Jerin is a mental freak—a man capable of successfully playing a dozen simultaneous chess games against first-rate players while he himself is out of sight of any of the boards. It is while thus engaged that he is killed. A millionaire—his opponent in more realms than chess—is accused, and Nero Wolfe is given what appears to be the most hopeless case he and Archie Goodwin have ever tackled. You need to know nothing about chess to follow this tale, but some understanding of beautiful mothers and daughters will help. “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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"The one that started it all. My mom was a Nero Wolfe fan and I picked up her copy of In the Best Families and was hooked. When I down-sized my book collection, the only thing that I really missed and have started re-aquiring are my Rex Stout and Doonesburys. " — Christine (5 out of 5 stars)
"The one that started it all. My mom was a Nero Wolfe fan and I picked up her copy of In the Best Families and was hooked. When I down-sized my book collection, the only thing that I really missed and have started re-aquiring are my Rex Stout and Doonesburys. "
" Rex Stout started off with a bang in his first Nero Wolfe book. Archie is perhaps a little rough around the edges in this book, but it is classic Nero Wolfe. "
" The first Nero Wolfe tale, though still quite good, suffers a little because the Wolfe and Archie Goodwin characterizations had yet to fully form. Very enjoyable, though. "
" This is the first in the very prolific series, and I highly recommend every book! "
" I love dipping into the smart, sophisticated, weird world of Archie and Nero. The books are so satisfying. "
" Having been introduced to Nero Wolfe, I think he is a wonderful character. When I am looking for an entertaining read and want mystery, I'll certainly read another! "
" Clearly dated, but I have been wanting to experiment with some classic mysteries - so started with the original Nero Wolfe novel. What a character! "
" my husband bought me an e-reader to take on holiday and this is one of the books i bought thoroughly enjoyed it must read more of ner wolfe as i enjoyed the tv series "
" A decent, enjoyable read, but nothing spectacular. A bit too much like an American Sherlock Holmes for my tastes, but a nice summer read. "
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.
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.
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