Gail Bolland

A Man's Dying

Gail Bolland's original thriller begins with Thomas Mann's observation that  "A man's dying is more the survivors' affair than his own", and weaves a riveting tale of murder, family passion and social manners.

To begin with, the Luceys were farmers. A family like any other: mother, father, one son, four daughters and various partners. They had land and money, but that wasn't enough to guarantee happiness or keep the family together. And when old Joe Lucey died suddenly, the family began to fall apart.

An inheritance can easily lead to greed, jealousy and lust, especially with fraud and suspicion to help them along. One of Joe's four daughters, Martha, believes there's something wrong with the will, which leaves everything to Joe's youngest child, Gregory, his only son. Martha begins to investigate and soon finds support from her sister, Alex, a superintendent in the local police force. Perhaps Joe was helped to die, and perhaps Gregory's comfortable life and his perfect marriage to a glamorous wife have been built on quicksand.

As things disintegrate, the family needs to pull together. But one suspicious death is bound to lead to another, and the truth cannot stay submerged for long.