What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
**4.5-stars rounded up**
I am a huge Wanda M. Morris fan. I have no problem believing we would be friends IRL, because obviously we have similar tastes and likes.
I put off reading What You Leave Behind longer than I should have. The overall rating surprised me; less than a 4-star? Having read this now, I have no idea why. This novel deserves so much more hype and love.
Admittedly, this contains some of my favorite tropes and I’m a sucker for a compulsive Legal Thriller, but still, I think this could be enjoyed by so many Readers.
The set-up for this is one of my faves; an MC returning to their hometown after quite some time away, trying to figure out a mystery, or solve a cold case.
Our MC in this story is Deena Woods. Deena is an attorney, who has recently returned to her family home in Brunswick, Georgia, after a horrible divorce. She is now living with her Dad, Jimmy, and Step-Mom, Ruth.
We learn so much about Deena, and I loved getting to know her. Her Mom didn’t pass all that long ago, so she is still wracked with grief. Additionally, it didn’t take long for her Dad and Ruth to get together, so there’s a little resentment there, of this new woman living in her Mom’s house.
Nevertheless, they get along and you can tell there’s a lot of love in the house. For her part, Deena is trying to work through all her feelings, but it isn’t easy.
One of the things she sometimes does when she’s feeling overwhelmed, is goes for long drives. She looks for quiet places she can sit and be with her thoughts.
It’s on one of these occasions, on a beautiful waterfront parcel, that she has a run-in with the property owner that will fundamentally change her life.
He mistakenly identifies Deena as an agent of the company that has been trying to buy the property from him. The thing is, his family has owned that property since just after the Civil War and he has zero interest in selling.
He’s sick of them hounding him and let’s Deena know, in no uncertain terms, that he will never, ever sell that land. Even though Deena tries to explain herself, he’s not hearing it and she gets out of there as fast as she can.
The interaction leaves a lasting impression. She can’t stop thinking about the man and the things he said. When she asks her Dad and Ruth about the man and the property, they’re shady, like they know more than they’re letting on.
Shortly thereafter, when Deena returns to the property, the man is no where to be found, even his trailer is gone and there’s a For Sale sign on the property. What the heck? Something isn’t right.
It’s at that point, Deena knows if she doesn’t start looking into this, no one will. She’s determined to find out what happened to the man and what this organization, scooping up all these properties, really is.
I was drawn into the mystery of this from the start. The way Deena’s Dad and Step-Mom acted, I didn’t blame her for digging further in. It’s a very small town, one they’ve both lived in their whole life, they definitely knew something.
I loved how determined Deena was and how she wasn’t afraid to stick her neck out for others. She was doing the right thing and she knew it.
This was full of danger, intrigue, beautifully-developed characters, small town drama, as well as real life issues that are rarely discussed, or that people don’t even realize are a problem until it happens to them or their families.
The incorporation of the very real problem of Heirs’ Property, I thought was so well done here. As someone interested in both the law and real estate, I’ll admit, it did work particularly well for me.
However, this is a very real and very serious issue, so hopefully people who read this will be interested enough to learn more about it.
I also liked the idea of this shadow organization coming in scooping up valuable properties from vulnerable individuals. Think BlackRock, which is another very serious issue that doesn’t get enough recognition as to its threat in many markets throughout the U.S.
More than the issues though, I just really enjoyed how Morris told this story. I loved the character work, and even the incorporation of some slight paranormal elements.
There’s a lot of exploration of family legacy, love, forgiveness and grief. It’s a story about taking action and pushing through hardships. It’s a story of fresh starts and honoring those who came before you. It’s action-packed, full of intrigue and heart. It’s definitely my kind of story.
Overall, I thought this was brilliant. I was a Morris fan coming in, and I’m an even bigger Morris fan going out. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was such a fantastic read; highly recommend!