Roxborough Hall, with its acres of land, lake and attached income is not handed down from father to eldest son, nor shared out among the direct descendants. It is bequeathed in secret to a sole heir, and there is a ceremony involved in revealing who has been chosen. After the death of the owner all the family must gather together at the house. At the beginning of dinner each member opens a letter revealing whether they are the chosen heir. Cecily Mordant is dead; to whom has she left her house?

‘The Will’ is a family drama about the Mordant family. The assembling of the relatives at the house gathers them together in one place and their family dynamics and relationships with each other can be explored. I would put this book firmly in the ‘general fiction and/or women’s fiction’ categories, rather than the ‘mystery thriller’ one. It is far more concerned with the personal lives of the family members and their relationships than it is about the mystery of the inheritor.

The lives of the family members are further revealed to the reader by jumps backwards in time to a memorable incident in their past and the events and emotions of the moment are then explored. We then carry on in the present-day storyline with a further understanding of their character. Through this technique the reader is better able to judge, by what has happened to them in the past, their present-day reactions and behaviours, and to come to an opinion of what kind of a person they are. The more I knew about the characters the less I cared about them. This not because I’m heartless, they just seemed rather unreal and, in a way, dull. I don’t mean to say the secrets were not interesting. Some of the characters were types: the headmistress is humourless and overachieving, the French girlfriend shrugs. The central characters were more developed and attempts had been made to make them lifelike. They had little quirks like harumphing about where the recycling goes or reminisced about childhood summers spend at Roxborough.
It wasn’t enough to make me care about them, though. Even when the secret was sensational or the back story harrowing, they never felt convincing or their behaviour real. I could not overlook what was unconvincing and I cannot explain fully what was not right without giving away the plot.
I had the feeling Cecily was supposed to be glamorously intriguing, as she 'looked a little like Grace Kelly', and wore a 'black Givenchy cocktail dress, not unlike the one Audrey Hepburn had worn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s'.
The author reveals in the afterward that “lots of the setting in ‘The Will (though not thankfully the awful bits) were lifted from my real-life family, especially my grandmother, who I still miss a great deal”. I think ‘The Will’ is a highly personal novel. For me I wanted the characters to have more presence and behave more believably. I wished to be able to imagine the house more clearly. I think the novel is a great work in the author’s head, but she hasn’t written down the extra embellishments for me to see it as she sees it, or know the characters as she knows them. I don’t think this is a very good novel. However, family dramas are hard to write well and I’m hard to please. Less exigent readers wanting an easy read, and a rambling country house setting will probably enjoy the book.

I really enjoyed this unusual book. Unusual in that it felt like a country house murder mystery but no one was murdered. I don’t mean that in a negative way: it’s a brilliant story with the extended family gathered after the death of Cecily to find out who she has chosen to inherit the beautiful stately family home. The story goes into the past at different times, explaining why some people have turned out the way they are. I highly recommend this book, and am looking forward to the next one from Rebecca Reid.

I did enjoy this book as it was well written, but I'm not quite sure what genre it was supposed to fit into? It certainly wasn't a thriller in any way. It had promise and the story line could have been developed much further. An OK read but I wouldn't reread or necessarily recommend.

A very engaging mystery/thriller, with a complex cast of characters. I raced through this in less than a day. My one complaint, though, is that I wish the brat and his mum had had some sort of comeuppance!

(Review copy from NetGalley)

I found this to be a really absorbing read, full of interesting and complex characters, along with an interesting storyline. Who will inherit Roxborough Hall? Who of all the family members, really deserves it?
As the story unfolds with the family all contemplating the possibility of inheritance, there is a mixture of flashbacks that draw out the back stories and secrets of each family member. It's effective and builds the tension, it also reveals what I felt to be an enduring love story at the heart of the novel. I loved the characters, they were all convincing and as I became immersed in their family history and dynamics between them, I found myself wondering who I would have left the Hall to. Thoroughly enjoyable with a satisfying conclusion, I really liked this one.

What a fabulous book by Rebecca Reid. The Mordaunts are a strange family with an interesting family history. Their unusual way of passing on their family home, Roxborough Hall leads to some members of the Mourdaunts taking things into their own hands to ensure they are the new owner of Roxborough Hall. But are things what they seem as soon the ghosts start to come out of the closet and the well hidden family lies are exposed.
A great read.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Will. It is a well written and engaging family drama where several generations gather to see who will inherit the grand house, Roxborough, upon the death of Cecily. Of course, as is the way with most families, there are plenty of secrets which have been hidden but start inching towards the surface; there are relationships which have soured over the years and plenty of conflict between family members. The story is largely told in the present day but we have flashbacks to key events to explain some of the issues between family members. The story moves well and the characters are a decent mix with some who are easy to like and feel warmly towards but with a few 'rotten eggs' thrown in for good measure. I devoured this book in a day and a half and would highly recommend for some entertaining summer reading!

This is the thing with Domestic thrillers - they rarely surprise me.
And so I was a little hesitant picking up this one and as I expected, this did not surprise me.
A typical thriller - I don't think there was anything new here.
An okayish read for me.

I always like a story about a good old dysfunctional family. It allows for some great characters and Rebecca Reid does not disappoint. A story about family tradition and intrigue with few twists thrown in. The story kept me guessing and I was keen to carry on reading to find out who the true benefactor of Roxborough Hall was.
Some of the story I did guess but it was written in such a way that I think I would have been disappointed if I hadn't guessed correctly. The characters were very well devised and I warmed them very easily, except the characters I wasn't meant to warm to. Overall a very enjoyable read.

A good book, love the premise of old traditions playing out in modern life. Agatha Christie kinda feel at the start with everyone arriving at the house. I must say, I'm not a fan of third person omniscient narration. I prefer clear chapters if the narrative is going to jump perspectives, and it meant I didn't really connect with any characters.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I really enjoyed this
The author is new to me but I shall be looking out for more

Loved the twists in the plot

Really enjoyed this book, plenty of twists and turns throughout in trying to get to the point of finding out who is the next owner of Roxborough house. Great character development and lots of devious behaviour - finished it in a couple of readings, which is always a good sign. Will be keeping an eye out for this author in the future. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I very much enjoyed this story which was well written and the cast of characters was great. Lots of layers of complexity within this family with some very strange traditions! Completely drew me and I would absolutely recommend and read this author again.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. A brilliant fast paced novel based around grief, inheritance, and family dynamics . When Cecily passes away her family gather to find out who will inherit the mansion she resided in. A complex tale of the relationships between the siblings, the parents and cousins unfold between the pages that will have you hooked. Definitely recommend this one but clear some space as it is hard to put down.

What a book! It was gripping from the first chapter. I loved reading about the dynamics of this wealthy family and their issues. The character development was good, I felt that I really understood most of the characters. An enjoyable read!

Read this book in one sitting as the story line grip me from the minute I started to read it. I do like this one, This book had me hooked from the very 1st Charlotte. I I liked the fact it was fast pace and you didn’t know what was going on from start to end I absolutely loved all the characters in the story. It’s a book I would highly recommend people reading and it’s a book I will definitely re read

There is far more to this novel than the front cover and title suggest. A complex family with an intruiging tradition when it comes to the reading of a will.

The little empathy I had for a few of the characters wore off as the story progressed, all are entitled, selfish and liars ! but this does make it a good read.

The revelations along the way are somewhat to be expected from a family of wealth and it reminded me slightly of a Donna Tartt novel.

Enjoyed the back and forth of the present day and historical events, it flows well and builds up anticipation.

A few loose ends but have saved the titles of the authors other novels to add to my tbr list.

Took me a while to get my head round the characters but as the story progressed about which family member would inherit a house passed down through the years, I got totally absorbed. Liked the present time interspersed with the past. Would thoroughly recommend to others.

This will is about members of the family who are about the inherit a house. It tells the storyline of who ends up with the house and why they believe that they deserve it. It is told from may people's points of view so you really get to know all the characters. Even thou it has a few characters the book really does flit really well between them all. It's really well written and enjoyable.

Took me awhile to familiarise myself with all the characters in this book and their relationships, but their story will reel you in, along the way there are lots of issues with each & every one of them. Who will get to own Roxburough Hall - read & see!

A very enjoyable read based on the complexities of a wealthy family. I really enjoyed the different timelines that gave glimpses into the past and unravelled secrets aplenty. Some really selfish characters gave a more authentic feel to this family drama.