The Will, a review by Joanna

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The Will

Rebecca Reid

Published on November 10th

Random House UK/Transworld

384 pages

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The Will is a clever twist on the traditional “lots of rich folk in a mansion” suspense novel, in that it’s not a murder mystery, but rather an intriguing drama about which family member will inherit Roxborough Hall, their ancestral home, and why. I’ve been avoiding the “psychological” genre, as they all got too samey, but this had lots of positive reviews and I’m glad I took a chance on a new-to-me author. This would make a fantastic TV mini-series!

The Mordaunt family have an unusual way of handing down their large elegant Norfolk home: rather than going to the first-born son, the current owner picks the successor they deem most worthy, who finds out by letter in a ceremony they have been repeating since the 1700s. Now that charming, flighty matriarch Cecily Mordaunt has died, her descendants have gathered – each with their own reasons for wanting the beautiful house that means more to them than anything – but only one can keep it.
This twisty character-driven “whogetsit” introduces a vivid cast of hopefuls – from ageing playboy Grant, the favoured younger son, to beautiful feckless Lizzie, the granddaughter most at home at Roxborough. Or will Cecily shock them all by leaving it to steadfast Violet, the maid turned carer who has looked after her all her adult life? I was surprised by how invested I became in finding out! I liked the multiple perspectives and flashbacks to the past where successive secrets are revealed, most of which surprised me, and thought the ending was perfect.
Highly enjoyable, so I’ll be looking out for more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

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