Review of Where There's A Will

[Manang Muyang]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Where There's A Will" by Phillip Kerrigan.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The story begins in Sydney. Freddy Tycehurst is struggling to meet his financial obligations as a divorced man paying child support. He is certainly not expecting to get a call from a lawyer from Delaware telling him that he is the heir to a fortune: a minimum of USD100 million! The inheritance is from Freddy’s late uncle, Larry Tycehurst, a man Freddy has never heard of. There are a few problems, though. The booty is in a secret account in Panama. It originated from embezzled insurance money, representing trust funds on funeral policies. The FBI has been after the funds since the discovery of the fraud that transpired in the nineties. Solomon Lev, the Delaware lawyer who holds Larry’s will, is also eyeing a hefty fee on any recovered funds. Will Freddy be filthy rich, or will he be prosecuted for his uncle’s sins?

'Where There’s a Will.' (punctuated based on the book's cover) by Phillip Kerrigan is a corporate thriller, much like John Grisham’s first bestseller, The Firm. It is a treat for those who get excited with money laundering and shady offshore bank accounts. It also showcases how greed can be a great motivator for both men and women and how talent can be misused. While this is a work of fiction, the author based the story on a true insurance fraud case in the US.

We meet a bunch of interesting characters. Freddy is a naïve Australian who has never left the continent and who literally gets lost in the US. Though many of his decisions seemed foolhardy, he had my sympathy all the way; I even cheered him aloud as I read. His girlfriend, Libby, is the portrait of a woman who stands by her man but is not afraid to speak her smart mind. The lawyers, accountants, bankers, and FBI agents are believable: some are nice, and some are not.

While the book did not have much action in terms of fight scenes, the author was able to create tension with the conflicting agendas of the players. Freddy’s unnerving experiences in the US and Panama also kept me engaged. Scenes that seemed inconsequential at first turned out to be significant. The ending was a surprise, but it was a fitting denouement.

The tale alternated between the 2015 events showing Freddy’s quest for his inheritance and the buildup of the fortune in the 1990s, featuring Larry and his accomplices. Financial and insurance terms showed up, but none were beyond a layman’s comprehension. There were mistresses, incompetent government regulators, and bungling CEOs, social ills that opened up opportunities for gifted criminal minds. I encountered identity thieves, credit card scammers, and computer hackers. The erotic content was minimal, but the author got carried away with the cursing.

Apart from the bad words, my only other complaint was the editing. The author has to get a diligent editor to sweep the innumerable errors of every variety in the book. They did not stop me from relishing the immersive story, but they are best eliminated.

Owing to the errors, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. Fans of financial crime will enjoy this book best. Those with a philosophical bent will likely appreciate how the different personalities in the story view money. Is it really the root of all evil?

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Where There's A Will
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[Aisha Yakub]

Plot twist, from a struggling divorcee to a potential millionaire! Great! Sounds captivating. Thank you for your review

[Shridhar Suryawanshi]

I love reading stories about millionaires. I am also curious about Freddie. Thanks for the review!

[Amiczy Heaven]

He should not be prosecuted though. I hope he wasn’t, I will have to read to find out. Thanks for the review.

[Manang Muyang]

Plot twist, from a struggling divorcee to a potential millionaire! Great! Sounds captivating. Thank you for your review

I hope you can meet Freddy, too, as he leaves his comfort zone and gains the greatest fortune.

[Manang Muyang]

He should not be prosecuted though. I hope he wasn’t, I will have to read to find out. Thanks for the review.

I hope you get to see how Freddy fares with the fortune. Let's compare notes!

[Manang Muyang]

I love reading stories about millionaires. I am also curious about Freddie. Thanks for the review!

Freddy will make you laugh as he bungles his way to the US and Panama.

[Winnie_Grace]

Millionaires and such plot twists are fascinating. Thanks for the review

[Amy Luman]

I really like these kinds of books. Like you, I could definitely do without so much cursing in lots of the books that I read. I hope that Freddy gets his millions, but I also hope that the FBI can find their stuff, too. I’m not sure what I want.

[Apple 7]

A millionaire with a twist....... very intriguing how everything falls into place and having a strong spouse by his side....would like to read the book...thanks for the review

[Abdullah daliath]

A story about a millionaire I’m sure that I’ll find it interesting thanks for the review.

[QualityAndQuantity]

The plot of the book seems quite similar to ones I've read before, but these kind of stories always have a good twist to them. so I think I'll give it a try. Thanks for the review.

[Stellah Chege]

Stories like these gave us hope as kids that we had a shot in life. I love the storyline. Great review