Three Doors to Death by Rex Stout

Read: 4 July, 2007

Nero Wolfe solves three separate mysteries with the help of his assistant, Archie Goodwin. In the first, Man Alive, a fashion designer who supposedly committed suicide has returned only to be murdered. There are only five people alive who could have murdered him and it's Wolfe's job to find out which one did it

In the second story, Omit Flowers, a chef is accused of murdering his boss's husband. Wolfe, suspecting the widow and her "flock" of children, must prove the chef's innocence by catching the real killer.

In the third story, Door to Death, Wolfe finds the body of a murdered girl while trying to hire a gardener to replace Theodore while the latter is away for a family emergency. The gardener is suspected and Wolfe must prove his innocence if he wants someone to care properly for his orchids!

Of the three Nero Wolfe novels I have read this summer, this has been my favorite. Each story begins with a set up, every detail that is needed to solve the mystery is presented. From there, Wolfe merely needs to piece the puzzle together and solve the mystery. With the exception of Omit Flowers, little new information is added during the course of the stories.

The Father Hunt by Rex Stout

Read: 3 July, 2007

Amy Denovo's mother chose her last name because it means "of new," representing the clean break she made away from Amy's father. She never spoke of her past to Amy and, though questioned, refused to divulge her father's identity. That is, until the day she was killed in a hit-and-run incident. Soon after, Amy finds a box filled with money and a note explaining that the money is from her mysterious father. She uses this money to hire Nero Wolfe to dig into her mother's past and find her father.

Another excellent addition to the Nero Wolfe library. Disappointingly for a mystery novel, many crucial details are withheld until the very end preventing any accurate guess as to the answers. Despite this, however, the story is an enjoyable read. Wolfe's eccentricities and Archie's weight jokes are enough to make just about any plot worthwhile (at least for the limited number of Wolfe books I've read).

The Black Mountain by Rex Stout

Read: 2 July, 2007

When Nero Wolfe's friend, Marko Vukcic, is killed, Wolfe vows to find the murderer. When Wolfe's adopted daughter, Carla, goes to Montenegro to take over Vukcic's affairs with a rebel group and is also murderer, Wolfe decides to finally leave his New York apartment and travel to the land of his birth.

An odd choice for my first book to read since it is so consciously breaking all of the trademarks of the the series. The novel reads almost more like a travel narrative set with already known characters than it does like a mystery. The ending is disappointing in that the mystery is solved merely because Archie and Wolfe happen to be at exactly the right place at exactly the right time and manage to overhear the baddie tell a prisoner his entire plan. If you are looking for a good mystery, turn away now. But the novel has beautiful descriptions of the area and is well worth a read despite its many flaws.