The Bequest - by Suzy Vitello (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Destitute after being conned by a recent beau, Nadine Bishop learns she's been named in a will under the condition she monitor the sobriety of the dead man's twenty-nine-year-old son, Remmington. The catch? The dead man was her first married lover. The caveat? If Remmington cannot remain sober and gainfully employed for the six months leading up to his thirtieth birthday, Nadine will inherit the sizeable estate.

Meanwhile, Remmington has no intention of allowing his inheritance to be scooped up by his late father's mistress. Nor does he intend to succumb to the conditions of the bequest. When legal maneuvers fail, he turns to Caroline, a cartel-adjacent con artist from his past, along with a disgraced former high school teacher, Ed. With their help, he intends to thwart his late father's meddling, and reclaim his birthright.

When a freak winter storm forces the unlikely foursome together, and Caroline's felonious ex-husband further complicates things, Nadine and Remmington must come together, forging an unlikely unified front. Things turn violent, however, and when their newfound partnership is tested, they must overcome their biggest obstacles yet to redeem and rebuild their individual lives.

About the Author

Suzy Vitello's award-winning short pieces have appeared in AARP, The Rumpus, The Southampton Review, Mississippi Review, anthologies and other literary journals, and has been a recipient of an Oregon Literary Arts fellowship. Her latest novel, BITTERROOT, was published by Sibylline Press in May, 2024 and has been called "an exceptional novel by a great talent," by novelist Rene Denfeld; and she is also the author of FAULTLAND from Ooligan Press in March, 2021, a Powell's Pick of the Month. Her YA novels include THE MOMENT BEFORE, THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES, and THE KEEPSAKE. She holds an MFA from Antioch Los Angeles, and works as a freelance developmental editor and book coach.