The Bequest: A Nicole Graves Mystery

Nancy Boyarsky

Aug 2017 · Light Messages Publishing

About this ebook

Boyarsky's weightless complications expertly combine menace with bling, making the heroine's adventures both nightmarish and dreamy. –Kirkus Reviews

Nicole Graves, still reeling from her London kidnapping in The Swap, is struggling to balance work at L.A.’s most prestigious law firm and a long-distance romance with her English lover. Things go sideways when she tracks down a missing colleague. The murder of the firm’s in-house investigator, his mysterious wealth, and his inexplicable bequest make Nicole a target for the police, the paparazzi, and the killer. When Nicole’s life takes an unexpected turn, she uncovers evil and corruption among the city’s most powerful people. The fast-paced mystery unravels against the backdrop of L.A. with its peculiar mix of balmy weather, the celebrity-crazed media, and a corrupt power structure hidden by the veneer of glamour and wealth.

”Nicole Graves is a charming and straight-shooting heroine" –Foreword Reviews

describe her action as "expertly combining menace with bling, making the heroine's adventures both nightmarish and dreamy." .

The Nicole Graves Mysteries

1. The Swap
2. The Bequest
3. Liar Liar

All Nicole Graves Mysteries can be read as stand-alone novels.

Ratings and reviews

The Bequest by Nancy Boyarsky is the second book in A Nicole Graves Mystery series. Nicole Graves has just returned from London where her boyfriend, Ronald Reinhardt failed to show up for their rendezvous. Nicole goes to the law office of Bascomb, Rice, Smith and Di Angelo, where she is the office manager, and is informed that Robert Blair, the in-house investigator, has been MIA. Nicole heads to Robert’s house to check on him. She finds his very expensive home unlocked and Robert with a bullet through his forehead. Nicole was friendly with Robert, but they were not close or so Nicole thought. The police find pictures of Nicole in Robert’s bedroom that indicate they had an intimate relationship. Detective Frank Miller believes Nicole is withholding information and is guilty of Robert’s death. Then the beneficiary of Robert’s vast estate and life insurance policy is revealed. The paparazzi turn out in droves and Nicole is soon unable to move without being photographed. After an attempt on her life, Nicole decides to disappear and discover who killed Robert on her own. What was Robert involved in? Where did her get his wealth? Nicole intends to get answers and clear her name. Will Nicole discover the killer’s identity or will Nicole become another casualty? The Bequest is easy to read and has a nice pace. Most of the action takes place in the last 40% of the book (the pace picks up a little). While The Bequest is the second book in A Nicole Graves Mystery series, it can be read alone (though I recommend The Swap). What happened in The Swap is summarized (rehashed) in The Bequest. Personally, I enjoyed The Swap more than The Bequest. I thought this second installment was a letdown. The romance and mystery competed for dominance in the story. Nicole has a new love interest, and she is wasting no time with this new fellow (Reinhardt should have responded to her messages). I wish the romance had been turned down a few notches (it was too much for a mystery novel). The mystery was interesting (parts were unrealistic though), but not compelling. I correctly identified the guilty parties early in the book. I kept hoping there would be a good twist to surprise me (maybe I have read too many mystery/suspense novels). My rating for The Bequest is 3 out of 5 stars. I found there to be a repetition of details (especially about Reinhardt). For some reason, we are given a description of all food items (every single thing at each meal). I wanted to feel the suspense and I did not. The Bequest is a good story that many readers will enjoy, but it could have been a great story with some changes.

About the author

Nancy Boyarsky is the author of the Nicole Graves Mystery series.

Nancy's books have been compared to Mary Higgins Clark and are praised for contributing to the "women-driven mystery field with panache” (Foreword Reviews) as well as for their ”hold-onto-the-bar roller coaster” plots (RT Book Reviews) with “adventures both nightmarish and dreamy” (Kirkus Reviews).

Nancy has been a writer and editor for her entire working career. She coauthored Backroom Politics, a New York Times notable book , with her husband Bill Boyarsky. She has written several textbooks on the justice system as well as written articles for publications such as the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, and McCall’s. She also contributed to political anthologies, including In the Running, about women’s political campaigns,and The Challenge of California by the late Eugene Lee. In addition to her writing career, she was communications director for political affairs for ARCO.

The Swap, the first Nicole Graves Mystery, was described by Kirkus as "full of page-by-page surprises." It was followed by the equally acclaimed The Bequest and Liar, Liar. Readers love her "fast paced story," "quick pace," "unpredictable twists," "interesting plots" and "heart-pounding action."

Nancy is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley with a major in English literature. She lives in Los Angeles. Readers are invited to connect with her online at nancyboyarsky.com.