Murder by the Book (A Nero Wolfe Mystery 19)

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Murder By the Book

And what was in that manuscript that was worth killing for? Wolfe is determined to find out, if he has to spend every last penny of his client's money to do it. Fans of Nero Wolfe will undoubtedly enjoy this little gem. Much of the charm relates to Archie's attempt to seduce as in 'entice'--not in the sexual way, much to the relief of Wolfe's churchgoing client a whole office full of women by sending them all orchids and inviting them, en masse, to the old brownstone for a genuine gourmet meal courtesy of Fritz Brenner , unlimited alcoholic beverages, and a tour of the orchid rooms, which is maybe not the best combination ever.

I always appreciate the inclusion of strong female characters in Stout's books, which is by no means a sure thing across the board for him, and I particularly appreciate the introduction of women Archie respects and appreciates. This volume boasts several--from an intelligent secretary with lovely temples talk about a random feature to praise ; to a switchboard operator who's not terribly young or attractive but can dance every bit as well as Archie; to a plump, middle aged woman with a quick mind and twinkling eyes this last one is my favorite, and I suspect Archie feels the same way.

Archie definitely has his hands full. This is also one of the few Nero Wolfe books to boast a cross-country trip. Archie ends up flying! Needless to day, Wolfe is deeply relieved and a bit surprised that Archie arrives home safely after such a foolhardy and reckless adventure.

All in all, it's a fun and fairly clever story, full of the kinds of hijinks that I, for one, wholeheartedly endorse. View all 3 comments. Jan 27, thefourthvine rated it really liked it Shelves: This was a reread, a palate cleanser after the rush of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, because: There is never a bad time for Nero Wolfe, and 2.

It's the rainy season in Los Angeles January , roughly This book is one of my favorites in the series. I have a list. That female character is the redoubtable Mrs. Potter, a woman Archie admires for her brain and her sense of humor. She's great, and she never misses a trick. And she lives in Los Angeles.

This is definitely one of the books on the Wolfe short list, and it wouldn't be the worst place to start with the series, either. Jul 30, E.

One of my favorite Nero Wolfe books. He imbues the right amount of wit and capability to Archie and the Nero Wolfe books are simply designed for audio thanks to Archie's strong character and the amusing first-person perspective. I won't rehash the plot, but the glimpse we get of how the law practice where all the suspects work One of my favorite Nero Wolfe books. I won't rehash the plot, but the glimpse we get of how the law practice where all the suspects works was entertaining and probably held more than a grain of truth.

There are a few too many coincidences and a surprisingly blatant mention of the culprit, so it's not the most elegant or subtle books in the series, but I found it very enjoyable. I would probably ake off a star, or maybe 1. Jul 09, Dave rated it really liked it Shelves: This one often gets called one of the best Wolfes, but for me it's too uneven.

First pages are kind of snoozy even with three murders and oddly paced, and the scene with Archie and the "girls" from the office was a little dated and annoying. But Archie's trip to LA where it rains the whole time , the scenes with Mrs. Lotsa orchids in this one.

May 21, Beth rated it liked it Shelves: Interesting to see your standard murder mystery through the prism of the author's day and age. Eesh that 9 page confession letter I totally skimmed that Just to get yo the section where Nero sets out his logic of who, what and when.

Murder by the Book

Not earth shaking but will let you kill some time enjoyably. Archie is a charmer. Plenty of twists and turns as Wolfe tackles a mystery with apparently no client or evidence other than connection with a manuscript has meant death to three people. Great fun with the usual cast plus interesting suspects and supporting characters. Very good full length mystery. Mar 05, Nan Silvernail rated it really liked it. She was a reader at a publishing firm. Her last letter said she was going to meet up with an author willing to pay to know how to make a rejected book better.

The problem is that the author used a fictitious pen name. But Nero Wolfe has seen that name once before The wrapped in black paper package is supposed to be the manuscript. The artist is right, it contained death. Otherwise, the mystery is not as pictured. The clever culprit has killed in two different boroughs in NYC and the one made-up name is quite overlooked, because there is no cross-communication.

This is easy prey for Wolfe to spot and point up. But from there, the story gets pretty twisty. You have to love Mrs.

Potter out in California. She has nerve and the sense to trust Archie, out of the He really should have called her back at the end. I do hope they sent her an orchid. May 21, Mauro rated it really liked it. You read Rex Stout and you keep wondering how such a nice guy could be part of one of those organizations that want to rule the world. His crime fiction is all about the positive side of individualism and the stories are full of conservative morals. In this particular one, Archie falls for a married woman - a little too plump, a little too short - but never makes a move.

And Wolfe, the essence of the sucessful individualism, the guy that beats the Estate, gives us his usual show. This one is part You read Rex Stout and you keep wondering how such a nice guy could be part of one of those organizations that want to rule the world. This one is particularly clever, and if you are an attenttive reader, you can almost grasp it before he says who the murderer is. That makes Stout an even better artist: May 18, Helen rated it really liked it Shelves: Reading the ones on my shelf. If you know a book has been written revealing your terrible secret would you murder those who have read it to prevent it getting out to the public?

Someone seems to have that in mind in this Nero Wolfe story. Archie is 2 minutes too late at one point and that angers him. A good Nero Wolfe. I have just realised one of the great things about Rex Stout: He comments on something important about the person and the physical thi Reading the ones on my shelf. He comments on something important about the person and the physical thing that goes with that.

Saul Panzer is astoundingly able to disappear in a crowd in spite of his faded brown cap and worn brown suit. Potter is 10 pounds heavier than Archie's ideal but has a cheery round face and twinkly eyes.

He tells you what you should see and no more. Sep 23, Dan rated it really liked it. I'm sure I've read this before. Rex Stout's Nero and Archie are my favorite mystery characters of all time. Archie is a "wag" and Nero is a genius who manages to exert pressure on the world using only his brain. Jun 11, Diane K. This is one of my favorites.

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Partly because a book is involved, but also an excellent mystery and good characters, including one of Rex Stout's best: This one is a delight to read all the way through. When Rex Stout is hot, his prose is pure joy. This one contains what I think is one of the best passages in the canon. The investigation has stalled and Wolfe decides that the only way to get it going again will be for Archie to develop intimate relationships with some This is one of my favorites. The investigation has stalled and Wolfe decides that the only way to get it going again will be for Archie to develop intimate relationships with some of the women employees of the law firm where the first victim, Leonard Dykes, worked.

He consults with his client. After what I said here that day you have a right to think I would stand for anything, but that's a little too--with my money--a dozen young women--first one and then another like that--" "What the devil are you suggesting? I not only kept my face straight, I stepped in, for three reasons: Wellman to go back and tell Peoria that New York detectives debauched stenographers wholesale on order. Archie's mass "seduction", involving boxes and boxes of Wolfe's orchids not the rarities, which weren't gaudy enough anyway , a visit to the plant rooms, liquor, and Fritz's superb cooking is worth the price of admission.

I'm only surprised that only 10 women showed up for it. One woman was out sick, and Archie didn't invite the yappity chatterbox, but there were at least two others who ignored the once-in-a-lifetime treat. What were they thinking? There's another fun passage, too, where Archie conducts an experiment whereby, with a little unauthorized scribbling, he simultaneously provokes a loud reaction from four lawyers and an ex, a feat that even amuses Nero Wolfe.

The plot moves swiftly, too much so where Archie is concerned, as he misses the killer by a scant minutes and loses a witness out a window. This subtly effects him for the rest of the book, as he becomes antsy and easily aggravated, which may possibly be why he made a couple mistakes out on the west coast. The west coast scenes date the book, because the weather is such that you don't find so much out there anymore around Los Angeles.

There was a small matter that I was surprised that Wolfe did not bring up: They discovered who had likely written it, although they conceded that the printing was easily copied. Everyone, including Cramer, claimed that Wolfe had done it himself as a trick. It didn't occur to anyone, including Wolfe, to point out the obvious: He then calls the police to inform them, giving a mostly accurate quotation, and ending it with the term "unquote".

In a future book, Wolfe will ream Archie out for using such a term; it should properly be "end quote" or "end of quotation". I'm wondering if Stout suddenly realized the goof himself, or if a fan wrote to point out that this was a most un-Wolfely statement. This one keeps me on edge, even though I've read it umpteem times before. Pure class, all the way. But oh, how I'd love to see Mrs.

Aug 20, Luis Minski rated it really liked it. La novela es entretenida y llevadera. Feb 26, Michael Burnam-Fink rated it liked it Shelves: Murder by the Book is one of the later, and better loved Nero Wolfe mysteries. I thought it was just alright, as Nero and Archie stumble through a leadless case, where three murders are linked only by a pseudonymous manuscript and its unknown contents.

With little to go on, our heroes badger the staff of a small law-firm that employed the first victim, setting an elaborate trap to flush out the murder. The climax, which hinges on a confession that contradicts the confessor's prior actions, is qu Murder by the Book is one of the later, and better loved Nero Wolfe mysteries. The climax, which hinges on a confession that contradicts the confessor's prior actions, is quite moving, but the rest is Archie bumping around New York and a rainy and placeless Los Angeles. Rex Stout's "Murder by the Book A Nero Wolfe Mystery 19 " is another of his good ones of course, even his bad ones are better than most books.

It's the 19th book in his Nero Wolfe series and was first published back in If I had to find something even slightly negative to say, I'd mention that the ending m Rex Stout's "Murder by the Book A Nero Wolfe Mystery 19 " is another of his good ones of course, even his bad ones are better than most books. If I had to find something even slightly negative to say, I'd mention that the ending might feel a tad rushed.

But, other than that, I'm happy to rate it at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5. Archie begins to tail Corrigan, but soon after his return to New York Wolfe receives a rambling phone call, apparently from James Corrigan, which is abruptly ended with the sound of a gunshot. Although the authorities are willing to rule Corrigan the murderer and his death a suicide, Wolfe has a breakthrough and summons the major witnesses to his office.

During his foray to California, Archie Goodwin contracts with a local detective agency for a detective able to impersonate a literary agent, and rejects several candidates who don't fit the role. The one who is finally chosen and performs to great satisfaction surprises Goodwin by reading in his spare time a serious philosophical book named Twilight of the Absolute. Goodwin himself, when later left alone, glances at this book but does not care to read it, preferring to pass his time with newspapers and magazines. Stout does not specify the name of the writer of Twilight of the Absolute.

In fact it is a book by Andre Malraux , translated from French and published in the US by Pantheon Books in , one year before the present book [1] [ permanent dead link ]. Quotations related to Murder by the Book at Wikiquote.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. For the film sometimes known by this title, see No Trace. For the Columbo episode directed by Steven Spielberg, see Columbo season 1. Kingston, "Murder Is His Business". The Mysterious Bookshop, limited edition of copies , p.

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