Cracks in the Foundation? A Critical Look at The Will

The Will by Rebecca Reid, is gothic family drama with a great premise that may not reach the hights but is still worth reading.

Synopsis: The Will

A biting, Gothic-tinged psychological thriller, The Will unspools a tale of inheritance, legacy, and the dark underbelly of familial ambition. When Cecily Mordaunt dies, she leaves behind not just a grand ancestral estate—Roxborough Hall—but a decades-old family tradition: the house is not inherited by the next of kin, but by the one deemed most worthy.

On the night of her funeral, the fractured, competitive Mordaunt family gathers for a tense dinner. Each guest receives a sealed letter naming the chosen heir. What follows is a deliciously twisted unraveling of secrets, resentments, and rivalries, as every family member is forced to confront how far they’re willing to go for control—not just of a house, but of the family’s future.

Review: The Will

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The Will by Rebecca Reid opens with an intriguing premise: Roxborough Hall, a grand ancestral estate, is not inherited through traditional lines of succession, but instead left to the family member deemed most worthy of preserving it. In a family as complex and dysfunctional as the Mordaunts, this decision naturally leads to secrets, tension, and explosive rivalries.

As someone who enjoys novels filled with family intrigue, layered characters, and crumbling estates with buried histories, I had high hopes going into this book. The setup suggested the kind of slow-burn suspense and interpersonal drama I love. However, while the concept was strong, the execution fell short for me.

One of the key issues was the lack of follow-through on several major plot developments. Throughout the novel, events that seemed like they would have significant consequences are introduced with great fanfare—only to be dropped entirely or mentioned briefly in passing later. These unresolved threads made the story feel uneven and at times frustrating.

In addition, some of the twists were disappointingly predictable. Rather than building to shocking reveals, certain plot points felt telegraphed early on, diminishing the suspense the book was clearly aiming for.

That said, what did work for me was the cast of characters. Each member of the Mordaunt family was distinct and brought something interesting to the table, especially when it came to their motivations for wanting the house. Reid does a good job of sketching their backstories and giving readers a glimpse into what Roxborough Hall means to each of them.

Unfortunately, despite my initial investment, the ending fell flat. With key plot points left hanging and a finale that felt more like a fizzle than a bang, I finished the book feeling underwhelmed.

Final Thoughts:

The Will is a novel that starts strong but loses momentum as it goes. It has all the ingredients of a compelling family drama—secrets, rivalry, inheritance—but struggles with pacing and payoff. If you’re drawn to gothic family sagas and character-driven drama, you may still find it worth a read, but temper expectations.

Interesting premise, engaging characters—but disappointing execution.

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Mark.