Where There's a Will [Large Print] [Paperback]

Elizabeth Daniels Squire (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2, 2003

An Agatha Award-winning Author

Peaches Dann's friends have come into an inheritance that's made them rich. But the will has provisions for the inheritance of any heir who dies within the year. A strange feature for a young and healthy bunch -- or is it?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A delight from start to finish."
-- Dorothy Cannell

About the Author

Journalist, nationally syndicated columnist, and award-winning mystery writer Elizabeth Daniels Squire was born into a world of words on July 17, 1926. Her grandfather, Josephus Daniels, was a highly respected newspaper editor and publisher. He served as Secretary of the Navy during World War I and as American ambassador to Mexico under Franklin D. Roosevelt. Her father, Jonathan Daniels, was press secretary both to FDR and to Harry Truman, and author of twenty-one books of history and biography. Her aunt, Ann Bridgers, was the author of Coquette, which made Helen Hayes and Mary Pickford stars. But still, writing did not come easily to Elizabeth. Due to a lifelong struggle with dyslexia, schoolwork - especially reading and writing - presented her with great difficulties. Yet, gifted with resilience and a desire to succeed, Elizabeth found ways to cope with her disability and graduated from Vassar College. Perhaps because of family history, but probably more from a desire to conquer her demons of dyslexia, Elizabeth chose a career in journalism. As a reporter, she covered murder trials and as a nationally syndicated columnist wrote about the character and talents revealed by the handprints of such notables as Salvador Dali and Eleanor Roosevelt. But it's her work as a mystery writer for which she is best known. As do most accomplished writers, Elizabeth drew on her own experiences and personal knowledge when writing her mysteries. The idea for her first book came from something that happened to her grandfather who was shot at by someone upset by one of his editorials. In that case, the murder didn't happen; but in Elizabeth's Kill the Messenger, her first mystery (and the only one not starring her absent-minded sleuth, Peaches Dann), a newspaper publisher is murdered. The plot in another of her books, Forget About Murder, was based on the fact that her otherwise genteel grandmother once hid a still in her attic for a neighbor who was selling moonshine in order to feed his children. Even Elizabeth's dog helped out when one of its tricks gave her the idea for The Dog Who Remembered Too Much, the short story for which she won the prestigious Agatha Award. Throughout her career, rather than hiding from her dyslexia, Elizabeth embraced it. Peaches Dann, the amateur detective who stars in most of her mysteries, suffers from an extraordinarily poor memory and is forced to find creative ways to overcome her forgetfulness in order to solve her perplexing cases. Over the years, Elizabeth also became a memory expert as a result of researching her absent-minded sleuth. Elizabeth lived with her husband, two dogs, and a cat on an organic farm in the mountains of western North Carolina, which is also the setting for her books. She died in February 2001 while returning from a book promotion tour to Alaska. In November 2006, she was the first mystery author ever inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 415 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (May 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786252464
• ISBN-13: 978-0786252466
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,293,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I really liked the sixth Peaches Dann mystery., September 23, 1999

By 

Betsy Owens ([e-mail]) (Abingdon, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Where There's a Will (Peaches Dann Mystery) (Paperback)

Elizabeth Daniels Squire's new Peaches Dann mystery, Where There's a Will, has everything: the beauty and danger of a high mountain setting in western North Carolina; a hazardous trans-Atlantic voyage on the fictional British luxury liner, the Ocean Queen; and a motley cast of newly made multimillionaires, one of whom may be out to murder the others. To this mixture is added a baffling plot with more twists and turns than a DNA helix. The result is an exciting adventure in mystery reading, especially the climactic scene in which Peaches, at the risk of her own life, solves the murder of handsome, charming Wingate Scott. When you start reading Where There's a Will, be prepared to read it straight through to the end, because you won't be able to put it down.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, humorous Peaches Dann tale, June 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Where There's a Will (Peaches Dann Mystery) (Paperback)

Suffering from a terrible memory, Peaches Dan takes lessons to learn a few tricks that will help her survive in the everyday world. She writes a book, How To Survive Without A Memory, to help others with similar afflictions recall critical things. Surprisingly, Peaches also solves murder mysteries by using her tricks to help her recall the clues.

Marietta, a high school friend, asks Peaches to investigate the death of her brother Winston, who allegedly jumped off a cliff. Marietta insists her sibling would never venture near an overhang because he deeply feared heights. Money could be a motive as Winston and his relatives recently came into a $15 million inheritance each. On a trip to England, someone tries to kill Marietta, who immediately persuades Peaches to join her. On the luxurious return trip by sea, several other murder attempts occur, including one on the sleuth. Peaches knows she must identify the culprit rather quickly before someone else dies at the hands of the unknown assailant.

Elizabeth Daniels Squire has created a near perfect sleuth in Peaches. The middle aged person with a faulty memory refuses to allow her ailment to stop her activities. WHERE THERE'S A WILL is a who-done-it loaded with misdirection cleverly executed by the author. Anyone who reads this novel will search for the previous five books in this humorous series with a deep message.

Harriet Klausner

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful entry with a favorite amateur sleuth, September 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Where There's a Will (Peaches Dann Mystery) (Paperback)

If you haven't met Peaches Dann, an amateur detective with a memory problem, you are in for a real treat. I would, of course, suggest that you pick up the first books in this series as well. When an reclusive multi-millionaire dies and leaves his fortune to various members of the family to the tune of fifteen million each. Deaths begin to occur even though it seems each member of the family is satisfied with the portion received. A friend of Peaches asks for her help in uncovering the killer. The family must make a joint trip to England to satisfy the terms of the will. When Peaches' friend is almost killed, Peaches flies to England to come back with them on the ship. This is no "Love Boat" cruise. Attempted poisonings, near misses on pushing members of the party overboard and a most humiliating, but hilarious, attempt on Peaches' life add to the non-stop excitement and fun of "Where There's a Will." This is a must-read for all cozy fans.