In The Hasty Will, the story begins with an urgent phone call to Nero Wolfe's office from John Blake, who seeks the detective's assistance with a matter of great importance. Wolfe, a brilliant but reclusive detective, is more interested in his orchids than in the business at hand, but the promise of a hefty fee piques his interest. Blake arrives with a typewritten will and a sealed letter, both of which he insists must be handled discreetly. He expresses a desire to keep his affairs away from the legal system, hinting at a complicated family dynamic involving his estranged brother, Hilary.