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Black Orchids Audiobook
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(3.99) - 1,751 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Nero Wolfe has left his comfortable brownstone for the promise of a remarkably rare black orchid at a flower show—but before Wolfe and his perennially hardy sidekick, Archie Goodwin, have a chance to stop and smell the roses, a diabolically daring murder takes place right under their noses and puts a blight on the proceedings. Now Wolfe's fancy turns to thoughts of weeding out a murderer—one who's definitely not a garden-variety killer. Only then will Wolfe be ready to throw his weight into a second thorny case, involving a rich society widow bedeviled by poison-pen letters—and a poisonous plot as black as Wolfe's orchids . . . with roots that are even more twisted. Introduction by Lawrence Block “It is always a treat to read a Nero Wolfe mystery. The man has entered our folklore.”—The New York Times Book Review A grand master of the form, Rex Stout is one of America’s greatest mystery writers, and his literary creation Nero Wolfe is one of the greatest fictional detectives of all time. Together, Stout and Wolfe have entertained—and puzzled—millions of mystery fans around the world. Now, with his perambulatory man-about-town, Archie Goodwin, the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth is back in the original seventy-three cases of crime and detection written by the inimitable master himself, Rex Stout.
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"Scott and I are big fans of mystery movies and have watched many of the classic detective series (Poirot, Marple, Morse, Holmes, Campion, Allen, etc), some in all versions available. Nero Wolfe was one we recently came across and we LOVED the A&E adaptation. I had never read a Rex Stout until this week but after having finished this one, I am very impressed with the screenplay writers and directors who managed to capture the essence of Stouts characters perfectly. The DVD episodes are some of our favorites and consequently I bought Scott both seasons (that's all A&E produced) and have been enjoying them for the past 6 months. Now that they are over, I'm glad I have the books to enjoy also. I love fun mysteries!"
— Sarah (4 out of 5 stars)
Black Orchids Listener Reviews
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" My favorite Nero Wolfe ever. Two shorter novels in one book: How Wolfe obtains three rare, black orchids, and then what he uses them for later. Absolutely fantastic, and Archie at his best. "
— Lauren, 2/19/2014 -
" A fun mystery set in Victorian England "
— Carolyn, 2/4/2014 -
" This one might be one of my favorite Wolfe tales to date. The two stories contained in the book are connected only by the presence of the black orchids Wolfe commandeers as a fee; however, there is a sense of sentimentality (in a good way) in both tales. We get some genuine friction between Wolfe and Archie and even more genuine affection. We also learn that Wolfe keeps Archie around due to a debt of honor--apparently Archie saved Wolfe's life at some point in the past. The stories' narratives also functions= well as they maintain a strong focus on the mystery. Their brevity keeps the narrative connected at all times to the mystery at hand. By and large, a good read with several funny moments and tight writing. "
— Kurt, 1/25/2014 -
" As always, a good read. "
— Dianne, 1/20/2014 -
" This book took me to a different time and place. I love when books do that! Nice, easy read. It made me smile. "
— Valerie, 1/5/2014 -
" The story was good, but a little hard to follow. I'm not sure if it was me and I was distracted or if it just didn't flow as well as it could have. I do like Nero Wolf though as a character and it is always entertaining to see what he will do next. "
— Lori, 12/25/2013 -
" Two short stories with a common theme. Excellent. "
— Niffer, 12/23/2013 -
" okay, sure, i'll take more archie and nero. "
— Jenn, 12/16/2013 -
" Two long Nero Wolfe novellas. The title story--with Archie attending the flower show--is very good. The other--involving a high society event planner and a chimp--is less successful. But both are fun. "
— Bill, 12/11/2013 -
" I have no idea why I bothered reading this. "
— Erica, 12/7/2013 -
" This was a little disappointing because it wasn't a novel, but two slightly related novellas. Consequently there wasn't as much focus on one crime/set of suspects, which is what I like. "
— Vicki, 12/7/2013 -
" Nero Wolfe only takes on work for exorbitant fees-usually. But when Lewis Hewitt has managed to breed the only black orchids in existence, he is willing to make an exception. Archie falls in love, Wolfe is cranky and uncomfortable and Inspector Cramer is at his wit's end. What more could you want? "
— Sharon, 11/26/2013 -
" Two shorter stories concerning Black Orchids. Wonderful and certainly worth reading, though not one of his best. I enjoyed the first story rather more than the second, but will surely read both again! "
— Jules, 3/9/2013 -
" Again, not my favorite Wolfe stories, but entertaining enough. Actually contains two novelettes (novellas?): "Black Orchids" and "Cordially Invited to Meet Death." The first story is stronger than the second, though the second does have the advantage of a scene where Archie stares down a gorilla. "
— earthy, 11/12/2012 -
" Love Nero Wolfe-a fact he would soundly deplore! "
— Ellen, 10/2/2012 -
" Two related novella featuring black orchids. I enjoyed the first, but in the second it was a case of me not liking who the murderer turned out to be, which always brings a story down for me. "
— Andrea, 9/16/2012 -
" Vintage Archie and Nero. One book, with two stories connected only slightly by the presence of black orchids. One of the better Stouts, in my opinion. "
— Steve, 8/12/2012 -
" It seems every Nero Wolfe book is worth its weight in gold. Every time I read one, I smile and smile and smile. I loved everything about it! "
— Keith, 6/20/2012 -
" This is two short stories connected only by Wolfe's rare black orchids. I enjoyed the second story more than the first. I enjoy the narration style of Archie, Wolfe's right hand man. He is funny and irreverent. Wolfe eccentricities are always a source of entertainment and wonder. "
— Peggy, 3/22/2012 -
" Two short stories with a common theme. Excellent. "
— Niffer, 4/28/2011 -
" What can I say. I like the dialog. "
— Thorn, 1/10/2011 -
" okay, sure, i'll take more archie and nero. "
— Jenn, 8/8/2010 -
" This was a little disappointing because it wasn't a novel, but two slightly related novellas. Consequently there wasn't as much focus on one crime/set of suspects, which is what I like. "
— Vicki, 5/23/2010 -
" The promise of a chance to get his hands on a rare orchid, gets recluse detective Nero Wolfe to leave his house. <br/>Of course, someone gets murdered and he then has to juggle catching the killer and negotiating to get the black orchids. <br/>Another great Nero Wolfe mystery. "
— Travis, 11/26/2009 -
" I'm working my way through the Nero Wolfe mysteries, but liked this one in particular. A reliable fun/easy read. "
— Gillian, 9/10/2009 -
" I have no idea why I bothered reading this. "
— Erica, 8/5/2009 -
" Rex Stout is a classic mystery writer...easy to enjoy. No sex or violence. "
— Jessica, 11/3/2008
About Rex Stout
Rex Stout (1886–1975), inimitable master of detective fiction, wrote seventy-three mysteries and numerous novels and short stories. He is best known as the creator of the fictional detective Nero Wolfe. He was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and received the Crime Writers Association’s Silver Dagger Award.
About Michael Prichard
Michael Prichard is a Los Angeles-based actor who has played several thousand characters during his career, over one hundred of them in theater and film. He is primarily heard as an audiobook narrator, having recorded well over five hundred full-length books. His numerous awards and accolades include an Audie Award for Tears in the Darkness by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. Norman and six AudioFile Earphones Awards. He was named a Top Ten Golden Voice by SmartMoney magazine. He holds an MFA in theater from the University of Southern California.