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Nero Wolfe #42
Death of a doxy: A Nero Wolfe novel
VERY SLIGHTLY USED PAPERBACK - CLOSER TO NEW THAN LIKE NEW! ONLY REAL FLAW IS MINOR SPINE CREASE - STRONG PAGES, COVER, SPINE AND BINDING - ALL ORDERS SHIP SAME DAY WITH TRACKING NUMBER!blueshf
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First published August 19, 1966
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About the author
Rex Stout
823 books1,017 followersRex Todhunter Stout (1886–1975) was an American crime writer, best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the detective genius from 1934 (Fer-de-Lance) to 1975 (A Family Affair).
The Nero Wolfe corpus was nominated Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon 2000, the world's largest mystery convention, and Rex Stout was nominated Best Mystery Writer of the Century.
The Nero Wolfe corpus was nominated Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon 2000, the world's largest mystery convention, and Rex Stout was nominated Best Mystery Writer of the Century.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
August 14, 2019
Orrie Cather is arrested for murdering a woman, and Wolfe--after polling Archie, Saul and Fred to find out whether Cather might be guilty--decides to take on the case. The murder itself, however, isn't Wolfe's trickiest problem: he can only collect his fifty thousand dollar fee if, in addition solving the murder and springing Orrie, he can also preserve the good name of the wealthy executive who was paying for the murdered girl's apartment.
This is a very enjoyable entertainment--particularly impressive when you realize Stout was seventy-nine when he wrote it. A special treat: the character of nightclub canary Julie Jacquette, the only woman with the intelligence, independence and courage required to charm not only Archie, but even that old misogynist Wolfe.
February 1, 2024
Another of my bedside books to read as a second book to my usual history tomes. And what better than a Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mystery. This one has more humor than most and is perfectly delightful. This is a re-read for me since I have read all of Stout's Nero Wolfe books but just can't resist going back for one more try.
This is a fun book because Wolfe actually treats a woman, Julie Jaquette, with respect and she is a nightclub performer!!!!.......a smart gal who calls him Nero and Wolfe takes a bit of a shine to her which is unusual since he proclaims to dislike women......or so he says.. One of Julie''s co-workers is murdered in her rather lavish apartment and it is obvious that she is being "kept" by a gentleman whose identity is unknown to everyone. One of Wolfe's operatives ends up in jail accused of the crime but we know better than that. So Wolfe and Archie, along with help from Julie, are hot on the trail and have to deal with the murdered girl's sister who is a virago and will not believe that her sister was anything but virginal and pure. Lots of twists, turns, and puzzles. Rex Stout was a helluva writer.
This is a fun book because Wolfe actually treats a woman, Julie Jaquette, with respect and she is a nightclub performer!!!!.......a smart gal who calls him Nero and Wolfe takes a bit of a shine to her which is unusual since he proclaims to dislike women......or so he says.. One of Julie''s co-workers is murdered in her rather lavish apartment and it is obvious that she is being "kept" by a gentleman whose identity is unknown to everyone. One of Wolfe's operatives ends up in jail accused of the crime but we know better than that. So Wolfe and Archie, along with help from Julie, are hot on the trail and have to deal with the murdered girl's sister who is a virago and will not believe that her sister was anything but virginal and pure. Lots of twists, turns, and puzzles. Rex Stout was a helluva writer.
May 11, 2019
Rex Stout's books are a blend of the cozy mystery, represented by Nero Wolf, the portly gourmand who raises orchids, and the hard-boiled noir of a streetwise gumshoe, a role played by his assistant and muscle Archie Goodwin, and this mixture is the main reason for the long lasting appeal to crime/mystery fans.
In this tale, Archie, while doing a B & E (breaking and entering) into the apartment of an ex flame of a fellow PI, Orrie Cather, in order to retrieve Orrie's PI license that the girl stole from him, stumbles upon the dead body of the girl. Did Orrie murder the girl and set Archie up?
The victim, a showgirl called Isabel Kerr, had been outraged that Orrie became engaged to someone else and threatened to go to the betrothed girl and attempt to thwart the marriage. Hence, motive is established.
Obviously, there are alternative suspects: an amorous rival sugar daddy who paid for the dead girl's apartment, the sister and/or her brother-in-law, or perhaps someone else lurking in the background. One thing we can be sure of, before the final page Nero Wolf would have figured out the killer's identity.
In this tale, Archie, while doing a B & E (breaking and entering) into the apartment of an ex flame of a fellow PI, Orrie Cather, in order to retrieve Orrie's PI license that the girl stole from him, stumbles upon the dead body of the girl. Did Orrie murder the girl and set Archie up?
The victim, a showgirl called Isabel Kerr, had been outraged that Orrie became engaged to someone else and threatened to go to the betrothed girl and attempt to thwart the marriage. Hence, motive is established.
Obviously, there are alternative suspects: an amorous rival sugar daddy who paid for the dead girl's apartment, the sister and/or her brother-in-law, or perhaps someone else lurking in the background. One thing we can be sure of, before the final page Nero Wolf would have figured out the killer's identity.
January 11, 2019
This is my favorite Nero Wolf mystry so far.
Archy Goodwin is sent by his rather shady friend, rp to the home of his friend's doxy to retreave his detective liscence. When he gets there Archy finds the Doxy dead in her bed room. "For those who don't know a doxy is an old fashioned word for a concubine."
Many of the Doxy's clients are acused and many are aquited. I will not spoil the ending.
I recommend this book to all.
Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Steven
Archy Goodwin is sent by his rather shady friend, rp to the home of his friend's doxy to retreave his detective liscence. When he gets there Archy finds the Doxy dead in her bed room. "For those who don't know a doxy is an old fashioned word for a concubine."
Many of the Doxy's clients are acused and many are aquited. I will not spoil the ending.
I recommend this book to all.
Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Steven
April 18, 2015
I learned a new word, Doxy does not mean the little weiner dog. This was another addition to solving the murder intellectually.
December 10, 2017
Death of a Doxy was the forty second instalment of the Nero Wolfe series, published in 1966 (the first in the series was published in 1934). In this outing, Wolfe and the narrator, Archie, are tasked with clearing the name of one of their detectives accused of murder. The case is already a bit of a puzzle when it’s made a little more tricky by the addition of a silence clause – the sugar daddy of the victim will pay handsomely for his name to remain unknown. It’s a challenge they’re prepared to accept. At this stage of the series, Wolfe and Archie are well drawn characters, there’s a deep well of back story, and Stout is versed in crafting a story that has intrigue, a neat puzzle, well-staged set pieces, and nicely drawn characters. The storytelling is tight and all show not tell. Stout keeps the reader guessing as to the ending, which is a little ambiguous, though no less satisfying for that. Overall, a quick, entertaining read.
January 21, 2020
This was really a good one. A woman named Julie Jackson aka Julie Jaquette is one of the main characters; she is an exotic dancer. After her best friend was murdered, Orrin Cather is suspected of doing it; he is held, without bail, as a material witness. Wolfe polls Archie, Saul and Fred for their opinions on whether Orrie is guilty. They decide he is not guilty, so Wolfe commits to get him exonerated.
When Julie is shot at, Archie takes her to the brownstone to stay in the South Room for the duration. The first time she meets Wolfe is quite a scene:
And yet, Wolfe actually takes to her, at least far more than he normally takes to any female. The dialogue between Julie and Wolfe, and between Julie and Archie, is hilarious!
The mystery is a good one, too. Definitely one of Stout’s best!
When Julie is shot at, Archie takes her to the brownstone to stay in the South Room for the duration. The first time she meets Wolfe is quite a scene:
As she entered she gave me a dazzling three-inch smile . . . she took my arm and asked, “Where is he, Archie?“ in a rich cuddly voice, and she kept the arm down the hall and into the office, but then she broke away, danced to the middle of the room and faced Wolfe’s desk, let her handbag fall to the floor, and burst into song:😂😂😂
“Big man, go-go,
Big man, go big,
Talk big, act big,
Lo-o-o-o-o-o-ove big!
Go-go-go-go-go-go,
Big man, big man,
Be big, do big,
Lo-o-o-o-o-o-ove big,
Go!”
And yet, Wolfe actually takes to her, at least far more than he normally takes to any female. The dialogue between Julie and Wolfe, and between Julie and Archie, is hilarious!
The mystery is a good one, too. Definitely one of Stout’s best!
April 16, 2020
My favorite part of this book is when my daughter who is getting better at reading every day leaned over my shoulder and read the title and then asked, "Daddy what's a doxy?"
A rarely used word anymore 'doxy' is a name for a kept mistress. In this case the murder victim was a former showgirl... uh... actress who left acting to live in a luxury apartment and wear expensive clothes and have a nice car with no apparent means of support. Of course, someone was paying for all of that.
The big problem is that one of Nero's commonly used assistants is the primary suspect. (Assistant names omitted to prevent spoilers.) Neither Nero or Archie or the other assistants believe he is guilty so the mystery starts. This one features a very delightful assortment of other characters including another showgirl... uh... actress friend of the victim. She and Nero seem to have such similar opinions of others that they click almost immediately.
Interestingly my memory of this book, since this is my second read through, was that the assistant WAS guilty. I suspect because I've never liked that guy much anyway.
This is still Rex Stout at the top of his form. I'm only marking it down one star because there was too much of that one assistant.
A rarely used word anymore 'doxy' is a name for a kept mistress. In this case the murder victim was a former showgirl... uh... actress who left acting to live in a luxury apartment and wear expensive clothes and have a nice car with no apparent means of support. Of course, someone was paying for all of that.
The big problem is that one of Nero's commonly used assistants is the primary suspect. (Assistant names omitted to prevent spoilers.) Neither Nero or Archie or the other assistants believe he is guilty so the mystery starts. This one features a very delightful assortment of other characters including another showgirl... uh... actress friend of the victim. She and Nero seem to have such similar opinions of others that they click almost immediately.
Interestingly my memory of this book, since this is my second read through, was that the assistant WAS guilty. I suspect because I've never liked that guy much anyway.
This is still Rex Stout at the top of his form. I'm only marking it down one star because there was too much of that one assistant.
September 28, 2023
The previous book in the Nero Wolfe series, The Doorbell Rang, was a dramatic departure from what had been typical of the previous 40 books. In it, Rex Stout was fiercely critical of the then sacrosanct FBI. I was curious to see whether this represented an enduring shift to a more political Nero Wolfe that carried over to subsequent books. It appears that it did not.
This story is below average as a mystery and the culprit is identified much earlier than usual, deflating much of the dramatic tension. In addition, some of the elements of the story stretch credibility a bit too far. Wolfe take the law into his own hands and administers rough justice for the 6th time in the series. But this time, he does it not because the perp would have otherwise escaped punishment, but because it stands to earn him $50,000, which is a far less defensible reason for instigating someone's death.
There are two notable things about the book. One is that Stout creates one of his more memorable female characters, Julie Jacquette. She is a streetwise, cynical exotic dancer and one of the few women with whom Wolfe is sympathetic. He remarks “I have the impression that your opinion of our fellow beings and their qualities is somewhat similar to mine”. Unfortunately, she is a secondary character in this book and does not appear to recur in any others.
The other is that, in this 1966 book, uptight square chrome dome Rex Stout, then 80, freaks out and tries jamming like he’s tripping in what he thinks is an outta sight hippie voice. This blew my mind, man, but it wasn’t groovy, it was as big a bummer as the brown acid. Heavy wipe out, ya dig?
2.5 stars, easily one of the weakest Nero Wolfe mysteries.
This story is below average as a mystery and the culprit is identified much earlier than usual, deflating much of the dramatic tension. In addition, some of the elements of the story stretch credibility a bit too far. Wolfe take the law into his own hands and administers rough justice for the 6th time in the series. But this time, he does it not because the perp would have otherwise escaped punishment, but because it stands to earn him $50,000, which is a far less defensible reason for instigating someone's death.
There are two notable things about the book. One is that Stout creates one of his more memorable female characters, Julie Jacquette. She is a streetwise, cynical exotic dancer and one of the few women with whom Wolfe is sympathetic. He remarks “I have the impression that your opinion of our fellow beings and their qualities is somewhat similar to mine”. Unfortunately, she is a secondary character in this book and does not appear to recur in any others.
The other is that, in this 1966 book, uptight square chrome dome Rex Stout, then 80, freaks out and tries jamming like he’s tripping in what he thinks is an outta sight hippie voice. This blew my mind, man, but it wasn’t groovy, it was as big a bummer as the brown acid. Heavy wipe out, ya dig?
2.5 stars, easily one of the weakest Nero Wolfe mysteries.
July 27, 2022
My favourite Nero Wolfe mystery, both in book and filmed form (the A & E series). Lighthearted, if ever a murder could be such a thing, thanks to Julie Jacquette and her ability to count up to two and say the alphabet backward. Not even Michael Pritchard's metallic voice could spoil the audiobook, so I'm three for three on this one. Wolfe earned every penny of the...what was it, a hundred thousand?...of his fee. I loved when Julie tells Archie that after a year in college, she's discovered that the professors don't know all that much more than she does.
You're right, Julie, they don't. But don't be too hard on them, they couldn't make it in a regular job.
I was shocked to realise what "doxy" meant some years back. As a kid, my parents had a dachshund crossbreed and named it Doxy. Well, she was a bitch, but I'm glad most people wouldn't know what it meant--which my father surely did. The old goat probably found it funny.
You're right, Julie, they don't. But don't be too hard on them, they couldn't make it in a regular job.
I was shocked to realise what "doxy" meant some years back. As a kid, my parents had a dachshund crossbreed and named it Doxy. Well, she was a bitch, but I'm glad most people wouldn't know what it meant--which my father surely did. The old goat probably found it funny.
January 29, 2023
Death of a Doxy marks a few unusual passages for Rex Stout's famous orichid-loving sleuth. Nero Wolfe finds himself taking on a case with no pay in sight and, more importantly, he stands in the presence of a woman. That's something he does rarely in the presence of men, let alone ever in the presence of sex that he is so uncomfortable with. And, by the end of the book, she is calling him Nero. Not Mr. Wolfe. This is one of the few times that Stout invested more of his creative energy in one of the non-series characters and he did so to good effect. Julie Jaquette more than gives Wolfe a run for his money With so many out-of-the-ordinary factors, one might think that this book would not sit well with a tried-and-true Stout fan. Not so. This winds up being one of my favorite Wolfe books.
In this one, Wolfe finds himself involved in a murder case when Orrie Cather, one of his sometime operatives, is collared for the death of a doxy--mistress or paramour to a rich man. Orrie had been fooling around with Isabel Kerr but decided to end the affair when he fell in love with a stewardess. Only Kerr didn't want things to end and kept a few mementos in her apartment. When she is found dead in her apartment and the items pointing to Cather are found as well, the cops put two and two together and get five. Nevermind that Nero Wolfe has told them that Cather is innocent (haven't they learned yet that Wolfe is never wrong?)--they've got all the circumstantial evidence they need and look no further. It's up to Wolfe--aided by Archie Goodwin and other legmen, Saul Panzer and Fred Durkin--to dig up the clues that will lead to the real culprit.
It doesn't take them long to discover that Miss Kerr had been the kept woman of a very prominent man of business and that there were several people who might not have wanted that fact to get out. Also in the picture is a nasty blackmailer and a sexy lounge singer. Wolfe starts out to solve the crime purely out of obligation to Orrie Cather (and with no fee in sight) at the end he finds himself faced with the puzzle of how to earn fifty thousand dollars--which he can only do if certain facts are not made public. Can he do that and still see justice done?
The puzzle itself is not a difficult one. I actually stayed neck and neck with Wolfe on making deductions--that's rare enough. What made the book for me was the character of Julie Jacquette and her interactions with Nero Wolfe. And her scene with Inspector Cramer was worth the whole book in and of itself.
In this one, Wolfe finds himself involved in a murder case when Orrie Cather, one of his sometime operatives, is collared for the death of a doxy--mistress or paramour to a rich man. Orrie had been fooling around with Isabel Kerr but decided to end the affair when he fell in love with a stewardess. Only Kerr didn't want things to end and kept a few mementos in her apartment. When she is found dead in her apartment and the items pointing to Cather are found as well, the cops put two and two together and get five. Nevermind that Nero Wolfe has told them that Cather is innocent (haven't they learned yet that Wolfe is never wrong?)--they've got all the circumstantial evidence they need and look no further. It's up to Wolfe--aided by Archie Goodwin and other legmen, Saul Panzer and Fred Durkin--to dig up the clues that will lead to the real culprit.
It doesn't take them long to discover that Miss Kerr had been the kept woman of a very prominent man of business and that there were several people who might not have wanted that fact to get out. Also in the picture is a nasty blackmailer and a sexy lounge singer. Wolfe starts out to solve the crime purely out of obligation to Orrie Cather (and with no fee in sight) at the end he finds himself faced with the puzzle of how to earn fifty thousand dollars--which he can only do if certain facts are not made public. Can he do that and still see justice done?
The puzzle itself is not a difficult one. I actually stayed neck and neck with Wolfe on making deductions--that's rare enough. What made the book for me was the character of Julie Jacquette and her interactions with Nero Wolfe. And her scene with Inspector Cramer was worth the whole book in and of itself.
September 19, 2020
This isn't the Wolfe novel you want to start with, since some familiarity with the supporting cast (I'm not sure why I'm trying to avoid spoilers for a fifty year old novel, but I am) really helps get you into it, but it is a good, solid late-series Wolfe story.
This has the great Wolfe and Archie interactions I love. It also has Julie Jacquette, one of my favorite one-book characters; she's cynical about romance, largely uninteretested in Archie, and impresses the shit out of Wolfe.
A good read, but only for those already familiar with the series.
This has the great Wolfe and Archie interactions I love. It also has Julie Jacquette, one of my favorite one-book characters; she's cynical about romance, largely uninteretested in Archie, and impresses the shit out of Wolfe.
A good read, but only for those already familiar with the series.
February 25, 2013
Oh, Archie! What would I have done without you during those long rainy, snowy winters on Kodiak Island. The public library was my favorite stop on our weekly runs to 'town' from Chiniak. I would load up on Nero Wolfe books. Let this review provide my endorsement for the whole series. and if you can, read them in chronological order!
May 7, 2014
As this was my first Nero Wolfe novel, I went in thinking this would be a more-or-less "normal" mystery novel. It wasn't until halfway through that I caught on to the real flavor of the book - Nero Wolfe's eccentricity, Arhcie's snap comedy, etc. It was so much fun to read them ripping on each other, it felt like a peek into a "boys club." I love it in the way I love James Bond.
Death of a Doxy is a quick read, and not only because it's short. The characters are smart and Stout assumes the readers are, too. We're supposed to keep up. Admittedly I thought the puzzle fell into place a little too easily, but I liked it all the same.
I'm definitely interested in this Stout fellow and plan on picking up another of his books, too.
Death of a Doxy is a quick read, and not only because it's short. The characters are smart and Stout assumes the readers are, too. We're supposed to keep up. Admittedly I thought the puzzle fell into place a little too easily, but I liked it all the same.
I'm definitely interested in this Stout fellow and plan on picking up another of his books, too.
July 16, 2009
"The young princes had been dead for five centuries, and Wolfe had once spent a week investigating that case, after which he removed More's UTOPIA from his bookshelves because More had framed Richard III".
-- Archie Goodwin, in Death of a Doxy
Enough said :-)
-- Archie Goodwin, in Death of a Doxy
Enough said :-)
March 7, 2015
I have all of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books :)
March 4, 2023
Pretty good mystery but what really makes me give it 4* instead of 3.5* is Julie Jacquette! I love the way she interacts with Wolfe.
September 12, 2021
A fun read.
March 8, 2025
Orrie Cather asks Archie Goodwin to visit the apartment of his mistress, Isabel Kerr when she is supposedly out. Isabel is also the mistress of a rich man, who is the one paying for her lavish apartment. Orrie has found someone he wants to marry, and he told Isabel that he needs to break up with her. She objects, and she still has some of Orrie's possessions, so Orrie wants Archie to break in and retrieve them. But when Archie enters he instead finds Isabel's body. He quickly leaves, but the police soon arrest Orrie, whose fingerprints are all over Isabel's apartment.
Since Orrie has often worked for Nero Wolfe, and since Archie as well as several others who work for Wolfe, agree that it was unlikely that Orrie was the killer, they decide they have to clear him in the only way they know how: they need to find out who did kill her.
Thus starts another clever mystery by Rex Stout. As always, the great strength of these aren't simply the plot. The characters are interesting, and Archie's first-person narration is captivating. I also enjoy the frequent references to foods I haven't tried (and since I own the Nero Wolfe Cookbook, i can often then look them up and try them -- after reading this book I plan to make a French dish of eggs poached in red wine).
Rex Stout is both one of my favorite mystery writers and one of my go-to comfort reads. I recommend pretty much any of the Nero Wolfe novels.
Since Orrie has often worked for Nero Wolfe, and since Archie as well as several others who work for Wolfe, agree that it was unlikely that Orrie was the killer, they decide they have to clear him in the only way they know how: they need to find out who did kill her.
Thus starts another clever mystery by Rex Stout. As always, the great strength of these aren't simply the plot. The characters are interesting, and Archie's first-person narration is captivating. I also enjoy the frequent references to foods I haven't tried (and since I own the Nero Wolfe Cookbook, i can often then look them up and try them -- after reading this book I plan to make a French dish of eggs poached in red wine).
Rex Stout is both one of my favorite mystery writers and one of my go-to comfort reads. I recommend pretty much any of the Nero Wolfe novels.
August 4, 2020
Very enjoyable!
September 2, 2023
3,5. É um policial simpático com uns pontos de humor
September 12, 2022
Only five left....
I adore this series. Nothing else has come close. Red Stout had the chops of Agatha Christie and Bruce Alexander, but with humor intertwined. I'm going to miss Archie and Nero when I'm done. I'm savoring them and saving the last five for when I need to break out of a dry spell. Sigh
I adore this series. Nothing else has come close. Red Stout had the chops of Agatha Christie and Bruce Alexander, but with humor intertwined. I'm going to miss Archie and Nero when I'm done. I'm savoring them and saving the last five for when I need to break out of a dry spell. Sigh
May 11, 2020
This one is my current favourite Nero Wolfe mystery, but I'm on a quest to read them all, so we'll see.
March 23, 2025
this was my favorite of the 3-4 Nero Wolfe books I've read, written when the author was 80 years old. Minimal dialogue, short sentences and plenty of 1940's and 1950's PI jargon. Good story, plenty of twists and unknowns, go get 'em Archie!
April 17, 2019
"'[...] Because your sister was a doxy, and you --'
'My sister was a what?'
'D, O, X, Y, doxy. I happen to like that better than concubine or paramour or mistress. [...]'"
Yeah, I hadn't known exactly what the word 'doxy' meant until I read the first 40 pages of Rex Stout's novel. Death of a Doxy (1966) is the 42nd installment in the famous Nero Wolfe series, albeit one of the weakest ones along with Gambit that I have recently reviewed.
We meet the intrepid and debonair Archie Goodwin, Mr. Wolfe's right hand, as he is leaving an apartment, taking a last look at the body of a murdered woman, and making sure he has not left his fingerprints on the scene. Orrie Cather, one of the detectives whose services Mr. Wolfe frequently uses, is arrested for murder. The case may involve a client of Wolfe, so he is obliged to undertake the investigation. The whole thing is additionally complicated by the fact that Mr. Cather's fiancée, Jill, knew the victim.
Archie has to use all his manly charms to get Jill and the victim's sister to talk. Obviously he succeeds. Uncharacteristically for Wolfe novels the cast of characters includes a gregarious and loose-lipped cabaret singer. Archie and the three women help the obese genius of detection solve the case and he earns quite a substantial amount of money.
I like the characterizations of the three women, they almost feel like real people. Being a mathematician I like the passage
This installment is markedly weaker than most other Nero Wolfe novels. Would it be possible that Mr. Stout hired someone to ghost-write it? Or maybe he wrote it in just a few days?
Two stars.
'My sister was a what?'
'D, O, X, Y, doxy. I happen to like that better than concubine or paramour or mistress. [...]'"
Yeah, I hadn't known exactly what the word 'doxy' meant until I read the first 40 pages of Rex Stout's novel. Death of a Doxy (1966) is the 42nd installment in the famous Nero Wolfe series, albeit one of the weakest ones along with Gambit that I have recently reviewed.
We meet the intrepid and debonair Archie Goodwin, Mr. Wolfe's right hand, as he is leaving an apartment, taking a last look at the body of a murdered woman, and making sure he has not left his fingerprints on the scene. Orrie Cather, one of the detectives whose services Mr. Wolfe frequently uses, is arrested for murder. The case may involve a client of Wolfe, so he is obliged to undertake the investigation. The whole thing is additionally complicated by the fact that Mr. Cather's fiancée, Jill, knew the victim.
Archie has to use all his manly charms to get Jill and the victim's sister to talk. Obviously he succeeds. Uncharacteristically for Wolfe novels the cast of characters includes a gregarious and loose-lipped cabaret singer. Archie and the three women help the obese genius of detection solve the case and he earns quite a substantial amount of money.
I like the characterizations of the three women, they almost feel like real people. Being a mathematician I like the passage
"He discovered the theorem that the sides of equiangular triangles are proportional. He discovered that when two straight lines intersect the vertically opposite angles are equal, and that the circle is bisected by its diameter."I am also amused by the fact that in mere 52 years since the novel was written English changed so much that I have no idea what the word 'hipped' meant in 1966. The author writes 'she was hipped,' 'I got hipped,' and none of the current meanings of the verb - I have even extensively checked the Urban Dictionary - fits the context in which these phrases were uttered. Well, stumped by 'hipped,' how's that for a pun?
This installment is markedly weaker than most other Nero Wolfe novels. Would it be possible that Mr. Stout hired someone to ghost-write it? Or maybe he wrote it in just a few days?
Two stars.
May 30, 2021
Major characters:
Isabel Kerr, the doxy
Avery Ballou, Isabel's sugar daddy
Orrie Cather, private investigator
Jill Hardy, Orrie's fiancé
Stella Fleming, Jill Hardy's sister
Barry Fleming, Stella's husband
Dr. Theodore Gamm, an internist
Amy Jackson, a.k.a. Julie Jaquette, a night club singer
Archie Goodwin, private investigator
Nero Wolfe, private investigator
Locale: New York City
Synopsis: Nero Wolfe's contract investigator, hotheaded Orrie Cather, is engaged to Jill Hardy. He previously had a fling with Isabel Kerr, who lives large but has no visible means of support. Turns out she is a doxy, a kept woman by sugar daddy business mogul Avery Ballou.
Isabel wants Orrie for herself, and tries to hold him by grabbing his P.I. license and stashing it in her room. Orrie, busy on another job, has Archie Goodwin visit her apartment to retrieve it. Archie finds her dead, hit on the head with a heavy ashtray.
The police find Orrie's license in her room. Orrie winds up held as a material witness, with a murder charge expected. The only way to get Orrie out of trouble is for Wolfe to find the killer. Wolfe enlists the aid of Julie Jaquette, night club singer and Isabel's best friend, to force the killer's hand. It works, the killer takes a few shots at Julie to show it.
Review: This had sat on my shelf for 24 years since the last reading, and I had forgotten how good it is. Bev Hankins' review on My Reader's Block spells it out in detail, but suffice to say Wolfe gets enamored with a night club singer, and elevates her to a place of honor in his home. Wolfe's method of exposing the killer is clever, and Archie adds a unique tweak to solve multiple problems all at once; including earning a substantial fee. Inspector Cramer only has a couple brief appearances, as Wolfe and Archie do most of the legwork. Great characters, and now I know what a hedgehog omelette is (it has almonds stuck in it which resemble the hedgehog's spines).
Isabel Kerr, the doxy
Avery Ballou, Isabel's sugar daddy
Orrie Cather, private investigator
Jill Hardy, Orrie's fiancé
Stella Fleming, Jill Hardy's sister
Barry Fleming, Stella's husband
Dr. Theodore Gamm, an internist
Amy Jackson, a.k.a. Julie Jaquette, a night club singer
Archie Goodwin, private investigator
Nero Wolfe, private investigator
Locale: New York City
Synopsis: Nero Wolfe's contract investigator, hotheaded Orrie Cather, is engaged to Jill Hardy. He previously had a fling with Isabel Kerr, who lives large but has no visible means of support. Turns out she is a doxy, a kept woman by sugar daddy business mogul Avery Ballou.
Isabel wants Orrie for herself, and tries to hold him by grabbing his P.I. license and stashing it in her room. Orrie, busy on another job, has Archie Goodwin visit her apartment to retrieve it. Archie finds her dead, hit on the head with a heavy ashtray.
The police find Orrie's license in her room. Orrie winds up held as a material witness, with a murder charge expected. The only way to get Orrie out of trouble is for Wolfe to find the killer. Wolfe enlists the aid of Julie Jaquette, night club singer and Isabel's best friend, to force the killer's hand. It works, the killer takes a few shots at Julie to show it.
Review: This had sat on my shelf for 24 years since the last reading, and I had forgotten how good it is. Bev Hankins' review on My Reader's Block spells it out in detail, but suffice to say Wolfe gets enamored with a night club singer, and elevates her to a place of honor in his home. Wolfe's method of exposing the killer is clever, and Archie adds a unique tweak to solve multiple problems all at once; including earning a substantial fee. Inspector Cramer only has a couple brief appearances, as Wolfe and Archie do most of the legwork. Great characters, and now I know what a hedgehog omelette is (it has almonds stuck in it which resemble the hedgehog's spines).
September 29, 2011
When his associate Orey Cather gets himself into a jam with a doxie(another word for mistress, I learned), and finds himself in jail Nero Wolfe comes to the rescue. The supporting characters take center stage and Sal and Fred get featured more in this story than others. An interesting premis and a real feeling of something at stake eleveates this one.
February 14, 2013
I always enjoy Nero, Archie and Fritz -- and this was a pretty good mystery as well. Nero was able to stay at home on this one, Fritz cooked several more exotic breakfasts and dinners and Archie was his usual man-about-town sarcastic self. Love them! Only have about 30 more Nero Wolfe books to go, but have trouble finding them.
April 22, 2025
A fun story and a great foil for Nero Wolfe in the form of the irrepressible Julie Jacquette.
A note: Having read A Family Affair previously, I do see hints in the characterizations that make the conclusion of that book less surprising.
A note: Having read A Family Affair previously, I do see hints in the characterizations that make the conclusion of that book less surprising.
October 9, 2023
While not the best in the series this was still a solidly fun and entertaining mystery filled with snarky dialogue.
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