Ruthless old man cuts his six children out of his will to leave it to his illegitimate daughter whose location is unknown. Lawyer Nate O’Riley must find the sole heir while his firm must defend the will from the lawsuits filed by the six children left out of the will.
Setting: Washington D. C., Pantanal region of Brazil. Takes place in the 1990s.
Plot: Troy Phelan is a rich, venomous, and selfish old man. His only seeming talent is in making money and that he does. With a net worth of eleven billion dollars, he has been spectacularly successful in the business world. His success ends there. He has had three failed marriages which produced six failing children. Troy is old and has lost the will to live. He decides to go out with his usual venom. His last will and testament cuts out all his known heirs and leaves all to his one unknown illegitimate daughter. This daughter, Rachel Lane, inherits eleven billion dollars.
There’s one problem. No one knows where Rachel Lane is. Enter lawyer Nate O’Riley, an ever-recovering alcoholic. He’s had multiple stays in expensive rehabs and clings to sobriety by his fingernails. Fresh from his latest rehab, Nate is assigned to find the elusive Rachel once it is revealed that she is somewhere deep in the Pantanal (tropical wetlands) of Brazil.
The novel covers Phelan’s children’s reaction to his treacherous will to Nate’s search for a woman that does not want to be found to Nate finding peace. This is an adventure novel for good reason. It contains lawsuits, double-dealing, exotic travel, and near-death experiences with a satisfying ending.
Family Corner: Some rare instances of mild profanity.
Summary: I loved The Testament: A Novel
