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The Doorbell Rang Audiobook
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(4.00) - 1,710 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
There’s no one and nothing the great detective Nero Wolfe wouldn’t take on if the price was right. That’s something wealthy society widow Rachel Bruner is counting on when she writes him a check for a whopping hundred grand. But even Wolfe has a moment’s doubt when he finds out why the prize is so generous. For the oversize genius and his able assistant Archie Goodwin are about to lock horns with the FBI—and those highly trained G-men have a way with threats, tails, and bugs that could give even sedentary sleuth Nero Wolfe a run for his money. Introduction by Stuart Kaminsky “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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"I read this for the first time many years ago, and find that it holds up very well on rereading. Nero Wolfe engages to stop the FBI from harassing wealthy widow Rachel Bruner, a task Archie Goodwin feels is almost impossible. Given Wolfe's genius, the reader will not be surprised that he succeeds, and the story of just how he manages this makes The Doorbell Rang one of Stout's best and most entertaining novels. Many favorite and familiar characters appear(Inspector Cramer's first appearance is a real treat) and Archie's trademark humor is very much in evidence. Satisfactory."
— Liz (5 out of 5 stars)
The Doorbell Rang Listener Reviews
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Rachel Hurtski, 10/13/2016
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" This has got to be the very best Nero Wolfe novel ever written. From the quirky client to the nefarious FBI to Wolfe's brilliant scheme to Cramer buying Archie milk, this book is a masterpiece. If you've ever read a Nero Wolfe, The Doorbell Rang should be next on your list. And if you haven't ever stepped into the brownstone to watch Wolfe's seventh of a ton breed orchids, eat extravagant dinners, and (occasionally) solve mysteries, then you are seriously missing out. "
— Samantha, 2/17/2014 -
" Nero Wolfe takes on the FBI. "
— Bluelinesue, 2/17/2014 -
" What a great find! I look forward to reading many more mysteries (there are over 70)with Nero Wolfe. "
— Kristinwesta, 2/14/2014 -
" Again, another great read. You may have seen this one adapted to TV, but the book is better. "
— Dianne, 2/7/2014 -
" There's no one quite like Nero Wolfe, his meals, his calculations and the indomitable Archie Goodwin, guaranteed to take you away from daily concerns. In this one, he takes on the FBI. "
— Featherbooks, 2/7/2014 -
" I think this is probably my favorite Nero Wolfe book. Not only is there a good murder mystery as a secondary plot, there's a hoax to rival The Sting. Love it! "
— Niffer, 1/19/2014 -
" decent, but i've enjoyed other nero wolfe/rex stout books more. the portrait of hoover-era f.b.i. is pretty interesting. "
— Jenn, 12/10/2013 -
" J Edgar Hoover meets his match in Nero Wolfe. Great plot, dry wit, and favorite characters make this a delightful read. "
— Linda, 12/2/2013 -
" It's Nero Wolfe. Always entertaining. I wished that while he was still alive Raymond Burr had been cast in the role for a movie/tv series. I read the Bantam release of this book back in 1978 and reread it and other Nero Wolfe stories when there's nothing new that grabs my interest. "
— John, 11/19/2013 -
" My favorite Nero Wolfe novel ever. "
— Amy, 11/8/2013 -
" Looking bsck on this book, it ssems to me like it had little point to it other than to belittle the FBI. I was receptive to the agenda at the time I read it. On balance, however, it seems to me this book didn't do a very good job of addressing the real issues. "
— Robert, 11/7/2013 -
" I recognized the reader of this book from the Frasier show. It was a pretty good story, easy to listen to. "
— Cindy, 10/23/2013 -
" Big fan of all Nero Wolfe stories by Rex Stout. This one was one of my favorites and first. "
— ShotofPatron, 9/23/2013 -
" An oldie but a goodie. One of the best for the fat man and his wise cracking sidekick, Archie. No gore, noir or six. Even the deaths are discreet. "
— Ann, 9/19/2013 -
" Another great Nero Wolfe mystery in which he and his sidekick, Archie Goodwin decide to take on the FBI. The book was written in mid-1960's and actually motivated enough paranoia in J Edgar Hoover to cause him to open one his infamous "files". "
— doug, 2/16/2013 -
" Easily my favorite of the Nero Wolfe books! "
— Jennifer, 7/15/2012 -
" Best mystery of all time? Hardly. "
— Katrina, 7/2/2012 -
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rac, 3/26/2012
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" Top notch Nero Wolfe. I loved this and raced through it. A later book in the Wolfe canon, all the supporting characters make an appearance here, Archie Goodwin is at his sharpest, and this was just a fun read. "
— Lisa, 2/23/2012 -
" Average mystery. Set in NYC. Nero Wolfe series. The first person narrator is Archie, Wolfe's number 2. He basically goes out and does all the work, while Wolfe stays in and does all the thinking. "
— Jennannej, 12/11/2011 -
" One of the best, if not THE best of the series. "
— Tom, 10/18/2011 -
" NOT MYSTERIOUS ENOUGH!! THE MAIN CHARACTER IS ARCHIE, NOT NERO. ARCHIE DOES ALL THE WORK AND NERO BARELY LEAVES HIS HOUSE. ------- NO lo suficientemente misterioso! El personaje principal es Archie no, NERO. ARCHIE hace todo el trabajo Y NERO APENAS sale de su casa. "
— BLACK, 7/24/2011 -
" This is one of the longer Nero Wolfe stories, thank goodness. I hated to put it down. Nothing is what it seems. As usual. "
— Morgan, 5/9/2011 -
" Classic Nero Wolfe. Maybe one of his best. "
— Ethan, 4/30/2011 -
" I think this is probably my favorite Nero Wolfe book. Not only is there a good murder mystery as a secondary plot, there's a hoax to rival The Sting. Love it! "
— Niffer, 4/28/2011 -
" My favorite Nero Wolfe novel ever. "
— Amy, 1/6/2011 -
" heckuva read, can only imagine what Wolfe/Archie (okay, Stout) would think of living under the Patriot Act. This was an incredibly brave book for Stout to write (and his publishers to market)<br/><br/>The last couple of paragraphs are priceless. "
— Hobart, 9/29/2010 -
" A fun mystery for it's time. "
— Sasha, 9/9/2010 -
" Nero Wolfe takes on the FBI. Fantastic. "
— Carla, 8/20/2010 -
" Another great Nero Wolfe mystery in which he and his sidekick, Archie Goodwin decide to take on the FBI. The book was written in mid-1960's and actually motivated enough paranoia in J Edgar Hoover to cause him to open one his infamous "files". "
— doug, 7/2/2010 -
" What a great find! I look forward to reading many more mysteries (there are over 70)with Nero Wolfe. "
— Kristinwesta, 4/1/2010 -
" J Edgar Hoover meets his match in Nero Wolfe. Great plot, dry wit, and favorite characters make this a delightful read. "
— Linda, 1/30/2010 -
" decent, but i've enjoyed other nero wolfe/rex stout books more. the portrait of hoover-era f.b.i. is pretty interesting. "
— Jenn, 1/25/2010 -
" Recommended by the NPR librarian book reviewer, this book is a perfect example of life imitating art. Wolfe goes after the FBI and as a result, Stout is put on an FBI list "
— Amy, 8/16/2009 -
" Every once in a while it's good to revisit Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe in one of Rex Stout's classic mystery stories. They are reminiscent of a certain age. "
— Missmath144, 7/28/2009 -
" Pretty good. Interesting, quick read. Interesting in that the "case" ended up being secondary in the plot. "
— Adam, 6/23/2009 -
" A mystery so cagy you should read it wearing white gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. "
— Marco, 6/4/2009 -
" There's no one quite like Nero Wolfe, his meals, his calculations and the indomitable Archie Goodwin, guaranteed to take you away from daily concerns. In this one, he takes on the FBI. "
— Featherbooks, 5/5/2009
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.