alice_horoshev's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Great.
nick_jenkins's review against another edition
4.0
They should have just called this one "Archie Goodwin Punches Nazis."
maplessence's review against another edition
3.0
While this Wolfe/Goodwin outing wasn't terrible, it wasn't one of their best either. Yes, you have to ignore racism in so many early 20th century books, but this started in this book on the first page.
Until I reached the 50% mark there wasn't much of the usual Wolfe/Goodwin banter and I found the plot confused and confusing. From the half way point the story does pick up though.
While I should have guessed whodunnit, I didn't and I think that might have been my general lack of interest in the result. I always found this series very uneven (the modern equivalent would be the Kinsey Millhone series) and one average book won't stop me reading further.
Until I reached the 50% mark there wasn't much of the usual Wolfe/Goodwin banter and I found the plot confused and confusing. From the half way point the story does pick up though.
While I should have guessed whodunnit, I didn't and I think that might have been my general lack of interest in the result. I always found this series very uneven (the modern equivalent would be the Kinsey Millhone series) and one average book won't stop me reading further.
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jcovey's review against another edition
3.0
This is my first, and I think only, Nero Wolfe. What let me down was really that Nero did little to truly impress the reader. I was hoping for a new character to join the vaunted ranks of Holmes, Father Brown, Columbo, Dale Cooper, Darryl Zero, House, and L. That did not prove to be the case.
hotsake's review against another edition
4.0
Just a solid and fun Nero Wolfe adventure. Both Wolfe and Archie get pissed in this story and that is always a pleasure to read.
jbleyle63's review against another edition
4.0
A sprinkle of international intrigue and some background on Nero Wolfe's origins are highlights of this entry in Stout's series. And Archie's first person narration provides the wit and humor that keep me reading and rereading these books!
daisymama's review against another edition
4.0
very fun. I really enjoyed the style of this book, and will definitely need to read some more Rex Stout. I love all the super-hip 1930's slang :)
quietjenn's review against another edition
3.0
I guess maybe now that I'm almost finished with Christie, I'm going to make my way through Stout. Or, at least the ones that are readily available. This one, in particular, is okay, but no great shakes. Totally sufficient commute reading, but nothing that kept me up at night.
finesilkflower's review against another edition
4.0
I really don't have much to say about Nero Wolfe books. They're good. Clever mysteries with enough you can't get that you need it explained, but a few things you can get and feel smart about (usually about one page before it's revealed). As ever, narrator Archie is a smart and clever wiseacre and Nero Wolfe manages to solve the mystery without leaving the house or disrupting his schedule. Inspector Cramer is a major character in this one and is a pleasant addition with his aggrieved, resigned, yet oddly idealistic attitude.
I skipped a few and jumped to #7 with no apparent loss in quality. They don't have enough continuity that you're lost if you skip ahead. They're not without continuity, though. This one adds the interesting wrinkle of introducing a member of Nero Wolfe's family, a development which will presumably feature in future books.
I skipped a few and jumped to #7 with no apparent loss in quality. They don't have enough continuity that you're lost if you skip ahead. They're not without continuity, though. This one adds the interesting wrinkle of introducing a member of Nero Wolfe's family, a development which will presumably feature in future books.