being the next The Castle. For fans of Joanna Nell. I can’t wait to see what Begbie comes up with next.
— Kristen, Good Reads
Very enjoyable book, great idea for a story, saw her speak at writers festival & was taken by the premise. Did not disappoint & had me looking forward to my next session.
— Belinda, Good Reads
I very much enjoyed The Deed by Susannah Begbie which is set in rural Victoria. Tom Edwards is dying and makes a new will. He owns a very large valuable property. His estranged grown up children, all four of them are set a task in the will. If they fail to accomplish that task there will be unwelcome consequences. Each chapter is told from the perspective of each of the characters – Tom, his four children, and one other. The reader gets to know them well and hopes for a good outcome. Very well written.
— Suzanne, Good Reads
What People Are Saying About The Deed on Better Reading
Susannah Begbie’s debut novel is a funny, sad, poignant story of a family of four adult children who come together to bury their father. He has stipulated certain conditions in his will, which mean they must cooperate and spend time together in order to not lose their inheritance. The family dynamics are well written and very relatable! Perspective shifts from character and character and we really get to know each person. There’s quite a lot of humour too. I really enjoyed this book and will certainly read anything else she writes in the future.
— Denise, Better Reading
The Deed is a fantastic Australian Debut novel. The characters are very likeable and the story is intriguing. I could not put the book down as I wanted to know what happened. The Deed is very Australian, the characters could be anyone you know in your own town. I will definitely be looking out for any future books by Susannah Begbie.
— Wendy, Better Reading
I absolutely loved this character-driven debut novel that explores family dynamics and the fallout of wills and inheritance. Set in the small town of Coorong, I loved getting to know the area and all the small-town politics and agriculture. The property of Ellersley sounded amazing. Whilst the subject matter seemed morbid it had me laughing out loud at times. Full of interesting and quirky characters. I loved getting to know father Tom, his four children David, Christine , Jenny and Sophie. All four children had very distinct personalities, some likable, others not so much. I loved seeing their family story play out over the dual timelines. It really captured family roles and dynamics well. Lawyer Vince made for a good antagonist, although I did feel for getting entangled into this family drama. I was hooked immediately and found that the short chapters kept the story moving. I loved the underdog element and the race against the clock. It would make a great movie- I could see it being the next The Castle. For fans of Joanna Nell. I can’t wait to see what Begbie comes up with next
— Kirsten, Better Reading
As they say, you can choose your friends but not your family. When the four estranged children of Tom Edwards are reunited following his death they had no idea what he had planned for them. The Deed – as a condition of his will, Christine, David, Jenny and Sophie have four days to build a coffin together to bury him in. There are strict instructions regarding its construction and if successful they will inherit equal shares in his estate but if they fail it all goes to a shady lawyer who has his own plans for the money that he’s determined will be his in just a few days. All four siblings have their own secrets. Being forced to work together on this last project for their father will bring out their strengths and weaknesses, if they don’t kill each other first. Tom Edwards proves there is method in the madness of the task he has set for his children and that he knows them better than they know themselves. A worthy winner of the Richell prize. I loved this debut novel from Susannah Begbie and look forward to seeing what she does next.
— Sarah, Better Reading
An interesting novel set in a rural town about a father who leaves his inheritance to his four children under one condition – they are to build his coffin or receive nothing at all! They must all somehow put aside their differences and work together to achieve their end goal. I enjoyed seeing how the story progressed and thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who was after a bit of a different story with a hint of quirkiness to it.
— Amanda, Better Reading
I was impressed with this debut novel, The Deed. I loved that it was so Australian, loved the setting and the relatable, flawed characters. I felt it is cleverly written, drawing us into the interwoven family dynamics and the issues they face claiming their inheritance. This is a novel with no historical thread except the family history, no murder, no Shades of Grey, yet it’s a darn good yarn, full of drama and humour. Thoroughly enjoyable.
— Warren, Better Reading
No romance, no crime, no history. A completely different story to the usual. The characters are The Dad who leaves an unusual provision in his will for his four children to earn their inheritance. The Children – three daughters and a son and their personal stories. The Solicitor who has a small part of the story as well. As in a lot of families the siblings are all individuals all cheese and chalk to each other but suddenly they have to become a team when they all hit rock bottom. They then perceive each other and suddenly realise they can work as a team. There is some humour throughout the book. This was certainly an unusual will and testament to encourage the wayward family to appreciate what they could inherit. I honestly cannot say who this book would appeal to other than if you want to read something out of the usual genres. I enjoyed the read and coming from a family of four siblings myself identified that yes we are all different.
— Elaine, Better Reading
This book took me a while to get into, but once I did I really enjoyed the family dynamics and the way the each dealt with the death of their father and their own journeys within that. Really enjoyable Australian story!
— Kate, Better Reading
I really enjoyed reading Susannah Begbie’s ‘The Deed’. Although dealing with death and loss it is never morbid and is frequently humorous. It focuses on the drama resulting from an unusual caveat attached to the inheritance of Ellersley, a rambling family property in regional Australia, and all other assets. Tom accepts he is dying, but what of his 4 adult kids? They are estranged, each caught up in their own life, with no time for Tom or each other. How can he get their attention? Then Tom has an idea, either all 4 work together to build his coffin from scratch in four days or they lose their inheritance. Solicitor Vince is happy, he gets the lot if they fail. Insecure Jenny takes it all in and starts planning; devastated the cash-strapped David goes on a bender; Christine is livid and tries to find ways around it; and Sophie drifts along apparently oblivious to what’s at stake. The lovable, flawed characters in The Deed create a wonderful study into family dynamics. Short chapters keep the story fast-paced and easy to read, successfully packing reflections of a family’s whole lifetime into one chaotic week. Well worth reading.
— Sandra, Better Reading
This book was such a joy to read. While it deals with some tough topics – abuse, death, estrangement, affairs, alcoholism – Begbie touches on each of the topics gently and lovingly. The characters are detailed and absolutely lovable, warts and all. As to the story of four children forced to build a coffin for their father to receive their inheritance, brilliant! There’s a real Australian-toned black humour to the scenario – reminded me a bit of The Dressmaker with a bit more fun and hope. It’s not predictable but the ending is perfect and even the “villain” of the piece gets a happy ending. It’s a fun read and I highly recommend it.
— Sara, Better Reading
Tom Edwards is dying and he knows it, it isn’t worrying him as he has made his peace. He doesn’t see or hear much from his four children, they have all gone their own ways except one who still lives in the area. He decides to make a new will with a different lawyer than the usual one who has handled all the matters for the property, all ten thousand acres, for years. He makes a bet that if his children can’t build a coffin to his specification in four days they will lose the property and all that goes with it. At the reading of the will David is devastated, Christine is furious, Sophie has other things on her mind but Jenny pays close attention. None know where to start at first. While building the coffin they all learn things about themselves and each other. It is a story of family, coming together and learning what they are capable of achieving if they have to.
— Liz, Better Reading