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A Fragile Will
When high school English teacher Cassandra Reilly is laid off, she takes a poorly paying part-time job at a local nursing home to make ends meet. Her employment problems may be solved when one of her patients passes away after naming her in his will as the director of a new literary research center. But Cassie isn’t certain she can handle the position, and her doubts increase when she receives a threat against her life.
The lawyer who handles the will proves to be a source of support and comfort, and Cassie hopes their friendship will deepen into love. As the danger increases and Cassie faces her doubts about her own abilities, she begins to develop a new strength of character that will help her achieve her life’s goals.
The lawyer who handles the will proves to be a source of support and comfort, and Cassie hopes their friendship will deepen into love. As the danger increases and Cassie faces her doubts about her own abilities, she begins to develop a new strength of character that will help her achieve her life’s goals.
- GenresMystery
170 pages, Paperback
First published May 24, 2016
2 people are currently reading
316 people want to read
About the author
Glen Ebisch
106 books110 followersGlen Albert Ebisch lives with his wife in western Massachusetts. His interests include philosophy, yoga, and reading mysteries..
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 24, 2016
Cassie Reilly is an unemployed high school English teacher. While searching for another full time job, she takes a part-time position at a local nursing home, reading to the residents.
One of those patients dies one night after naming her in his will as the director of a new literary research center. He died with no family save for two nephews who are mighty peeved that they did not get that land ... unless something happens to Cassie and she is unable to fulfill her duties as a director.
Cassie's self esteem and confidence have taken a hit since her older sister died .. and Cassie cannot compete for her parents' approval with a dead person. Luckily, the lawyer who handles the will and trust, Patrick Smith, can see what Cassie's made of and does everything he can to make things right for her.
But then the accidents begin. Her best friend's ex-boyfriend decides to take out his frustrations on Cassie, beating her as badly as he had beat his girlfriend. But someone was watching and struck him on the head .... he later died in the hospital. So who is her savior?
Someone pushes her down the stairs at work, she gets threatening phone calls. She swears it's the nephews but police clear them. If not them, then who?
This was a nicely paced mystery with likeable characters. There are several suspects besides the nephews ... but the 'who' took me totally by surprise. There's a hint of love in the air between Cassie and Patrick and it was nice to see that played out amid all the dangerous threats.
This was a new author to me, but I will be looking at what else he has to offer.
Many thanks to the author / Red Adept Publishing, LLC ( who granted my wish) / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
One of those patients dies one night after naming her in his will as the director of a new literary research center. He died with no family save for two nephews who are mighty peeved that they did not get that land ... unless something happens to Cassie and she is unable to fulfill her duties as a director.
Cassie's self esteem and confidence have taken a hit since her older sister died .. and Cassie cannot compete for her parents' approval with a dead person. Luckily, the lawyer who handles the will and trust, Patrick Smith, can see what Cassie's made of and does everything he can to make things right for her.
But then the accidents begin. Her best friend's ex-boyfriend decides to take out his frustrations on Cassie, beating her as badly as he had beat his girlfriend. But someone was watching and struck him on the head .... he later died in the hospital. So who is her savior?
Someone pushes her down the stairs at work, she gets threatening phone calls. She swears it's the nephews but police clear them. If not them, then who?
This was a nicely paced mystery with likeable characters. There are several suspects besides the nephews ... but the 'who' took me totally by surprise. There's a hint of love in the air between Cassie and Patrick and it was nice to see that played out amid all the dangerous threats.
This was a new author to me, but I will be looking at what else he has to offer.
Many thanks to the author / Red Adept Publishing, LLC ( who granted my wish) / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
September 21, 2016
*** 3.5 Cranky Stars ***
Cassie Reilly is an unemployed English high school teacher looking for a permanent position. She lives in the shadow of her deceased sister, Jane. Her parents ensuring Cassie knows she will never live up to her sister. She's single. Her best friend, Melanie, is a loser magnet.
While hoping to get back into the teaching profession, Cassie works at a rest home, reading to the elderly. There, she encounters Mr. Ferguson, a wealthy man with failing health and a promise outstanding. His only family are two nephews, who are more interested in dollars than they are in their uncle.
When Mr. Ferguson's health finally fails, he bequeaths his unfulfilled promise to Cassie and sets in motion a chain of events that are life-threatening.
This is an easy, enjoyable cosy mystery type of read. It's clean with some budding romance thrown into the mix, lots of red herrings, and a somewhat naive main character. Cassie's interpersonal issues reinforced she was somewhat 'put upon', but I longed for her to grow a backbone. She was twenty-five, not a teenager and I wondered why she continued to be submissive with her parents when she was an adult.
There were times where I longed for more suspense and tension. The net was cast wide and some threads could have been teased better. When the finale came, it felt a bit rushed, but it was a satisfying conclusion.
All in all, if you want a quick, easy, and clean read with some mystery thrown in, pick this one up.
October 16, 2016
Review originally posted @ https://readaholiczone.blogspot.com/2...
Meh, That is what I thought about this book. Was this a mystery book? If so, the only mystery is if Cassandra is going to take the job as the director of the new literary research center. There are a couple individuals that were to inherit the very valuable land that the literary research center is to be built upon and they are very upset. Are they angry enough to kill? There are some possible pot shots taken a couple times at Cassandra, but they also could just as well have been coincidental mishaps. The plot is not set up strongly enough for a who done it situation. The story felt repetitive and empty. I am sure there are some readers who will find this story enjoyable it just is not me.
Thank you, Xpresso Book Tours, for allowing me to give this honest review
Meh, That is what I thought about this book. Was this a mystery book? If so, the only mystery is if Cassandra is going to take the job as the director of the new literary research center. There are a couple individuals that were to inherit the very valuable land that the literary research center is to be built upon and they are very upset. Are they angry enough to kill? There are some possible pot shots taken a couple times at Cassandra, but they also could just as well have been coincidental mishaps. The plot is not set up strongly enough for a who done it situation. The story felt repetitive and empty. I am sure there are some readers who will find this story enjoyable it just is not me.
Thank you, Xpresso Book Tours, for allowing me to give this honest review
November 27, 2016
Fragile Will is a cozy mystery. As with most cozy mysteries, there is more character development than there are thrills and chills. This generally makes for a leisurely pace and a quick wrap-up, and this is true of Fragile Will as well.
Cassie’s love of literature leads her to a temporary job of reading to seniors in a nursing home. She has once again disappointed her parents who cannot stop comparing Cassie to her long departed sister, Jayne. Sadly her parents treat her so badly, that between their perceptions of her and a lost job, she has little self-esteem left. It is clear that she is intelligent, but her mousiness turns her into a wallflower. When she becomes embroiled in accidents, near misses, and multiple deaths, she takes the bull by the horns and starts looking into matters herself.
There are a multitude of secondary characters including a dashing attorney, greedy men looking to inherit their uncle’s vast estate, and many seemingly benign co-workers. While there is a budding romance between Cassie and the estate attorney, it does not dominate the story. Many red herrings make for interesting twists in the story, and I was completely surprised when the antagonist was revealed. The stiff dialogue did detract from the story a bit, but overall, Fragile Will is an enjoyable, light cozy mystery.
3.5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews: https://abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
Cassie’s love of literature leads her to a temporary job of reading to seniors in a nursing home. She has once again disappointed her parents who cannot stop comparing Cassie to her long departed sister, Jayne. Sadly her parents treat her so badly, that between their perceptions of her and a lost job, she has little self-esteem left. It is clear that she is intelligent, but her mousiness turns her into a wallflower. When she becomes embroiled in accidents, near misses, and multiple deaths, she takes the bull by the horns and starts looking into matters herself.
There are a multitude of secondary characters including a dashing attorney, greedy men looking to inherit their uncle’s vast estate, and many seemingly benign co-workers. While there is a budding romance between Cassie and the estate attorney, it does not dominate the story. Many red herrings make for interesting twists in the story, and I was completely surprised when the antagonist was revealed. The stiff dialogue did detract from the story a bit, but overall, Fragile Will is an enjoyable, light cozy mystery.
3.5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews: https://abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
August 6, 2016
A short little book that I enjoyed very much. These are the kind of mysteries that made me start loving reading. A Fragile Will, is a book that has a great mixed of romance, suspense, and cozy dialogue. It is a fun read that you won't get a headache trying to read. The author is able to write a story that keeps you entertained.
This book starts out with an unemployed high school teacher named Cassandra, whom I really enjoyed. I felt like her character was really deep and interesting. I loved the fact that her love of literature was prominent in the book. I am an avid reader so I love when characters have a love of learning.
Cassandra takes a job at a local nursing home. which is just something she is doing to make ends meet while she is currently searching for a new job! Just when her luck is looking up, drama erupts in her life. This is a very face paced mystery!
With that said, I really disliked the ending. The fast-paced story I loved in the beginning, came to a screeching halt. I honestly wanted to stop reading at times. During the ending, which didn't turn out how I expected, the conversations just seemed stale, parts just felt so over dramatic, but I don't think it ruined the book in any way.
This is a book I am really glad to have and it really still amazes me that publishers and awesome authors feel that I am equipped to read and review their books. So thank you, Glen Ebisch for providing me with a free copy of your great book.
This book starts out with an unemployed high school teacher named Cassandra, whom I really enjoyed. I felt like her character was really deep and interesting. I loved the fact that her love of literature was prominent in the book. I am an avid reader so I love when characters have a love of learning.
Cassandra takes a job at a local nursing home. which is just something she is doing to make ends meet while she is currently searching for a new job! Just when her luck is looking up, drama erupts in her life. This is a very face paced mystery!
With that said, I really disliked the ending. The fast-paced story I loved in the beginning, came to a screeching halt. I honestly wanted to stop reading at times. During the ending, which didn't turn out how I expected, the conversations just seemed stale, parts just felt so over dramatic, but I don't think it ruined the book in any way.
This is a book I am really glad to have and it really still amazes me that publishers and awesome authors feel that I am equipped to read and review their books. So thank you, Glen Ebisch for providing me with a free copy of your great book.
November 14, 2016
Full Review at http://kendralovesbooks.blogspot.com/...
Cassie loses her job and works part-time at a nursing home reading to the elderly. She becomes pretty close to Mr. Ferguson who has congestive heart failure and ends up dying pretty suddenly. Cassie later finds out Mr. Ferguson changed his will to have her become director to a museum he always wanted to open. Mr. Ferguson's nephews are not happy that they are not getting the inheritance from him.
Cassie tries to figure out what happened to Mr. Ferguson to pass away so suddenly and what she finds puts her into real danger. With her digging up Mr. Ferguson's death and his nephews harassing her, Cassie must figure out what she needs to do about taking the position as director of the museum.
I really did not like this book at all. It honestly was pretty predictable, for me a mystery. And her parents were so irritating and childish, because Cassie could never be good enough than her dead sister. Her mom was whinny and annoying! And the killer was no surprise. All in all, this book was really boring and predictable!
I received a copy from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Cassie loses her job and works part-time at a nursing home reading to the elderly. She becomes pretty close to Mr. Ferguson who has congestive heart failure and ends up dying pretty suddenly. Cassie later finds out Mr. Ferguson changed his will to have her become director to a museum he always wanted to open. Mr. Ferguson's nephews are not happy that they are not getting the inheritance from him.
Cassie tries to figure out what happened to Mr. Ferguson to pass away so suddenly and what she finds puts her into real danger. With her digging up Mr. Ferguson's death and his nephews harassing her, Cassie must figure out what she needs to do about taking the position as director of the museum.
I really did not like this book at all. It honestly was pretty predictable, for me a mystery. And her parents were so irritating and childish, because Cassie could never be good enough than her dead sister. Her mom was whinny and annoying! And the killer was no surprise. All in all, this book was really boring and predictable!
I received a copy from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2016
We start out this little mystery, some suspense and romance thrown in, with Cassie. She is a teacher of English until she loses her job due to budget cuts. When that happens, what does she end up doing? How does her life change when she takes her new job? When she meets someone named Mr. Ferguson, what happens? When Mr. Ferguson dies, Cassie finds herself in a life-threatening situation. What has happened? Who is behind it? I loved reading some of the old classic novels and you find references to them in this book. When Cassie is left a job position at something that seems like it may be tailor made for her, does she take it or not? Why was this job left for her? Who left it? It seems a bit disjointed at times during the reading, because of misdirections and things that you're not sure make sense, but it was an enjoyable read none-the-less. The story does end with an HEA however.
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.
July 19, 2016
This is only a shortish book 170 pages but the blurb intrigued me and I have to say it certainly crams quite a lot of incidents in between the covers.
Glen is a new to me author so I’m not used to his writing style but it was well paced, interesting with believable characters and a fair amount of twists.
Cassie has taken a job in a nursing home which doesn’t live up to her parents’ expectations. Her sister has died and she finds herself having to compete in their affections with a corpse.
One of the residents names Cassie in his will .. this would be ideal if long lost relations didn’t know about it. The eerie accidents and threats begin. This is a great little mystery which has an ending I didn’t really see coming.
I will investigate some more books by this author. Many thanks to him, the publisher and Sages’s Blog Tours for the opportunity to read it in exchange for my opinion.
Glen is a new to me author so I’m not used to his writing style but it was well paced, interesting with believable characters and a fair amount of twists.
Cassie has taken a job in a nursing home which doesn’t live up to her parents’ expectations. Her sister has died and she finds herself having to compete in their affections with a corpse.
One of the residents names Cassie in his will .. this would be ideal if long lost relations didn’t know about it. The eerie accidents and threats begin. This is a great little mystery which has an ending I didn’t really see coming.
I will investigate some more books by this author. Many thanks to him, the publisher and Sages’s Blog Tours for the opportunity to read it in exchange for my opinion.
November 20, 2016
I've not come across this author before but in my usual judge a book by it's cover mentality drew me in to pick this one up.
Unfortunately this time my hunch let me down...I didn't find this book strong in its story line or edgy enough.
It was nicely paced but quite easy to see where it was leading which is such a shame as it doesn't give me the urge to carry on reading.
However, at only 170 pages long it's a nice easy read that would make that morning commute a touch less monotonous on the train without having to worry about it really taxing you before you've finished your morning coffee
Originally Reviewed on: http://www.thepursuitofbookiness.co.u...
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free of charge in return for an honest review. All opinions are my ow
Unfortunately this time my hunch let me down...I didn't find this book strong in its story line or edgy enough.
It was nicely paced but quite easy to see where it was leading which is such a shame as it doesn't give me the urge to carry on reading.
However, at only 170 pages long it's a nice easy read that would make that morning commute a touch less monotonous on the train without having to worry about it really taxing you before you've finished your morning coffee
Originally Reviewed on: http://www.thepursuitofbookiness.co.u...
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free of charge in return for an honest review. All opinions are my ow
July 26, 2016
I really enjoyed this book! Let me tell you, I am such a lucky person! I adore reading and I love getting new books. To think that I am blessed enough that people, actual authors, send their books to me so that I can read them and tell people what I think of them is just simply amazing. And then when I get books that I actually really enjoy! I really am so lucky!
A Fragile Will is a book with just the right amount of mystery, suspense, and a touch of romance. It's such a cozy read! It isn't a book that you have to hurt your brain trying to understand and figure it out. I really enjoyed this book and I hope to read more from Glen Ebisch in the future!
*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
A Fragile Will is a book with just the right amount of mystery, suspense, and a touch of romance. It's such a cozy read! It isn't a book that you have to hurt your brain trying to understand and figure it out. I really enjoyed this book and I hope to read more from Glen Ebisch in the future!
*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
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July 29, 2016Cassie is an out of work English teacher. She has taken a temporary job in a nursing home. When one of her residents passes away it changes her life drastically.
I enjoyed many aspects of this read. I especially loved the references to wonderful classics. Great Expectations, Oliver Twist just to name a few. Cassie is a great female lead. She is down on her luck but manages to overcome many obstacles. Her success is hard won which makes her such a strong, outstanding woman! I love strong female characters!
This is a good tale with a winding path. However, it is overly dramatic in places and the conversations are a little stilted. This really does not detract from the story. The novel moves quickly and entertaining till the end.
I enjoyed many aspects of this read. I especially loved the references to wonderful classics. Great Expectations, Oliver Twist just to name a few. Cassie is a great female lead. She is down on her luck but manages to overcome many obstacles. Her success is hard won which makes her such a strong, outstanding woman! I love strong female characters!
This is a good tale with a winding path. However, it is overly dramatic in places and the conversations are a little stilted. This really does not detract from the story. The novel moves quickly and entertaining till the end.
October 9, 2016
Wow I am so glad I got to review this book I was hooked from the first moment I started it first of you have Cassie who is in between jobs she is a qualified English teacher but she got fired and is now reading for a nursing home she reads newspapers and books one day she is reading to mr Ferguson who has a bad heart and he starts asking her questions then his two nephews turn up Mr Ferguson knows what there after but he has something else in mind for his will Mr Ferguson dies over night but there are alot of questions that need to be asked of why he died the way he did and suddenly as well.
I am not going to spoil it but its worth the read I am going to give it 5\5 if I could rate it any more I would exceptional read and it will keep you on the edge of your seat from the word go
I am not going to spoil it but its worth the read I am going to give it 5\5 if I could rate it any more I would exceptional read and it will keep you on the edge of your seat from the word go
June 12, 2016
This is a fast paced entertaining thriller with an engaging character in Cassie. I was a little surprised at the twists which make this a better mystery than most! Ebisch has a nice writing style and a clear plot line. Recommend this for an lazy afternoon or even better- for travel- because it will keep you reading and blocking out everything else. Thanks to netgalley for the arc.
July 13, 2016
I really loved this story, well written characters, believable too.
July 21, 2016
Excellent!
Great suspense! I couldn't put the book down! I read it in two days! I highly recommend the book for both young and avid readers.
Great suspense! I couldn't put the book down! I read it in two days! I highly recommend the book for both young and avid readers.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews