The Will

by Reed Arvin

Book Overview

Henry Mathews is a young, ambitious associate at a top Chicago law firm. When he is called back to his tiny hometown to execute the will of Tyler Crandall, the town's richest man, Henry becomes... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743201485
• ISBN13: 9780743201483
• Release Date: November 2000
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 325 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Small-town secrets

If you're looking for a new author to satisfy your thirst for top notch legal thrillers, then you'd be well advised to remember Reed Arvin's name. As far as legal thrillers go, this is a first class book, combining an intriguing mystery with the constant threat of deadly consequences. Add this to some excellent characters who are vividly brought to life and you have a book that is very difficult to put down.Henry Mathews is a hotshot lawyer working for a prestigious Chicago law firm. When Ty Crandall, the richest man from Henry's home town of Council Grove Kansas dies, Henry is called and asked to return home to act as executor of the will. The will contains a major shock for the Crandall family when they learn that the bulk of the estate has been left to Raymond Boyd, known to the townsfolk as the Birdman. Boyd is a dishevelled vagrant of questionable sanity who sits in the local park preaching verses from the bible. The obvious questions are, why would a homeless man be made beneficiary of such a vast estate? What was in his past and how is he connected to Ty Crandall? Finding all this out makes terrific reading indeed.Although the premise described above is interesting in itself, there is a lot more to the story than just a fight over a will. There are plenty of small town secrets, ego trips and power plays at work, as well as a significant amount of greed shown by the more powerful figures who have their own reasons for not allowing the Birdman to collect on his good fortune. There are also the ethical considerations caused by the pressure placed on Henry to return to Chicago and his high-paying job.I found this to be a fast-paced thriller with a plot that contained plenty of drama and an interesting look at the place of ethics in the legal world. But most of all, it was a darn entertaining story.

The Will is a Winner!!

I found out about this author by being offered a preview edition of a book he will be coming out with after the first of the year. I liked it so much that I decided to read this work by him and I am so glad that I did. The Will is a tightly crafted mystery that keeps you wondering how it will unravel as you keep turning the pages. Henry Matthews is an up and coming associate in a prestigious Chicgo law firm which specializes in corporate takeovers and such. He is being groomed in the job by a wonderfully manipulative mentor when he takes a call from Roger Crandall, the only son of the richest man in Council Grove, Kansas, his home town. Tyler Crandall has died and Roger's father was the lawyer that drew his will. He is also deceased and Tyler Crandall has left written instructions that Henry is to be contacted concerning his will. The document is in an envelope which states it is only to be opened and read when all of the heirs are present. Henry heads back to Council Grove to attend to what he assumes is a rather mundane piece of tying up loose ends and walks into a life changing event. While the will contains bequests to his widow, daughter and son, they are minimal considering the size of his estate. He has left the bulk of it to the town nut case, referred to as The Birdman. Roger is beside himself as he had expected to step into his father's shoes and run the town as his daddy had. This is not a result he is willling to accept and he undertakes to contest the will.The defense of the will takes Henry into a fascinating maze of relationships which draw the reader deeper and deeper into the secrets that the town has been hiding for over twenty years. Arvin's characters are well drawn, his use of dialogue is powerful and as the mystery unravels like the peeling of an onion, the reader is treated to one of the best books of this type that I have read in some time. You will not regret buying this book.

A suspenseful well-paced novel

Henry Mathews left the seminary when his parents were killed in a head-on car crash with a drunk, who was also killed. His father had been a small-town Kansas lawyer. Henry left because he lost his faith, and entered law school instead, where he excelled, and eventually was hired by a prestigious Chicago law firm at a high salary, and became thoroughly involved with the highly competitive world of corporate mergers and take-overs, and was going with a beautiful stockbroker, Elaine, who was as upwardly mobile and ambitious as he, himself. He was swimming with the big sharks, and was good at what he did.Then, Henry's world was transformed by the death of his home-town's leading citizen who owned most of the local real estate and businesses, Tyler Crandall. His father had written Crandall's will, and Henry was called back to Council Grove, Kansas, to read the will, which was a bombshell because it had disinherited the logical heir. Henry had inherited the case from his father. In it he was named executor. The will left the bulk of the estate to the town madman, whom everyone called the "Birdman," because he was usually accompanied by a tame vulture whom he called simply "bird" when he preached fire and brimstone sermons in the park, which he did on a daily basis. The Crandall son, Roger, had expected to inherit the fortune and disputed the willThis is a captivating story of political intrigue, skullduggery, avarice, hatred and of course, love. It held my interest to the end. It is Reed Arvin's second novel His first was "Wind in the Wheat." He is a polished writer, and the story maintains a good pace.Joseph Pierre

Terrific!

Henry Matthews--ambitious up-and-comer at a large, prestigious Chicago law firm--receives an unexpected call from his hometown of Council Grove, Kansas. The richest man in town, Tyler Crandall, has died, and Henry must go home and execute his will. The Crandalls pretty much own Council Grove, and all assume that the estate will pass to Roger, Tyler's son, and things will continue on as they always have. But to everyone's shock and surprise, Tyler Crandall leaves everything to the Birdman, a crazy, delusional homeless man who has lived in the town park for the last twenty-five years. Now, as the will is contested by the Crandall family, Henry is determined to find out what the connection is between Tyler and the Birdman and why he left him his fortune. And, as he digs into the past, Henry begins to uncover long-hidden secrets and truths that will change this small community forever. Reed Arvin has written a terrific mystery/legal thriller that will put you on the edge of your seat and keep you turning pages to the very end. This novel has it all: a suspenseful, compelling storyline, great characters with strong voices, riveting scenes, a climax that will knock your socks off, and a very satisfying ending. Mr Arvin's writing is true to life, crisp and spare, with a real ear for dialogue. So turn off the phone and lock the door, "The Will" is a winner and a book you will have to read in one sitting.

like Grisham - only better

I bought this basically because of seeing a bunch of reviews that said it was better than my favorite author, John Grisham. I have to agree it's true, and I have a new fave. It rocks along like Grisham but Arvin has some poetry in his writing that Grisham doesn't, and I liked that. I never read a Grisham and thought, wow, that's a beautiful line. But sometimes you think that with this book - like it's on a higher plane or something. Anyway, I thought it rocked and the characters were amazing. Buy it - you won't be disappointed.