The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce cover art

The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce

Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce

By: Paul Torday
Narrated by: David Rintoul
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Only £0.99 a month for the first 3 months. Pay £0.99 for the first 3 months, and £8.99/month thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Start my membership

About this listen

Late one summer evening, Wilberforce - rich, young, work-obsessed and self-contained - makes an unexpected detour on the way home from the software company he owns and unwittingly takes the first step on a journey that will change his life. His uncharacteristically impulsive act leads him to the door of Caerlyon Hall, the domain of Francis Black, a place where wine, hospitality, and affection flow freely.

Through Francis, the eccentric and enigmatic owner of Caerlyon, Wilberforce is initiated into a rich life he could never have imagined, becomes a willing pupil to Francis' master, and in the cellars of Caerlyon he nurtures a new-found passion for fine wine. But even the finest wine can leave a bitter aftertaste, and Wilberforce will learn that the undercroft holds some unpalatable secrets, and that passion comes at a price.

©2008 Paul Torday (P)2008 Orion Publishing Group Ltd.
Genre Fiction Literary Fiction

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Legacy of Hartlepool Hall cover art
More Than You Can Say cover art
Falling Animals cover art
The Hopeless Life of Charlie Summers cover art
Light Shining in the Forest cover art

Critic reviews

"David Rintoul narrates this ingenious story in a wine-dark voice, rich in timbre, ranging from smoky oak to black currant, giving meaty tongue to poor Wilberforce's occasional befuddlement. His command of accents - sommelier French, Tyneside demotic, upper-class snootiness - is restrained and adept. Both novel and narration are outstanding." (Washington Post Book World)
All stars
Most relevant
A challenging read as you're stuck in the mixed-up head of a very unsympathetic protagonist. We actively join Wilberforce as he descends the slippery slope and it's a fascinating glimpse into an addictive mindset.

Nothing quite like it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Such a good story, I felt I could even taste the wine at times. i definitely would recommend this book

Loved this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.