Where There's a Will

Written by Aaron Elkins

Narrated by Joel Richards

Edgar® Award-winning author Aaron Elkins's creation-forensics professor Gideon Oliver-has been hailed by the Chicago Tribune as "a likable, down-to-earth, cerebral sleuth." Now the celebrated Skeleton Detective unearths a wealthy family's darkest secrets . . .

Alex Torkelsson has just gotten word: his late uncle Magnus's plane has been found south of Hawaii's Big Island after ten long years. So too have Magnus's few skeletal remains, now handed over to the only man who can fit together the pieces of this mystery . . .

What forensic detective Gideon Oliver discovers could shake the Torkelsson family tree to its very roots. But this time his work is yielding more questions about the past than answers. Questions about the long-ago execution-style murder of Magnus's brother . . . about a mysterious will that benefits-as well as incriminates-its heirs . . . and most disturbing of all: questions as to the true identity of the corpse in the lagoon. As lie upon lie is revealed, Gideon's only hope is to let the bones of the dead condemn the living-before the living take revenge.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Oct 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781977340467

Aaron Elkins

Aaron Elkins’s mysteries and thrillers have earned him an Edgar, an Agatha, a Nero Wolfe Award, and a Malice Domestic Lifetime Achievement Award. His nonfiction works have appeared in Smithsonian magazine, the New York Times magazine, and Writer’s Digest. A former anthropology professor, Elkins is known for starting the forensic-mystery genre with his 1982 novel, Fellowship of Fear. He currently serves as the anthropological consultant for the Olympic Peninsula Cold Case Task Force in Washington State. Elkins lives in Washington with his wife, Charlotte—his occasional collaborator—who is also an Agatha winner.

Reviews for Where There's a Will

[aspenhugger · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"There's a family plot unfolding in the northern uplands of Hawaii -- on the magnificent 11,000-acre spread of ranching heir Axel Torkelson. After going missing ten years ago, the small private plane of Axel's uncle Magnus has finally been found in a remote lagoon, hundreds of miles south of the Big Island. So too have Magnus's few and scattered skeletal remains, exhumed by divers and now handed over to the only man who can fit together the pieces of this mystery."What forensic detective Gideon Oliver is discovering could shake the Torkelson family tree to its very roots. But this time his work is yielding more questions about the past than answers. Questions about the long-ago execution-style murder of Magnus's brother ... about a deadly dispute between rival ranching syndicates ... about a mysterious will that benefits -- as well as incriminates -- its heirs ... and most disturbing of all: questions as to the true identity of the corpse in the lagoon. But if it isn't Uncle Magnus ..."As lie upon lie is revealed, as secret upon secret is exposed, Gideon's only hope is to let the bones of the dead condemn the living -- before the living takes revenge.~~front flapThis one was really convoluted! The plot thickens as each layer is examined and discarded, right to the end. Two brothers and two sisters, and Aunt Daphne, the sister of Magnus and Torkel ... do they all know? Does only one of them know? If so, which one? This book will keep you guessing all the way through to a very satisfactory denouement.

[jaygheiser · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is a mildly entertaining little mystery novel. Even given the conventions of its genre, it still feels too formulaic and contrived. The plot twist is never fully convincing, and the ending fails to completely tie up all the loose ends. Its a pleasant beach or airplane read, especially for those who are looking for murder mysteries without much in the way of violence, but it's neither compelling nor satisfying.

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Solid Skeleton Detective story. I had read it before, but not recently - I recognized each bit as it happened, and started figuring out the answers as soon as the first few clues showed up rather than waiting until it was fully explained (like, I knew who was in the plane. And when Gideon read the thing in the autopsy report, I remembered about the gun. And when the captain showed up, I knew who he was - but didn't remember about the leg until just before he showed that. And so on). I didn't remember who the murderer was, though, until Gideon had the brainwave at the memorial. Nice characterization - Gideon, Julie, and John were solidly drawn, as were the various secondary characters - no cardboard here, even though several of the family were expressed mainly as cliches. They were very _solid_ cliches, with their own quirks filling them out. Good story - not a favorite, but interesting and well-done, both the writing and the mystery. And some lovely twists.