History Literature / WhereTheresAWill

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: By the standards of Nero Wolfe novels, at least, this story is packed to the gills with named characters in addition to the regular and recurring cast. The Hawthorne sisters in particular each seem to have their own extended entourage, all of whom seem to be involved in what's going on in some way, and as they are rarely seen apart in the story their entourages tag along to form a sort of combined entourage. It can gradually become hard to keep track of or remember some of them.

* OutnumberedSibling: Noel Hawthorne was the only boy out of four children.

* RomanticismVsEnlightenment: May Hawthorne, a brilliant scientist who lives a spinster life and freely admits that she [[{{Asexual}} doesn't understand romance or sex]], makes some rather snide and patronising comments about Wolfe and his methods throughout the story. Wolfe eventually diagnoses this as her scientific contempt for his more "romantic" approach to life coming through.

* OutOfGenreExperience: As noted above, this novel reads a bit more like a Gothic Mystery than others in the series will do.

* SuitWithVestedInterests: While there has been a murder committed, Secretary of State Dunn accuses DA Skinner (a member fo the opposing political party) of not conducting an impartial investigation. There is some ambiguity as to whether this is true, although it wouldn't be too out of character for Skinner, given some of his other appearances.

* FlowerMotif: In keeping with the overall "gothic mystery" vibe going on, flowers tend be used in a way which symbolise death, danger and malevolence. Noel Hawthorne's body is found in a clearing amongst a wide variety of flowers, and much is made of a faded cornflower that is found by his body. His sister April briefly comes under suspicion because she was picking cornflowers at the time of his murder. Sara Dunn, who possesses vital information that could solve the murder, works at a florist, and we learn this when we also learn that her life is in danger thanks to the killer suspecting that SheKnowsTooMuch. The most hostile and malevolent member of the Hawthorne family is also the one named after a flower. And flowers prove to be crucial to solving the mystery: [[spoiler:It's also frequently noted throughout the story that Glenn Prescott tends to wear flowers on his lapel, and he is pegged as the killer because a photo shows him wearing a ''wild rose'' in his lapel that he could only have acquired at the murder scene.]]

* ChekhovsSkill: April Dunn is a famous actress and in one scene, [[spoiler: Impersonates her sister in-law Daisy]].

* SadClown: April Dunn is implied to have shades of this, with her sister June noting that "she pretends she has to laugh at everything."

* SexySecretary: April Dunn's secretary Celia Fleet (who is romantically involved with her nephew Andrew) is described by Archie as "a blonde in the bud who would have convinced any impartial jury that all of this great country's anatomical scenery had not been monopolized by Hollywood."

* SuitWithVestedInterests: While there has been a murder committed, Secretary of State Dunn accuses D.A. Skinner (a member fo the opposing political party) of not conducting an impartial investigation. There is some ambiguity as to whether this is true, although it wouldn't be too out of character for Skinner, given some of his other appearances.

* LivingLegend: All three of Hawthorne's sisters are major celebrities (an author who married a politician, an actress and a college president) who collectively are known as the Hawthorne gals, something Archie enjoys bringing up to {{Troll}} Wolfe.

* {{Blackmail}}: Not a part of the villain's scheme for once, but discussed. At one point Inspector Cramer and the authorities -- who suspect Naomi Karn of the murder -- get it into their heads that Wolfe was blackmailing her on behalf of the Hawthornes to secure their rightful share of Noel Hawthorne's inheritance in exchange for not revealing the evidence they have against her, and so Cramer 'generously' offers to overlook Wolfe's involvement in that crime if he'll just cough up the evidence against Karn. Unfortunately for Cramer, he's completely mistaken what the meeting was about, Wolfe has no evidence against Karn (or even suspicions against her at that stage), and even if he did Wolfe is so offended by Cramer's assumption that he's a corrupt imbecile that he wouldn't turn it over even if it did exist.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler:Naomi Karn]] is manipulative, ruthless and greedy, and will do whatever it takes to secure a fortune, but draws the line at murder or supporting it. Though it is suggested that this is less out of morality and more out of a slightly cowardly desire to avoid ''real'' legal trouble.

* FlowerMotif: In keeping with the overall "gothic mystery" vibe going on, flowers tend be used in a way which symbolise death, danger and malevolence. Noel Hawthorne's body is found in a clearing amongst a wide variety of flowers, and much is made of a faded cornflower that is found by his body. His sister April briefly comes under suspicion because she was picking cornflowers st the time of his murder. Sara Dunn, who possesses vital information that could solve the murder, works at a florist, and we learn this when we also learn that her life is in danger thanks to the killer suspecting that SheKnowsTooMuch. The most hostile and malevolent member of the Hawthorne family is also the one named after a flower. And flowers prove to be crucial to solving the mystery: [[spoiler:It's also frequently noted throughout the story that Glenn Prescott tends to wear flowers on his lapel, and he is pegged as the killer because a photo shows him wearing a ''wild rose'' in his lapel that he could only have acquired at the murder scene.]]

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: By the standards of Nero Wolfe novels, at least, this story is packed to the gills with named characters in addition to the regular and recurring cast. The Hawthorne sisters in particular each seem to have their own extended entourage, all of whom seem to be involved in what's going on in some way, and as they are rarely seen apart in the story their entourages tag along to form a combined entourage. It can gradually become hard to keep track of or remember some of them.

* SeriesContinuityError: Inspector Cramer's name is revealed to be Fergus in this story. Later stories will instead suggest he has the initials "L.T".

* BluffingTheMurderer: Wolfe tricks the killer into making an incriminating mistake by [[spoiler: pretending to suspect someone else of the murder so that Prescott will try to help his case in order to save his own skin]].

* EatTheEvidence: The murderer tries to do this in a moment of panic, with the evidence in question being [[spoiler: One of Sara's photographs]]. Wolfe calmly states that this won't make a difference, as he has [[spoiler: the original film of the photograph, from which multiple copies of the photo can be made]].
* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler: Naomi Karn]] is manipulative, ruthless and greedy, and will do whatever it takes to secure a fortune, but draws the line at murder or supporting it. Though it is suggested that this is less out of morality and more out of a slightly cowardly desire to avoid ''real'' legal trouble.

* FemmeFatale: Naomi Karn is the scheming, manipulative GoldDigger version of this trope, whereas Daisy Hawthorne seems to be more of a embittered, disfigured and borderline crazed version. [[spoiler: Neither is the murderer, and Naomi Karn ends up being one of the victims.]]
* FlowerMotif: In keeping with the overall "gothic mystery" vibe going on, flowers tend be used in a way which symbolise death, danger and malevolence. Noel Hawthorne's body is found in a clearing amongst a wide variety of flowers, and much is made of a faded cornflower that is found by his body. His sister April briefly comes under suspicion because she was picking cornflowers st the time of his murder. Sara Dunn, who possesses vital information that could solve the murder, works at a florist, and we learn this when we also learn that her life is in danger thanks to the killer suspecting that SheKnowsTooMuch. The most hostile and malevolent member of the Hawthorne family is also the one named after a flower. And flowers prove to be crucial to solving the mystery: [[spoiler: though the cornflowers were a misdirection. Glenn Prescott is pegged because a photo shows him wearing a ''rose'' in his lapel that he could only have acquired had he been at the murder scene. It's also frequently noted throughout the story that he tends to wear flowers on his lapel.]]

** It is clearly established that Naomi Karn is greedy and out for what she can get from her lovers. [[spoiler: She draws the line at murder, though, which leads to her death when the killer fears that she'll turn on him to save her own skin.]]

* MotiveDecay: [[spoiler: Glenn Prescott committed the murder and forged the will out of lust for Naomi Karn, in order to indebt her to him, but ends up murdering her to cover up his crime]].

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Prescott, the attorney is found brutally beaten by Archie in one scene, having been attacked by [[spoiler: Davis, out of anger that he'd killed Naomi]].

* ObnoxiousInLaws: A delayed example, but Noel and his brother in-law had recently been feuding over Noel's use of inside information, (likely acquired by [[spoiler: an eavesdropping Naomi]]) to profit off of a policy decision of Secretary of State Dunn, putting his career in jeopardy due to accusations of corruption. The two were also at odds about whether Dunn's son Andy should become a lawyer, or go work for his uncle's company (with April's urging the boy to become an actor also being thrown into the mix).

* SillyWill: Noel Hawthorne's will leaves each of his sisters a piece of fruit; April a peach, May a pear, and June an apple. The exact reasons behind this are never determined [[spoiler: especially as it's not actually Noel's will.]]

* TheUnReveal: Noel's will [[SillyWill left each of his sisters nothing but a piece of fruit]]. Wolfe's investigation never reveals the story behind this, even after [[spoiler: it turns out the will is a forgery, as at that point there's are more pressing concerns than why Prescott wrote that]].
* VillainousBreakdown: The killer spends most of TheSummation staring blankly into space before, in a fit of crazed desperation, trying to EatTheEvidence. They're clearly not in a good place by that point. [[spoiler: Getting the shit beaten out of them

* TheGhost: Deputy Chambers, who first realizes that there was a murder in the first place (due to some highly impressive examination of the evidence) never appears in person, with his efforts merely being described by Cramer. Prescott and Davis's law partner Mr. Dunwoodie is also referred to in passing a few times but never shown.

* {{Jerkass}}: Johnny Keems needlessly insults the age of a woman who gave him some information during Wolfe's summation.

* SexySecretary: April Dunn's secretary Celia Fleet (who is romantically involved with her nephew Andrew) is described by Archie as "a blonde in the bud who would have convinced any impartial jury that not all of this great country's anatomical scenery had not been monopolized by Hollywood."

* BrokenAce: Eugene Davis, apparently one of the best lawyers in both his law firm and the city overall, has been reduced to alcoholic mystery after being dumped by Naomi Karn.

* GoodScarsEvilScars: Played with; Daisy Hawthorne is rather malevolent in nature, and her facial scars are described as hugely disfiguring and diagonal across her face. The reader never actually sees them, however, so we never get to determine what the reality is (although she presumably wears that veil for a reason).

* SpotTheImposer: At one point, Archie discovers that there appear to be two Daisy Hawthornes in the house at the same time that one is being interviewed by Wolfe. They determine that the only way to tell if they're dealing with the real one is to try and sneak a peek under her veil. They determine that they're dealing with the real Daisy... not because they manage to see under the veil, but because when it appears that Archie is going to "accidentally" remove it, the sheer intense ''violence'' of the woman's response leaves both under no illusions that she's the real one, as no actress would be good enough to respond so. [[spoiler: The imposter is actually April Hawthorne, trying to determine what Naomi Karn is up to and whether she's willing to settle the matter of the will.]]

* TheUnReveal: Noel's will [[SillyWill left each of his sisters nothing but a piece of fruit]]. Wolfe's investigation never reveals the story behind this, even after [[spoiler: it turns out the will is a forgery, as at that point there's are more pressing concerns than why Prescott wrote that]].

* GoldDigger: It is clearly established that Naomi Karn is greedy and out for what she can get from her lovers. [[spoiler: She draws the line at murder, though, which leads to her death when the killer fears that she'll turn on him to save her own skin.]] Mrs. Hawthorne also claims that this is April's motive for her budding romance with executive Osric Stauffer, stating that April needs a provider due to being in debt and getting too old for the stage (whether or not this is true is unclear).

* EatTheEvidence: The murderer tries to do this in a moment of panic, with the evidence in question being [[spoiler: One of Sara's photographs]]. Wolfe calmly states that this won't make a difference, as he has hd [[spoiler: copies of that photo made]].

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: After [[spoiler: Naomi Karn]] is found murdered in the Hawthorne residence,

* TheUnReveal: Noel's will [[SillyWill left each of his sisters nothing but a piece of fruit]]. Wolfes investigation never reveals the story behind this, even after [[spoiler: it turns out the will is a forgery, as at that point there's are more pressing concerns than why Prescott wrote that]].

* LivingLegend: All three of Hawthorne's sisters are major celebrities (a politicians wife, an actress and a college president) who collectively are known as the Hawthorne gals, something Archie enjoys bringing up to {{Troll}} Wolfe.

* GoldDigger: It is clearly established that Naomi Karn is greedy and out for what she can get from her lovers. [[spoiler: She draws the line at murder, though, which leads to her death when the killer fears that she'll turn on him to save her own skin.]]

* TheGhost: The deputy who first realizes that there was a murder in the first place while recreating the crime scene never appears in person. Prescott and Davis's law partner Mr. Dunwoodie is also referred to in passing a few times but never shown.

* SeriesContinuityError: Inspector Cramer's name is revealed to be Fergus in this story. Later stories will instead suggest he has the initials "L.T".