In addition, they are to return from England on the Ocean Queen, a cruise ship upon which Uncle Hiram had spent his honeymoon. Finally, if any of the heirs dies within a year of Uncle Hiram’s death, half of that person’s inheritance is to be divided among the remaining heirs, with the remaining half going to the heir’s children.

Marietta’s situation, although interesting doesn’t seem to Peaches to require her detective expertise, until Marietta adds a critical piece of information. Two weeks ago, Marietta’s brother, Wingate, who was afraid of heights, fell (or was pushed) off a mountain overlook and died. Marietta is concerned. She thinks that one of her relatives is not content with his fifteen million dollar settlement and is going to systematically eliminate the rest of the family. Since this is such an off-the-wall notion, she is positive the police will dismiss her idea, so her only hope is her dear friend, Peaches

Where There’s a Will, featuring amateur sleuth, Peaches Dann, will appeal to readers willing to overlook situations that are a bit improbable for the sake of an entertaining story. In one instance, Peaches offers a ride to the family lawyer, whose car has conveniently had a flat tire. As a result, she has the opportunity to speak to him alone and ask pertinent questions. In conversations with other characters, Peaches often remains silent, and the characters uncomfortable with the void, fill it, saying things they might not otherwise.

One situation obtains that will surely test the limit of even the most dedicated cozy fan. Peaches is forced to get into an oversized clothes dryer by the villain, who subsequently turns it on. I had a hard time believing this will work. A load of wet clothes can’t begin to approach the weight of one Peaches.

Those readers who thrive on trying to ferret out the villain should be pleased with this book. There are many red herrings. A case could be built for almost every character as the villain. They all have motives, and opportunity, which are clearly described for the reader. The villain’s case is presented right along with those of the innocent, leaving the reader in a fine position to solve the crime.

Some of Ms. Squire’s character descriptions are quite amusing. I especially enjoyed her presentation of Winnie. The long-suffering maid/housekeeper, Annie is a self-taught artist, and her cartoon pictures of the family members will produce a chuckle or two. Those individuals who find remembering a challenge will find a soul mate in Peaches, who has numerous devices for coping with an irritating deficiency.

While not leaving the reader with any moral dilemmas to ponder, Where There’s a Will will provide an entertaining diversion for a long airplane ride, or long evening at home.

--Andy Plonka