These stories were pretty good. It's interesting how the author manages to include mention of Wolfe's size in each story and novel. In the second one These stories were pretty good. It's interesting how the author manages to include mention of Wolfe's size in each story and novel. In the second one here, "Omit Flowers", on the second page he writes "His big face, which never looked big on account of the great expanse of the rest of him, was cheerful..."...more
I didn't enjoy this one as much as other short story collections. The first one, where a mobster hires Wolfe, and the second, where Wolfe hires a lookI didn't enjoy this one as much as other short story collections. The first one, where a mobster hires Wolfe, and the second, where Wolfe hires a look-alike (yikes!) after he gets a death threat, weren't that good. I did like the third one better, where a man hires Wolfe because he knows he's going to be killed within days, and he wants Wolfe to bring the culprit to justice....more
This appears to be the last Rex Stout book published, although the three novellas contained in it aren't new ones, but new versions of already publishThis appears to be the last Rex Stout book published, although the three novellas contained in it aren't new ones, but new versions of already published works. The first one, Bitter End, originally had another detective, Tecumseh Fox, as the main character, who had to soldier on without his own Archie Goodwin. The second one, Frame-Up for Murder, was originally Murder Is No Joke, which appeared in And Four to Go. The last one, Assault on a Brownstone, was originally Counterfeit for Murder, and appeared in Homicide Trinity. I much preferred the original story for this last one. There's an interesting introduction by John J. McAleer, who was Stout's authorized biographer....more
This is the last Nero Wolfe novel, written 41 years after the first one. What I like about this series (aside from the engaging characters and clever This is the last Nero Wolfe novel, written 41 years after the first one. What I like about this series (aside from the engaging characters and clever plots) is that each book is independent of all the others - the characters don't change and you learn everything you need to know about the situation at Wolfe's brownstone in NYC in each book, so you can read them in any order. It seems as though Stout meant this to be the last one because something rather terrible happens to one of Wolfe's extended "family," the people he relies on. I can't say more for fear of ruining the plot. Wolfe's favorite waiter from Rusterman's comes to tell Archie he thinks he's going to be killed, so Archie lets him stay in the house. But just after the waiter is left in the guest bedroom, he's blown up by something he brought with him. Tracking down the murderer is more tricky than usual, but Archie and Wolfe manage. The conclusion was pretty shocking....more
Wolfe's doctor wants Archie's help with a man who's come to a doctor friend of his complaining of blood on his hands that won't wash off. Archie findsWolfe's doctor wants Archie's help with a man who's come to a doctor friend of his complaining of blood on his hands that won't wash off. Archie finds out this is connected to the bomb which was put in the desk drawer of a TV executive which killed a different executive. Pretty convoluted....more
The murder in this book happens a couple of weeks before the opening of the book, in Montana at Lily Rowan's ranch, where Archie has been vacationing.The murder in this book happens a couple of weeks before the opening of the book, in Montana at Lily Rowan's ranch, where Archie has been vacationing. The ranch foreman has been arrested, but most people who know him are convinced he's innocent. Archie writes Wolfe that he'll have to stay in Montana until he can spring the foreman, so Wolfe comes out (a practically unheard of occurrence) to help. I prefer the stories which take place in New York, where Wolfe can have all the suspects together in his office, but this was fairly interesting....more
A young woman comes to Wolfe with $250,000 in cash, saying her mother had put $1000 away every month since her birth and that it came from her father.A young woman comes to Wolfe with $250,000 in cash, saying her mother had put $1000 away every month since her birth and that it came from her father. Her mother had been killed recently in a hit-and-run, and she wants Archie, whom she trusts absolutely, to find her father. They have very few clues, and don't even know the real name of the mother, but they prevail. An interesting case....more
One of the operatives Wolfe uses often, Orrie Cather, is accused of murdering a woman he was sleeping with. She's a very secretive person, so it's harOne of the operatives Wolfe uses often, Orrie Cather, is accused of murdering a woman he was sleeping with. She's a very secretive person, so it's hard to come up with any other potential culprit. Possibilities are the man who was paying for her apartment (not Orrie!), her sister and brother-in-law, or one of her very narrow circle of friends....more
Another set of three novellas, no one stands out. I keep wondering why Inspector Cramer keeps pulling Archie in for questioning, holding him overnightAnother set of three novellas, no one stands out. I keep wondering why Inspector Cramer keeps pulling Archie in for questioning, holding him overnight in many cases, when he knows full well, after having been involved with dozens and dozens of cases with Wolfe, that Wolfe is always right and anyway, Archie is not going to give him anything useful. I guess there wouldn't be any conflict without Cramer's amnesia....more
Wolfe has a formidable opponent in this one. His client is being followed and otherwise harassed by the FBI and Wolfe has to find a way to make them sWolfe has a formidable opponent in this one. His client is being followed and otherwise harassed by the FBI and Wolfe has to find a way to make them stop. He decides the best way is to prove that the FBI didn't murder a man writing an expose of them, which Inspector Cramer belives is what happened....more
This one is ususual, in that the client is a character from a previous book, Too Many Cooks. The client, Paul Whipple, was a Negro busboy in the previThis one is ususual, in that the client is a character from a previous book, Too Many Cooks. The client, Paul Whipple, was a Negro busboy in the previous book who gave Wolfe information which allowed him to solve that case. Now he asks Wolfe to find out what's wrong with his son's white girlfriend (since there must be something). Not long after, she's killed and the son is arrested. Much less use of the n-word in this one than in the previous one, but it's still jarring, as is the use of "Negro" and "colored." I guess we're just not used to those labels now....more
A young widow comes to Wolfe to ask him to find the mother of an infant who was left in her vestibule with a note intimating that the baby's father waA young widow comes to Wolfe to ask him to find the mother of an infant who was left in her vestibule with a note intimating that the baby's father was her late husband. The only clues are some unusual buttons on the baby's clothes.
This is the third time that I'm reading through the Wolfe series. Fortunately, I have very little memory for mystery plots, so it's like reading them for the first time. I especially appreciate that they're not very long, about 150-250 pages. Fiction these days, even mysteries, can be 400-500 pages. Sometimes it's too much....more
A chess player is poisoned, and it seems the only one who could have done it is the man whose daughter has hired Wolfe to prove he didn't do it. Lots A chess player is poisoned, and it seems the only one who could have done it is the man whose daughter has hired Wolfe to prove he didn't do it. Lots of seeming dead ends in the investigation, but in the end, the murderer is fairly obvious, although I didn't pick up on it. ETA: On my third reading (with a five-year gap), I did figure out the culprit 30 pages before the end. Since I retain hardly any of the plots of fiction I've read, I count this a real victory....more
This is another one with three novellas. The last one is the most interesting. A scruffy landlady wants Wolfe to hang onto a package of currency for hThis is another one with three novellas. The last one is the most interesting. A scruffy landlady wants Wolfe to hang onto a package of currency for her and split any reward there might be. It turns out to be counterfeit and then she and Archie discover the body of one of her tenants in the room where the package was found. She hates the police and refuses to talk to them....more
A rich woman whose husband has been kidnapped comes to Wolfe, not to find her husband, but to make sure he's returned safely. Wolfe has a notice put iA rich woman whose husband has been kidnapped comes to Wolfe, not to find her husband, but to make sure he's returned safely. Wolfe has a notice put in the paper addressed to the kidnapper to make sure of this outcome, which does happen. But then the husband turns up dead the day after he returns. Was it murder or an accident? The son of the woman next hires Wolfe to find the ransom, which his mother has told him he can keep if he finds it, with Wolfe getting one-fifth as a fee. How he finds the money and deduces the murderer is quite interesting....more
A man comes to Archie asking to be checked out if he's being followed, gives him the starting and ending addresses and a start time. Only he never shoA man comes to Archie asking to be checked out if he's being followed, gives him the starting and ending addresses and a start time. Only he never shows up. Turns out he gave a false name and the real person with that name was found dead near the ending address hours before the imposter contacted Archie. The initial client is the head of the corporation where the victim worked who wants to quelch any scandal. And other potential clients follow. It takes a while to discover who the imposter was....more
This is another collection of three short stories. In the first one, Wolfe doesn't even figure out whodunit, just how to trap the person into revealinThis is another collection of three short stories. In the first one, Wolfe doesn't even figure out whodunit, just how to trap the person into revealing him/her-self. But the second one is pretty good. A young woman knocks at the door just as Archie is leaving, having quit his job with Wolfe. She needs Archie's help with a corpse in the cab she just drove over. A pretty intricate plot....more
Wolfe is approached by a committee of authors and publishers to find out who is behind the string of spurious claims of plagiarism. It gets serious faWolfe is approached by a committee of authors and publishers to find out who is behind the string of spurious claims of plagiarism. It gets serious fast when some of the people who claimed to have been plagiarized turn up murdered. Of course, by the end the murderer has been uncovered. This book contains one of the rare instances when Wolfe leaves the house on business....more
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