Where There's A Will [Mass Market Paperback]

Rex Stout (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1941

This mystery from one of America's best-loved writers features Nero Wolfe, the arrogant, orchid-loving, gourmandizing sleuth, and his invaluable legman, Archie Goodwin, who narrates with his usual wry wit. When the esteemed and wealthy Mr. Noel Hawthorne dies at the age of 49, his sisters are furious that he left his mistress seven million dollars - and nothing for each of them but a piece of fruit! When the investigator discovers that Hawthorne's death was not an accident, Nero and Archie stumble into what appears to be a legacy of murder.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Avon Books (1941)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380395290
• ISBN-13: 978-0380395293
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,413,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stout's WORST, they say? Absolutely not!, May 2, 2002

By 

A. Wolverton (Crofton, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Where There's a Will (Hardcover)

Millionaire Noel Hawthorne has just died in a hunting accident. In his will, he leaves his sisters (named April, May, and June) a peach, a pear, and an apple, respectively. But, to a young woman who was _not_ his wife, he leaves a huge chunk of his fortune. The sisters come to Wolfe to find out what's behind this wacky will. But Wolfe suspects that maybe the hunting accident was no accident...

I am stunned to read that other reviewers consider this book to be one of Stout's worst. I completely disagree. How can this be a bad Wolfe entry when:

Wolfe is faced with _three_ women in his house at once
Wolfe faces the threat of arrest from Cramer
Fred Durkin has his best scenes in the series so far
Archie has one of his best outings
(And finally,) Wolfe leaves the house!

Sure, this is not the _best_ Wolfe story Stout ever wrote. It does have some character inconsistencies that later stories don't have. There are also some real problems with the plot. And, true, this would not be the book to start with for first-time Wolfe readers. But should it be included in the trash pile? Definitely not. An average Nero Wolfe story, after all, is better than most writers' "above average" output. Dig in.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where There's A Will...there's a death..., July 27, 2004

By 

Michael Valdivielso (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Where There's a Will (Nero Wolfe Mysteries) (Paperback)

Nero Wolfe and Archi Goodwin are asked to help break a will. It seems a very rich man, name of Noel Hawthorne, died and left most of his money to the 'OTHER WOMAN' and the wife is going to fight over it. His sisters DON'T want her to do so, as they all have good names they don't wish to be splashed through the mud of a very public, and very ugly, court battle. They want him to either stop the wife, break this will, find another will or maybe even get the 'OTHER WOMAN' to cough up some of the millions she will get.
Right when it looks like Wolfe will just dismiss it all with a 'Pfui!' the police show up. It seems Mr. Hawthrone was murdered.
Now Nero, with help from Archie, will have to get to the bottom of the murder if he wants any peace (or any money).

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For Wolfe Junkies, November 24, 2002

By 

Stephen McLin (Lafayette, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Where There's a Will (Nero Wolfe Mysteries) (Audio Cassette)

If you have read three or four Nero Wolfe books, and liked them, you will like this book. What's not to like about three sisters named April, May and June?
This is somewhat of an "inside baseball" of Wolfe -- lots of characters, constant action. Not a long book, but a lot of content.
Wolfe leaves his home, which is always an interesting twist, given how much he hates it.
Wolfe almost gets arrested and taken to Police HQ. He dictates a letter before he is to be taken, which forestalls his arrest. The letter is vintage Rex Stout.