Product Description
Tecumseh Fox thinks that he is seeing double when financier Ridley Thorpe is shot twice, two gorgeous suspects appear, two very good motives are revealed, and two murder weapons surface. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

One of my favorite mystery writers
I have been waiting for the Nero Wolfe series to be available for Kindle, it seems like forever. I'm not as big a fan of Tecumseh Fox as Nero Wolfe, but a Rex Stout mystery is a Rex Stout mystery.

I'm glad I purchased and read this book. It's a solid mystery with a good ending. I would expect that from Rex Stout. What I didn't expect, and really enjoyed, was the glimpses of Wolfe and Archie I got in Fox's personality. I found myself thinking, Wolfe would have said that or Archie would have done that.

If another Fox book becomes available, I will definitely buy it. In the meantime, I am reading and loving "Over My Dead Body" featuring Wolfe and Archie.

Not a Nero Wolfe Story
This is an interesting book because it's not a Nero Wolfe story, but it's a murder mystery that was duplicated in the Nero Wolfe series, but in this story, the same murder is being solved by Tecumsah Fox, Stout's other detective. It's the Tingley's Tidbits murder, where someone is putting quinine into Tingley's Tidbits.

I much prefer Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin to Tecumsah Fox, but this is still a good book.

Read This AFTER You've Read All The Nero Wolfes
I love Rex Stout.He wrote the best mysteries, bar none, ever written: the Nero Wolfe series.They crackle with wit and originality, and the plots are beautiful little puzzle-boxes of logic.What Wodehouse was to the comic novel, Stout was to the mystery.

Stout himself felt that his best-plotted novel was this one.Featuring Tecumseh Fox, it's longer than most of the Nero Wolfes, and (for me, anyway), not as much fun by a long shot.It's still enjoyable, but should not be put before the dozens of novels and short stories featuring that "mere genius" Wolfe.

I won't be rereading this one-- but look forward to the passage of a decade so I can begin rereading all the Wolfe canon with a fresh palate....

Introducing Tecumseh Fox
_Double for Death_ is the first of the Tecumseh Fox mysteries. Tecumseh Fox is a detective of an entirely different breed than Nero Wolfe. The opposite of fastidious and antisocial Wolfe, his farm is a collection of oddballs and drifters and Fox is famous for his inability to turn anybody away. While as smooth and cool in deduction as Wolfe, Fox's weakest links are his less-than-perfect lieutenants.

In _Double For Death_ we have a corpse that may or may not be who it appears to be, a girl who keeps being revealed as a liar only to be found to be telling the truth, a detective with a disregard for the finer points of due process, and a man who has many reasons to be murdered. Fox needs to sort the strange double death of the murder victim and find the identity of the killer.

Stout considered this his best detective novel, and who am I to argue with the great man himself?

Stout's somewhat snobbish bypath
In this book Stout presents his other notable character besides Nero Wolfe: Tecumseh Fox, a self-made man who is quite a benefactor for a detective.Double for Death does not quite match the well-balanced rhythm and urban atmosphere of his better known Wolfe series. This book underlines a little bit too much how its plot relies on the nuances of the English language. The solution is obvious if the reader happens to have an eye for spellathlons; if not, too bad.Still, the story is readable, and definitely a must for any serious Stout fan just in order to help appreciate the discreetly designed Wolfe-Goodwin setup in most of his books. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Wolfe wins the chess match
A man is poisoned during a chess match, and Wolfe gets called by the daughter of the arrested suspect to clear her dad and find the real killer.Naturally, Wolfe must do this while staying firmly ensconsed in his Manhatten brownstone, while Archie Goodwin does his legwork.The story quickly develops a natural suspect after an initial series of interviews of all the people surrounding the death.But it also takes an interesting twist when another dead body is found.I enjoyed that just enough clues were left in the story to allow me to figure out who the killer was just before Wolfe announced it.Here's a hint ... the method of murder was a little different than you may originally think it is.Enjoy!

Review for People Looking for Chess Fiction
The other review is quite thorough - but I will review this book from the theme of chess literature. I am an accomplished chess player and life long devotee to the game. I gave this story three stars because it did flow pretty smooth. The mentionings of chess are okay and accurate. The setting was pretty much a murder that takes place at a chess club and Nero Wolfe and his sidekicks are responsible for solving it. This was my first Stout book, so the colorful characters really did catch my interest and I would read Stout again in the future. However, I had a little bit of a tough time with Stout's style. He uses had had and that that so much and even in the dialogue of the characters. Yuck! Still, from a chess fan point of view and seeing how chess fiction of any type is quite scarce - I do recommend this book even though it is average in quality.

Available on Audio CD
For some reason the Amazon listings don't include the audio CD version of this outstanding book.

Michael Prichard's reading style is ideally suited to this great story about chess players and the "perfect murder."The variations in personalities at the Gambit Club prefigure the chess stars of the 70s.

From a view of character study, this one is really, really good (and great to listen to also).

A fine, satisfying read
My 5th Nero Wolfe book, and I loved it.I caution new readers that the Nero Wolfe books are an acquired taste.For women the Wolfe character is edgy.But, this puzzle of who poisoned what, etc. really grabbed my attention, and I dreamed about it for days (a good sign for me).I can tell that I'm finally getting into these books because I envy Wolfe's life.He's a recluse, and that's my big goal in life -- a recluse with lots of help to do my chores.It'll never happen, and that's why reading these books is satisfying a longing in me.

A fun little mystery (4.5 stars)
For anyone unfamiliar with Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries I'd highly recommend this novel.While it is not my favorite of Stout's Nero Wolfe stories, it is a nice introduction to to Nero Wolfe and his confidential assistant Archie Goodwin.Wolfe is a 285 pound orchid collecting genius of a detective who almost never leaves his office for work.he can be cranky and avoids work whenever possible.Archie is a sarcastic ladies-man who's job is to do the leg work for Wolfe as well as keep him focused.

The opening sections of the book illustrate the quirks of the main characters and as I said make a good introduction for new readers.

The mystery itself is interesting and full of the twists and turns that I have come to expect from a Nero Wolfe novel.It is written in Stout's signiature sytle and kept me guessing for much of the book.In the end, Stout does a good job of tying everything up and showing the logic behind the solution and how Wolfe and Archie got from point A to Point B to the solution. ... Read more

Product Description
Hours after Priscilla Eads pleads with him to take her case, Nero Wolfe is shocked to find out that she was murdered, and soon he is investigating her fortune-hunting husband and greedy business associates. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Pure audio enjoyment
We like to listen to audio books that are intriguing and/or entertaining without requiring more attention than is safe while driving.Nero Wolfe books are perfect.Michael Pritchard is the voice of these books and is perfect for the job.Not great literature, the Wolfe books are, for lack of a better term, good clean murders.I've had more than enough of the current popular gruesome serial killers, thank you.

The Perfect Client
Nero Wolfe has a new client, Archie Goodwin who knows his every whim. Priscilla Eads asks for sanctuary in Wolfe's home, but when she will not provide her identity Wolfe sends her home. Within hours she is murdered and Archie is arrested for the crime as his fingerprints are on her luggage and he discovered her body.
Many people want to young woman dead before she reaches her 25th birthday when she would have reached control of her father's fortune and company.
Lt. Rowcliff makes his usual mistakes in letting his hatred of Wolfe override his judgement.
PRISONER'S BASE by Rex Stout is vintage Nero Wolfe and an excellent read for late nights.
Nash Black, whose books are available in Kindle editions.
HaintsWriting as a Small Business

Fun Mysteries
Classic American with the two awesome characters of Nero and Archie.Sure to sparkle a drab day.

Another great visit with Nero Wolfe
Nero Wolfe fans will not be disappointed in this book. Archie Goodwin delivers his usual smart-alecky narration, Wolfe himself is as gruff and brilliant as usual, and the rest of the cast of favorites make their appearances as well (Fritz is particularly amusing this time around).

Wolfe is approached by a young woman who wishes to simply live in his house for a week. While she is out of sight in an upstairs bedroom, a man, also offering to pay Wolfe for his services, comes to the door looking for her. The girl refuses Wolfe's terms, leaves, and winds up dead before morning.

After a few more corpses turn up, Archie begins to feel responsible, and takes off on his own to assist the police investigation. In a surprise twist, Wolfe agrees to represent a new client's interests in the matter, and the plot thickens.

If you're looking for a highbrow mystery, don't stop here, but if you're looking for a quick whodunit, you'll enjoy this book. At 150 or so pages, it's a nice afternoon's distraction that will keep you entertained, but don't expect Rendell or James here. Stout wrote them fast and furious, and they need to be read the same way. All in all, a very enjoyable episode in the Nero Wolfe collection.

Solid, but not spectacular Nero Wolfe novel
Prisoner's Base begins with a woman coming to Nero Wolfe and asking to remain in his home for one week.She wants complete secrecy and seclusion but won't say why.While Archie is attracted to her, Wolfe simply doesn't want the bother and turns her out.Later that same night she and her maid are killed and the mystery begins.

This book is somewhat different from a typical Nero Wolfe novel in a few ways.First, it is on the short side as it is a good 50 pages or so less than a typical full-length Wolfe story but still considerably longer than the novellas.Also, it shows Archie more personally motivated to solve the murders than is the norm.Rather than simply working for a client, Archie is motivated by guilt.Things get even worse for him later as another murder is committed that he blames himself for.We rarely see the wisecracking Archie Goodwin so worked up about finding a murderer.There are also some nice moments between Wolfe and Archie, as Nero knows his right hand man is hurting and ultimately does what he can to help him.

One effect of Archie's guilt is that the humor gets toned down somewhat.There are still some funny moments but far less than in other books.I also found some elements of the mystery a little unsatisfying.The most glaring example was the setup for the story.It is never really made clear why the woman comes to Wolfe seeking sanctuary in the first place.She was rich and powerful and could have hired a bodyguard, traveled anywhere in the world, refused to accept phone calls or visitors, etc.The idea of a single woman going to the private home of a male investigator (in 1952) for the sole purpose of sleeping in a spare bedroom is frankly ridiculous.There should have been a truly compelling motive for why she went to Wolfe specifically but there isn't.

Overall, Prisoner's Base is a good book.I didn't enjoy it as much as some other Wolfe novels but the story moves along reasonably well, there is at least a little humor, and some of the interplay between Wolfe and Archie is excellent.This certainly shouldn't be the first Nero Wolfe novel you read, but don't be afraid to give it a try if you're a fan. ... Read more

Product Description
Nero Wolfe, the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth, returns--with his perambulatory man-about-town Archie Goodwin in tow--playing snake charmer in a case with more twists than an anaconda, and hoping to catch a killer who's still got poison in his heart. **MASS MARKET PAPER**Amazon.com Review
I've promised myself for the past decade that, when I finallyretire, my first major project will be to reread the entire Nero Wolfecanon in chronological order, a worthwhile occupation if ever therewas one.

Although entirely different and not nearly as literary asRoss Macdonald's Lew Archer series or the Philip Marlowe novels ofRaymond Chandler, the Wolfe saga deserves to be ranked with them asamong the finest series of detective stories ever written by anAmerican. Fer-de-lance introduces the brilliant, idiosyncratic,and obese armchair detective to the world and, while it may not be thebest book of the series, it provides a wonderful murder set on a golfcourse and a cast of characters and laundry list of eccentricitiesthat are an integral part of each novel and novella.

Rex Stout hasmanaged to pull off a feat unparalleled to this day: the perfectcombination of deductive reasoning--as exemplified by the classicGolden Age writers such as Christie, Sayers, Van Dine, and Queen--withthe hard-boiled attitude and dialogue of the more realistic tough guywriters such as Chandler, Macdonald, Hammett, and RobertB. Parker.

The toughness is brought to the books by Wolfe's leg manand amanuensis, Archie Goodwin. The structure and ambience of thebooks is, quite deliberately, very much like the Sherlock Holmesstories that Stout so admired. The house on West 35th Street is asfamiliar as the sitting room at 221B Baker Street; his cook Fritz popsup as regularly as Mrs. Hudson; and his irritant, Inspector Cramer ofthe NYPD, serves the same role as several Scotland Yard detectives,notably Inspector Lestrade, did for Holmes. Fair warning: It is safeto read one Nero Wolfe novel, because you will surely like it. It isextremely unsafe to read three, because you will forever be hooked onthe delightful characters who populate these perfect books. --Otto Penzler ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

You never know where it will strike
Fer de Lance is the first book to introduce the by now iconic characters of Nero Wolfe and his eyes, legs, and at times enforcer, Archie Goodwin.

This book opens in the early 30s, although as far as Wolfe is concerned time might never move forward.His hours are tightly regulated with meals and times set aside to look after his fabulous collection of orchids in his brownstone on 35th Street.Crime intrudes as a welcomed intrusion, but only because Wolfe is constantly in need of funds to pay for his expensive orchid hobby and his array of personal assistants and staff.

There is a line between the type of crime fiction that was produced during the 1930s when Rex Stout began his career. On one side were the Hercule Poirots, the Sherlock Holmes and Lord Peter Whimseys of the world who lead the lives of gentlemen of largely independent means and who solved crimes as a lark to exercise their vast intellects. These were the brains.

On the other side were the Sam Spades and the Phillip Marlows of the world (and much later Mike Hammer) who represented the hard-boiled school of detective fiction.Leading less refined lives than their more intellectual counterparts, these denizens lived a life on the edge filled with booze and broads and bust ups.These represent the brawn.

In Rex Stout's detective fiction there is an attempt to "square the circle" by giving us the usual detective with his "Dr Watson" (the stories are told from Archie's point of view).However whereas Wolfe represents the intellectual side (although one who prefers beer) and Archie the more physical (although his beverage of choice is milk). One gets an example of two very different types of detectives for the price of one.

Even though this is the first book in the series of Wolfe and Archie adventures, they have been together for a number of years. Archie mentions previous cases which do not form part of the adventures given over to full exploration (perhaps some enterprising figure may attempt to explore some of these adventures that lie outside the Rex Stout cannon).The routine of the later books is already well established despite that this is earliest of the Wolfe chronicles.

It would be impossible to offer much in the way of a plot summary or even explain away the title of the book without giving too much away. Suffice it to say Wolfe is presented with not just one but two slippery murders and the problem is to determine their connection. In the end it is Fer de Lance who is the connection.

This is an excellent opening for the series of books, my only complaint is that the murderer is revealed perhaps sooner than I would have liked and when the motive was uncovered it was somewhat of a let down although Stout managed to instill a series plot twists that made up in part for this clumsiness.These stories are driven as much by character as they are by plot which is characteristic of the best of detective fiction.

One final word about this story, it was written in the early 1930s and there are several things, the way immigrants are portray and various ethnic groups which while authentic (if not more polite than the average person would have behaved pre FDR) might not be the most welcomed expressions in 2010. I actually found this added an additional historical layer to Fer de Lance which was not in Stout's original intent. The overly sensitive and politically correct may not enjoy this work as much as those who can recognize it as a product of its time.

The introduction to great characters in detective fiction
First Sentence:There was no reason why I shouldn't have been sent for the beer that day, for the last ends of the Fairmont National Bank case had been gathered in the week before and there was nothing for me to do but errands, and Wolfe never hesitated about running me down to Murray Street for a can of shoe-polish if he happened to need one.

Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin's first published case becomes one of two parts; a young woman hires Wolfe to find her missing brother, and a college president has been murdered on the golf course.The link:a golf club.

The fun of reading Nero Wolfe is not the plot, although this one did have a good twist to it, but for the characters.On one hand, you have Wolfe, the corpulent, beer drinking, gourmand who has orchids cultivated in his attic conservatory.He is well-read, well-spoken, often difficult to deal with yet a brilliant deductive and intuitive thinker.

On the other hand is Archie, orphaned as a child, lives in Wolfe's brownstone, uses common English, and drinks milk.The two characters are complete opposites but one immediately senses the underlying respect and affection which goes beyond a working relationship.

It is the dialogue, as well as the relationship of these two characters, that make the book, and series, work.An interesting aspect to this book is that we meet the characters seven years in, so references to previous cases abound.In most cases, this would annoy me as there would be that sense of something missing.

Stout, however, is so adept in his writing and his characters are so well developed, the previous case references simply become historical notations.Stout was writing in present time, now history to us.Because of that, we are presented a living sense of time, place, social mores and behavior.There were certain expressions, common at the time. They are objectionable to us today and serve as a reminder of our advancement from the past. One element with which I did have a problem, was some of Archie's slang.There were times I had to re-read sentences or paragraphs to understand what he was saying.

It was fun to go back and re-visit Nero and Archie, but not so much as to make me want to reread all the books.However, if you've never read Rex Stout, I do recommend picking up at least a few of his books.

FER-DE-LANCE (Pri Inv-Nero Wolf/Archie Goodwin-New York City-Golden Age/1934) - Good
Stout, Rex - 1st in series
Bantam Books, ©1934, US Paperback - ISBN:0553278193

This is where it starts: the "American Sherlock"
Some of the greatest characters in the cozy mystery genre are eccentrics. Just think of Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot. Nero Wolfe is no exception, just switch Holmes pipe for beer and the violin for orchids and you start to transformation. Then add a sidekick who is in charge of telling the story, and finally add a collection of extravagant behaviors and you are close to getting the picture.

Rex Stout keeps the plot focused and to the point, spending very little time in describing the characters and keeping that to the minimum necessary to convey the relationship between Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, and the main characteristics of each. The mystery is well crafted, and even though the identity of the culprit is known fairly early, the interest lies not only in knowing who did it, but also in the way in which Wolfe is able to prove the case. The powers of deduction of this character do not lag behind any of the other great detectives in other series.

Overall, this is an enjoyable book, and those that are new to the series can use their experience with Sherlock Holmes and Poirot to gauge if they are going to like it.

Beer-guzzling, cigarette-smoking, irreverent detective duo.... Awesome.
"Fer-De-Lance" by Rex Stout is the first novel in the heralded Nero Wolfe series. Nero Wolfe is an obese, "armchair" detective who is obsessed with plantlife (which he dedicates 4 UNDISTURBED hrs. a day to)and crime. This man has solved some complex cases from the comfort and "safety" of his prestigous New York apartment. This would only be possible with the aide of a tough, trusty, quick-witted, determined, dedicated employee and that comes in the form of one Archibald Goodwin. Archie is a long-term employee who is part-time gopher, part-time interrogator, part-time note-taker, and part-time henchman. He is always willing to do Wolfe's dirt work which is aplenty.
The story centers around the death of an Italian immigrant laborer and a wealthy college professor. Wolfe is approached to find the, then missing, laborer which triggers a story that will leave you guessing not necessarily who did the crime but how will Wolfe and Archie be able proove it. Your jaw may drop at some of Wolfe's crazy ideas and outrageous tacticts heemploys, especially for the time when this was written (1934).
This is not Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot. While they can lay charm on any witness they will also devise sinister plots to come to the solution.
I love mysteries (especially series) and this one is at the top. While the killer isn't so much in question for the majority of the novel the proof is and the payoff is worth it. Please enjoy.

Introducing two of the great characters in mysteries
I am no Rex Stout expert. Matter of fact, this is the first of his books I have read, I have however read my fair share of mysteries, and this one is a hoot. The plot of this one is more than a bit fantastical, since it involves darts flying out of golf clubs, and exotic snakes threatening to kill our protagonists, but the character are outrageously well constructed and fascinating. It seems like now a days few modern mystery fans (myself included) dip into these older books, that's a shame because the writing and plot construction, and especially the characters, here are top notch.

This is the novel that introduced the world to Nero Wolfe, is an orchid enthusiast, gourmand, and shut in. He is the brilliant and arrogant. He is a Sherlock Holmes updated to 20th Century New York, all the wit and charm, plus a fair amount of New York neurotic. His right hand man Archie Goodwin is an odd construction - more hard boiled than Wolfe, he ventures into the tough neighborhoods, occasionally carries a gun, but prefers milk to whiskey on most occasions. Somewhere between Watson and a noir style P.I. He is fascinating, and I am looking forward to seeing he and Wolfe develop as the books go on.

Definitely worth reading for anyone interested in a well built mystery inhabited with some compelling characters.
... Read more

Product Description
Investigating the bizarre will of late multimillionaire Noel Hawthorne--who left the bulk of his estate to his mistress and nearly nothing to his three sisters--astute sleuth Nero Wolfe stumbles upon a legacy of murder. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Another excelling Nero Wolfe mystery
The back of my copy made it seem like the mystery in this book was: which veiled woman is the real widow? This added a level of interest above that of a regular Nero Wolfe mystery (if there is such a thing as a "regular" Nero Wolfe mystery). In actuality, the mystery is a much more standard: who is the killer? But it's still Nero Wolfe, so it's going to be interesting anyway.

Archie Goodwin is one of my favorite narrators, and he doesn't disappoint here. There are some surprises, as Wolfe gets rather more physically involved in the case than he usually prefers, and of course his genius leads to surprising leaps of impeccable logic. As I finished this book, I wondered why I ever read a book that's not a Nero Wolfe book.

Will Wolfe survive these disruptions in his routine?
Fans of Nero Wolfe know how much he cherishes his ordered life: his schedule of morning and afternoon sessions in the plant rooms; his undisturbed mealtimes; his policies on never leaving the brownstone on business to name but a few.Wolfe is forced to abandon many of his long established polices in order to solve this problem.

Three women, sisters, have come to Wolfe for help.Their brother has died unexpectedly and even more unexpectedly left his considerable fortune not to his sisters and his wife, but to his girlfriend.Wolfe rarely gets involved in such domestic matters but does agree to take this one on, perhaps to get his office rid of all the females for before the evening is over the brownstone is invaded by the three sisters, the widow, a secretary and the dead man's niece.It is only the beginning of Wolfe's trials though, before he reveals all Wolfe has to suffer a young woman at his table, leave the brownstone - on business, eat in someone else's home and even fend off an arrest warrant in his own home.

This is popular, long running series of mysteries that focuses on the eccentric genius, Nero Wolfe who solves the most difficult of problems from the comfort of his brownstone (usually anyway).Wolfe is aided in his investigations by his assistant, Archie Goodwin who narrates the stories.Even though the puzzles in these mysteries are quite challenging these are very much cozies in that much of the appeal comes from the recurring cast of characters.Fans will not want to miss any opportunity to stop by for a visit to the brownstone.The overall story arc of this series is not so pronounced that the stories need to be read in any particular order.

Terrible Reading
Michael Prichard has a fantastic voice that is suited for this genre. According to the notes, he reads all of the Nero Wolfe titles for Mystery Masters. This is the only one that I listened to. Perhaps he's better in the others. In this specific title, I had to stop listening after about 30 minutes. Mr. Prichard sounded like a somnolent Eric Sevareid reading the news. He also sounded bored and unprepared. It was the worst reading I ever heard.

Nero Wolf
This was a very good story .. I am a big fan of Nero's Wolf's
He and Archie have become like familiy ...

A stylish mystery from days gone by
There's a famous family, an old fortune, a sudden death and a mysterious will. All the ingredients for a good whodunnit, and Rex Stout makes the most of them. Nero Wolfe behaves like the temperamental genius he knows he is, while his assistant Archie cracks wise and resigns every few pages. Their interplay is delightful. Even more than a mystery, this is an evocative tale of New York during the Depression. Heiresses were celebrities. The common folk took cabs everywhere, ate meals in drugstores and used payphones. Everyone complains about the heat because no one has air conditioning. ... Read more

Product Description
A bidding war for his services interrupts Nero Wolfe's attempts to solve the case of the businessman who died in his love nest--a case in which the police seem oddly uninterested. Reissue. ... Read more

Product Description
“Nero Wolfe towers over his rivals...he is an exceptional character creation.” —New Yorker

A grand master of the form, Rex Stout is one of America’s greatest mystery writers, and his literary creation Nero Wolfe is one of fiction’s greatest detectives. Here, in this special double edition, the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth and his trusty man-about-town, Archie Goodwin, solve two of their most bizarre cases.

Some Buried Caesar
A prize bull destined for the barbecue is found pawing the corpse of a late restaurateur. Wolfe is certain that Hickory Caesar Grindon, the soon-to-be-beefsteak bull, isn’t the murderer. But who among a veritable stampede of suspects—including a young woman who’s caught Archie’s eye—turned the tables on Hickory’s would-be butcher? It’s a crime that wins a blue ribbon for sheer audacity—and Nero Wolfe is the one detective audacious enough to solve it.

The Golden Spiders
A twelve-year-old boy shows up at Wolfe’s brownstone with an incredible story. Soon the great detective finds himself hired for the grand sum of $4.30 and faced with the question of why the last two people to hire him were murdered. To keep it from becoming three, Wolfe must discover the unlikely connection between a gray Cadillac, a mysterious woman, and a pair of earrings shaped like spiders dipped in gold. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Comfort Food for the Mind
I think I've figured out the appeal of 'crime fiction' for intelligent readers ... but wait! 'intelligent readers' is a redundancy, isn't it? Anyway, the appeal of a series of murder mysteries is that they are soothing. Soothingly predictable, especially a series like the Nero Wolfes, running to 48-plus volumes! Obviously, some of the series will be masterly, some workmanly at best, and some barely worthy of an apprentice. I seem to have stumbled upon one of each rather quickly. The first Nero Wolfe I read, Too Many Cooks, was master-crafted, quick-paced and witty. The second, Champagne for One, came in the same twofer volume so I skimmed it quickly; it was a waste of eye-movement, all formula and no zest. "Some Buried Caesar" belongs in the middle rank, a workmanly diversion that should have been edited and trimmed by a third. Frankly, I'm already bored with Nero Wolfe, so I suppose I'll set the second half of this twofer, The Golden Spiders, aside for a cruise I don't plan to take or a jail sentence I don't plan to serve.

Expensive New York private detective Nero Wolfe is epicene, indolent, insufferably arrogant, and regally Stout, all descriptors that offer possibilities for humor. Archie Goodwin, his acquiescent assistant, does double duty as sarcastic narrator and as indignant victim of any physicality that might unsettle the mental or digestive processes of his employer. Much of the fun in any Nero Wolfe novel comes from the badinage between Wolfe and Goodwin, and most of the reader's involvement comes from the unlikely pleasure one gets from seeing Wolfe bully his clients. Those clients are almost always smug, self-centered rich folk -- naturally, considering Wolfe's rates -- who scream for their comeuppance. If there's an iota of social content in the writings of Rex Stout, it's plainly a kind of sardonic liberal class-consciousness of the "eat-the-rich" variety.

"Some Buried Caesar" features two purse-proud pomposities, rivals since childhood, one of whom is the father of the first murder victim. That blustering and utterly unsympathetic fool of a father hires Wolfe, despite Wolfe's warnings that an investigation will batter his ego mercilessly. Alas, the best part of the novel, for this reader at least, was the first chapter, where all the fun comes from watching the pampered porcine Nero stumble across a pasture, to be chased by another, bovine Caesar. After that it's all a little too soothingly predictable.

'Caesar' Among Stout's Top 1 or 2
Both of these are fairly early Wolfe mysteries.'Some Buried Caesar' is about as good as humorous mystery stories get--I'd probably rate it Stout's best novel.Wolfe's deductions are quicker and deeper than ever.The villain is very smart and well-drawn.Archie has one of the funniest scenes, and very possibly the two best smart-aleck lines, in all of literature [when he's released from jail] plus an impressive piece of coordinated work with Wolfe.Plus Lily Rowan appears [better used than in any of the other novels].Nonpareil.

'The Golden Spiders' is OK.Worth reading, and Archie does some good work, but a potentially interesting character is killed off too early, and it's uninspired.

The Bull and the Spider
I have been a Nero Wolfe fan since I was a kid, even though I had never read any of Rex Stout's books.If that seems strange, it is because I grew up watching William Conrad's 1980s TV series and the 2001 A Nero Wolfe Mystery series.But I never went to the source and read the original books.

This two-book collection here, "Some Buried Caesar / The Golden Spiders" was my introduction to the real Nero Wolfe and his partner Archie.Reading these stories was like slipping into a pair of comfortable old shoes and going for a nice long walk.I knew the rhythm of the stories and the personality of the characters, but one gets to spend so much more time with them in book form rather than short TV shows.

Both "Some Buried Caesar" (1939) and "The Golden Spiders" (1953) were fantastic stories. I recognized "The Golden Spiders" from an episode of "A Nero Wolfe Mystery" but "Some Buried Caesar" was totally new.I love food and cooking as well, so the details of Wolfe's dinners were something I really appreciated.The story "Some Buried Caesar" also introduces the character of Lily Rowan, who would show up periodically as Archie's love interest.

The only possible disappointment with this collection is that it is noted in the introduction that "Some Buried Caesar" and "The Golden Spiders" are both very atypical Nero Wolfe stories.He is away from the brownstone, literally in the field, and not quite the house-bound genius I know.There is nothing wrong with going against type like this, and it creates some excellent dynamics and tensions, but I was hoping for something a little more "typical" for my first Nero Wolfe book.

But ah well.There shall be others.An appetite once wet is not so easily satiated.

Two of the best
This is a re-issue of two of the best entries in this long running series of mysteries featuring Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin.The first, SOME BURIED CAESAR was originally written in 1938, and while some of the scientific aspects show their age has held up quite well overall.Wolfe has been lured out of his beloved brownstone to enter an orchid competition in upstate New York.On the way he has become entangled in a feud between a nouveau riche restauranteur and his neighbors over the disposition of a prize bull.When a death occurs Wolfe and Archie find themselves sorting through the web of deception to find the truth.Long time fans will be especially delighted to see the first meeting of Archie and his long time love interest, Lily Rowan.

The second, THE GOLDEN SPIDERS, was first published in 1953 and has also held up well.Although the young man's speech might seem dated his tough street wise attitude is not, and if the reader would substitute the phrase 'illegal alien' for 'displaced person' the story might have been written yesterday.A young boy has come to the brownstone to consult with Wolfe just as Archie and Wolfe were engaging in yet another battle of wits.To spite Wolfe Archie let the boy in and to spite Archie Wolfe listened to his story of a mysterious woman wearing gold earrings shaped like spiders who had made a desperate plea for help to the boy.To humor the boy Wolfe had Archie make inquiries into the matter but gave the incident little thought after the boy left.When they discovered though that the boy had been run over and killed by the same car he had described the next day they took the matter much more seriously.Before Wolfe solved this puzzle though heneeded not only Archie's skill but those of Saul, Fred and Orrie as well, making this a real treat of fans of the series.

In addition to the two excellent stories there are also interesting introductions to each, a biography of Stout and some other worthwhile extras.This is a great place for a newcomer to begin the series or for a fan to renew their acquaintance.

Great Stout, Early & Late:Bully!
This latest double-novel re-issue of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories is most welcome!"Some Buried Caesar" was first published 70 years ago, and it's one of Stout's best early Wolfe novels, here combined with a good later-style novel, "Golden Spiders".

"Some Buried Caesar" is an "away from the brownstone" story.Wolfe travels to rural upstate New York to exhibit his albino orchids at a county fair.Odd for an agoraphobic, or at least travel-phobic man?Yes, but Wolfe was confronting someone Archie Goodwin, Wolfe's dogsbody, calls "an enemy".In Archie's words:

"The above-mentioned enemy that Wolfe was being gracious to was a short fat person in a dirty unpressed mohair suit, with keen little black eyes and two chins, by the name of Charles E. Shanks.I watched them and listened to them as I sipped the milk, because it was instructive.Shanks knew that the reason Wolfe had busted precedent and come to Crowfield to exhibit albinos which he had got by three new crosses with Paphiopedilum lawrenceanum hyeanum was to get an award over one Shanks had produced by crossing P. callosum sanderae with a new species from Burma, that Wolfe desired and intended to make a monkey of Shanks because Shanks had fought shy of the metropolitan show and had also twice refused Wolfe's offers to trade albinos, and that one good look at the entries in direct comparison made it practically certain that the judges' decision would render Shanks not only a monkey but even a baboon.Furthermore, Wolfe knew that Shanks knew that they both knew, but hearing them gabbing away you might have thought that when a floriculturist wipes his brow it is to remove not sweat but his excess of brotherly love, which is why, knowing the stage of vindictiveness Wolfe had had to arrive at before he decided on that trip, I say it was instructive to listen to them."

As always, Archie tells the story, in his own cheeky & genuine way, with many sharp observations.It's not Stout's terse late-style, but it's still very much Archie and lots of fun!

In "Some Buried Caesar", Archie's long-term "lady friend", Lily Rowan, makes her first appearance.This isn't the Lily of later Wolfe novels, but there are several Lily-Archie sparks & dialogues, right from the beginning where she calls him, "Escamillo" -- the manly bullfighter who stole Carmen away from her solider lover in Bizet's opera, "Carmen".That has ironic bite in context, a context I won't share.I'm not giving any plot hints, because surprises start in the first chapter, and why spoil them?

But to tease you into the book, let me add some dialogues from Archie/Lilly.This begins with Archie:

"Oh, possibly Clyde's father sicked them on.I know when I mentioned your name to him last night and said you were there, he nearly popped open.I got the impression he had seen you once in a nightmare.Not that I think you belong in a nightmare, with your complexion and so on, but that was the impression I got."
"He's just a pain."She shrugged indifferently."He has no right to be talking about me.Anyway, not to you."Her eyes moved up me and over me, up from my chest over my face to the top of my head, and then slowly traveled down again."Not to you, Escamillo," she said.I wanted to slap her, because her tone, and the look in her eyes going over me, made me feel like a potato she was peeling.She asked, "What did he say?"

And a little later, again starting with Archie:
"Did you and Clyde get engaged?"
"No."She looked at me, and the corner of her mouth turned up, and I saw her breasts gently putting the weave of the jersey to more strain as she breathed a deep one."No, Escamillo."She peeled her potato again."I don't suppose I'll marry.Because marriage is really nothing but an economic arrangement, and I'm lucky because I don't have to let the economic part enter into it."

There are wonderful bits of description, plot twists & dialogues on almost every page.Highlights include the surprises in the first few chapters, Archie's time in jail, and the denouement at the end.If you want a plot summary, go to Wikipedia, which has plot summaries of all Wolfe novels.

"Golden Spiders", first published in 1953, has one of Wolfe's best chuckle-producing introductions, which I give because it won't spoil any surprises.As always, in Archie's storytelling voice:

"When the doorbell rings while Nero Wolfe and I are at dinner, in the old brownstone house on West Thirty-fifth Street, ordinarily it is left to Fritz to answer it.But that evening I went myself, knowing that Fritz was in no mood to handle a caller, no matter who it was.

"Fritz's mood should be explained.Each year around the middle of May, by arrangement, a farmer who lives up near Brewster shoots eighteen or twenty starlings, puts them in a bag, and gets in his car and drives to New York.It is understood that they are to be delivered to our door within two hours after they were winged.Fritz dresses them and sprinkles them with salt, and, at the proper moment, brushes them with melted butter, wraps them in sage leaves, grills them, and arranges them on a platter of hot polenta, which is thick porridge of fine-ground yellow cornmeal with butter, grated cheese, and salt and pepper.

"It is an expensive meal and a happy one, and Wolfe always looks forward to it, but that day he put on an exhibition.When the platter was brought in, steaming, and placed before him, he sniffed, ducked his head and sniffed again, and straightened to look up at Fritz.
"The sage?"
"No, sir."
"What do you mean, no, sir?"
"I thought you might like it once in a style I have suggested, with saffron and tarragon.Much fresh tarragon, with just a touch of saffron, which is the way--"
"Remove it!"
Fritz went rigid and his lips tightened.
"You did not consult me,' Wolfe said coldly."To find that without warning one of my favorite dishes has been radically altered is an unpleasant shock.It may possibly be edible, but I am in no humor to risk it.Please dispose of it and bring me four coddled eggs and a piece of toast."

"Fritz, knowing Wolfe as well as I did, aware that this was a stroke of discipline that hurt Wolfe more than it did him and that it would be useless to try to parley, reached for the platter, but I put in, "I'll take some if you don't mind.If the smell won't keep you from enjoying your eggs?"

"Wolfe glared at me.

"That was how Fritz acquired the mood that made me think it advisable for me to answer the door.When the bell rang Wolfe had finished his eggs and was drinking coffee, really a pitiful sight, and I was toward the end of a second helping of the starlings and polenta, which was certainly edible.Going to the hall and the front, I didn't bother to snap the light switch because there was still enough twilight for me to see, through the one-way glass panel, that the customer on the stoop was not our ship coming in.

"I pulled the door open and told him politely, "Wrong number."I was polite by policy, my established policy of promoting the idea of peace on earth with the neighborhood kids.It made life smoother in that street, where there was a fair amount of ball throwing and other activities.
"Guess again," he told me in a low nervous alto, not too rude."You're Archie Goodwin.I've gotta see Nero Wolfe."
"What's your name?"
"Pete."
"What's the rest of it?"
"Drossos.Pete Drossos."
"What do you want to see Mr. Wolfe about?"
"I gotta case.I'll tell him."

"He as a wiry little specimen with black hair that needed a trim and sharp black eyes, the top of his head coming about level with the knot of my four-in-hand.I had seen him around the neighborhood but had nothing either for or against him.The thing was to ease him off without starting a feud, and ordinarily I would have gone at it, but after Wolfe's childish performance with Fritz I thought it would do him good to have another child to play with."

Other plot highlights include a touching scene around a death, some funny New York hoodlum scenes - Stout draws these characters well -- and perhaps the best Archie action scene in Wolfedom, exciting & with some grins, including self-grins.Again, if you want a plot summary - and I wouldn't recommend it; why spoil the surprises? - go to Wikipedia.

I've given extended Wolfe quotes mainly for the newcomers.Some folks don't like Stout's writing.But for those of us who do, he delights not only in reading, but also in re-reading, even knowing what's next.If these quotes entice or even just intrigue, buy this double-set and give it a read.You may become a Wolfe fan, or as we say, a member of the Wolfe Pack! ... Read more

Product Description

A grand master of the form, Rex Stout is one of America’s greatest mystery writers, and his literary creation Nero Wolfe is one of fiction’s greatest detectives. In this pair of classic Nero Wolfe mysteries, Stout is at his unparalleled best as the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth and his trusty man-about-town, Archie Goodwin, are served two lethally appetizing cases.

Too Many Cooks
Everyone knows that too many cooks spoil the broth, but you’d hardly expect it to lead to murder. But that’s exactly what’s on the menu at a five-star gathering of the world’s greatest chefs. As guest of honor, Wolfe was lured from his brownstone to a posh southern spa to deliver the keynote address. He never expected that between courses of haute cuisine he and Archie would be compelled to detect a killer with a poison touch—a killer preparing to serve the great detective his last supper.

Champgne for One
Faith Usher talked about taking her own life and even kept cyanide in her purse. So when she died from a lethal champagne cocktail in the middle of a high society dinner party, everyone called it suicide—including the police. But Nero Wolfe isn’t convinced—and neither is Archie. Especially when Wolfe is warned by four men against taking the case. Deception, blackmail, and a killer who may have pulled off the perfect crime…it’s a challenge Nero Wolfe can’t resist. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Seventy-three! (73) Cases!!!
Twenty years elapsed between the publication of "Too Many Cooks" (1938) and "Champagne for One" (1958), the former near the beginning of Rex Stout's career as a writer of crime fiction -- he'd already pursued more careers than most of us even aspire to -- and the latter not yet close to the end, with 18 to go! Stout (1886-1975) wrote the first 'Nero Wolfe' novel in 1934, after retiring in his forties with some wealth from the world of banking. In all, he wrote 73 novels depicting his slothful sleuth, the gargantuan gourmand and orchid fancier Nero Wolfe. Wow! And there are people who've read every one of them!

But the years and the commercial success took a toll on Rex Stout's literary skills. "Too Many Cooks" is a brilliantly stylish, highly original book, crisp, witty, and compelling intellectually, with the added bonus of some serious social content. Fictional detective Nero Wolfe, the ultimate New York elitist, turns out to have been a thoroughgoing liberal about race at a time when even his fellow New Yorker - you know, "that man!" in the White House - wasn't. I would rank "Too Many Cooks" as one of the few real 'classics' of popular crime fiction; I've already reviewed it separately. "Champagne for One" is a throwaway, totally formulaic, neither as stylish in language nor as vivid in character portrayal as the earlier book. It's the sort of pop novel one reads when one doesn't want to engage in thought of any sort. The two don't belong on the same shelf, let alone in the same volume, in terms of interest. I suppose they've been linked because of the "food and drink" descriptions in both, but even in that vein, the earlier book surpasses the later as much as "tournedos Rossini" would surpass "chicken-fried steak."

Two of Stout's Best
'Too Many Cooks' is in the top 3 of Wolfe novels.One of the best complex chains of detection and reasoning in all the books [though bordering on far-fetched].Wolfe stands up [well, sits up] pretty vigorously as a non-racist--impressive for 1938.Two beguiling women, at least one great smart-alecky line by Archie, a good food mystery, Wolfe reasonably funny....

'Champagne...' is good, probably in the top quarter of Wolfe books.Archie does some deduction himself; Wolfe juggles character entrances very well; the murder is really impossible, and its solution accordingly strains credulity, but there sure isn't any other way the murder could have occurred.

Two Nero Wolfe Classics in One
Nero Wolfe, the dour prince of classic detectives, with his man about town, and biographer, Archie Goodwin at his side to tell his stories have been a constant delight on our shelves for many years.They are worth reading and re-reading every few years.This is classic, solved by wit rather than guts, blood and gore mystery story. This combo is two of Stout's best.The second was portrayed in A&E's Nero Wolfe Mystery Series, with Timothy Hutton and Maury Chakin as Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe.Very true to the Stout writings and style.Great dialog and setting, and a lot of fun.Nice, light reading.

Rex Stout Rocks!
All of the Nero Wolfe books are keepers. Curl up in a chair and find yourself in NYC solving mysteries and living the good life!

Murder on the Menu
I love these new editions of Nero Wolfe mysteries.Not only do they offer two-for-one tales, but they have added features like introductions on each story and original notes, maps, and letters from the author and editors.Nice to get all these behind-the-scenes details.

In this collection we learn a very valuable lesson:When Nero or Archie are invited guests, you better expect murder on the menu!Of course, these books are full of the usual banter, Archie quips, and memorable observations from the third-ton genius himself, which we have all grown to love.But we also have a few extra-special dishes on the menu, such as the ultra-rare event of Wolfe leaving his sanctum-as-house.

Read and enjoy or risk becoming a witling. ... Read more

Product Description
A grand master of the form, Rex Stout is one of America’s greatest mystery writers, and his literary creation Nero Wolfe is one of fiction’s greatest detectives. Here, in Stout’s third and fourth complete Wolfe mysteries, the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth and his trusty man-about-town, Archie Goodwin, solve two of their most baffling cases.

The Rubber Band
What do a Wild West lynching and a respected English nobleman have in common? On the surface, absolutely nothing. But when a young woman hires his services, it becomes Nero Wolfe’s job to look deeper and find the connection. A forty-year-old pact, a five-thousand-mile search, and a million-dollar murder are all linked to an international scandal that could rebound on the great detective and his partner, Archie, with fatal abruptness.

The Red Box
Murder by chocolate? That’s the premise Nero Wolfe must operate from when a beautiful woman is poisoned after indulging in a box of candy. It’s a case that the great detective—no stranger himself to overindulgence—is loath to take for a variety of reasons, including that it may require that he leave his comfortable brownstone. But he and Archie are compelled by a mystery that mixes high fashion and low motives…and a killer who may have made the deadliest mistake. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

this 2 stories are HOME RUNS
This is the 2nd book I bought in the " Nero Wolfe" series by Rex Stout and I have found every single story great. I have, as people told me I would, tried to buy every book written about Nero and they are all a joy to read.

I warn everyone if you buy one and read it, you will want the rest of them as I did.. You will feel like you are there with Nero and Archie, with the flowers on the roof, listening to Nero go "PFUI" and with Archie doing all the work, Nero calling together all the suspects and fingering the guilty party.

The Past Comes Back to Haunt You
Don't want to give anything away for new readers, but both these involve secrets from the past.Love these new dual collection editions with the added essays.The Rubber Band might be the closest thing to a western in the Wolfe canon.The Red Box is interesting as it solves by not solving, if you follow.

Even better 20 years later
It has been 20 years since I have read all the Nero Wolfe series.What is amazing is how vividly I still remember characters, plot, etc.Nevertheless, recalling who the murderer is does not diminish my pleasure in re-reading these books.Rex Stout will always be the master. I am looking forward to future releases. ... Read more

Product Description
In three cases--a millionaire who writes his own death warrant, a dog who becomes a killer's worst enemy, and an answering service which refuses to talk about a murder--three witnesses hold the solution for detective Rex Stout. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Thre great stories
I love the mystery novels written during the 30's to the 60's. There is a certain style to Chandler, Hammet and Rex Stout which creates an interesting and fast paced story. Rex Stout is a master at giving the reader just enough detail to allow the reader to visualize his/her own images without going into the painful details some modern writers give. The books which are a collection of short stories are the best ones to me. They are written without tedious back-story and come to a speedy conclusion. Three Witnesses is a great example of this. Three stories linked in a theme that entertain. My favorite is the last story about the dog. It shows a different side of Nero Wolfe. Worth reading.

It's A Dog's Life
These are great stories, but the most memorable one is "Die Like A Dog."A dog's owner is killed and, because Archie accidentally swapped coats with him, the dog literally follows Archie home.The A&E adaptation of this story is great.

The Wolfe Pack, though, has raised a continuity concern:the dog's owner was dead, Wolfe was obviously very fond of the dog, and yet, without explanation, the dog disappears.

"The Next Witness" has Wolfe testifying in court.The A&E adaption is also a good one, but I was disappointed in the depiction of the judge and his demeanor - it was not how the book has it at all.

And "When a Man Murders..." would have been an outstanding addition to the A&E catalog.Wolfe avoids marital work (a staple of the private detective business), but takes on this one because of some unusual facts and because he's low on cash.The characters in this one are great;you could see the A&E ensemble having a ball with this one.

In which Nero leaves the house, handles a messy divorce case and gets a dog!
Nero Wolfe has many eccentricities, his orchids, his rigid schedule, his obsessive reading to name a few.Very prominent on this list is that Wolfe rarely leaves the house, NEVER handles divorce cases, and is opposed to animals in his house.In this collection of three novellas all of the above and more occur.

THE NEXT WITNESS is the first story.Nero Wolfe has been summoned to court as a witness in a murder trial.This has necessitated him to abandon his routine, travel in a car, sit in court (next to a woman wearing perfume!) and just when the end of this torment is in sight Wolfe walks out of court.Now a fugitive himself he, and Archie set out to solve the case in a more satifactory manner so Nero can return home.This is hilarious, Wolfe becomes involved in many unusual (for him) situations that he reacts to as only Nero Wolfe could or would.

WHEN A MAN MURDERS.... finds Nero and Archie confronted with a low bank balance and two eager clients which Wolfe would prefer to dismss since the case involves divorce.Still the details are intriguing enough to look into and soon this simple matter becomes one of death and deception.

The final work - DIE LIKE A DOG begins with Archie out on a simple errand.A would be client has taken Archie's raincoat by mistake so Archie go the man's apartment and retrieve his coat.When he arrives at the address he discovers that the situation has been complicated by the man's murder, he leaves in order to avoid dealing with the police but discovers that he has been followed home, by a dog.Archie then decides to have a little fun at Wolfe's expense before locating the dog's owner.Soon however the trio - Archie, Nero and the dog find themselves deeply involved in the case and with no client.

These are particularly funny entries into this long running series.Wolfe is thrust into many situations that he would very much prefer to avoid.Fans are treated to many juicy little tidbits about life in the brownstone and even a fleeting glimpse into Wolfe's mysterious past.The mysteries themselves, although somewhat secondary to the cozy/comic elements in these stories, are very clever, fairly laid out and challenge to reader to solve them before Nero reveals all.

Three Tales of Death and Deduction
Nero Wolfe may be enjoyed through the media of print, audio, and video--in print courtesy of Bantam Books; on audio courtesy of Durkin Hayes, Radio Spirits, and Books on Tape; and on video courtesy of A&E Network.It's hard to say which way gives the most pleasure.As much as I like the A&E shows, and as much as I like Durkin Hayes' editions of the CBC radio shows, I think the best way to enjoy Nero Wolfe is in print.And the best way to enjoy him in print is in Rex Stout's novelettes.The novels are good, but the novelettes are tauter, faster-paced, and funnier."Three Witnesses" serves up three very good novelettes.In "The Next Witness" Wolfe sits uncomfortably in a crowded courtroom, under subpoena, and waiting to give truthful testimony which he expects will materially contribute to the conviction for murder of an innocent man.What to do, what to do?Flee the courtroom, dodge the arrest warrant issued for contempt of court, and bring the real murderer to justice before the judge can bang his gavel down on a sentence of imprisonment for contempt.That sounds easy enough, doesn't it?In "When a Man Murders", a millionaire returns from the dead to retrieve the fortune which was divided among his heirs and reclaim the "widow" who has entered into a much happier second marriage.The "widow" comes to Wolfe for his assistance in obtaining a divorce from her recently resurrected spouse.Not to worry, he almost immediately dies again, but the widow's new husband is arrested for murder.Wolfe must penetrate a web of lies to determine who among the heirs had the most to gain from the millionaire's second death.In "Die Like a Dog" an improbable chain of coincidences brings Nero Wolfe together with Nero the Labrador Retriever.Together they unravel a murder mystery, reunite a couple, and retrieve Archie Goodwin's raincoat."Die Like a Dog" and "The Next Witness" have both been televised on the A&E series.

A trio of excellent short stories
To date (beginning of season 2), 2 of the 3 stories herein have been adapted by A&E with Maury Chaykin as Wolfe; the TV series is extremely faithful to the original stories.

"The Next Witness" - (Adapted for _Nero Wolfe_'s 2nd season.) Wolfe makes a point of never leaving home on business, but alas, subpoenas are an occupational hazard for private investigators, and even Wolfe can't always shuffle them off onto Archie, even when the defendant never made it to the status of client.

Wolfe didn't deliver Leonard Ashe to the law; he rejected Ashe as a client because he won't touch marital squabbles. Ashe is being tried for the murder of one of the operators of his telephone answering service, apparently after a failed attempt to bribe her to tap his wife's calls. Wolfe, after hearing the testimony of preceding witnesses, skips out on the subpoena, taking Archie along, having become convinced that Ashe is innocent, though he doesn't at first explain why. See if you can deduce his reasons before the grand finale.

When Wolfe finally does take the stand quite a while later (now, of course, facing contempt of court), he has a diabolically clever plan to get his new evidence before the jury. Enjoy.

When a Man Murders... - Sydney Karnow had wealth, a sardonic sense of humor, a nice wife, and a pack of sponging relatives. A year after his marriage, he volunteered for army service in the Korean War, and was reported dead within a year, leaving his fortune divided between his wife (50%) and the spongers (50% divided 3 ways), so all were well provided for if not filthy rich.

Now, 3 years later, he's come back *alive* - two years after Caroline's remarriage to Paul Aubry. They used her inheritance to start an automobile agency, but the money didn't bring them to Wolfe - their problem is that their marriage is now invalid. (They're willing to concede anything about the money in exchange for a simple divorce.) Paul can't bring himself to speak with Karnow directly, and Karnow's lawyer won't get involved, so they're approaching Wolfe to act as intermediary.

Ordinarily Wolfe won't touch any case related to marital squabbles, but he's willing in this instance. Unfortunately, when Archie enters Karnow's hotel room at the Churchill, he's dead again, this time for keeps. Did Paul or Caroline try to hire Wolfe as a bluff? Or did one of the spongers (some of whom haven't *got* the money to repay the estate anymore) panic? Or was it something they don't know about yet?

"Die Like a Dog" - This has always been a favourite of mine, and I was very pleasantly surprised when A&E adapted it for _Nero Wolfe_'s 2nd season. A black Labrador literally follows Archie home, and not only retrieves his windblown hat, but turns out to be named 'Nero' (part of a much longer kennel-club name on his collar, but how could Archie resist?)

Unfortunately, the unannounced (even if temporary) introduction of a dog into the hallowed halls of the brownstone backfires in a totally unexpected manner, which you'll have to read/see to believe. :) The *dog* turns out to be a possible witness in a murder investigation, but how the heck can anybody learn anything from him? ... Read more

Product Description
In three cases--a millionaire who writes his own death warrant, a dog who becomes a killer's worst enemy, and an answering service which refuses to talk about a murder--three witnesses hold the solution for detective Rex Stout. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Thre great stories
I love the mystery novels written during the 30's to the 60's. There is a certain style to Chandler, Hammet and Rex Stout which creates an interesting and fast paced story. Rex Stout is a master at giving the reader just enough detail to allow the reader to visualize his/her own images without going into the painful details some modern writers give. The books which are a collection of short stories are the best ones to me. They are written without tedious back-story and come to a speedy conclusion. Three Witnesses is a great example of this. Three stories linked in a theme that entertain. My favorite is the last story about the dog. It shows a different side of Nero Wolfe. Worth reading.

It's A Dog's Life
These are great stories, but the most memorable one is "Die Like A Dog."A dog's owner is killed and, because Archie accidentally swapped coats with him, the dog literally follows Archie home.The A&E adaptation of this story is great.

The Wolfe Pack, though, has raised a continuity concern:the dog's owner was dead, Wolfe was obviously very fond of the dog, and yet, without explanation, the dog disappears.

"The Next Witness" has Wolfe testifying in court.The A&E adaption is also a good one, but I was disappointed in the depiction of the judge and his demeanor - it was not how the book has it at all.

And "When a Man Murders..." would have been an outstanding addition to the A&E catalog.Wolfe avoids marital work (a staple of the private detective business), but takes on this one because of some unusual facts and because he's low on cash.The characters in this one are great;you could see the A&E ensemble having a ball with this one.

In which Nero leaves the house, handles a messy divorce case and gets a dog!
Nero Wolfe has many eccentricities, his orchids, his rigid schedule, his obsessive reading to name a few.Very prominent on this list is that Wolfe rarely leaves the house, NEVER handles divorce cases, and is opposed to animals in his house.In this collection of three novellas all of the above and more occur.

THE NEXT WITNESS is the first story.Nero Wolfe has been summoned to court as a witness in a murder trial.This has necessitated him to abandon his routine, travel in a car, sit in court (next to a woman wearing perfume!) and just when the end of this torment is in sight Wolfe walks out of court.Now a fugitive himself he, and Archie set out to solve the case in a more satifactory manner so Nero can return home.This is hilarious, Wolfe becomes involved in many unusual (for him) situations that he reacts to as only Nero Wolfe could or would.

WHEN A MAN MURDERS.... finds Nero and Archie confronted with a low bank balance and two eager clients which Wolfe would prefer to dismss since the case involves divorce.Still the details are intriguing enough to look into and soon this simple matter becomes one of death and deception.

The final work - DIE LIKE A DOG begins with Archie out on a simple errand.A would be client has taken Archie's raincoat by mistake so Archie go the man's apartment and retrieve his coat.When he arrives at the address he discovers that the situation has been complicated by the man's murder, he leaves in order to avoid dealing with the police but discovers that he has been followed home, by a dog.Archie then decides to have a little fun at Wolfe's expense before locating the dog's owner.Soon however the trio - Archie, Nero and the dog find themselves deeply involved in the case and with no client.

These are particularly funny entries into this long running series.Wolfe is thrust into many situations that he would very much prefer to avoid.Fans are treated to many juicy little tidbits about life in the brownstone and even a fleeting glimpse into Wolfe's mysterious past.The mysteries themselves, although somewhat secondary to the cozy/comic elements in these stories, are very clever, fairly laid out and challenge to reader to solve them before Nero reveals all.

Three Tales of Death and Deduction
Nero Wolfe may be enjoyed through the media of print, audio, and video--in print courtesy of Bantam Books; on audio courtesy of Durkin Hayes, Radio Spirits, and Books on Tape; and on video courtesy of A&E Network.It's hard to say which way gives the most pleasure.As much as I like the A&E shows, and as much as I like Durkin Hayes' editions of the CBC radio shows, I think the best way to enjoy Nero Wolfe is in print.And the best way to enjoy him in print is in Rex Stout's novelettes.The novels are good, but the novelettes are tauter, faster-paced, and funnier."Three Witnesses" serves up three very good novelettes.In "The Next Witness" Wolfe sits uncomfortably in a crowded courtroom, under subpoena, and waiting to give truthful testimony which he expects will materially contribute to the conviction for murder of an innocent man.What to do, what to do?Flee the courtroom, dodge the arrest warrant issued for contempt of court, and bring the real murderer to justice before the judge can bang his gavel down on a sentence of imprisonment for contempt.That sounds easy enough, doesn't it?In "When a Man Murders", a millionaire returns from the dead to retrieve the fortune which was divided among his heirs and reclaim the "widow" who has entered into a much happier second marriage.The "widow" comes to Wolfe for his assistance in obtaining a divorce from her recently resurrected spouse.Not to worry, he almost immediately dies again, but the widow's new husband is arrested for murder.Wolfe must penetrate a web of lies to determine who among the heirs had the most to gain from the millionaire's second death.In "Die Like a Dog" an improbable chain of coincidences brings Nero Wolfe together with Nero the Labrador Retriever.Together they unravel a murder mystery, reunite a couple, and retrieve Archie Goodwin's raincoat."Die Like a Dog" and "The Next Witness" have both been televised on the A&E series.

A trio of excellent short stories
To date (beginning of season 2), 2 of the 3 stories herein have been adapted by A&E with Maury Chaykin as Wolfe; the TV series is extremely faithful to the original stories.

"The Next Witness" - (Adapted for _Nero Wolfe_'s 2nd season.) Wolfe makes a point of never leaving home on business, but alas, subpoenas are an occupational hazard for private investigators, and even Wolfe can't always shuffle them off onto Archie, even when the defendant never made it to the status of client.

Wolfe didn't deliver Leonard Ashe to the law; he rejected Ashe as a client because he won't touch marital squabbles. Ashe is being tried for the murder of one of the operators of his telephone answering service, apparently after a failed attempt to bribe her to tap his wife's calls. Wolfe, after hearing the testimony of preceding witnesses, skips out on the subpoena, taking Archie along, having become convinced that Ashe is innocent, though he doesn't at first explain why. See if you can deduce his reasons before the grand finale.

When Wolfe finally does take the stand quite a while later (now, of course, facing contempt of court), he has a diabolically clever plan to get his new evidence before the jury. Enjoy.

When a Man Murders... - Sydney Karnow had wealth, a sardonic sense of humor, a nice wife, and a pack of sponging relatives. A year after his marriage, he volunteered for army service in the Korean War, and was reported dead within a year, leaving his fortune divided between his wife (50%) and the spongers (50% divided 3 ways), so all were well provided for if not filthy rich.

Now, 3 years later, he's come back *alive* - two years after Caroline's remarriage to Paul Aubry. They used her inheritance to start an automobile agency, but the money didn't bring them to Wolfe - their problem is that their marriage is now invalid. (They're willing to concede anything about the money in exchange for a simple divorce.) Paul can't bring himself to speak with Karnow directly, and Karnow's lawyer won't get involved, so they're approaching Wolfe to act as intermediary.

Ordinarily Wolfe won't touch any case related to marital squabbles, but he's willing in this instance. Unfortunately, when Archie enters Karnow's hotel room at the Churchill, he's dead again, this time for keeps. Did Paul or Caroline try to hire Wolfe as a bluff? Or did one of the spongers (some of whom haven't *got* the money to repay the estate anymore) panic? Or was it something they don't know about yet?

"Die Like a Dog" - This has always been a favourite of mine, and I was very pleasantly surprised when A&E adapted it for _Nero Wolfe_'s 2nd season. A black Labrador literally follows Archie home, and not only retrieves his windblown hat, but turns out to be named 'Nero' (part of a much longer kennel-club name on his collar, but how could Archie resist?)

Unfortunately, the unannounced (even if temporary) introduction of a dog into the hallowed halls of the brownstone backfires in a totally unexpected manner, which you'll have to read/see to believe. :) The *dog* turns out to be a possible witness in a murder investigation, but how the heck can anybody learn anything from him? ... Read more

Product Description
Unwilling to accept a suicide ruling after witnessing the death of the admittedly morbid Faith Usher, Archie Goodwin is assisted in the investigation by Nero Wolfe, who has been warned to stay away from the case. Reissue. NYT. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Archie at his Archie-est....
As is often true, Stout's first chapter sparkles.Here, even though the plot premise is a bit strained, I really don't care.We get something better:in a quartet of dialogues -- through Archie's eyes, and through Fritz's & Wolfe's -- we see Archie at his Archie-est.

A few brief tastes of these four:

First dialogue, with a new male character.He calls out-of-the-blue to invite Archie to a very elite, possibly strained dinner party.After toying with him, Archie says to himself,

"If I hadn't had my full share of ego I might also have been curious as to why he had picked on me, since we were not chums, but of course that was no problem.If your ego is in good shape you will pretend you're surprised if a National Chairman calls to tell you his party wants to nominate you for President of the United States, but you're not really surprised.

"...the fact was that that idea [of the dinner party] appealed to me.It would be a new experience and should increase my knowledge of human nature.It might also be a bit ticklish, and even dismal, but it would be interesting to see how they handled it.Not to mention how I would handle it myself."

Second dialogue, with another new character - an older very rich female snob, who neither likes nor trusts Archie.Starting with Archie:

"Okay.I accept the invitation as a favor to your nephew.Thank you."
"Very well."A pause."Of course it is not usual, on inviting a dinner guest, to caution him about his conduct, but for this occasion some care is required.You appreciate that?"
"Certainly."
"Tact and discretion are necessary."
"I'll bring mine along," I assured her.
"And of course refinement."
"I'll borrow some."I decided she needed a little comfort."Don't' worry, Mrs. Robilotti, I understand the setup and you can count on me through to the coffee and even after.Relax.I am fully briefed.Tact, discretion, refinement, black tie, seven o'clock."
"Then I'll expect you.Please hold the wire."

Third dialogue, one of Stout's nicest Archie/Fritz playful bantering scenes.In the brownstone's kitchen, again, starting with Archie:

"...and I would appreciate some suggestions on how I act this evening."

He snorted."Act with women?You?Ha!With your thousand triumphs!Advice from me?Archie, that is upside down?"

"Thanks for the plug, but these women are special."With a finger I wiped up a speck of anchovy butter that had dropped on the table and licked it off."Here's the problem.This Mrs. Robilotti's first husband was Albert Grantham, who spent the last ten years of his life doing things with part of the three or four hundred million dollars he had inherited - things to improve the world, including the people in it.I assume you will admit that a girl who had a baby but no husband needs improving."

Fritz pursed his lips."First I would have to see the girl and the baby.They might be charming."

And finally, from a Wolfe/Archie dialogue, the longest of the four and one of several nice one's in this book.Starting with Wolfe:

"...Buffoonery.A burlesque of hospitality.Do you mean you are abetting it?"

"I wouldn't say abetting it.A man I know named Austin Byne phoned and asked me to fill in for him because he's in bed with a cold and can't go.Anyhow, it will give me a fresh outlook.I will harden my nerves.It will broaden my mind."

His eyes had narrowed."Archie."
"Yes, sir."
"Do I ever intrude in your private affairs?"
"Yes, sir.Frequently.But you think you don't, so go right ahead."
"I am not intruding.If it is your whim to lend yourself to that outlandish performance, very well.I merely suggest that you demean yourself.Those creatures are summoned there for an obvious purpose.It is hoped that they, or at least one of them, will meet a man who will be moved to pursue the acquaintance and who will end by legitimating, if not the infant already in being, the future produce of the womb.Therefore your attendance there will be an imposture, and you know it.I begin to doubt if you will ever let a woman plant her foot on your neck, but if you do she will have qualities that would make it impossible for her to share the fate of those forlorn creatures.You will be perpetrating a fraud."

I was shaking my head."No, sir.You've got it wrong.I let you finish just to hear it....And don't be so sure I don't meet my doom.It's a scientific fact that some girls are more beautiful, more spiritual, more fascinating, after they have had a baby.Also it would be an advantage to have the family already started."

"Pfui."

Archie, always a wonderful character, shines throughout this tale.But there are several other highspots:Hackett, the Robilotti butler, is given several neat scenes.(Stout often does butlers well.)After its weak premise, the plot kicks in, and has some really fun & unexpected twists.There are nice Wolfe-Archie tiffs, and a couple of fun Wolfe-women tiffs, as well as a few touching scenes, too.Great mature Stout, with many characters well-drawn.

I close with the Archie quitting scene, one of several in the Stout canon.After a frustrating dry period, Wolfe had just given Saul an errand.Starting with Archie:

That was when we had words.I cradled the receiver, not gently, and stood up."This is Saturday,' I said, "and I've got my check for this week.I want a month's severance pay."

"Pfui."

"No phooey.I am severing relations.It has been eighty-eight hours since I saw that girl die, and your one bright idea, granting that it was bright, was to collect her mother, and I refuse to camp here on my fanny while Saul collects her.Saul is not ten times as smart as I am; he's only twice as smart.A month's severance pay will be--"

"Shut up."

"Gladly."I went to the safe for the checkbook and took it to my desk.

"Archie."

"I have shut up."I opened the checkbook.

"This is natural.That is, it is in us, and we are alive, and whatever is in life is natural.You are headstrong and I am magisterial.Our tolerance of each other is a constantly recurring miracle.I did not have one idea, bright or not, I had two.We have neglected Austin Byne....he deserves better of us. I suggest that you attend to him."

I turned my head but kept the checkbook open."How?Tell him we don't like his explanation and we want new ones?"

"Nonsense.You are not so ingenuous.Survey him.Explore him."

"I already have....Are you working yourself up to saying that you want to see him?"

"No.I have no lever to use him.I only feel that he has been neglected.If you approach him again you too will be without a lever.Perhaps the best course would be to put him under surveillance.'

"If I postpone writing this check is that an instruction?"

"Yes."

"At least I would get out in the air and away from the miracle for a while."

All Wolfe-Archie fans are grateful that Stout kept this miracle alive for so long.

No Good Turn Goes Unpunished
One March morning in 1952 Archie Goodwin got a phone call from an acquaintance, Austin Byne, who wanted Archie to fill in for him at a dinner party that evening.Archie had an unpleasant experience with the hostess a few years earlier, he knew that the excuse Austin had given him was false and he was aware that the dinner party, an annual event where the guests of honor are unwed mothers, was unusual and more than a bit awkward.Despite all the reasons not to go Archie's curiosity got the better of him and he agreed to go.Before the evening was over though he came to regret his decision though.One of the unwed mothers committed suicide by putting cyanide in her post dinner champagne.At least that was the official explanation, Archie was convinced that the young woman had been murdered, and based on Archie's conviction Wolfe found himself involved in the mess.It was a decision that he must have had second thoughts about though when multiple women came through the brownstone on several occasions before the culprit was found.

As always with Stout's stories the plot is clever, full of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing as Archie ferrets out the clues.The dialog between Archie and Wolfe is witty and the scenes of Wolfe coping with a roomful of females is hilarious.Those who are new to the series would do well to start here and those who are fans will enjoy this one with its delightful peeks into life in the brownstone.

"Champagne For One" - a Nero Wolfe Mystery by Rex Stout
For over 20 years,I have been collecting Nero Wolfe mysteries, and this was the one I couldn't find.I was delighted to have found it on Amazon!It didn't disappoint - Wolfe, Archie, Fritz and Inspector Cramer were all there, in rare form, as usual.I read and reread my Nero Wolfe mysteries all the time.Rex Stout was a literary genius, using big words that I sometimes I have to look up, plot lines to keep anyone interested, and a large dose of humor.I would recomend this book, as well as any Nero Wolfe mystery by the incomperable Rex Stout.

ejn Review of Champagne for One
I am a fan of the Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries and think that Michael Prichard's readings capture all that is best in them.His individualistic voices for the Stout characters are right on target.His Nero Wolfe conveys Wolfe's unflappable superiority, his remarkable presence (and bulk), and his high IQ.But my favorite has to be Prichard's tongue-in-cheek, smooth-talking, sophisticated tough man, Archie Goodwin, the narrator of each tale.Prichard's reading of "Champagne for One" amply shows off his acting talents, as much as the intriguing plot and many characters demonstrate Stout's writing abilities.

simple fun
another in a series of simple, well devised Nero Wolfe mysteries. if you like the series this is a "gotta have". ... Read more

Product Description
Nero Wolfe and his sidekick, Archie, are entangled in the murder case of a beautiful young socialite with too many lovers and one too many enemies--but Wolfe is sure the police are wrong to arrest her fiance+a7. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Marriage, murder and race.
First, you may wish to read Too Many Cooks, before this book, but this book can still be a stand alone.A romance between a black man and a white woman seems normal today, but when this book was published, 1964, this book was dealing with hot and dangerous stuff.Marriage, murder and race isn't something to laugh at in those days.Not today either, when you come right down to it.I think Rex Stout did a fairly good job.Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe come out as humane and willing to do their best for the Whipple family in their hour of need.

Nero Wolfe and the Civil Rights Movement
One morning early in 1964 Archie ushered a potential client, Paul Whipple, into Wolfe's office.Wolfe initially rejected the case, finding 'dirt' on the man's future daughter-in-law but reluctantly reconsidered when he was reminded that the client had aided him in solving a case years ago. Then the client had been an employee, a twenty-one year old college student now he was a professor at Columbia University and the father of a twenty-three year old young son who had, at least in his parents' opinion, an unfortunate taste in women, specifically that the young woman was white and the Whipple family black. Reluctantly, to repay the old debt that Wolfe felt he owed the older Whipple, Wolfe took on the case.Soon Archie was quietly investigating the charming young woman, even traveling to her childhood home in Racine, Wisconsin (an eighty dollar airfare!) to find out about her character, only to be called back when the she was found murdered, and her intended was the chief suspect.As Archie and Wolfe changed the focus of the case to search for the murderer the trail took them all over Manhattan and Harlem, back to the Midwest before locating the culprit but not before a second murder.

Stout always set his Nero Wolfe mysteries contemporary to the time it was written even though his main cast of characters did not age.Usually this passes without the reader even noticing but in this one it is quite obvious that at least 24 years have elapsed but Archie is still about thirty.Today's reader will also notice that America has changed markedly in the 45 years since this story was written, the n-word appears often, interracial relationships were daring and not without danger, and the idea of a black mayor of New York was startling (the idea of a black US President was not even considered).Long time fans will find it interesting to see how Stout takes his characters from the Depression Era 1930's to the turbulent early 1960's (as Archie struggles to remember that it is Kennedy International not Idlewild airport).

No matter what year it is outside the brownstone the repartee between Wolfe and Archie is always hilarious, the mysteries are sufficiently challenging to keep the reader guessing along with Archie right up to the minute Wolfe reveals all.Those new to the series would probably want to read at least one of two of the earliest novels but it is not necessary to read these in strict order to enjoy them.

Wolfe and Archie fight racism
Paul Whipple doesn't want his son to marry outside of his race. It's not that he doesn't like white people, but a black man marrying a white woman in 1964 is trouble. Whipple wants Nero Wolfe to help him find a way to break up their engagement. Wolfe would normally reject job like this but he owes a debt to Whipple because of an incident that had occurred in the distant past when Whipple helped him solve a case.

So off Archie goes to Racine, Wisconsin to dig up some dirt on Susan Brooke but after a fruitless search that finds not a trace of scandal, Archie gets a call from Wolfe.Return to New York... Susan Brooke has been found beaten to death in her apartment. And when Whipple's son is arrested for the crime, the case changes into a hunt for the real killer.

The book was written in 1964 at the same time the debate over the Civil Rights Act was going on. Stout covers what was controversial material at the time, reminding us that attitudes in 1964 were not the same as they are today. But this book also reminds us that we haven't come as far as we might like to think. The n-word is used in the book, but only in dialog when Stout uses it to reveal something about the character of the person who says it.Wolfe and Archie never use it, and as Archie says, "I have felt superior to plenty of people but never because of the color of my skin."

As to the the mystery itself, it is one of the best I have read so far.I didn't have the slightest idea who the killer might be and yet when it was revealed I wanted to smack myself for not getting it.

Nero Wolfe at his best
This book begins with Wolfe breaking one of his own rules; namely to never take a case that involves digging up dirt on someone (an undertaking he finds reprehensible and beneath him).But he feels obligated to a man who once did him a favor and decides to undertake the job of looking into the background of a woman who later ends up being murdered, with his client's son being suspected of the Murder.Archie and Wolfe must prove their client's son did not committ the crime and to do that, they must find the murderer.And, as you might guess, the solution lies in the victims past.

This book is extremely well written.It touches on a number of topics, but none as intimately as the civil rights movement and interracial relationships.Combined with Stout's usual flair this makes for an intriquing mystery and a fascinating look at the civil rights era that still is important today.

The book also highlights alot of the characteristics of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin that have made them such memorable characters.

Making a statement does not always produce the best work
A RIGHT TO DIE is Stout at his most political, using Wolfe to make a commentary about race relations in America. Wolfe's involvement in a case relating to the civil rights movement, interracial relationships, and of course, a murder that will confound the police, is an interesting time capsule. The book exposes some harsh truths which appear a bit dated today, but don't lack for impact. The mystery itself is a fairly involving one, but the weight of the events surrounding this particular tale is a bit too heavy for Nero and Archie to carry. Stout was not afraid to make political statements in this series, but they didn't always make for the best episodes. ... Read more

Product Description
When everyone who has read Leonard Dykes's unpublished manuscript--including the author himself--is found dead, Nero Wolfe, along with his sidekick, decides to set a trap. Reissue. NYT. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

why kill over a book?
Yes, why kill over a book?That is the essential question as the author, the manuscript's typist, and the reviewer at a publishing house are all murdered upon reading what is apparently a dangerous manuscript.Attention gets focused on the law firm that the dead author worked for.Wolfe must outsmart a pretty smart lawyer.Meanwhile, Archie has fun hosting a party for the ladies who work in the firm, and travels to California to lay a trap for one of the suspects.

Stout writes in a cerebric style rarely seen in popular fiction today.Enjoy!

Encyclopedia Brown for adults---brilliant
Rex Stout is a genius---I loved this book.It's tight, fast-flowing, seamless, and tension-filled.I read it in a day or so, and enjoyed the diversion it provided.The characters are distinct and colorful (especially Stout's alter-ego, the 350-pound private detective, Nero Wolfe), the clues are tantalizing, and the drama is excellent.

For a book written sixty years ago---this is a real winner.

As a kid I used to love the Encyclopedia Brown stories.Now I have Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries to fill an adult version of the same niche...

Great book
I love all the books of Rex Stout. I read them first in Russian and fell in love with smart Nero Wolfe and funny Archie Goodwin. Now I am collecting all the detective stories written by Stout.

Really enjoyed it
I have really enjoyed this writer and the well done story lines.I continue to pick up the Nero Wolf when I find them.

good choice
have been looking for this book for a long time and was very happy to finally be able to buy it. ... Read more

Product Description
So you think you know Nero Wolfe, do you? So you're reasonably sure that only the most dire emergency will induce Nero to leave his home on West Thirty-fifth Street, and that no case since his early days could make him budge from Manhattan Island or miss a meal cooked by his own precious Fritz? Well, brace yourself! In this latest Nero Wolfe full-length adventure, Nero not only leaves house, cook, and orchid plants, but also flies nearly cross-continent to Montana to join Archie Goodwin on a lavish but very private dude ranch. Here he settles down to solve murder by rifle shot, resigned to the necessity of performing such unWolfean activities as tramping through underbrush, wading in an icy tout stream, eating canned soup, and attending a rowdy Saturday night hoe-down in a cattle town. He also has to deal with a young unmarried mother, some uncooperative cowhands, a highly belligerent sheriff, an off-Broadway actress, and any number of chairs which don't begin to fit his bulk. Yet, throughout, he remains the same inimitable Nero Wolfe. How does Rex Stout know enough about the Far West to write this novel? Every summer, for a large part of his life, he spent his time riding pack trains, fishing mile-high streams, and enjoying night after night around campfires, yarning with genuine cowpunchers. So there isn't a misplaced piece of harness or an inauthentic Western vista in this, one of the funniest, most engaging, and most out-of-doors of all Nero Wolfe adventures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Wolfe out on the range
It was delightful to encounter NW out and about, wearing a poncho, sitting on a rock, cooling his beer in a stream.And it was interesting to witness NW and AG interacting, at least for a brief time, as equals instead of employer and employee. But the story itself was nonsense. I hate it when there is no way for the readers (or in this case, even the detectives) to figure out who the culprit is with the means at hand. If you're looking for another fun adventure with Archie and Mr. Wolfe, pick this book up. But if you want to read a conventional, challenging whodunit, pass it by.

Nero Wolfe plays better at home than away
The review below describes the characters and I will not repeat it. In this book Nero Wolfe leaves his brownstone and established routine and goes toMontana to assist Archie. I had read the Rex Stout series some thirtyyears ago when I was in a hospital in Staten Island and the medicos weretrying to stick a lymphoma diagnosis on me. (They were wrong.)It is fun togo back and spend time with my former friends Archie Goodwin and NeroWolfe. Objectively, this novel is not as good as some others. The Montanacharacters are not very well defined and the plot is not what I would calla pageturner. However, it is enjoyable to read how Archie adjusts to andcopes with the tyrannical and ultra-opinionated Wolfe. Also you will wantto eat a Montana trout deal.

Orchids, logorrhea, and key-hole peeping
A quarter century ago while I was getting edified in college in Houston, I picked up a Nero Wolfe novel, on the recommendation of some journalist. Being rather methodical in such things, I found out that Mr. Stout had written quite a few novels, that the first Wolfe one was "Fer deLance," and so I bought it. Start at the beginning; I was studyingmath after all. I liked the book, which I had gotten at The Book Den onRice Boulevard, an establishment long gone in the yuppification of theVillage and the John, the owner, no doubt gone too of age, had taken ashine to me and had ordered for all of the Wolfe novels, which I wentthrough like a bureaucrat through your paycheck. Not a week goes by that Idon't have a warm thought about this dead man. Some of my teachers andprofessors should be so lucky. Mrs. Schmidt, are you listening?

Wolfe isa hugely fat private detective in New York. He is Montenegrin, whichfeatures in the series, and which has given some piquancy to the(ever-constant) Balkan fighting exploding in the last few years. Hisamanuensis-and I think that I learned that word in this book-is ArchieGoodwin, a controlled rakehell from Ohio. Wolfe is a genius and Archie ishis legman. The other full-time occupant of the New York brownstone houseis Fritz Brenner, the Swiss chef and house keeper. Wolfe grows 10,000 or20,000 or 40,000 orchids-one of the few slight inconsistencies in Stout'sown Wolfiana-on the roof of his brownstone in New York. He fights thepolice, hates to work, loves to eat, and is generally difficult.

But myGod can he talk. Roll in the vocabulary; pluck out the recondite verbs andcarpe dem nouns. I damned near wore out Merriam Webster's CollegiateDictionary-I have found a better dictionary since-looking up such as"demirep" and enjoying the words it's made of. (A denizen of thedemimonde, or half-world +a reprobate.) Wolfe is a godsend if you'replaying the dictionary game.

A word of warning. Wolfe is what I can bestdescribe as High Tory, and Archie follows, not that I myself mind. Archieis much like a very proud tom cat: perfectly mannered, but on his terms.Utterly trustworthy, like my best friend Ron, but mannered like a good tomcat. Measure up to standards which he sets for everyone, including himself,and he is your ally. Miss Manners would like him, I think.

Had this bookcome out now, about 2/3 of a century later, people would no doubt havesniggered about "homoeroticism," which in this case means thatthree men live together in a house and that the emotional relationships areamazingly intense. But very well controlled.

Every Wolfe novel or shortnovel ends in a confrontation in the office, with Archie setting the stage,arranging seating, providing a bar, and mostly steering people to thechairs that he wanted. He was a control freak before the term was invented.As I said, a cat. Wolfe makes a dramatic entrance, the tableau set, andusing nothing but the power of his brain, solves the case, often with solittle to go on that it is a true cliffhanger, if you really care. Me, Ilike the atmosphere.

The series was continued by his daughters'permission by a Mr. Robert Goldsmith, who is pretty good with the detailsof that particular brownstone universe, but whose essential meanness hasrevealed his politics. Archie never once said something to wound unless hefelt that propriety was lacking. And then he snubbed; he did not want toinjure. Mr. Goldsmith's Archie does.

I hope that you enjoy the Wolfe asmuch as I have. They sit decomposing on the shelf behind me, just as I sitdecomposing in front of you.

But I warn you: the gastronomy is seductive.The cooking is of French standards of a hundred years ago but it isintriguing, and set me off. Time to cook a French garlic sausage I madeover the weekend. Thank you Mr. Wolfe. ... Read more

Product Description
Radio talk show host Madeline Fraser's worst nightmare comes true when one of her on-air guests collapses at the mike after drinking a glass of the sponsor's beverage. Reissue. NYT. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Lies, death and sponsors...
When somebody dies, live on the air, while drinking one of the radio shows sponsors' product, you can guess there is hell to pay.But when everybody connected to the case decides to lie Nero Wolfe almost decides to give the whole mess over to the police.This book has so much going for it - the plot, the interaction between Archie and Nero, and the most powerful and dangerous villain of all.And it is set in a world where radio is still king.How wonderful, how delightful, how cool.
Buy it, read it, enjoy it, pass it on.

"Pfui. As you know, I never leave this house on business."
Some folks have called Arnold Zeck Wolfe's Moriarty, and this is the first book in the three books that feature him as a villain.

The book starts as Wolfe books often do-- he needs money to feed his habits, and he sends Archie to go get it for him. In this case, a bookie has dropped dead on the set of a popular radio show. Wolfe makes an offer to Madeline Fraser, the show's host, to take the case on a no-cure-no-pay basis. It's an offer that they can't refuse, and soon Archie is in the thick of things. When their investigation leads them to some shady newsletters, Wolfe gets a warning call from the mysterious Zeck.

This is a classic early Wolfe (1948), with some great one-liners from Archie. High entertainment value and a good set-up for The Second Confession)and In the Best Families.

Recommended.

Desparate Times - Desparate Measures
It is March 13, 1948.Archie is hard at work preparing the income tax forms that will all too soon be due, forms that will need to be accompanied by a hefty check that greatly exceeds the firm's bank account.Driven by the necessity of raising a large amount of cash quickly Wolfe is forced to put down his book and actually call a potential client.A few days earlier a guest on a popular live radio program was poisoned on the air.Soon Wolfe found himself with a roomful of clients who all profess to be anxious to solve the crime, the only problem is that one of them is almost certainly the murderer.Before Wolfe collects his check there will be two more murders, bringing the total to not three but four.

As always with this series the attraction is as much the adventures of Wolfe and Archie as the murder, although this one is quite challenging and will probably catch the reader by surprise at least a few times.The verbal sparring between Archie and Wolfe is as always hilarious, as is their combined effort to harass NYPD.Nero Wolfe attempting to decipher the utterances of a rather dramatic young bobby soxer is also sure to bring a smile to the reader.Fans of this series will definitely not want to miss this one, those who are new to the series will not go wrong beginning here. It is also notable as the introduction of Wolfe's archenemy, Zeck, who will return in later stories.

Fun Dialog Makes the Story
Nero Wolfe needs a case and fortunately a murder occurs right on the radio for Wolfe to solve. One of the guests on the Madeline Fraser radio program has been poisoned. At first it looks like the murderer may have killed the wrong person but Wolfe isn't so sure. So he offers the host, the station, and the sponsors (the victim was killed with poison placed in a sample of the soda of one of the sponsors) for the opportunity to hire him to solve the case and they all jump at the chance.

In a big case like this, Inspector Cramer is involved and he is very unhappy. His investigation is going nowhere and when Wolfe starts looking into the case he quickly discovers that everyone is lying, even those it would seem have no reason to lie. I'll admit that I was left spinning with no clue as to who the culprit could be. But I also admit that figuring out who did it wasn't what kept me reading.

As always, it is the dialog that makes the story. Whether it is between Archie and Wolfe, Archie and the suspects, or Archie and the police, it is always fun.

The victim (Cyril Orchard) has been killed by cyanide in a bottle of a soda called Hi-Spot. Wolfe and Archie are working out the mechanics of the killing with samples of Hi-Spot.

Archie starts:

**************
"If Orchard had never never drunk Hi-Spot before he wouldn't know whether it tasted right or not, and even if he didn't like it, they were on the air and just for politeness he would have gulped some down. Anyway he drank enough to kill him, so what does it matter what we think?"

"He may have drunk it before. Anyway, the murderer would have had to assume that he might have. Would the difference in taste be too great a hazard?"

"I see." I sipped. "Not so bad." I sipped again. "The only way to really tell is to drink this and then drink some cyanide. Have you got some?"

"Don't bubble, Archie."
**************

Even Fritz gets into the act in this one:

**************
Wolfe put his glass down after two little tastes [of Hi-Spot]. "Good heavens. What the devil is in it, Fritz?"

Fritz shook his head. "Ipecac?" He guessed. "Horehound?"
**************

The truth is that Stout knew how to make his characters unique and interesting and the actual mystery is almost irrelevant.

Outstanding Nero Wolfe Novel
And Be a Villain starts off with Archie doing something truly odious... namely writing the check for Nero Wolfe's annual tax return.The emotional pain this gives them and the damage it does to the bank account spurs Wolfe to do something unprecedented.He becomes an "ambulance chaser."Specifically, he sends Archie to offer his services to a radio personality who recently had a guest murdered by poison while on the air with her.As usual, the suspects are less than candid during the interviews and the case turns out to be far more complex than it seemed on the surface.

Rex Stout was in top form when he wrote this book.The story moves along very well, it is one of the funnier Wolfe novels, and the characters are interesting.And Be a Villain also marks the first appearance by a Mr. Arnold Zeck, who is basically Wolfe's Moriarty.Zeck makes only a cameo appearance in this novel but he has far more significant appearances in The Second Confession (The Rex Stout Library: a Nero Wolfe Mystery) and In the Best Families (Crime Line).I would certainly recommend this book to either Wolfe fans or newcomers.In fact, I loaned it to my wife (she had never read a Nero Wolfe novel) and she immediately wanted to read another. ... Read more

Product Description
A Random House Kindle book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Triple the homicides, triple the intrigue.
Another great triple murder book by Rex Stout.In Kill Now - Pay Later, did the shoeshine man kill to avenge his daughter?In Murder Is Corny, why was the corn delivery man killed and more importantly,where is Nero Wolf's select corn?And last but not least, in Blood Will Tell, the brownish spot on a tie mailed to Mr. Archie Goodwin does turn out to be blood. The blood of a promiscuous young married woman whose husband is now accused of killing her.Three murders and three clients now suspected of murder.Nero Wolf with the help of the confident and engaging Archie Goodwin dissects each case and as always, resolves each mystery.

Overlapping Stories
Some of the stories (or novellas) in this collection are found in some of Stout's other anthologies, making it somewhat frustrating for the aficionado.Susggest skipping this one in favor of "Trouble in Triplicate," which does not reproduce the weakest of the stories here.

Good as always
Three novellas featuring Nero Wolfe, Archie Goodwin and the rest of the gang. What's new here is that Stout is beginning to speak forthrightly about sex. In earlier books, he'd been cunningly vague about sexual motivation or Archie's contact with women. Here, in stories written in the early 1960s, Stout first mentions pregnancy outside of marriage.

Some flaws, but fair puzzles
None of the 3 cases herein occur during the same year, one each occurring in 1960, 1961, and 1962. The common factor is, of course, that in each case a blunt instrument (speaking loosely) serves as a murder weapon.

"Kill Now, Pay Later" - Pete Vassos, roving shoeshine guy, regularly visits the brownstone. On this occasion, he left the offices of Mercer's Bobbins early, since Dennis Ashby (one of his regular customers) had just fallen to his death from a window. After a brief interlude as a suspect (Ashby was attempting to seduce Pete's daughter Elma, a stenographer with the company), Pete is found murdered, and Elma hires Wolfe to investigate. The fee is low, but the Vassos family hero-worships him.

The title quote is a comment made by Joan Ashby in the style of her late husband's favorite advertisements; he was a womanizer and deep in debt, although he'd saved the company from disintegration. Some of Wolfe's ploys include having his client as a guest in the South Room, and arranging for her to sue several suspects plus Cramer (!) for defamation.

"Murder Is Corny"- Adapted for A&E's 2nd Nero Wolfe season. Wolfe starts this case in a bad mood - farmer Duncan McLeod's specially picked guaranteed fresh corn-on-the-cob shipment (one every Tuesday in season) didn't show up in time for dinner. When Cramer appears at the door later that evening with the missing crate, they learn that Ken Faber has been found murdered in the alley behind Rusterman's while delivering their corn (Wolfe's still trustee). Naturally, they unloaded the corn before calling the cops. Cramer leaves with Archie in custody as a material witness - Faber had been spreading rumors about Susan's chastity, and Archie's now implicated in the murder by various lies told to the cops. While I like this story, I think it contains several clunkers in human behavior, especially known quantities on the staff of the restaurant, who should have tipped Wolfe off about the corpse before Cramer got to him.

"Blood Will Tell" - An odd item turns up in Archie's personal correspondence rather than Wolfe's - a letter on James Neville Vance's private stationery asking that he keep the enclosure until called for: an expensive necktie, stained with something that might be blood. Checking out this message from a stranger, who denies having sent it, Archie is present when the corpse of the promiscuous Bonny Kirk is found in her apartment in Vance's building - literally smashed by a bottle of vodka. When her estranged husband later asks to hire him, Wolfe accepts immediately - why is he convinced of Martin's innocence?

This is for the text version
The listener should not feel cheated over getting three novelettes instead of a full-length Nero Wolfe adventure.Rex Stout was a master at packing in all the flavor although delivering fewer calories; unlike many "lite" foods."KILL NOW, PAY LATER":Don't waste your time feeling sorry for the first victim.I'm not saying that he deserved to die, but had this book been published in 2000 instead of 1964, Mr. Ashby would have cost Mercer's Bobbins a fortune in sexual harassment lawsuits.It's the second victim whose blood cries to Heaven for justice.When Wolfe reveals the reason the second victim died, I trust that you will be as angry as I was. As Archie Goodwin tells us, Wolfe would rather miss a meal that have anyone think he's a softy.Do not miss Mr. Wolfe's attempt to explain that he solved this case NOT for the sake of his loyal bootblack but for far less admirable reasons.As usual, Inspector Cramer's and Wolfe's remarks about each other are a treat.Persons who collect stories where there is a lawyer who is portrayed as honorable instead of a self-serving human roach with no interest in justice will want this one because Nathanial Parker, Wolfe's lawyer, has a speaking part."MURDER IS CORNY":I have no tears to shed for Ken Faber, either.For those of you who were born after the Sexual Revolution, what he was doing was a particularly vicious form of slander for that period.(Why Susan MacLeod didn't just go to a doctor and come out triumphantly waiting a certificate or two that proved Faber a liar beats me.It might have saved a couple of lives.)As for which of the suspects did the deed, except for Susan herself and Archie (whom she brainlessly gets into trouble), all are men who love Susan.Those of you who bother to cook might want to find out if Wolfe's corn on the cob recipe is as delicious as learning how Wolfe Saves Archie from a murder rap and reveals the true killer.Personally, I found the concept of "born come-on", which Archie assures us that Susan has and isn't aware she has, rather unnerving."BLOOD WILL TELL":This one starts out with a minor mystery -- who sent Archie the stained tie (is or isn't that stain blood?) and later calls asking Archie to burn it.Naturally, Archie chooses to investigate instead.This is why he's on the scene when an adulteress' bloodied corpse is found.I found this story the most fun of the three because Archie became increasingly frustrated at being left in the dark and Wolfe assumed that Archie should have been able to figure things out for himself.Will you spot the clues that enabled Wolfe to know that Kirk didn't kill his wife or, as did Archie and this reader, will you have to feel DUMB when they're revealed?Continuity nitpickers may feel free to pounce on the big error Mr. Stout made in chapter 6, where Archie claims this is the first time he ever saw a man slap another man.Even if you wish to argue that, technically, Archie didn't see himself slap that uppity jerk in THE RED BOX; how could Goodwin of the Matchless Memory possibly forget the sight of his boss slapping the insufferable Inspector Ash's face in THE SILENT SPEAKER?

Even if the reading of these mysteries is no more than adequate, that's enough to recommend this book to those who need the audio version or those facing hideously tedious car trips/waits at the airport.For those who prefer the print version, you might want to try Amazon.com's Z-shops or their sister company, Bibliofind. ... Read more

Product Description
When a millionaire businessman hires the sedentary detective to snoop on his daughter's boyfriend, Wolfe finds himself caught in a labyrinthine case involving drugged drinks, murderous debutantes, and a gangland boss. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Nothing weak about Wolfe--ever!
This is for the audio version of this book.Prichard is, of course, flawless as the voices of Wolfe and his wise-cracking assistant Archie Goodwin. Wolfe remains deliciously true to character at every eccentric turn, and Stout continues the master of the English language and the occasional surprising Wolfian epithet (nincompoopery!).Phrasing so rich that sometimes I just had to pause the recording and write it down to savor it later.I've not read/heard a Wolfe novel yet that wasn't an complete pleasure.

Second Wolfe-Zeck Mystery
This is a middling Wolfe mystery, not as bad as some have said, but not great.But since it includes Wolfe's most frequent foe Arnold Zeck, it's required Wolfe reading.It's political--Wolfe is clearly a liberal but equally clearly not a Communist.Wolfe ends up solving the mystery using information that he could have obtained much earlier.There are a lot of plot twists that are arbitrary and don't carry the story straight forward, but they do keep things interesting.Like another reviewer, I didn't guess the murderer.

"I went and wasted no time."
Once again Wolfe receives a phone call from the mysterious Arnold Zeck, warning him that he's getting too close with an unwanted investigation. On this occasion, Wolfe is involved in a request from a leading industrialist to investigate the background of his daughter's current suitor. When Wolfe refuses to back down, Zeck backs up his warning with violence that hits Nero where it hurts...

Communists, orchids and a manor-house mystery dropped on its head. This is one of Stout's stronger Wolfe novels on its own, and also makes a powerful second punch in his Zeck trilogy of books. I've seen quite a bit of commentary that criticizes what they perceive as Stout's anti-Communist agenda in the book. All I can say to that is "read it again". While not a fan of Communists, Wolfe and Archie are not friends to people spouting off about the red menace either. Mickey Spillane he isn't, thank goodness. Consider this a measured glance at the politics of the era by a writer who was trying to show the issues from a position of (relative) neutrality. Note his nod to the middle way with the treatment of the Paul Emerson character.

Recommended.

Good book, key 2nd part of the Zeck trilogy
The Second Confession is another in the long line of Nero Wolfe novels.The story begins with a man coming to Wolfe and asking him to prove that the man his daughter is dating is a communist so he can force the two to break up.Wolfe wisely amends the terms of the deal by opening it up to include any facts that would make him unacceptable to the daughter rather than limiting it to communism.When he begins digging into the man's past, it raises the ire of a man named Arnold Zeck (who previously appeared in And Be a Villain (Crime Line) (Crime Line)).Zeck is a powerful crime lord reminiscent of Professor Moriarty and when Wolfe fails to stop investigating he has the orchid room destroyed by machine gun fire to make his point.From here, there are many twists and turns until the mystery is solved and justice is served.

Archie sparkles as always while investigating first the background and then the murder of the possible communist with gangster ties.When he tries to slip a mickey into the drink of one suspect so he can search the guy's room, he gets a nasty surprise that is so entertaining that it alone is worth buying the book for.

Some reviewers suggest that the mere investigation of someone's possible status as a communist makes this book dated.I really don't see that.By this definition, any old detective story is dated because they don't have cell phones, hair and fiber analysis, etc.All stories set during WWII would be dated by mere mention of Nazis.That's just silly.It is one thing for a story to be clearly set in a past time, which this one is.As long as the story itself still works and is entertaining than I personally do not consider it dated.

While I would not rate this as one of the very best Nero Wolfe novels, it is far from the worst.The story moves along nicely and there is a good deal of the trademark humor that makes the series so enjoyable.It is also the second of three Arnold Zeck books and this one is referred to quite often in the third part, In the Best Families (Crime Line).If you are interested in reading that book, you would do well to read this one first.

Weak but still good
James Sperling's younger daughter has expressed an interest in a young man named Louis Rony and Sperling doesn't like him. He is convinced that Rony is a communist and to a dedicated wealthy capitalist like Sperling, being a communist is about the worst sin a man is capable of committing. He wants Wolfe to find sufficient proof so that he can get his daughter to drop Rony. Wolfe is reluctant to take the case but in the end he does
An acquaintance of Wolfe objects to his taking the case and uses machine guns to send a message to Wolfe through his orchard room. Although the damage is extensive, Wolfe never runs away from a case but he is in luck. Mr. Rony, the target of his investigation manages to get himself killed at Mr. Sperling's house while Archie is visiting. The case suddenly changes as Wolfe's friend no longer objects to the investigation and in fact supports it. But who killed Mr. Rony? Sperling wants to know because it happened in his home and his family members are suspected by the police.

The fun in this one is Archie's flirting with Madeline, the older daughter of Sperling. Madeline and Archie have a mutual attraction that is fun to follow as it develops and causes problems for Archie before Rony's death because one fall-back plan was to get the younger daughter, Gwen, to dump Rony in favor of Archie. All of this becomes moot, of course, when Romy is killed with Nero Wolfe's car.

The problems in this story have to do with the mystery although you can ignore the mystery and the story is fine. But what is Sperling's wife and son searching for in Rony's room? And what does it have to do with the mystery? There a few other red herrings that are never explained but I'll skip them so as not to reveal too many clues. Overall, I would say that this is one of the weaker stories I have read so far. But it is still a quick and fun read. Stout at his worst is still better than a lot of other writers at their best. ... Read more

Product Description
When the seemingly safe return of an abducted millionaire ends in his murder in his own home, Nero Wolfe sends Archie Goodwin to do his usual legwork, while Wolfe uncovers corruption and greed among Manhattan's elite. Reissue. NYT. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Always a good read!
"Age doth not wither nor custom stale" our friends at the brownstone on West 35th Street, New York. Literally. Part of Rex Stout's genius in his Nero Wolfe mysteries is that the seventh-of-a-ton sleuth and his indispensible agent (and our narrator) Archie Goodwin truly are ageless. No forced retirement to beekeeping (or in Nero's case, orchid-keeping) for these two. Lucky for us! If you haven't made their acquaintance, this novel is perfectly good place to start and should keep you coming back for more. Indeed, as Wolfe might (and, as Archie tells us, does) say, it's "subdolous."

Just As Described
Very happpy with this item.Came quickly and in perfect condition.
Thanks !

Kidnapping and mayhem!
If you are not familiar with the rotund armchair detective Nero Wolfe, here would be a good place to start.Nero is a gourmand who grows orchids, and happens to solve mysteries for a living.He and his wonderful sidekick Archie Goodwin are always in on the best cases!The setting is early sixties New York City, and the nostalgia alone makes each book worth it.In this book a very rich woman comes to Wolfe to have help getting her husband back who was kidnapped.Of course Wolfe does not understand women, but he makes his own deductions anyway.Archie and Wolfe find there is murder running alongside this kidnapping, and Wolfe needs to figure out what is going on.These books are great.They are intelligent mysteries with a lot of black humour to help them go down.

Oh what a tangled web we weave
Althea Vail is used to getting her own way, after all she usually got it.When she arrived on the doorstep of the brownstone though she found that she would not be catered to just because she was attractive and rich.Archie let her in only to annoy Wolfe.When the allure of both a large check and an intriguing problem was dangled in front of him even Nero Wolfe fell to the temptation.Althea's husband had been kidnapped and although she was determined to follow the kidnappers' instructions and deliver the ransom she wanted Wolfe to expose the kidnappers if her husband is not returned unharmed.Lured by the prospect of remaining at leisure for most of the year Wolfe agreed to take on the task.Little did he realize that he would soon be put to a great deal of inconvenience and acquire far more clients - and retainers - than he ever imagined.

The Nero Wolfe series bridges the gap between a straight detective story and the cozy genre.The problems are complex and intriguing, laid out fairly so the reader has as much chance as Archie to beat Wolfe to the solution while incorporating the cozy elements of recurring secondary characters, ongoing subplots and humor.

This is a usual Nero Wolfe adventure, we are treated to several rounds of verbal sparring between Archie and Wolfe, witness Orrie, Saul and Fred in action and even to see Wolfe forced to leave his house on a moment's notice.Fans of the series will delight in Wolfe forced out of his routine as much, if not more, than the intriguing problems that Wolfe and Archie are faced with in this one.Those who are new to the series would be able to enjoy this one but those who have at least a passing familiarity with this series will enjoy it more.

With Kidnapping Comes Murder
When Archie Goodwin ushers former stage actress Althea Vail into Nero Wolfe's office, he assumes she will be dismissed in just a few minutes.Instead, Althea lays out a tale of kidnapping that Nero can't resist.

It seems that Althea's current husband, Jimmy Vail, has been kidnapped.Althea is more then willing to pay the ransom, but she wants to hire Nero in case something goes wrong.

The ransom payment goes fine and Jimmy returns.In fact, everything seems to be going well.Until the police call and ask Althea to identify a body.Nero has put his reputation on the line for this case, so he can't let it go.But what is really going on?Meanwhile, Nero is also hired to find the missing ransom money.Can he do that without leaving home?

This is only my second outing with Nero Wolfe, but I really enjoyed it.Nero is an interesting character.I must admit I tend to like him in spite of his harsh demeanor.I'm sure that Archie really helps in that regard.The plot moves swiftly from one event to another.The solution was obvious yet so covered with red herrings I never saw it coming.

The book was written in the 60's, so that makes the occasional reference dated.On the whole, this is a strong mystery that will please any fan of the genre. ... Read more

Product Description
The acclaimed Edgar winning biography of the creator of America' largest detective, Nero Wolfe,by Professor John McAleer. Now with the title he always wanted, originally released as Rex Stout: A Biography. New photos and introduction by Professor McAleer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Wolfe & Archie explained
Rex Stout in his maturity was "a man of mythic dimensions." He helped enlighten America about the Nazi threat, fought racism and supported world government. You'll get all the details in this scholarly biography.

You'll also encounter interviews and vignettes that give an intimate picture of Rex Stout - demeanor, behavior and opinions. I was delighted to learn that he hid boxes of chocolates and that he built a special cabinet with one slide-out shelf per shirt to keep his shirts pristine. The comic poem Stout wrote (page 249) to defend his profession of "mystery monger" is a treat. And the many insights into the Wolfe-Archie dynamic were just what I wanted from this book.

But for a recreational reader like me, the book does have some slow-going passages. While Stout's first marriage goes by in a paragraph, his leadership of boards and committees merits long chapters. This is an authorized biography; achievements must be chronicled.

In any case, I found it fascinating that Wolfe, the most rational of detectives, came to Stout, the most rational of writers, as pure inspiration. Wolfe and Archie simply happened one day. After this spontaneous birth, plots came to Stout as he puttered around. He let his characters fill in the story, and he did no revisions. McAleer's portrayal of how Stout created the Wolfe series is a delight.

Rex's Stout Life
This is, to be blunt, a very impressive biography.The go-to source for all things Rex Stout.A book nearly as heavy as Nero Wolfe.

Satisfactory Times Three!!!
Stout fans will love this new edition of the definitive, Edgar award-winning biography of Rex Stout.This printing by James Rock Publishing Company contains a new introduction by Professor McAleer and an Afterword by his son, mystery writer Andrew McAleer (Appearance of Counsel) who visited Stout's home and study at age eleven.In addition, there are never-before-published photos of Rex Stout.As always, P.G. Wodehouse's Foreword is great fun.Satisfactory Times Three!!! ... Read more