A MATTER OF WILL

4 stars out of 5

A fun book for sure: Sort of a "Godfather" meets "Wall Street" that pits wet-behind-the-ears stockbroker Will Matthews with a filthy rich rich stranger who met him at a hockey game and made him an offer he couldn't But as Will Matthews soon learns, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

At first, Will - who is struggling to make his quarterly quota of new clients - is puzzled by the out-of-the-blue attention he gets from Samuel Abaddon (and by proxy, Sam's drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend, Eve). After turning over ludicrous amounts of money to Will to supervise, Sam showers the young man with expensive dinners and other high-priced treats - all with no apparent strings attached. Despite a few "why me" moments, Will can't help but think he's died and gone to heaven.

As all this is going on, lawyer Gwen Lipton is trying to make a name for herself in the huge firm for which she works, but she can't escape the reality that she's just treading water. Needless to say, neither Will nor Gwen have much time for a personal life, but they both turn to dating apps once in a while for quickie meetups that both hope might turn into something more meaningful. And surprise (well, not really) - the two meet up and hit it off. Any real romance, though, is destined for the back burner as Sam's demands on Will's time grow by the minute and Gwen suddenly gets assigned to one of the firm's highest profile cases: defending a movie mogul who's charged with murdering his wife. 

As more and more money comes Will's way, he starts to worry about what he's gotten himself into; but the lure of success, his eternally optimistic outlook and the clearance of each deal by his employer's oversight officers convince him that everything is on the up and up. That is, until it's not; seeing a murder happen opens his eyes to some very unpleasant and unsettling truths. But can he do anything about it? And even if he can, will he?

Most of the story focuses on Will's situation, but I really enjoyed the progress and conclusion of Gwen's murder trial (which plays into the book's ending). My own conclusion is that while I wasn't exactly blown away with excitement, this is an easy-to-read, thoroughly enjoyable book that's a perfect accompaniment for a lounge chair on the beach or in front of a cozy fireplace. My thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

A Matter of Will by Adam Mitzner (Thomas & Mercer, June 2019); 304 pp.