ESTATE
To my once darling child
"You'll never look at that mountain of Tonka trucks the same way again." – Suzanne, NJ
"...highly recommended dysfunctional family drama... this story almost cut too close to home." - She Treads Softly
"...a darkly comic literary novel that digs deep into the emotional mess..." – K.C. Finn, Reader's Favorite
"Wow! What an authentic natural read... an eye-opening book!" – Elizabeth, LibraryThing
"We follow the beleaguered Tim as he deals with mountains of paperwork related to the estate and all that comes with it, all while tolerating his insensitive boss and his annoying brothers ("What is the proper etiquette for poking your brother in the eye?" he asks at one point.)... Shelley proves himself to be an exceptional novelist, creating believable characters—especially Tim and his sour younger brother, Ethan. And he really makes us feel the draining slog of dealing with all the legal documents (and the interminable waiting on “hold”), the drudgery of cleaning out an overstuffed old house... We cheer at the end... A convincing and oddly enjoyable novel about an unenviable and convoluted legal process." — Kirkus Reviews
Press & Awards
2025 Honorable Mention Book from the New York Book Festival
2025 PenCraft Award for literally excellence in Fiction-Realistic: Runner-Up Winner
2025 New England Book Festival: Honorable Mention
Review by Kirkus Reviews
Review by Norman Thompson in MUS Today
Mentioned in BookPicks, DukeMag, Fall 2025
Publishing Details
Publisher: TENZL
Date of Publication: 2025
Library of Congress #: 2025908188
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-7354974-1-9
Printed: United States
eBook ISBN: 978-1-7354974-2-6
Audiobook ISBN: 978-1-7354974-3-3
Audiobook Read By: Author, J. Andrew Shelley