Product Description
A lovely woman is dead, and the fortunes of overextended theatrical producer Llewellyn Frost depend on solving the mystery of the red box: two pounds of candied fruits, nuts and creams, covered with chocolate -- and laced with potassium cyanide.

When Nero Wolfe's suspicion falls on Frost's kissing cousin, Frost wants the detective to kill the sickly sweet case--before it kills him.

"It is always a treat to read a Nero Wolfe mystery. The man has entered our folklore." (The New York Times) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Death visits the brownstone
This early (1936) entry in the long running Nero Wolfe series opens with Wolfe being manipulated into taking a case.Llewellyn Frost was had to resort to chicanery (and Archie's assistence) to get Wolfe look into the murder of a young model.While Mr. Frost knew the victim slightly his main concern was for his cousing, or ortho-cousin, as he put.Once Wolfe has taken the case the victims and clients began appear.Although Wolfe manages to resist all efforts to disturpt his routine he requires Archie, Saul, Fred and Orrie to seek out the answers hidden in THE RED BOX.

This is a very early Wolfe mystery, and while it would be a good place for someone new to the series to begin, it is a real treat for already established fans.We are treated to glimpses into Wolfe's mysterious past and learn that he is an uncle and that he has a house in Egypt that he has not visited for 10 years.We learn that Fritz, the chef, is Swiss and speaks French and has attempted to teach Archie the language.Many of the long standing routines of the series are described, Wolfe's refusal to live the brownstone, abhorance to cars, reluctance to distrupt his routine, and affection for beer to name a few.As always in this series it is set in the time it is written and gives the reader a glimpse into times long gone.In this one we see a police interrogation in the pre-Miranda days.

The murders are intricately plotted, the clues are all present for the reader to follow but even if the reader is capable of solving some of the puzzles it is unlikely that Nero will not have a surprise or two in store at the end.

One of my top 3 Rex Stout Nero Wolfe favorites!
This is one of my top three favorite Rex Stout Nero Wolfe mysteries! Plot about a murder brought about by eating poisoned chocolates (later, poisoned aspirins), and due to the circumstances, motive is terribly difficult to determine because it's not certain the victim was the intended victim.Very non-cooperative characters - maddeningly so, sprinkled with those telling partial truths and withholding helpful information.The most difficult of clients ever, and the mystery so difficult one fears Wolfe won't pull off another miraculous solution.Many red herrings and twists and turns, very hard to figure out how it's going to turn out.Wolfe, Archie, Fritz, Cramer in their usual entertaining forms; excellent story, enjoyable!If you haven't already read this one, treat yourself to it!

Early Wolfe: works well despite the rough edges

A nice complex mystery, one of Wolfe's better stunts, and Archie in full annoyance mode, makes THE RED BOX a nice addition to the Wolfe oeuvre. Whenever Wolfe leaves the office, bad things are bound to happen, but having to go to a fashion designer's workplace, albeit at the request of some of NY's top orchid growers, to investigate a murder, makes Wolfe more than a little grumpy and things go from bad to worse.As this is an early Wolfe mystery fans will find a few things not in line with the later more polished work; Archie lacks the sophistication we see later in the series and there is particularly unfortunate episode of police brutality that accepted as par for the course by all parties involved. But it is a good mystery with a few more twists than some of the more formulaic Wolfe stories.

Fourth Outing
This one has been criticized as being "overwritten."

To a degree, this criticism is merited.There is a particularly melodramatic death scene, and that does make this book a little more resemble the crime movies of the era (1936).

However, Stout takes some pains to work against sterotype in this one, and Wolfe actually visits a crime scene for the first time in the series.Archie prefigures his work in "Too Many Women," and the settings are drawn very, very carefully.

I like it, but among the first ten stories, it's one of the most sentimental and romantic.If you like that style, you'll love this book.If you like hard-boiled, there's less of that to be found here.

Wolfe Melodrama
An early Wolfe where Stout still hasn't quite got his main character right (I mean Archie Goodwin, not Wolfe). Like its immediate predecessor, The Rubber Band, the story is highly dramatic and over-written compared withlater Wolfes. But it's got pace and a memorable baddie. ... Read more

Product Description
A NERO WOLFE SPECIAL EDITION—TWO COMPLETE MYSTERIES IN ONE VOLUME

“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. In this double helping of classic Nero Wolfe mysteries, Stout presents the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth and his trusty man-about-town, Archie Goodwin, with a pair of delectable murders that no connoisseur of the whodunit could possibly resist.

BLACK ORCHIDS
Not much can get Wolfe to leave his comfortable brownstone, but the showing of a rare black orchid lures him to a flower show. Unfortunately, the much-anticipated event is soon overshadowed by a murder as daring as it is sudden. It’s a case of weeding out a cunning killer who can turn up anywhere—and Wolfe must do it quickly. Because a second case awaits his urgent attention: a society widow on a mailing list of poison-pen letters leading to a plot as dark as any orchid Wolfe has ever encountered.

THE SILENT SPEAKER
When a government power broker scheduled to speak before an influential group of millionaires turns up dead, Nero Wolfe grudgingly takes the case—even as his own financial affairs teeter toward ruin. Soon a second victim is discovered, a missing stenographer’s tape causes a panic, and a dead man speaks, after a fashion. As the business world demands answers, the great detective baits a trap to net a killer worth his weight in gold. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Early Stout:Bully!
"Some Buried Caesar" was first published 70 years ago, and it's one of Stout's best early Wolfe novels. It's 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.

And a fun Archie description of a New York county fair in the Great Depression 1930's:

"It was another fine day and the crowd was kicking up quite a dust. Banners, balloons, booby booths, and bingo games were all doing a rushing business, not to mention hotdogs, orange drinks, popcorn, snake charmers, lucky wheels, shooting galleries, take a slam and win a ham, two-bit fountain pens, and Madam Shasta who reads the future and will let you in on it for one thin dime. I passed a platform whereon stood a girl wearing a grin and a pure gold brassiere and a Fuller brush skirt eleven inches long, and beside her a hoarse guy in a black derby yelling that the mystic secret Dingaroola Dance would start inside the tent in eight minutes. Fifty people stood gazing up at her and listening to him, the men looking as if they might be willing to take one more crack at the mystic, and the women looking cool and contemptuous. I moseyed along. The crowd got thicker, that being the main avenue leading to the grandstand entrance. I got tripped up by a kid diving betwen my legs in an effort to resume contact with mamma, was glared at by a hefty milkmaid, not bad-looking, who got her toe caught under my shoe, wriggled away from the tip of a toy parasol which a sweet little girl kept digging into my ribs with, and finally left the worst of the happy throng behind and made it to the Methodist grub tent, having passed by the Baptists with the snooty feeling of a man-about-town who is in the know."

All right, this isn't the "every word carrying its weight", mature-style Stout. Later Stout probably wouldn't have detoured the action, but I for one don't mind the detour when I'm having a good time. In "Some Buried Ceasar, I'm never impatient for Archie to get on with it, only glorying in the now-gone world Stout is weaving.

I've given extended Wolfe quotes mainly for the newcomers, and even for some old fans who have discarded Stout's earlier work. I love this writing, and I delight not only in reading, but also in re-reading, even knowing what's next. If these quotes entice or even just intrigue, buy this and give it a read. If you're a first-timer, or one whose fallen away, you may become/re-become a Wolfe fan, or as we say, a member of the Wolfe Pack!

Classic Nero Wolfe
A great story that holds up to multiple tellings!Archie meets his long-time girlfriend (Lily Rowan) in this story and it explains so many things mentioned in later novels!Wolfe is at his best in taking advantage of comfort and in suprising us with his physical ability!The mystery itself is well crafted and enjoyable.

Some Buried Caesar: A Nero Wolfe Mystery
Excellent story, kept me interested through out the telling. I listen to Books on CD at work and Nero Wolfe stories always are a favorite. ... Read more

Product Description
Vowing to avenge the murder of his dear friend, Marko Vukcic, Nero Wolfe, along with his faithful partner, Archie Goodwin, journey to the hazardous mountains of Montenegro. Reissue. NYT. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Thotoughly enjoyable.
Unobtrusive but strong narration. One of the best Nero Wolfe stories - strong on character and plot.

One of the best Nero Wolfe stories
this is a must have for anyone who is a fan of the nero wolfe stories.it give a look at nero's past before he became a detective.it also places archie in unfamiliar situation of being dependent on nero for information--archie doesn't speak the language, so nero has to translate!it is a fun look at the relationship between the two.

Best for those who have already read many of the other Nero Wolfe novels
While I greatly enjoyed reading the Black Mountain, it was, in part, the fact that it was so different from the other novels that I found it fascinating. Throughout the series there are somewhat vague references to Wolfe's life before coming to the U.S. This novel fills in much of that back-story, and gives the avid fan a better idea of what makes Wolfe tick. However, I would have to agree with reviewers who don't recommend this book to someone new to the series. It is not consistent with the rest of the novels in the series in setting or tone, and is best enjoyed by those who appreciate the difference, as well as the additional insights into Wolfes character and background.

For True Nero Fans, Only
If you're new to Rex Stout and Nero Wolfe, you couldn't pick a worse place to start.However, if you already have an appreciation for the Nero/Archie banter and the nuances of the relationships with the minor characters, then you'll enjoy seeing them painted on a very different canvas, as far from the brownstone as they ever got.

This book is neither as bad as the 1- and 2-star reviews suggest, nor as good as the 5-star reviews (including that of the audiobook's narrator, oddly) claim.I enjoyed it, but only because I've made my way through 80% of Stout's Nero Wolfe novels and novellas. As others have noted, Mr. Pritchard's voice and flat accent doesn't match up to those in the late, lamented A&E series.

The man who never leaves his house on business.........
....sure broke the rule this time. We all know about Nero Wolfe...eccentric, overweight, beer drinking, orchid growing, house-bound genius....he hires others to get his data, then figures it all out from the comfort of his custom made chair. Rex Stout based his "American Sherlock" on Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older, more brilliant, brother who only appears in two of the stories...[and, actually, Wolfe left the house a number of times over his 40 year career].

It may be silly to avoid giving away the plot here; anyone reading this probably has the story memorized, and is just looking for a replacement copy. But, I can say that this is the most "personal" of the Nero Wolfe books; Wolfe had few friends...when the oldest, and closest, is killed, there is no limit to what Wolfe will do to assure proper justice under law. In many ways, it is the most complicated of the stories, but a grand master like Rex Stout had no problems keeping everything clear....

One regret...when staying over in Rome, Wolfe is asked to meet with the ambassador; after commenting that the ambassador is "a woman", he declines. She isn't named, but Clare Boothe Luce was quite famous when this was written...Stout probably had valid reasons for not using Mrs. Luce as a "fictional character"; I think it would have done Wolfe a lot of good, and provided us some fun, for him to meet a woman who was more than a match for his intellect...just a thought. ... Read more

Product Description
Nero Wolfe and sidekick Archie Goodwin attempt to solve three puzzling cases of murder: in one, a person's questions lead to his death; another finds a man killed in a soundproof office; and in the last, a baseball rookie is removed from the lineup through murder. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Distinguished By Numbers, Locales and Crimes
In the early 1950s Nero Wolfe was famous.His stories had become so well known that, as is depicted in two of the three in this collection, Archie is instantly recognized on the street as a celebrity (in one of them he's asked for his autograph).

This collection represents, then, "middle Wolfe."He was franchising by then:radio plays, a short-lived TV show, and even a Nero Wolfe comic strip.Nero Wolfe chewing gum?Nero Wolfe frozen dinners?

The collection, three stories originally published in the "American Magazine," ties together by hand gestures and symbols.

One of them, "The Zero Clue," is distinguished by at least one attribute which is startlingly fresh today:terrorism and mass murder.Mostly, Rex Stout's work could be called modified "murder in a teacup:"the victim's body is found in the vicar's rose garden and the brilliant detective, through daring deduction, exposes the killer.

Wolfe's work differed in a few ways:Archie leaned toward the "hard boiled" school, and setting these in New York introduced a little grit.

The Zero Clue involves a bombing in a hospital - shocking ideas in any time period, but particularly heinous in early 1950s America.Wolfe figures out whodunit, all right, but what is almost more shocking is the motive.

This book is hard to find;the stories are classic, if a little outlandish, pieces in the whole Rex Stout puzzle.Last point:A&E would have a hard time staging these stories - when you read them you'll know why.

An aging playboy, a probability wizard, and the World Series
The cases herein occurred in October 1952 and late May 1953, which is odd, because while those were Wolfe's glory days, the collection is rather weak.

"Invitation to Murder" - a.k.a. "Will to Murder" - Aging rake Herman Lewent was disinherited by his father; his sister Beryl was left with instructions to 'consider his needs', and made him an adequate allowance for many years. After she died a year ago of ptomaine poisoning, her husband Theodore Huck was left with similar instructions and nothing changed. But Lewent believes that Huck is considering remarriage, and wants to identify the lady and ingratiate himself without being obvious about it. There are only 3 candidates: Huck's housekeeper, nurse, and secretary; they're all young and attractive, and Huck's bad arteries keep him housebound in a wheelchair. All Lewent wants are a few hours of Archie's time and maybe 10 minutes of Wolfe's. Wolfe refuses the job on those terms - so Lewent changes the proposal: discover which woman could have helped poison his sister Beryl. If no poisoning occurred, he's got his original answer; if it was murder and Huck was involved, Lewent will finally get a lump sum under his sister's will upon her husband's death.

Whether or not Beryl was murdered, Lewent certainly was shortly after Archie started on the case. Unfortunately the story develops problems at that point - Archie, after discovering the body, opts not to report it to the cops for reasons that seem half-baked, and things go downhill from there. Although it's interesting to read, it's enough to make me question Archie's sanity.

"The Zero Clue" - a.k.a. "Scared to Death" - Dying-clue mystery, far more typical of Ellery Queen than Stout, in which probability wizard Leo Heller apparently left a clue to the identity of the person who killed him, but naturally it's not intelligible to anyone but the master detective. On principle I generally rate this kind of thing at the level of a crossword puzzle than a story - the more convoluted the "obvious" clue is, the more tortured the rationale behind it. (Dannay & Lee got the hang of putting acceptable rationales behind such clues for Ellery Queen, but it takes practice.)

"This Won't Kill You" - As Wolfe says, a guest is a jewel on the cushion of hospitality, so when one such jewel - Pierre Mondor, one of the great chefs of the world - wanted Wolfe to take him to a baseball game, Wolfe feels obligated, and Archie has to tag along. Archie would ordinarily love attending a NY Giants game during the World Series, but he has a terrible day, what with 2 companions who know *nothing* about the game - and picture Wolfe in an ordinary stadium seat. So when the part-owner of the Giants who arranged their tickets calls Wolfe to the clubhouse in the 6th inning, neither he nor Archie argues, even when Chisholm's problem is that somebody's been doping the soda in the players' cooler... ... Read more

Product Description
Archie, Nero Wolfe's assistant, goes undercover to investigate a murder at a Wall Street firm, where he discovers a fringe benefit: hundreds of women work there. Everyone's alibi is air-tight, so Archie and Wolfe set a trap. Which woman will fall into it? A Classic Nero Wolfe Mystery. Complete and unabridged. 6 cassettes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

delish
Archie gets sent incognito into a Manhatten office to find out if a dead employee was murdered, and if so, by whom.The comings and goings of all of the office's female employees gives Archie and Nero plenty to chew on.When another dead body appears, it gets even more interesting.You will be stunned when you find out the killer.

No Such Thing!
Some have criticized Stout's postwar Nero Wolfe stories as reactionary and lacking sparkle and creativity.

Not this one.Yes, the plot device is predictable:that Archie is irresistable to women, and would do well planted in a big office disguised as an efficiency expert.The office has hundreds of good-looking women for Archie to interview, and he thinks he's died and gone to heaven for a while...

Here, the dialogue sparkles and the plot is pretty good.Now, it is true that you have to put aside your wince reflex regarding rampant sexism in this one.If you can manage that, though, it's a great read.

Michael Prichard once again does a spectacular job on the audiobook version.I especially appreciate his ability not only to do Wolfe better than anybody, but to handle multiple female roles distinctly and without flummery.

The novel starts normally enough...
There is a crime - well, a hit and run, that may BE a crime - a murder.Archie and Nero are hired to clear it up - was Waldo Wilmot Moore murdered or was his death an accident?The Wall Street Firm he use to work at must know or it might damage its image - you know how that is.
The problem comes down to the fact that there are hundreds of female employees, and a few male ones, who could have wanted him dead.
The story, like many of the Nero Wolfe mysteries is detailed, complex and, near the end, with a surprise.The only problem is that this story seems to move slower than most and, like Archie and Nero, you start to become a tad frustrated with the rest of the people in the novel - they seem short-sighted, sly, dense and sometimes rude.
The end, like most endings of the Nero Wolfe series, is still somewhat a surprise (and even a tad sad depending on your point of view).

Can there *really* be too many?
The atmosphere in the brownstone has become chilly of late: Wolfe wants Archie to replace the office typewriter with a silent machine (he won't), Archie wants Wolfe to trade cars (he won't), and Wolfe has riled Fritz with a new experiment in sauce. Wolfe has even annoyed Theodore (who believes that any non-orchid is a weed) by taking up valuable plant room space with a *begonia* (a gift).

All in all, it's a good time for Archie to get out of the house on assignment, particularly since Wolfe's bank balance needs a transfusion to meet his obligations, such as paying Archie, Fritz, and Theodore. When Kerr-Naylor's president, Jasper Pyne, wants Archie to go undercover in the stock department, Archie's willing - and more than a little offended that Wolfe doesn't squawk. But when Archie learns that the stock department's typing pool consists of 500 good-looking young women - almost all young and never-married - he feels that this assignment could take quite awhile. :)

Pyne failed to mention some facts Archie considers relevant.
- Waldo Wilmot Moore was hired on Mrs. Pyne's recommendation to her brother, Kerr Naylor - he who started the ball rolling by indicating that Moore was murdered.
- According to Archie's newspaper friend Lon, and naturally not mentioned by Pyne, Mrs. Pyne's in the habit of keeping gigolos, and Moore was about #8.
- According to a jealous woman from the typing pool, Moore's fiancee of a month, Hester Livesey, had been naive enough to think he'd settled down upon their engagement, to learn that he was still working his way through the women of the stock department.
- One of the few men in the department was a rival for Hester's hand, and was serious even if Moore wasn't.
- The other 5 correspondence checkers, not to mention their boss, had no use for Moore. He not only didn't pull his weight, but made extra work since they had to do his work over, and to add insult to injury, he'd received a raise not long before his death.

Really, not surprising that a so-called hit-and-run driver killed Moore, is it?

Lots of nice touches. Kerr Naylor is quick-witted enough to be able to catch Archie off-balance in conversation, and can rile Archie so much that he can't think straight. Archie at one point has to put up with health food (horror!).

And Archie learns that women, like Turkish delight, can be the kind of delicacy where too much of a good thing gluts the palate. :)

One of the best Wolfe's!
With my reading of this, I have read every Nero Wolfe novel. This is one of the best, in my opinion. Archie is sent to investigate whether a company's employee was murdered, or it was an accident. His interactions with one of the owners, a vegetarian with a taste for the exotic, are worth the price of the book alone. Archie also gets to put on his charm, and literally wine and dine plenty of women in this story, not to mention engage in his virtual warfare with Wolfe, until finally the mystery is solved. All of our favorites, from Saul to Fritz to Cramer are also present in this story. I was kept guessing until the very last page; I was suprised at how the end turned out. For me, that's the hallmark of a good mystery. The Wolfe books are all fairly formulaic, and this is a classic of that formula, but it works quite well. ... Read more

Product Description
A fanatic millionaire, a lawless politician, and a gangland boss all wanted Nero Wolfe to do things their way. Money was no object -- neither was life or death... ... Read more

Product Description
This latest entry in the estimable Nero Wolfe audio canon is a veritable time machine, transporting listeners back not only to the upscale New York City of the 1950s, but also to an era when wit and literacy flourished in the mystery genre. Prichard again proves that he is the perfect Archie Goodwin, surely the most interesting sidekick of them all the voice of Stout's most liberal instincts as well as a shrewd detective in his own right. The tale begins with a psychological duel between Goodwin and Wolfe as funny as a Kaufman and Hart play (indeed, a quote from George S. Kaufman sneaks into the text), reminding listeners how sharp an ear Stout (1886-1975) had for the edges and nuances of relationships. As usual, the plot is the work's least important aspect although this one, about a crass tycoon who hires Wolfe and Goodwin to expose his cheating daughter-in-law, does contain a few surprises. What stays in the mind are the sharply etched images (in black and white, like the best photographs from the period) of a relatively recent but completely vanished world of glamour, greed and human weakness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

great whodunnit
Nero Wolfe is hired to get the dirt on the daughter-in-law of a multimillionaire, and Archie is pressed into undercover service at the millionaire's home.Archie meets an interesting cast of family, friends and servents, and then the fun starts when a gun is missing.Then bang - a murder.Then bang - another murder.Wolfe uses his wit and the motion of Goodwin, Panzer, etc to gather evidence and solve the crimes.I especially enjoyed Wolfe's wit when it came to his exchanges with Inspector Cramer.Stout writes in a very interesting style, unlike most popular fiction.

A missing gun, a murder and a daughter-in-law
Most of the time a job that involves marriage is something that Nero Wolfe does not like to deal with.It is like a cross to a post-Dracula vampire.But in the end, kicking and screaming, he ends up taking a job to help a rich man kick out his daughter-in-law.And ends in a murder case.
A murder that Archie may get blamed for!A good read for a slow or rainy day.Enjoy!

If Death Ever Slept
"If Death Ever Slept" is a Nero Wolfe novel by Rex Stout. This book was written in 1957. As in all the Wolfe books it is narrated by Wolfe's assistant, Archie Goodwin. Otis Jarrell hires Nero Wolfe to find something that can get his daughter-in-law, Susan, out of his house. Archie goes undercover at the Jarrell house posing as Jarrell's new secretary under the name of Alan Green. Archie interviews everyone in the household to find anything on Susan that would get her out. While he is still investigating, Jarrell's former secretary, James Eber, is found murdered with a .38 revolver. Jarrell discovers that his gun which is also a .38 is missing. Two days later, Corey Brigham, a business associate of Jarrell's is found murdered also with a .38 and is presumed by the same gun that killed Eber. Nero Wolfe, with the aid of Archie and other detectives, solves the case is his usual fashion by assembling all the suspects as he announces the murderer. The title comes from a poem written by Lois Jarrell, the daughter of Otis. She has killed a squirrel and wrote the poem in remorse. A strange title, but a very good Nero Wolfe novel. I really enjoyed reading it.

I slept but I wasn't bored
Okay, some of the elements of this book are a little silly -- like the dead squirrel poem -- but again, I'm trying to get into the Nero Wolfe fan mind, and this book pushed me just a wee bit closer.I find Wolfe just plain irritating, but the star of the show for me continues to be Archie, who really does underestimate himself.Well, this was book 3 for me; on to book 4.

Let's stop by the brownstone and see what's new...
When Otis Jarrell came to see famed detective Nero Wolfe he did not realize that his cause was hopeless.He wanted Wolfe to investigate a domestic matter, the fact that Jarrell's problem was his daughter-in-law rather than his wife did not impress Wolfe.When Jarrell suggested that Archie move into his penthouse undercover though Wolfe decided to accept the case because he and Archie were annoyed with each other.The ten thousand dollar retainer didn't hurt either.

Needless to say shortly after Archie took up his post in the Jarrell household things began to get complicated, first a break-in and theft, then a murder leading Nero to disrupt his routine, call in all the troops, join forces with a FEMALE colleague and leaving Fritz to guard the brownstone's door for the night.In the end of course, Wolfe triumphs.

This is one of the later entries into the series.The situations have all occured before, the banter between the detectives has become a bit worn, life at the brownstone has been examined many times in the past and the action in this one is a bit slow.Even with all of this a visit to the Wolfe establishment is not to be missed.This is a must for fans of the series and not a bad place to start for anyone new even if it is not one of the best. ... Read more

Product Description
Archie Goodwin has his hands full when three baffling murders make him the recipient of a poisonous lunch, the fall guy for a beautiful woman, and the target of the U.S. Federal Government. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Hard to find Nero Wolfe novel
This edition has the hard to find "Bitter End" and the last Wolfe novel which was printed after he died, "Assault on a Brownstone". Annie

3 short stories
Death Times Three is not a complete novel, but rather a collection of 3 short stories, 'Bitter End', 'Frame-up For Murder' and 'Assault on a Brownstone'.
The best is 'Bitter End' where Nero Wolfe is determined to find the culprit who has been tampering with his favorite brand of pate. If he solves a murder in the meantime that's just a bonus.
Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories are an interesting mix of American and British mystery writing. Nero Wolf is an eccentric loner in the British tradition of Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot. Thestories are narrated by Wolfe's sidekick Archie Goodwin, similar to Poirot's Captain Hastings. However the character and narrative manner of Goodwin is more in the line of the American tradition of Phillip Marlowe, and the Continental-Op.

Wolfe redux
All three of the stories herein were previously published in different forms, one of which wasn't even a Wolfe story.

"Assault on a Brownstone" - Rewrite of "Counterfeit for Murder" from _Homicide Trinity_. Hattie Annis, who operates a rooming house in New York City, found some counterfeit money and wants a reward, but the case quickly turns into a murder investigation.

"Frame-Up for Murder" - Expanded rewrite of "Murder Is No Joke" from _And Four To Go_. Flora Gallant, the sister of famous dress designer Alec Gallant, hires Wolfe and Archie to break Bianca Voss' mysterious hold over her brother. While questioning an interested party via telephone, Wolfe and Archie hear a murder - or do they? Was it genuine, or was the killer playing games to mess up the time of death?

"Bitter End" - 11-12 July, 1939. Take the plot and cast of Stout's Tecumseh Fox novel _Bad for Business_, replace Fox with Archie and Wolfe, and cut it down to a short story. The entry into the story is different, of course, since Amy Duncan isn't the focus; Wolfe is served with some of the quinine-tainted Tingley's products and takes it as an insult. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not his finest work, but very entertaining nonetheless
I'm a huge Rex Stout fan, and this is one of the last books of his I was able to get a hold of as it was out of print.It's not his best effort, but is well worth the read.Enjoy! ... Read more

Product Description
Nero Wolfe must track down a killer who murders his victims only during holidays and who, so far, has left Wolfe with four puzzling cases to unravel. Reissue. NYT. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Wendi's review
It's great reading and came in excellent condition.I'm a "super" Nero Wolfe fan and read everything I can find featuring him and Archie Goodwin.Oh, how I miss Rex Stout, a great author.

Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe Series - Timeless
I first read Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe in college in 19768, when I borrowed the book from my roommate, Ralph Kalal.Since then, I haven't stopped reading the books, many of them "over and over".Few books are as timeless as the Nero Wolfe series, and I was delighted with the early "Nero Wolfe" TV series, even though it failed to capture the spirit of the books.Later PBS series were masterful, capturing not only the plots, but the characters of Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe.These books are well written, exciting to read, and are timeless.Reading a book written in the 30's - and finding it "relevant" to today is exciting.

Rounding the Holidays
Three of these four [very] short stories relate to the holidays...

"Christmas Party" has (inveitably?) Wolfe in a holiday mood and role.

"Easter Parade" celebrates Wolfe's ongoing desire to stay home, no matter what.

"Fourth of July Picnic" recalls "Some Buries Caesar" a little bit.

"Murder is No Joke" is the only non-themed story here, and, in my view, it's the strongest for plot and characterization.

I hope we'll see these on audio CD or download some time soon...

Nero Wolfe--A.C.E. Detective
Nero Wolfe is constantly getting himself into fixes through three character flaws.Arrogance, Cupidity, and Eccentricity.He must then shake off his indolence and use his intelligence to extricate himself from whatever predicament he stumbles into.Frequently he must extricate himself through the device of an elaborate caper designed to expose a killer while simultaneously burying his embarrassment.

Each of the four stories in this book has as its centerpiece an elaborate caper.In two of the stories Wolfe engineers a caper to extricate himself from danger; in the one the caper places him in danger; in the fourth, he is victimized by a caper and solves the mystery through sheer force of logic and deduction.

In "Christmas Party" Wolfe's fear that Archie is going to marry causes him to masquerade as Santa Claus and become prime suspect in a murder.In "Easter Parade" Wolfe's envy of a rival orchid grower causes him to stoop to petit theft and become embroiled in a murder mystery.In "Fourth of July Picnic" Wolfe discovers a murder at a picnic, attempts to flee without reporting it, and must expose the murderer before he himself gets arrested for obstructing justice.In "Murder is No Joke" Wolfe provides all the usual suspects with an ironclad alibi.How can he break an alibi that he himself provides?

Classic murder mysteries rarely bear any resemblance to reality.I've handled hundreds of homicide cases over the years, and the puzzles presented by real life homicide investigations bear no resemblance whatsoever to the puzzles presented in murder mysteries.You can imagine my pleasure on finding that Wolfe solved one of the mysteries in this book with exactly the same stratagem employed in a case that I prosecuted years ago.I've long since lost track of the investigator who solved that little mystery, but if I ever see him again, I'm certainly going to ask him if he has ever read any Nero Wolfe.

4 stars for 4 stories
Spend the holidays with Nero and Archie, and quickly discover Wolfe quick thinking as he solves the mysteries faster than you can turn the pages.The last one is particularly good, as Wolfe takes offense to the fool who tries to fool him.In the others, Wolfe himself is cast in the spotlight as the police begin to even suspect his involvement - but naturally, his intellect always bails him out. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Gamut of Gambits
The dictionary defines "gambit" as a stratagem.In chessplay it is a particular type of stratagem in which a piece is sacrificed in order to gain an advantage.The victim in this story is a chessmaster who agrees to do a simultaneous blindfold exhibition for the "Gambit Club" a chess club for rich snobs.In a blindfold simul, the master plays several opponents without looking at any of the boards.It is usually accomplished by the master sitting with his back to the array of boards.In this exhibition, the master sat in a different room sipping cocoa while four messengers brought the moves to him from his twelve opponents.One of the opponents actually played a counter gambit.

When the master keels over dead from arsenic poisoning, the club member who brought him the cocoa becomes the prime suspect.Wolfe refuses to believe that the cocoa deliverer committed the murder because he will have to return the $22,000.00 retainer paid him by the suspect's daughter if the suspect actually proves to be guilty.

Wolfe decides that the only way the suspect could be innocent would be if one of the messengers had sacrificed the master as a gambit to incriminate the suspect.But he lacks one essential fact to be able to prove his case.

Wolfe devises a gambit to get that fact, but someone sacrifices the witness who can give it to him.He then decides that he can find the true killer in the first murder by the stratagem of solving the more easily investigated second murder.

Then Wolfe gets the fact which cost the second victim his life, and he decides that his only hope to solve either murder is to devise a gambit which sacrifices his confidential assistant, Archie Goodwin.

Wolfe calls all the suspects together, announces he has fired Archie for incompetence, and then . . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent book of 7 Rex Stout novels
Exactly what I hoped for.A good-condition volume of the 7 Nero Wolfe stories dedscribed; arrived before schedule.I will use this seller again and recommend it.

The Nero Wolfe 7 Books in one
I am currently reading this book. Very good and well written and the characters are well developed.There is one more book not listed in the seven, it is Poison al'a cart.If anyone gets a change to purchace this book, and read it, I highly recommend this book.

9 Wolfe stories in all: 6 novels + 3 short
This omnibus' title is misleading; it actually contains 6 novels and a short story collection. They are discussed here in original publication order. For more details on the individual books, see their separate reviews.

_The Silent Speaker_ (1946) was the 11th Wolfe book, and the first Wolfe novel to be published after WWII, the 9th and 10th books having been short story collections. The price controls of WWII were still in effect, and a government official has been murdered in a high profile case, in which big business interests are a prime suspect. This is one of the few cases in which Wolfe and Archie actively solicit business; _And Be a Villain_ was another.

_Might As Well Be Dead_ (1956), the 27th Wolfe book, starts out as a missing person case: finding an estranged son for his father, who disowned him for a dishonest act someone else turned out to have committed. Unfortunately, it looks like the poor devil may be on the verge of being unjustly convicted of an unrelated murder.

_If Death Ever Slept_ (1957) was the 28th Wolfe book, and like _Too Many Women_, has Archie taking an undercover assignment to get away from Wolfe for awhile after a quarrel. The puzzle is better-constructed than that in its predecessor, and Archie is more seriously attracted by the available females, so _If Death Ever Slept_ also has better characterization.

THREE AT WOLFE'S DOOR (1960) was the 33rd Wolfe book, a short story collection consisting of "Poison a la Carte", "Method Three for Murder", and "The Rodeo Murder", all of which first appeared in magazines in 1960.

"Poison a la Carte", like _Too Many Cooks_ before it, involves Wolfe leaving the house to attend a special meeting of an organization appreciating fine food, but Stout by this time had Wolfe's habits more deeply engrained: the meeting is being held in New York City, involving a minimum of travel, and Fritz is involved with the preparation of the dinner. In fact, when one of the attendees dies of poison, Fritz and the other chefs - employees of Rusterman's - feel that their honour, not merely their safety, is involved, so Wolfe *has* to clear it up.

"Method Three for Murder" begins with one of the many occasions on which Archie has threatened to quit, but this one is unusual in that he's half-serious, and has gone so far as to storm out of the house. He hasn't stormed far, though; a good-looking woman is out front with a cab containing only a dead body. Wolfe, after a certain amount of commotion, stomps out and offers Archie a partnership arrangement to solve the case. :)

"The Rodeo Murder" occurs at a party in Lily Rowan's penthouse - and since she'd specially arranged for grouse, Wolfe had consented to attend. Some of the characters later reappear in _Death of a Dude_, set on Lily's ranch in Montana, after their retirement from rodeo work.

Like _If Death Ever Slept_, GAMBIT (1962), the 37th Wolfe book, revolves around a woman most men automatically fall for, but everyone seems to agree that Anna Blount is a one-man woman, and that that man is Matthew Blount, her husband. After hearing Anna's daughter Sally outline Blount's problem - he's accused of murdering a chessplayer at the Gambit Club - Wolfe declares that Blount is either a jackass or is innocent, and takes the case. As a working hypothesis, Wolfe takes the position that Paul Jerin's murder was itself a gambit, a move intended to bring about the death of Matthew Blount - possibly not for his own sake, but as the inconvenient husband of Anna Blount. Not that this narrows the field of suspects much...

PLEASE PASS THE GUILT (1973), the 45th Wolfe book, began with a referral from Wolfe's neighbour, the ever-helpful Doc Vollmer. One of Vollmer's colleagues has a patient with "Lady Macbeth" syndrome: he hallucinates blood on his hands. The man won't give a full account of himself to his therapist, who in exasperation recommended Wolfe as a better bet. Wolfe and Archie, upon meeting the man, learn that he was indeed involved in a messy death - a bomb rigged in an executive's desk drawer - but he isn't a suspect.

A FAMILY AFFAIR (1975), the 46th Wolfe book, was the last to be published before Stout's death. A waiter from Rusterman's - a bit-part character we've seen occasionally in previous stories - shows up at the brownstone at 2 a.m., insisting on waiting until Wolfe is available, and refusing to confide in Archie. Archie parks him in the South Room for safekeeping - but someone had slipped Pierre a booby-trapped cigar tube, and the resulting explosion causes his death, and makes this a personal matter for Wolfe. But digging into the case, there appear to be traces of a possible connection with Watergate - and that *really* pushes Wolfe's hot buttons. ... Read more

Product Description
Three murder cases place arrogant, gormandizing sleuth Archie Goodwin at an exclusive dinner party where arsenic is served, in a wandering cab with a dead lady driver, and at a rodeo championship. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Brand New Book
The price was great, the quality superb and delivery prompt.This is one of the final pieces in completing my collection of Nero Wolfe mysteries by Rex Stout, and I was very happy to find it at such a good price.

A&E Picked up something here...
Nero Wolfe leaves his home in each and every one of these stories - perhaps that's why A&E picked up "Poison A La Carte."Was it easier or cheaper to produce than "Too Many Cooks?"

There are a lot of similarities - the Ten for Aristology stages a dinner at which a murder occurs.Wolfe has to defend Fritz's innocence - a very tricky set of circumstances.

"Method Three for Murder" is not all that cryptic.When you're accused of something, there are three optionsLstand mute, tell the complete truth, or lie without embellishment.Remember:for methods one or two, you never have to remember what you said...

"The Rodeo Murder" prefigures "Death of A Dude" (1969) in that Lily Rowan's extensive land in Montana is the base of operations for some cowboys with personality limitations.

These are good stories, all, but you do sense that Stout's milking the cow pretty hard...

"What the devil is all this?"
Three stories of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin.Three murders to solve, two meals, a taxi cab with a lady driver who isn't its owner and lots of cowfolk.The stories are all delightful to a Nero Wolfe fan and are all linked by a very rare event.In each story Mr. Wolfe leaves his house!True, sometimes there was a good meal involved, but it is still rare to see him outside his brownstone.He has also been known to leave it because of flower related affairs, but you know how he hates cars, thinks they're death traps.And he might be right.
Anyway, if you are a fan, buy it.If you're not a fan, buy it anyway.Get three stories for the price of one and become a fan of the greatest detective of all time!

Arsenic, stabbing, and a lasso
The cases herein occur in April 1958 and August-September of 1960.

"Poison a la Carte" - Adapted for A&E's 2nd Nero Wolfe season. Lewis Hewitt talked Wolfe into loaning Fritz to the Ten for Aristology for an evening - an elite group of gourmets who have a special dinner every April 1st, marking the birthday of Brillat-Savarin (Fritz keeps a bust of the great gastronomist in his room). Archie, attending as a friend of the cook and to keep an eye on Wolfe, passes the time by collecting the names and phone numbers of the twelve beautiful girls serving dinner (actresses hired for the occasion). But when someone serves poison to 'theatrical angel' Vincent Pyle, he of the nasty reputation for sexual harassment in the theater world, Wolfe's client is Fritz Brenner - for no fee, although he and his friends from Rusterman's who were assisting would be willing to ante up if Wolfe would let them - they take exception to being used as cat's-paws. Good story, but even Wolfe and Archie can't solve it by pure deduction - be prepared for a charade. :)

"Method Three for Murder" - Archie has quit (or Wolfe has fired him) for effect in an argument about 30 - 40 times, but never in front of company. Archie's almost serious this time, when he stalks out of the brownstone after a post-dinner quarrel, only to find Mira Holt parked out front with a cab containing only the murdered body of Phoebe Arden. Mira borrowed the cab from its real driver, Judith Bram, and came to hire Wolfe for help after finding the victim. Archie takes her on. After the cops show up, Wolfe stomps out to the front step to find out what's going on, and Archie takes Wolfe on as a partner. :) The title refers to Archie's advice to Mira that there are 3 methods for coping with police questions: 1) stand mute, 2) the complete unvarnished truth, or 3) a simple basic lie with no trimmings. Very good story, and the puzzle gives the reader a fair chance.

"The Rodeo Murder" - Some of the characters later reappear in _Death of a Dude_, working at the Bar JR (Lily's ranch in Montana). She's throwing a party in her penthouse for various competitors in the World Series Rodeo (being held at Madison Square Garden), and since she's serving blue grouse cooked by Felix of Rusterman's, Archie persuades Wolfe to accept an invitation. When one of the few other guests who isn't a cowboy or cowgirl - rodeo promoter Wade Eisler - is found murdered via lasso, Lily takes exception to the violation of hospitality and engages Wolfe to catch the killer. Unfortunately, Eisler had a caveman approach to women and was dumb enough to apply it even to girls who were crack shots and could catch and rope struggling calves, so nobody else is terribly eager to see the killer caught. ... Read more

Product Description
Here are two Rex Stout short stories for war buffs and Nero Wolfe fans alike. In "Not Quite Dead Enough," Archie Goodwin - Nero Wolfe's perennial legman - literally steals the limelight. Recently inducted into Army Intelligence, Archie goes to Wolfe's flat to see why he hasn't been answering his or the Army recruiter's calls. Wolfe could be dead, but Archie later finds out he's been "training" to join the Army. It takes the murder of a woman Archie goes dancing with to get Nero Wolfe to investigate crime again. The wartime theme continues in "Booby Trap" as Archie and Wolfe investigate the murder of Captain Albert Cross, killed only hours before he was to make a report about a prototype grenade theft to the group of intelligence people Wolfe works with. Listener favorite Michael Prichard, named by Smart Money magazine as one of the "Top Ten Golden Voices," precisely captures the characters' personalities and the story locations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

BBC Audio version incomplete
I bought this product in the CD version and received the BBC Audio edition rather than the one from Audio Partners. The first story, "Not Quite Dead Enough" was incomplete. The whole first chapter and beginning of the second were omitted. I opted for a refund from Amazon rather than a replacement since every copy of the BBC Audio edition is likely to be similarly defective.

Hope Michael Pritchard Finishes What He Started
Just got this CD set, so now I have, let's see, 27 Nero Wolfe books on tape or CD.

There's no help for it.

Now, bear in mind that while Michael Pritchard read most of these, he did not read all of these, and that is not satisfactory.An actor from the A&E series read one or two of them and while I admite his chutzpah, he's no Pritchard.

I hope that, eventually, Pritchard records ALL of the Wolfe stories.

Michael Pritchard jumps into these two stories with his usual enthusiam.I love the way he does Wolfe - not exaggerating or overplaying, but clearly conveying that Wolfe is a big guy with a commanding voice.Maury Chaykin comments on the A&E DVDs that "no one talks like Nero Wolfe."Well, I know one guy who does...

And when Pritchard speaks with Archie's voice [and Archie's "inner voice"], he captures Archie's special combination of earnestness and cynicism that makes him so appealing.

These two stories are logically grouped as among Stout's World War II efforts.Some have derided the first one as too implausible, and recommend jumping right into "Booby Trap."With the CD set, it's pretty easy to do that:the tracks are clearly labelled.But if you do, you actually miss some of the "setup material" since, it appears, "Not Quite..." is set at a time frame preceding "Booby Trap."

Suit yourself.Since I cannot get enough of Nero Wolfe, I just let the good times roll...

Not Quite Dead Enough and Booby Trap
A welcome distraction for Wolfe fans. While worthy of the Wolfe name, neither of these stories has the amount of plot and character depth as most of Stout's other novels. But that by no means, means that these stories aren't an interesting listen.
Prichard of course delivers the subtle differences of every character in his inimitable way.
Not Quite Dead Enough is the best of the two, and is in my opinion, one of Stout's best short stories.
Booby Trap shows a bit of a 'dark side' of Wolfe, wherein, ***spoiler*** he persuades a murderer to commit suicide near the end. But overall this collection is a must-read for Wolfe fanatics, as is pretty much every other Wolfe novel. ... Read more