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

Customer Reviews (8)

An enjoyable adventure with Nero Wolfe
Please Pass the Guilt is an excellent addition to Rex Stout's line of Nero Wolfe novels. The plot is interesting and fast-paced, while still remaining complex. One complaint I have is the excessive amount of characters that Stout uses in this book. It's somewhat difficult to keep track of them all as the mystery unravels. I also thought the ending was a little weak, and didn't justify the suspense that Stout had cleverly built up throughout the book as the reader came closer to discovering who planted the bomb. These minor shortcomings don't diminish the overall effectiveness of the book, and Please Pass the Guilt retains all the familiar Nero Wolfe charm readers love.

One-seventh of a ton of intrigue and fun
If you've not yet met Nero Wolfe, you are in for a treat as this crusty, corpulent detective takes on yet another murder case.Rex Stout is a master of prose and the English language, and Michael Prichard adds just the right touch of accents and inflection to enrich without distraction.

The only downside?When reading a Rex Stout book, it's easy to flip back and reread the truly great lines.Small price to pay, however, for taking Misters Stout and Wolfe along on the drive.

REX STOUT, Please pass the guilt, NERO WOLFE, Mystery
Intertainment , like the "old Radio" mysteries, ... Great enjoyment while driving in the auto on long trips!

An enjoyable listen.
Nero Wolfe stories always present a good listen to the books of Rex Stout. Pritchard's voice is pleasant and displays the right amount of inflection to "get" the humor and interplay between the characters.

Rex Stout does a wonderful job
A wonderful followup book to others.Not the first read, but definitely a top 10 Nero book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Covers 3 unrelated cases
This omnibus edition of _The Black Mountain_, _Before Midnight_, and _If Death Ever Slept_ is titled _Three Trumps_ only because three cases are covered, and because somewhere along the line Stout and his publishers got into the habit of naming his omnibuses (omnibi?) in a card-playing style, even though few if any of the stories therein had any significant connection with cards.

_The Black Mountain_ (1954) was the 24th Wolfe book, and is one of the few cases Wolfe concerned himself with solely for personal reasons: the story opens with Archie answering the office telephone, then breaking the news to Wolfe that Marko Vukcic - Wolfe's oldest, closest friend - has been found murdered. Marko, it turns out, had been supporting the resistance movement against the Communist regime back in Montenegro. Wolfe had warned Marko of the risks he was running with his high-profile activities, and the dangers appear to have come home to roost. Even Wolfe's adopted daughter (introduced and last seen in _Over My Dead Body_, so if you haven't read that book, her appearance here may be a bit of a shock) turns up to berate Wolfe a little for not helping the resistance more, and soon she, too, is found dead. By the time Wolfe identifies the murderer, the killer has already fled the country for Montenegro - Wolfe receives a cryptic message to that effect, stating that the killer is within sight of 'the Black Mountain' from which the country takes its name.

Wolfe very nearly refuses to take Archie along, because for once *Archie* will be a fish out of water; his street smarts and better physical condition notwithstanding, Archie only speaks English, and Montenegro is completely alien to him. Archie, however, isn't about to let Wolfe traipse off into Montenegro alone, of course.

_Before Midnight_ (1955) was the 25th Wolfe book, with no mention of the Montenegrin adventures of the previous book or the fallout from Marko's death, although other stories set in the 1950s mention Wolfe's duties as an executor, and his insistence that Marko's restaurant, Rusterman's, be kept up to standard while he acted as trustee. By contrast, Wolfe is in _Before Midnight_ solely for the money. His client is the advertising firm LBA (Lippert, Buff, and Assa); the rising star running their biggest advertising campaign - a gigantic cosmetic historical trivia contest launching Pour Amour perfume - has just been murdered. (Some of the contest questions are sprinkled through the book, including the corresponding answers, although not usually together; the later ones should give the reader a run for his/her money.)

Not, you understand, that the partners really *care* who killed Louis Dahlmann; the real problem is that a few hours before he was murdered, he passed out the tie-breaking contest questions to the 5 finalists, then brandished a piece of paper from his wallet, saying it held the answers. When Dahlmann's corpse was found, the paper was missing, and LBA wants to be able to point to the thief, disavow that set of questions, and keep the contest from turning into a nightmare. Of course, as Inspector Cramer points out, it'll be tough for Wolfe to find the thief without fingering the murderer. :)

_If Death Ever Slept_ (1957) was the 28th Wolfe book, and like _Too Many Women_ before it, begins with a cold war in the brownstone, which results in Wolfe accepting a job that involves Archie taking an undercover assignment - in this case, one that involves having Archie move out for the duration to take a job as Otis Jarrell's private secretary, as a cover for finding out how his daughter-in-law has been sabotaging his business interests. (Jarrell doesn't like Susan for various personal reasons, and would really like Wolfe and Archie to break up his son's marriage, but Wolfe draws the line at that sort of thing.) The puzzle is more fair to the reader than that in _Too Many Women_, although there's a large lump (fortunately just one lump) of timetable information that makes unexciting reading. On the plus side, the stormy atmosphere in the brownstone has more interesting causes and side effects than that in _Too Many Women_. :)

For more detailed discussion of the individual works herein, see reviews of the 3 separate books; no changes were made to include them here. They have few points in common, not even being 3 back-to-back books in publication order. While they're no worse here than taken separately, this omnibus edition provides no added value. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Indispensible
Everybody has a favorite Nero Wolfe-- everybody who's been lucky enough to discover the best mystery series ever.Wolfe's nemesis, like Moriarty to Sherlock Holmes, was Arnold Zeck.Here are the Zeck novels under one cover, and they're such fun that they're at the top of my list of Rex Stout reads.If you're a newcomer to Wolfe, start with "Fer-de-lance," the first Wolfe mystery.Then, if you want to skip right to dessert, get "Triple Zeck."Pure fun from start to finish.

Also at the top of my Wolfe list: "Too Many Cooks," "Some Buried Caesar," and "The Doorbell Rang."The latter is one of the last that Stout wrote, and one of the very best.MAN, did he hate J.Edgar Hoover!

After numerous reads it's still a favorite
The Zeck trilogy of Nero Wolfe novels is the only set of Nero Wolfe stories, out of 73 novels and novelettes, which have a common villain and therefore a sustained theme.

Having them--And Be a Villain, The Second Confession, and In the Best Families--all in one volume is a special convenience and treat.

I have read all the Nero Wolfe stories numerous times. Each one has its pros and cons, but all are, for me, endlessly rereadable (though in general I never can stand to read a book a second time.) Plotting is not usually Stout's strong point. The attraction of the Wolfe series is in the place, the personalities, the wit, the use of language. However, the three Zeck novels feature strong plotting, some of the strongest in the corpus, and each of them has its own charm and attraction: in the first, I love the teenaged pill, Nancy. In the second, Archie is staying in a client's mansion and has to make a huge effort to lock his bedroom door--why? In the third, Archie is shocked (and so are we) one morning when he arrives home to find the front door open. I never get tired of these three stories.

For any Nero Wolfe fan, this trilogy is a must. For those who haven't had the pleasure of getting to know Wolfe and his sidekick Archie, I would recommend reading a few earlier stories in the corpus first. When you get to these, they will be an especial treat.

Highly recommended.

all Nero Wolfe fans will love this volume
For those who love Nero Wolfe, Archie, and the gang, this compliation of the 3 adventures in which Nero Wolfe faces his arch nemesis, Arnold Zeck, is indispensable.

Riveting reads for Rex Stout fans.While the individual novels are available separately, they should be read in order and together.This old volume is a convenient solution.

A wonderful summer read for fans of classic mysteries, from the days before CSI and gory forensic procedurals.This trio of books is about colleagues who are really family.They reflect the time when they were written in a fascinating way.Highly recommended

The best Nero Wolfe trilogy
I had read a dozen Nero Wolfe novels, and I thought I had read Rex Stout's best. This set beats them all, and this is exactly the way to read them -- the three novels, published a year apart, that have the undercurrent of Wolfe's Moriarty, the villianous mastermind known as Arnold Zeck.

Start with And Be A Villian (1948), as Wolfe solves the murder of the guest on an Oprah-esqe radio talk show. Continue with The Second Confession (1949), where Wolfe is hired to expose a Communist and ends up solving a murder. They set the stage for In The Best Families (1950), as Zeck shows that his interference cannot be tolerated; Wolfe goes to amazing, drastic measures to stay alive and, almost as an afterthought, wraps up another murder case.

If you want to get analytical, you can compare Wolfe/Goodwin with Holmes/Watson, particularly during the events of In The Best Families. Or you can just hang on for one great ride.

The massive Nero Wolfe at his best!
This set of three books forms a gripping and yet humorous story about Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin (who cheerfully describes Wolfe as weighing "a seventh of a ton") and their battle against apowerful, ruthless, and all but untouchable crime lord named Arnold Zeck. The first two books concern other cases where Zeck was indirectly involved,and the third is where Wolfe is forced to combat Zeck himself.If you likea good mystery, this collection is highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Investigating the bludgeoning murder of Val Carew, killed near the tomb of his late wife, also dead under suspicious circumstances, Inspector Cramer finds a single clue in a red thread found in the victim's hand. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good, if you forget it's Rex Stout
This is a good mystery, and the clue used to trap the murderer is very a la Agatha Christie.In fact, the whole novel is a la Agatha Christie.It seems almost as if it were written to show the general public that Cramer could indeed solve a case without Wolfe's help.

The story starts one month after a brutal crime has taken place.Val Carew has been scalped in the tomb/slightly unnatural shrine of his late Indian wife with, naturally, an entire houseful of guests.

Cramer is called home from a Canadian vacation to solve the crime.Then he disappears for 60 pages while we are introduced to the characters, their motives, alibis, and relationships with each other.Once he reappears, he solves the crime, albeit with some help.

The only problem with this mystery is if you expect it to read like a Nero Wolfe.Since that's what we primarily associate with Stout, that's what we expect from him.While this novel doesn't really disappoint the reader, it's just rather slow going because you expect Wolfe and Archie to pop up at any moment.As they never do, it's something of a disappointment, but if you just tell yourself at the beginning that the novel isn't written by Stout, but someone else, it's quite enjoyable fare.

More bologna than Saucisse Minuit
It comes as a surprise that Rex Stout, the master of dialogue and characterization, could have written this book. Simply put, Red Threads is dull. The writer tells us too much and shows us too little. The protagonist is little more than a bundle of mannerisms, lacking the spark of reality which enlivens Stout's more famous creations, Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe.

I was disappointed, and I don't recommend this book.

Cramer without Wolfe is like spaghetti without sauce...
... it's sort of filling, but you feel a bit cheated, and you keep thinking how much better it would be *with* the sauce.It wasn't until about page 50 that I realised Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin wouldn't beturning up to save the day.This has all of Stout's fine plotting andcraftmanship, but it doesn't have the dialogue and the characterisationsthat make the Wolfe novels such a joy.Even Cramer is a mere shadow of hisusual self.If you're a fan of Stout's then of course you must have this,but to continue the food analogies that always seem so apposite whendiscussing his work, it's a bit like having to finish your vegetablesbefore you can move on to the lovely dessert of the brownstone on West 35thStreet. ... Read more

Product Description
CONTENTS: Too Many Cooks, Plot it Yourself and Triple Jeopardy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Consists of tales of 5 unrelated cases
This omnibus edition of TOO MANY COOKS, PLOT IT YOURSELF, and TRIPLE JEOPARDY is titled KINGS FULL OF ACES because Stout and his publishers for reasons best known to themselves acquired a habit of naming Nero Wolfe omnibi after variations on playing cards (including both bridge and poker terms).

While the 2 novels + 1 short story collection herein are no worse here than taken separately - no abridgements or alterations have been made - this edition provides no added value.

The selection of titles is an odd assortment. For more detailed discussion of the individual works herein, see reviews of the 3 separate books; no changes were made to include them here. They have few points in common, not even being 3 back-to-back books in publication order. While they're no worse here than taken separately, this omnibus edition provides no added value.

TOO MANY COOKS (1938) was the 5th Wolfe book, back when he was less reluctant to leave the brownstone than he became in later years. Of course, on the occasions when he did leave for personal reasons, they tended to fall into a few main categories: the obligations of citizenship (voting, for instance); the obligations of friendship (Marko or Archie, usually); orchids; food.

In this instance, Marko Vukcic makes his first appearance, having persuaded his old friend to attend a meeting of Les Quinze Maitres (15 world-class chefs) in West Virginia; Wolfe has very definite opinions about American contributions to fine food, and is willing to go to some trouble to back them up. (This is worth reading just to see Archie yanking Wolfe's chain by waiting until the last minute to join him on board the train, after reflecting on what he went through to get his boss there.)

Wolfe's price for helping out the inevitable murder suspect among the masters takes an unusual turn, too: a recipe that the man has refused point-blank to share with *anyone*. :)

TRIPLE JEOPARDY (1952) was the 20th Wolfe book, a short story collection rather than a novel, consisting of "Home to Roost", "The Cop Killer", and "The Squirt and the Monkey".

"Home to Roost" (a.k.a. "Nero Wolfe and the Communist Killer") The Rackells want to hire Wolfe to investigate their nephew's murder. Arthur appeared to be a communist, but defended himself to his family by claiming to be an undercover FBI agent. Which was true? Did either have anything to do with his death? (This was written during the worst of the anti-communist witch-hunts. Stout himself eventually came under fire, which was ridiculous; after that, his tone on the issue changed.)

"The Cop-Killer" In this case, the anti-communist angle, such as it is, is that two of the employees at the barbershop patronized by both Wolfe and Archie are illegal immigrants, and panicked badly when a cop dropped in to investigate a simple hit-and-run death. But did they kill him? (The setting leaves a restricted set of suspects, as the murder took place during business hours in the barbershop, and most of the employees haven't had any chance to leave other than Wolfe's new clients.)

"The Squirt and the Monkey" After getting involved with a case he should've known better than to touch - a cartoonist who wanted Archie's help in finding a stolen gun - Wolfe's and Archie's licenses are suspended, so that Wolfe *must* get involved to protect his ability to make a living.

PLOT IT YOURSELF (1959) was the 32nd Wolfe book. A group of people who make their living from words - playwrights and authors - are being preyed upon by someone who, working through a different cat's-paw each time, frames the writer for plagiarism in such a way that either a large out-of-court settlement or a large *in*-court settlement will result. The relevant professional organizations have finally opted to call in a competent investigator, pooling their resources and their information. But once Wolfe becomes involved, the people who've been fronting for the mastermind behind the scheme start turning up dead... ... Read more

Product Description
Three clever murderers challenge Nero Wolfe in cases involving lovers who want to make sure neither is a killer, a stable full of suspects in the search for a killer on horseback, and a murderer stalking Wolfe's brownstone. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Wendi's review
There is no such thing as a "bad" Nero Wolfe book or novella. The condition of the book was just acceptable, but it was still great reading.It takes me back to when dialogue was important and characters were thinking, not just blowing stuff up with C-4.I'm re-reading all I can find of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe series and enjoying every minute.

Curtains for Three is a fun read
The three novellas in this book are a great read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries with humor and thought.

Curtains For Three
Rex Stout was a master when he wrote Nero Wolfe.I enjoy each story as much as the next.

Curtains for Three
I am a really big fan of Nero Wolf .. So I have enjoyed all his books
it is so amazing the things he was able to say in his books that today he would not have been able to say ..

Tempted to Mass Production?
These three short stories, as well as the next two collections of shorts, have a weird "Mass produced" feel about them, which is not attractive.Like Stout signed a contract with the book-of-the-month club and write these quickly in order to fulfill it.

"Bullet for One" is the best of the lot here."Disguise for Murder" ranks just below it, but "The Gun With Wings" has some shameless cliches and hackneyed plot devices seen in 1951 pulp deteective fiction.Stout was, obviously, capable of so much more.

In a real way, it's understandable why none of these was picked for A&E. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

a very good plot
the plot is amazing. Rex Stout has been one of the best writers I have ever read nowadays.

Found by chance
I thought I'd read all of the Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin mysteries, even those written by later authors.Then I found this book, whose plot I couldn't recall having read.What a joy.

I find the ambiance of the 1950s as conveyed in these earlier books so enjoyable.Archie's witticisms are so clever, and the petulant behavior of his employer so comfortably familiar that I regret there are no new novels to read.Like my mother, I wish I could just keep reading pages until I reach the author at his typewriter--or word processor these days!

In this book, the accusations of plagiarism leads to murder, and the investigative services of Nero Wolfe are sought to solve both the question of how and by whom the scam against the authors is worked as well as who is killing off the accusers.

Great entertainment by an author who knows how to do it.

Right to Write
Plagiarism -- that dreaded word in the publishing world sends representatives of the trade to Nero Wolfe to defend them against unjust claims. A 1950's formula story, but a grand puzzle for a light read. An excellent example of why Rex Stout's books are still in print.
Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are characters who occupy a distinct place in American mystery fiction. A very good read.
Nash Black, author whose books are available in Kindle editions.
Writing as a Small BusinessSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County Novel

Excellent Stuff
What is plagiarism?How can a responsible editor be assured, in the pre-internet '50s, that he's notpublishing something stolen?

That's only the beginning of this great story.In this case, the plagiarist is so adept at his craft that he can even emulate female writers flawlessly.

And yes, fans of Serbo-Croat get to read or hear some Montenegrin cussing in this story.Who could ask for anything more??

Perhaps the BEST Nero Wolfe I've Read
With an intriguing plot, summarized elsewhere, this is perhaps the best Nero Wolfe I've read.The characters are wonderful, Archie and Wolfe are in very fine form, and the mystery is superb.You'll be surprised at the killer, and Wolfe actually shows respect for the murderer.You almost think that Wolfe would rather not convict him/her.

Bottom line:Excellent, perhaps the best Stout, with a wonderful killer you almost feel sorry for. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Not Nero Wolfe
This is a pretty good "period" mystery.However, Nero Wolfe does not figure in it.A girl detective, which I guess was a noveltyin the 30's has to solve the murder of a rich man who she had reason to dislike.

Introducing Dol Bonner
From time to time Nero Wolfe and Archie realized that they needed a female operative to help solve a case.They always hired the best, Dol Bonner, who had her own private detective agency.In this novel, for the first and only time, the focus is on Dol and describes how she came to be in this most unusual occupation.

Before the novel opens Dol had been a happy young woman, her father was wealthy, she was engaged to be married and then things began to go wrong.First her father lost his fortune, then killed himself, then her fiance left her and Dol was faced with the necessity of fending for herself.She considered her prospects and decided on the highly unusual occupation of private detective.As the novel opens Dol's business partner and friend is being pressured by her guardian to disassociate herself with the agency.Soon Dol finds herself without a partner but with the guardian as a client, at least for a short time.Before the final pages the body count has risen but Dol has been one step ahead of the police to solve the crimes.

THE HAND IN THE GLOVE was originally published in 1937 and the only novel featuring Dol although she appears from time to time in Nero Wolfe adventures.Stout's style is evident here, the characters are well defined, the problem is clever and complex but the snappy banter that marks the Nero Wolfe stories is missing.Another deviation from the Nero Wolfe novels is that the story is not told just from one point of view but jumps from Dol to her friend Sylvia's and others which is a bit confusing for the reader at times.Although this is not quite as good as the Nero Wolfe stories it is interesting for Wolfe fans to learn a bit more one of the few women in Wolfe's life.

Good Reading, Weird Book
Others below have expressed concerns about the quality of the narration in this audio book.We're not talking much about this book itself...

Rex Stout tried to subfranchise Nero Wolfe many times.He sold to radio and hated what the scriptwriters came up with.He sold to movies and then criticized how the screenplays were.

Well, actually, he was right.These adaptations are pretty bad, in all truth.

But when he adapts his own stuff, and then tries to inhabit a woman's mind, it's a mess.Inspector Cramer is the only lucid, well-developed charater in this book - and this comes from a mystery author who developed such memorable characters.

Dol Bonner is a crypto-lesbian who cannot come out in 1938.The only love interests she has in this story are other women, so I think my last observation is credible.And Rex just cannot be that attitudinally flexible.The storyline is weak and not consistently interesting.

Most fatal flaw:the abandonment of first-person narrative style.We like Archie Goodwin because we can see ourselves as fantasy Archies.But Rex was not adventurous enough to make "Being Dol Bonner, Gay Detective" in 1938 as a first-person piece.Even though we do not see this story exactly from Dol's viewpoint, everything described is within her sight.About three-fourths of the way through, we're suddenly observing a too-long scene which is outside Dol's consciousness.It's jarring and might be worthwhile, if it really led someplace.

But it is just a little meander.Rex felt like exploring nonconventional religion, nonconventional relationships and nonconventional detectives, but the guy's just way too conventional for the job.It's a noble experiment, but it failed.Stout knew;he never tried again.

A good fit
High-pitched and grating? We can't disagree with the one-star reviewer more.The voices are consistent and carefully chosen.We listened to this book while painting an apartment and found it thoroughly absorbing and well produced.We can't claim to own 30 unabridged Stout mysteries with which to compare this, but we can claim to know strong female characters strongly portrayed. Having listened to stories by writers such asSara Paretsky and Sue Grafton, we think this performance ranks.It's consistent throughout, intelligently performed, and completely satisfying.

Narration hard to take!
I am an avid audio-book fan, and own 30 unabridged, Nero Wolfe audio books.Naturally, this book interested me, and I purchased it with a Christmas gift certificate.What a disappointment!!The narration is high-pitched and grating.I truly cannot understand how the producers chose to use this narrator.My mother listened to the set before me and refrained from saying anything so as not to spoil the set for me.Once I commented on the poor narration, she felt free to say that she strongly disliked the narration to.What was Audio Editions thinking?Please choose the narrators with thought next time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Three for the Chair
I have never found a Rex Stout book that I didn't like.And the service was so prompt in getting my book to me. Thanks

Rex Stout/Nero Wolfe
Rex Stout didn't write a bad Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin (let's not forget Archie Goodwin!)novel.Some are just more excellent than others.

Deeper Into the 1950s
Three short stories in this collection.

"Immune to Murder" was scripted into the A&E series, and the adaptation was visually wondserful.U.S. diplomats are trying to wheedle the ambassador of a "third world" country to secure oil resources.To that end, the American diplomat talks Wolfe into traveling to a hunting lodge to cook this man a meal of fresh brook trout for his country.

The collection's common thread is that all three of these cases have Wolfe outside his home, breaking an inviolable rule.

"Too Many Detectives" has Wolfe, as a licensed private detective, testifying in Albany about licensing practices.

"A Window for Death"Never leave a window open if you're touchy about pneumonia, I guess.

These last two were good enough stories, but it can be deduced why A&E did not option them for broadcast.Despite being located away from the brownstone, they do not have a lot of visual appeal.And, interestingly enough, given limitations of time and space, Timothy Hutton was described as a very visual executive producer and director...

Boy, I sure wish they'd made more of those A&E episodes...

Not the best, but Wolfe is always a good read
Three "fish out of water" Nero Wolfe tales, each having to do with an occasion that brings Wolfe out of his comfortable brownstone and out to the scene of the (eventual) crime.The individual stories are fine ones, but the combination robs the oddity of ... well, its oddity.

Still, a decent Wolfe book is always worth it. Good stuff.

As usual, brilliant
I just finished this book, but could have recommended it before opening it.As a long-time reader of Stout, I can tell you that his plotting is impeccable, his denouements unfailingly surprising and his command of the language masterful.The first story, "A Window for Death," has long been one of my favorites, featuring as it does Stout's usual suspects--class, money and sexual tension--in the story of a black sheep returning to the fold and mysteriously dying.The other two tales are tasty, too; in "Immune to Death," Stout's lazy and unwilling detective, Nero Wolfe, gets involved in an international fight over oil rights, and in "Too Many Detectives," he is caught in an investigation regarding illegal wire tapping.I will read a Stout--any Stout, even the occasional romance novel--again and again, whenever I get my hands on one, and I always pass them around to anyone who loves a mystery.They're fast, hilarious, arrogant, profoundly unrealistic and fun, with the air of an old comic thriller movie, like Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes" or one starring Edna Mae Oliver.Don't be put off by the undercurrent of misogyny, I'm a flaming, old-school feminist and if I can laugh at such sheer ridiculousness, so can you. ... Read more

Product Description
When the elderly head of the Tingley Titbits catering service meets a sudden end, a beautiful young detective becomes the main suspect, until Tecumseh Fox arrives on the scene to sort out the ingredients in the case. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An early work, worth a late read
This book reminds me of movies from the 30's, full of plot twists, fast talk and witty repartee. It's a fun read, and even the murder doesn't feel too serious, since the victim is an unpleasant sort.

The story centers on Tingley's Tidbits, a venerable old company whose superlative gourmet treats are under attack by a saboteur who's adulterating the product with quinine. Sales are falling - and in the midst of the chaos Arthur Tingley is murdered.

Suspects abound: the lovely niece, who never got along with Uncle Arthur; Arthur's adopted son, who is fanatically anti-business; the entire production staff of Tingley's Tidbits; and certain corporate characters who are out to buy the business.

Tecumseh Fox is the detective, an alternate to Wolfe that Stout created at the request of his publishers. But contemporary readers rejected Fox unequivocally in favor of Nero Wolfe, and Stout dropped him pretty quickly. Stout also stole the plot of Bad for Business for the first Wolfe novella, called Bitter End.

I'd recommend reading the entire Wolfe series before this book, but for a Rex Stout fan, it still has considerable interest. Friends claimed that Fox was very much like Stout himself.

AWESOME
I love Rex Stout. What a great author. I think I've read all but maybe 1 or 2 of his books -- twice ! Wonderful. And the Nero Wolfe series rocks.

Hostile takeover or an old-fashioned family murder?
Published and set in 1940, this isn't a Nero Wolfe novel, but it's set in the same universe: Rusterman's is the best restaurant in New York. What this *is*, is a Tecumseh Fox mystery, Stout's lesser-known creation.

Amy Duncan, who once worked for her uncle Arthur Tingley of Tingley's Tidbits, is now a PI: one of Dol Bonner's 'siren squad'. Unfortunately, Ms. Bonner's current client is that selfsame Tingley. Tingley makes the best appetizers money can buy, and somebody's started sabotaging them by adulterating them with quinine. Could it be engineered by the Products & Beverages Corporation, or Consolidated Cereals, who both want to buy out Tingley's? Is it just a crank? Or is it something more personal?

Amy suspects Dol may be double-crossing Tingley, when she sees Dol at Rusterman's with a P&B vice president, so when she meets Fox by chance, she asks for advice. (She's on such bad terms with her uncle that her attempt to talk with *him* ended by her storming out.) Within a day or so, though, Tingley telephones and asks Amy to call on him, and she finds him in his office, throat cut, just before being knocked cold.

While the initial calling in of the police is a bit muffed, somebody for once shows sense: Fox sees to it that Amy is 1) put under a doctor's care, and 2) provided with a sharp lawyer before the cops get to her.

We have, among others: 1) Philip Tingley, Arthur's adopted son and heir, but the business is tied up in a trust controlled by some senior employees, fanatically devoted to the company. (He's a grapefruit with delusions of grandeur, and his crackpot economic theories take up too much time.) 2) Leonard Cliff, the VP seen with Dol Bonner, who seems to have a romantic interest in Amy. Dol Bonner, despite her connection with Amy, appears only twice, in passing.

All in all, a decent story, but Fox doesn't narrate, and lacks the character development of the inhabitants of Wolfe's brownstone, so it seems a bit thin compared to Stout's other work. If you'd like to see this same story recast as a Wolfe story, check out "Bitter End" in _Death Times Three_, Stout's last published collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Plagiarism, murder and authors....
Plot It Yourself is a interesting peek into the publishing business, which Rex Stout understood, with the added spice of blackmail, murder and Nero Wolfe finding himself having problems getting a clue.Archie Goodwin has to push and shove and poke to get the great detective's mind working on this case.Plot It Yourself and Death Of A Doxy are the first books I read by Rex Stout so I have good memories of the books.This is more of a Archie Goodwin book as he seems to do much of the work, as always, and also seems to be the most upset by the killer always being a step ahead of them.As always there are tons of clues as to who the killer is but they are so buried in the rest of the story that it is truly a mystery to the reader, even after reading it more than once over the many years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Excellent condition
That's what I want from a used paperback, excellent condition.I already know I love every Nero Wolfe mystery.

Master of Masters
As usual, Rex Stout showed the world what a great, painstakingly detailed writer.Hs is indeed the Master of Master

For a newcomer to the series, this was superb!
This is the third Wolfe novel I've read (after The Father Hunt and Champagne for One) and while I obviously can't compare it to the rest of the series as a whole, it is certainly my favorite so far.In fact, it suprises me that many reviewers didn't care for it, because I find that it's an excellent blend between the British cozy mysteries by Agatha Christie and the American hard-boiled mysteries by Raymond Chandler.

In this one, Wolfe must solve the murder of an affluent industrialist which occurs before the book begins.There are, admittedly, a slew of characters here (about ten suspects in all), my of whom are difficult to keep track of, and about half probably have less than 15 lines in the entire story, but characterization of minor characters is sacrificed here for plotting.Less than halfway through the story, a second victim is murdered literally on Wolfe's stoop, and in perhaps the best moment of the story the police advance upon the brownstone for an all-night interrogation session with the suspects and some interesting clues are discovered involving one suspect's scarf and another's overcoat.

Part of the fun is the search for a dictaphone cylinder which the victim used to narrate a memo to his secretary on the very afternoon of his murder.It becomes clear that once the police find this cylinder, they will find their murderer.Of course, Wolfe beats them to it in the end, and when he reveals his methods in doing so I had one of those head-slapping "why didn't I think of that?" moments.

If you're looking for a surprise twist at the end where the killer is revealed as the one person you'd never expect, you may be disappointed here.The killer is one of the ten suspects, and although the solution is amply explained, his/her identity didn't throw back the curtain on any surprises.Like I stated earlier, however, the characterization of the secondary characters is taken away to give us some rich moments between Wolfe and Archie.

Fans of the series may enjoy such unique moments as Inspector Cramer being fired from the police force, Wolfe slapping a police detective across the face, Wolfe making an appearance on the brownstone's first floor in his pajamas, the discovery of a dead body almost literally at the front door (it's not so much the body per se, but the identity of the victim and the way it's discovered that are a treat), and Wolfe retreating to his bedroom for almost a week feigning insanity to avoid an arrest warrant.

Good, solid stuff.I would recommend it to new fans as well as those who are already fans.

Triumphant Postwar Return
This was a wonderful book.

During World War II, Rex Stout devoted a lot of time to war-related writing.As a result, not one novel-length Nero Wolfe story was produced (although he wrote a number of short stories, released during the war individually and in little collections).

Here, the murder victim is Cheney Boone, who is a liberal dream:a government official who regulates prices.When he ends up murdered during a speaking engagement before the (preumably greedy and corrupt) Natinal Industrial Association, the business moguls hire Wolfe to spare them the adverse public limelight.

A&E did this one up well during the lamented series.And the reading is especially good, as always, by Michael Prichard.I hope they produce this one on audio CD;I cannot play cassettes in rented cars any more...

Sorry, but not for me
This is the first Nero Wolfe book I've read, and it bored the heck out of me.Perhaps I should have started with something lighter, but I didn't and years from now, after having a few more NW reads under my belt, may have to return to it.I just couldn't keep track of everyone -- who was a part of this organization and who was a part of that -- and I really didn't give a rip about any of the characters.So, after plodding through exactly half of it, I skipped to the last chapter and called it a day.With so many Nero Wolfe fanatics out there, though, I'm convinced that I shouldn't give up.There must be something about him.The book I'm currently reading ("Might As Well Be Dead") is a much easier read and may actually turn me into a fan. ... Read more

Product Description
THE NERO WOLFE COOKBOOK by Rex Stout and the Editors of The Viking Press. The Viking Press, NY (1981). Trade paperback 203 p. Includes index. Recipes for the dishes described in the Nero Wolfe mysteries. Foreword by Nero Wolfe's chef Fritz Brenner. ... Read more

Product Description
This Halcyon Classics ebook collection contains Rex Stout's UNDER THE ANDES, a lost-world novel where three Americans discover a lost Incan civilization under South America's Andes mountains.

In addition to UNDER THE ANDES, this collection contains nine additional short stories penned by Stout and published in several early 20th century pulp magazines.Includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.


Contents:

Under the Andes
An Officer and a Lady
The Rope Dance
Warner & Wife
Jonathan Stannard's Secret Vice
A Tyrant Abdicates
Rose Orchid
The Pay Yeoman
An Agacella Or
The Mother of Invention


... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fan of Rex Stout
A very readable collection.I must give it a thumbs up! The selections are made with a view to smooth transition from one narrative to another, giving the work a nice cohesion. Recommended without reservations.

not worth it
of all the wonderful novels by rex stout amazon decides to offer us 8 different copies of this piece of trash.if you are a fan of the nero wolfe series like i am then do not buy this.yes it is rex stout but it is not worth any price ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Not Rex Stout's best work
Written at the end of Rex Stout's career, this book simply does not hold up when compared to Stout's earlier work. While Nero Wolfe and Archie are still quite likeable, the plot is somewhat convoluted and doesn't provide a satisfying conclusion. Nero Wolfe has been on some memorable adventures; this just isn't one of them. This book is worth reading for a true Rex Stout fan, but I wouldn't recommend it to a newcomer or a casual fan. There are just too many superior options.

is this the same author?
This story, unlike all the other Nero Wolfe stories that take place in the late 30s and early 40s, suddenly takes place in the 70s.The main players act completly out of character from any other Nero Wolfe books, with only superficial references to the fact that "Nero would never usually do this" type of comments from Archie.It seemed like it was a copycat author and not up to Rex Stout's name.

A bittersweet finale
A FAMILY AFFAIR is a bittersweet finish to Stout's wonderful series. One of Rusterman's waiters is killed in Wolfe's home and the resulting investigation heads down a path that lies very close to Wolfe and Archie. All the extended cast make an appearance; Cramer and Stebbins, Lily Rowan and even Theodore Horstman, Wolfe's orchid man, all have a moment in this farewell. The killer is revealed relatively early in this one as it leads to dark ending; an ending befitting the grim circumstances of this case. This is not the best of Stout's Wolfe mysteries but it certainly is a memorable one.
The closing lines bring the series to an appropriate end:
Wolfe said, "Will you bring brandy, Archie? And two glasses. If Fritz is up, bring him and three glasses. We'll try to get some sleep." after forty years of wonderful adventures and possibly the most re-readable mysteries ever, they deserve it.

The Swan Song -- mine and his
I'm reviewing the BOOK -- not the CD or cassette.I loved it.Absolutely loved it.This one I couldn't wait to finish.It's my 7th, and probably my last, Nero Wolfe book, but what a great way to end.What I loved most was the surprise ending -- a surprise for me, certainly.Also, Wolfe and Archie were more real to me, and I wonder if perhaps that's because I've read many before this one.Well, the ending was a surprise for me, and that's pretty much what I look for in a mystery.The characters?I like a well-developed main character and interesting recurring minor characters, but I really don't give a hoot about those who get killed, etc.For me mysteries are puzzles, mental games, and I feel that Stout came through on this one.

I'm not hooked on Nero Wolfe and don't expect to read more Nero Wolfe books, but I might look at the movies that Amazon (and others) have to offer.

Stout's last novel comes to life on audio
Rex Stout's A FAMILY AFFAIR enjoys veteran actor/audio narrator Michael Prichard's compelling voice as a new Nero Wolfe mystery evolves. Here a waiter's death in Nero's own home involves him in a murder disguised as a personal attack. A FAMILY AFFAIR is the last novel published before Stout's death and provides what might be the best of all. ... Read more

Product Description
The 1989 1st edition Bantam hardback. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Nice surprise for Nero Wolfe fans!
Having read all of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books - many, many times over, I felt tempted to try a Robert Goldsborough Nero Wolfe mystery.I've never been happy with new authors who've tried to continue writing in the vein of the original author because of losing the original characters' personalities and realism, different writing and plot styles.This was not the case here!What a pleasant surprise!Goldsborough has obviously read Stout's Wolfe books and did a lot of research.He maintained Archie's and Nero Wolfe's personalities and styles of speech, as well as those of Lily Rowan, Fritz, Cramer, Stebbins, etc.Well-thought-out plot, and quite a tricky one.Probably the most difficult to deal with of all of Wolfe's clients.By the time I finished the book, I was more aware of the story and my favorite characters than the identity of the author.True, there can never be another Rex Stout, and there are naturally some very nebulous differences, but not enough to be bothersome or detract from the story.I look forward to the new source of Nero Wolfe reads from Goldborough - hats off to him!If you're a dyed-in-wool Wolfe fan, I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised!

Very weak
I found this book at work a few years ago, and I eventually set about reading it at my various sittings on the throne.It is the only Nero Wolfe book I've read.I remembered William Conrad playing the role in the early 80's.It was a most entertaining series.Unfortunately this book was a travesty.Don't waste your time with this.

Average
An average mystery featuring a beloved character (and Nero Wolfe as well).Certainly, on its own, this book would not stand the test of time, but as part of the overall series it is fine.It falls in the bottom third of the canon... but it is certainly much better than no book and better than the average mystery.. even if not up to the standards of Rex Stout.

The Least Coincidence
A playboy is murdered after committing a heinous act. If an innocent man hadn't confessed there would be no reason to solve the case. This is the most flawed of the Goldsborough Wolfe series I have read. Archie approaches a situation with no real plan and becomes a temporary red herring. Along with murder, which is the usual fare in these mysteries, another crime which sets the chain of events in motion seems out of place in a Wolfe mystery. Finally there is a murderer whose motive better fits a cop show on television. This book just does not match up well to the Nero Wolfe legacy and it really stands out as something that only gets published because Nero Wolfe is on the cover. ... Read more