Plot summary
On the Fourth of July, sixteen strangers receive personal invitations to rent apartments in the new Sunset Towers apartment complex, a luxurious property on Lake Michigan adjacent to wealthy businessman Samuel J. Westing's mansion. Westing made his fortune in the paper business and is rumored to be worth $200 million dollars (worth $1.5 billion in 2024). The salesman, Barney Northrupp, gives personalized attention to each potential resident, all of whom accept.
In October, residents begin to hear rumors that Samuel Westing has died but that his corpse remains in the mansion. Tabitha-Ruth "Turtle" Wexler, a highly intelligent 13-year-old with a habit of kicking people in the shin if they touch her braid, accepts a dare to enter the presumably empty mansion. She leaves the mansion in terror after finding Westing's body in the bedroom and hearing strange noises, which no one believes. Shortly afterwards, news breaks of Westing's death, and all the residents are invited to a reading of the will. The will claims that Westing was murdered by one of them, but that each is still a named potential heir to his fortune and company. It stipulates that they must work in pairs to solve Westing's puzzle and locate his murderer.
One of the heirs, Josie-Jo "J.J." Ford, a sitting judge and a former protege of Westing's, is skeptical of the entire scenario. Knowing that Westing loved games and puzzles, especially chess, she discourages the heirs from "playing" believing that Westing was losing his grip on reality in his final days; she argues that there is no proof that Westing was murdered and initially refuses to go along with the rest of the heirs. Her partner, Sandy McSouthers, convinces her to go along with game because of his financial hardship and that they have to play together to win.
The heirs spend the next several months trying to accumulate clues from rival pairs. In doing so, many form new friendships and make surprising discoveries about each other. Many of the heirs harbored secret lives, including being a bookie, thief, bomber, undercover private investigator, and relative of Sam Westing. Nearing the Fourth of July deadline, Sandy McSouthers collapses from an apparent poisoning, shocking the heirs. The heirs determine that the 'answer' to Westing's puzzle is Berthe Crow, who is actually Westing's ex-wife. Crow admits that the puzzle implicates her, but she protests her innocence alongside her partner, Otis Amber. Judge Ford and Turtle believe her innocence and hold a mock trial to go over the evidence. During the proceedings, Turtle solves the real puzzle of the Westing game and returns to Westing's company to confront the chief operating officer, Julian Eastman. Turtle reveals that Westing, Northrupp, McSouthers, and Eastman are all the same person using various disguises; Westing created the "McSouthers" identity to replace "Westing", making Sandy the "murderer" and thereby winning the Westing game.
In the epilogues, "Eastman" spends the next decade mentoring Turtle in business and chess while funding her education in preparation for her taking over the company. The remaining heirs remain close, starting new business ventures, marriages, and families together. When Westing is on his deathbed, Turtle (now going by "T.R.") consoles him that the heirs loved their friend "Sandy" and that his game was ultimately a success. Choosing to keep the secret, Turtle continues his legacy by beginning to mentor her niece in chess.
The Westing Heirs
Pair One
- Jake Wexler is a podiatrist, and a bookie on the side. He is married to Grace Wexler and is the father of Angela and Turtle Wexler.
- Madame Sun Lin Hoo is the second and much younger Chinese immigrant wife of James Shin Hoo. She barely knows how to speak English. She can usually be found cooking in her husband's restaurant.
Pair Two
- Tabitha-Ruth "Turtle" (TR) Wexler is an intelligent 13-year-old girl. She is very protective of her long, dark braid of hair and anyone who touches it gets a kick to the shin and a bruise.
- Flora Baumbach is a shy 60-year-old dressmaker who becomes a maternal figure to Turtle.
Pair Three
- Christos "Chris" Theodorakis is a 15-year-old boy who uses a wheelchair due to degenerative muscle disease. He is intelligent and enjoys birdwatching.
- Dr. Denton Deere is a medical intern, engaged to Angela. To show off, he diagnoses everyone he meets.
Pair Four
- Judge J.J. (Josie-Jo) Ford is an intelligent and serious black woman in her forties. She is suspicious of the game created by Sam Westing and believes that one of the heirs may be in danger.
- Alexander "Sandy" McSouthers is the doorman at the Sunset Towers Apartments.
Pair Five
- Grace Windsor Wexler, married to Jake Wexler and mother of Angela and Turtle.
- James Shin Hoo is a former entrepreneur, the owner of the Hoo's restaurant chain, as well as Madame Hoo's husband and Doug's father.
Pair Six
- Berthe Erica Crow, usually referred to as simply Crow, is the cleaning woman for Sunset Towers. She is extremely religious and also operates a downtown soup kitchen.
- Otis Amber is a 62-year-old "delivery boy." He assists Crow with her soup kitchen.
Pair Seven
- Theo Theodorakis is a smart high school student, and very loyal to his family. He is protective of his brother Chris and works hard in his parents' coffee shop. He is interested in becoming a writer, and also becomes friends with his partner, Doug Hoo.
- Doug Hoo, son of James Shin Hoo, is a high school track star, one of the best mile-runners in the state. Running is his passion, but his father often criticizes him for not studying enough. He is a prankster and develops a rivalry with Turtle Wexler.
Pair Eight
- Angela Wexler is a pretty twenty-year-old girl: fair, blonde, and very pretty. She is considered the 'perfect' daughter, often getting more attention than her sister Turtle.
- Sydelle Pulaski is a mysterious character who seems to have no connection to Mr. Westing or the other heirs. It is revealed that she was mistaken for Sybil Pulaski, a friend of Crow who was supposed to have been an heir instead.
The Westing Game, adapted to a stage play by Darian Lindle and directed by Terry Brino-Dean, was first produced at Prime Stage Theatre in Pittsburgh in 2009. The script is published by Dramatic Publishing. [5]
Get a Clue, adapted by Dylan Kelsey Hadley and directed by Terence H. Winkless, was produced for television in 1997. [4]
It was announced on September 9, 2020 that HBO Max had placed a script-to-series order based on the book. [6]
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