Today, I've turned the column over to Sharon to tell the tale of her father and his widow. Is it a cautionary tale, or simply a daughter's sour grapes?

She says: "Forty years after my parents divorced, my father, 75, married Janet, a 60-year-old woman he met at a church dance. My dad lived 1,600 miles away from me. He told my brother and me that he and Janet had a prenup. Everything they had owned before their marriage would go to their own children. That seemed fair. We didn't ask for a copy of the prenup or if my father had a will.

"I visited my father about a month before he died. Although he had mesothelioma and was on oxygen, he was able to walk and talk normally, unlike some people on oxygen. My father took yearly trips to Canada. He left soon after I visited. At this point, he had been married for five years.

"I soon got a phone call from my brother that my dad had died in Canada. I was shocked, but it seemed like something that could've happened. However, certain things seemed strange.

"There was no death notice in any newspaper, no memorial or funeral. I kept calling for two weeks after his death to find out about it. Finally, Janet answered the phone and told me they already had a celebration of his life and that my brother and I should just 'toast a glass of wine to my father.'

"I started seriously worrying after I got the death certificate a few months later. It stated that my dad's death and cremation happened three days before Janet notified us. Why would anyone not immediately let children know their dad had died and not discuss a funeral or memorial service? And why did she immediately cremate him? I've watch too many true crime stories not to wonder.

"Janet filed his estate in probation stating he had no will. I called the attorney for the estate and asked about the prenup. The attorney asked if I had a copy or knew what attorney my dad used. They didn't know anything about a prenup or will. Meanwhile, Janet is living in my childhood home with all my family items, some expensive, some sentimental.

"I borrowed money from a friend to get an attorney, only to find out that I was too late. Had I gotten an attorney in the first 90 days that the estate was filed, I could have disputed it. But I was so depressed and broke at that time, I didn't act soon enough.

"Janet sold, stored, gave away, and lied about what my father had. I had no proof, no photos or inventory. My brother and I got a little money, but none of our family treasures, no photos, handmade items, childhood items, etc. She screwed us out of our inheritance.

"The worst part of everything is wondering if she expedited my father's death in any way.

"Less than a year after my father's death, I saw on Facebook that Janet has remarried. I wonder, should I contact that family and warn them?"

Readers, what do you think?

Has a family member been involved with a con artist? Send your tale, along with your questions and problems to cheryllavinrapp@gmail.com. And check out my e-books, "Dear Cheryl: Advice from Tales from the Front" and "I'll Call You. Not.