Where There's a Will

Rinehart, Mary Roberts, 1876-1958Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 350K words
Chapters: 36

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971, and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today. Where There's a Will by Mary Roberts Rinehart. Author: Rinehart, Mary Roberts, 1876-1958. Language: English. Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature. Release Date: Mar 15, 2006

Editor's review

Where There's a Will is a popular novel by Mary Roberts Rinehart, belonging to the early twentieth-century American popular literature vein that blends light suspense with family comedy. Rinehart excelled at weaving closed settings, family relationships, and unexpected events into highly readable stories; this book likewise uses the will as its central object to drive the characters' actions, advancing the plot amid suspicion, misunderstanding, and humor. Its value lies in showcasing the narrative pleasures of early American popular fiction: clear relationships, brisk dialogue, and suspense that does not rely on bloodshed or violence but is closer to a comic family puzzle. It serves well as an entry point to Rinehart's work and suits readers who want an English-language popular novel without heavy psychological strain. Read it as light entertainment; paying attention to how characters speak and how scenes are arranged will be more rewarding than pursuing complex deduction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy light suspense and family themes and want to read English popular fiction
Those interested in the landscape of early twentieth-century American popular literature
Readers seeking English-language originals with clear plots and accessible language
Readers who prefer humorous dialogue and ensemble relationships over hardcore deduction

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting formal detective fiction, tightly constructed tricks, or police investigation procedures
Those who prefer modern fast-paced thrillers with strong reversals
Readers impatient with the narrative pace of early English novels

Reading tips

First clarify the characters and their family relationships; a simple relationship chart on paper can help.
Keep separate notes on will-related clues, noting who learns of them first and who deliberately conceals them.
Don't look up every word; follow the dialogue first, then revisit unfamiliar words after finishing a chapter.
After reading, compare with other works by Rinehart to see how she balances light suspense and humor.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book more of a mystery or a family comedy?

It is closer to popular family fiction with suspense elements: the will and suspicions drive the plot, but the overall tone is light and humorous rather than centered on rigorous deduction or a police investigation.

Can I read this without having read any other Rinehart books?

Yes. The book stands alone and does not depend on prior works. If you enjoy the style, you can then seek out her better-known works for comparison.

Is the English original difficult to read?

The language consists mainly of dialogue and scene narration, generally easier to move through than some longer prose works of the same period, though it still reflects early English usage. It suits readers with basic English reading ability who are willing to look things up as they go.

Comments

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About the author

Rinehart, Mary Roberts, 1876-1958 Author

Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876–1958) was an American author known for her detective fiction and humorous sketches. The library holds 29 of her works, including The Circular Staircase, The Man in Lower Ten, A Poor Wise Man, The After House, Tish: The Chronicle of Her Escapades and Excursions, Kings, Queens and Pawns: An American Woman at the Front, Tenting To-night, and The Confession. Her detective novels often unfold through female narrators and build suspense from everyday details, creating tension without losing a sense of humor; they have influenced later mystery and detective writing. Public information is limited, so no biographical details are conjectured here, and readers may come to know her narrative style and themes through the works listed above.