Lorraine (Rainey) Cobcroft
AUTHOR
What she wrote doesn’t matter. Or does it?
Mildred wrote her last Will with care. But Family Provisions Lawyer, Brittany McFarlane, loves the challenge of tearing a deceased’s stated wishes apart to indulge the disinherited.
When she signs Joanna Wynne to contest Mildred’s Will, she expects an easy win, but questions and threats place Brittany’s loved ones at risk, forcing her to confront her conscience. Then a mysterious package is delivered. What it contains changes everything.
A literary fiction legal and family drama with a hint of psychological thriller.
Anyone who has ever been involved in a Will dispute, fears they may be… or fears their Last Will might incite one, should read this story.
The Birth of the Story…
Defending Lorraine’s mother’s will against her half-sister’s challenge sowed the seed for this story. Discovering how common will disputes are, and that they are almost always bitter and rarely have just outcomes, reinforced her desire to pen a novel that exposes the flaws in our legal system and the manner in which they are often exploited.
A frame narrative, A Will of Deceit includes the deceased woman’s (fictional) memoir. That portion of the novel was partly inspired by Lorraine’s mother’s experience travelling to the U.S.A to remarry after Lorraine’s father’s tragic death, and the failure of her marriage and struggle to bring her baby daughter home.
While true events inspired the story, it is pure fiction. The characters are imagined, and bear no resemblance to anyone Lorraine knows. The events are complete fiction. The legal process is accurately described, however, and Lorraine believes her judgments of our legal system and some who serve it are entirely fair.
This novel is recommended for adult reading only. It contains a one or two profanities and some explicit content, including references to spousal abuse and child abuse and paedophilia. Every attempt has been made to minimise adult content and to handle sensitive topics with tact and discretion.
Sandra Smith, Book Club Host
Tessa Rowen
Ennry Sarah
REEDSY REVIEW
A gripping narrative of loss, a contested will, intricate family dynamics, and the rich tapestry of women's lives across the ages
In her engrossing novel, A Will of Deceit, Lorraine Cobcroft takes us to the courtroom, where a battle over a will unfolds, and into a marriage that begins happily but ends in pain. After her mother’s death, Joanna Wynne finds out she’s not the executor of her mother’s will. Seeking redress, she hires Brittany McFarlane, a brilliant lawyer just starting out. However, does Joanna’s allegation hold? Is she willing to compromise even a little, perhaps agreeing to split the inheritance 50-50 with her sworn enemy, Isabel Dolan?
The case looks rather straightforward. All that Brittany has to do is prove that the will in question is forged. Except not everything is as it seems. For one, Joanna isn’t forthright and didn’t relate well with the deceased. For another, Isabel seems to genuinely care for her younger sister, Joanna, which contradicts Joanna’s accusations.
In Lorraine’s A Will of Deceit, the dead speak. Mildred Dolan’s story is painfully touching, capturing a woman who all she ever wanted was a good life for her children, a loving husband, and instead constantly endured utter neglect and abuse. The love for her girls guided her as she wrote her Will.
A lot to enjoy about this book and remember. From rich characterization to a gripping plot, this novel appeals broadly, particularly to fans of romance and legal dramas. It has strong female characters. Joanna quickly goes from believing in Brittany to utterly hating her. She has no kind words for men: she sexually exploits Bryan Winterwood, then dumps him “when he stops drinking and gambling and becomes a model employee.” Isabel is Joanna’s opposite. She has a family to look after, is willing to share, and cares for her mother as any daughter should. Mildred is a loving mother and a good wife. It takes her a long time to see the cracks on the wall, and when she does, her children’s safety comes first, even when faced with a jail term. As a lawyer, Brittany stands out among characters for her strong moral compass, being the ardent student of her father's teachings and her own beliefs about justice.
The book’s opening is such a page-turner. How Joanna enters Brittany's office and introduces herself leaves a mark, putting her under the spotlight, which she stays in throughout. As the plot unfolds, as the legal dispute between Joanna and Isabel reaches an impasse, a look back at the deceased’s life takes over, told beautifully and sadly.
The ending is both satisfying and humorous; as the boss shares news with his junior, the laughter that ensues is so genuine and infectious that the reader is sure to join in.
Emily Ormondi
