Collection
Library's review
If you like Nero Wolfe stories (like I do), this is a solid set of three stories.
Series
Publication
Crimeline (1993), Mass Market Paperback, 240 pages
Description
They all thought they were about to die . . . and they were right. Dazy Perrit was an underworld kingpin until a hail of bullets sent him into early retirement. Ben Jensen was a well-connected publisher until a determined gunman severed all his connections. Eugene R. Poor made novelties like exploding cigars until one of them blew him to kingdom come. Only the gourmet sleuth, Nero Wolfe, and his sidekick, Archie Goodwin, can solve the deadly equation of murder times three. Introduction by Randy Russell "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.… (more)
Language
Original language
English
User reviews
LibraryThing member tzelman
Average Wolfe tales, which are better than what most other mystery writers can do
LibraryThing member benfulton
Three rather uneven tales from the 40's, as I understand it. The first one is superior, with a compelling and believable storyline and empathetic characters. The second, a bit outrageously improbable in its plotline, and the third seems pretty out there too; dealing as it does in death by exploding
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cigar, but maybe that wasn't so incredible in the time period, and the characters are good and the storyline makes a fair amount of sense if you can get past the Bugs Bunny vibe. Overall, I could have done without the second two if the first one was expanded to full length. Show Less
LibraryThing member MrsLee
A good trio of stories. Dazy Perrit is a great character.
LibraryThing member mmyoung
Stout was never his best writing short stories nor did he deal well with the Second World War. None of the stories in this collection show Stout at his best nor do Goodwin and Wolfe show the skills or wit that generally endear them to readers.
LibraryThing member katekf
Nero Wolfe is one of my favorite mystery characters as he plays on the tradition of the brilliant detective that never leaves his home. I appreciate the books with three stories in them as Rex Stout's writing is fast and witty and always leaves me wanting more. For lovers of older mysteries, these
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books are a treat. Archie Goodwin is Wolfe's Watson though he doesn't think that highly of Wolfe and enjoys the complex New York they live in. Readers of The Dresden Files and noir will recognize the same DNA in these charming mysteries and be glad they found Rex Stout and that he wrote as much as he did. Show Less
LibraryThing member tgraettinger
3 cases: "Before I Die", "Help Wanted, Male", and "Instead of Evidence". Enjoyable reads, all. My favorite was probably "Help Wanted, Male".
LibraryThing member addunn3
Three short mysteries make up this book. The first is about a bad guy with a need to connect with his daughter. The second is about a murder who announces he is going to watch the victim die and Nero also receives a note to the party. Finally, a victim blows up! The first two are well written,
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interesting plots. the third is a bit weak. Show Less
LibraryThing member antiquary
Three stories --Before I Die, I like very much. Amid a meat crisis, a gangster who is said to be "king of the black market" asks Wolfe for help -- an enemy is aware that he has a secret daughter; he hires another woman to impersonate the daughter, and that woman is blackmailing him. Then that woman
The third story, Instead of Evidence, involves a man who comes to Wolfe and says that his enrmy is planning to kill him --he expects to be killed, but wants Wolfe to avenge him.
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is murdered in front of Archie Goodwin. Help Wanted Male, I dislike. Wolfe receives a death threat and hires a man to impersonate him.The third story, Instead of Evidence, involves a man who comes to Wolfe and says that his enrmy is planning to kill him --he expects to be killed, but wants Wolfe to avenge him.
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LibraryThing member rosalita
A collection of three novellas featuring rotund detecting genius Nero Wolfe and my literary boyfriend Archie Goodwin.
Before I Die — World War II is raging, and Archie is restless. He's enlisted and is a major in the U.S. Army, but he's been assigned to help Wolfe work on top-secret cases for the
Help Wanted, Male — The war is over and Archie is back in civvies, but one of the cases Wolfe solved for the U.S. Army comes back to haunt him. A publisher involved in that case is murdered, and the killer sends Wolfe a message saying he's next. Deciding he can't detect properly with his head on a swivel waiting for attack, he hires a lookalike to impersonate him and serve as bait. You can imagine how much fun Archie has with that.
Instead of Evidence — A man and his wife come to Wolfe, claiming his business partner is going to kill him. Oddly, the man doesn't want Wolfe to try to stop him; he just wants him to promise that after he's killed Wolfe will make sure his partner doesn't get away with the crime. Bonus points for a novel murder method.
Before I Die — World War II is raging, and Archie is restless. He's enlisted and is a major in the U.S. Army, but he's been assigned to help Wolfe work on top-secret cases for the
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government instead of going off to fight Germans. Compounding the problem is a rationing crisis that has gourmand Wolfe desperate to get his hands and teeth on some real meat. When one of New York City's most notorious gangsters shows up at the door needing help with his daughter, the promise of black-market access in return makes Wolfe throw caution to the wind, leaving Archie to try to keep house, home, and body together long enough to solve the case.Help Wanted, Male — The war is over and Archie is back in civvies, but one of the cases Wolfe solved for the U.S. Army comes back to haunt him. A publisher involved in that case is murdered, and the killer sends Wolfe a message saying he's next. Deciding he can't detect properly with his head on a swivel waiting for attack, he hires a lookalike to impersonate him and serve as bait. You can imagine how much fun Archie has with that.
Instead of Evidence — A man and his wife come to Wolfe, claiming his business partner is going to kill him. Oddly, the man doesn't want Wolfe to try to stop him; he just wants him to promise that after he's killed Wolfe will make sure his partner doesn't get away with the crime. Bonus points for a novel murder method.
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LibraryThing member TomDonaghey
Trouble In Triplicate (1949) (Nero Wolfe #14) by Rex Stout. Here are three short stories of murder. Each is a gem in itself.
The first is Before I Die. This is a rather complicated matter of a major dealer in the blackmarket wanting to have a pesky blackmailer stopped. He can’t do it himself, or
Wolfe gets the girl to come talk with him and he informs her that he is blackmailing her now. Pay up most of what you get from your “daddy” and Wolfe will stay mum. Don’t and he has no qualms about contacting the police out west and sending back to serve her due time. He gives her time to think it over and sends Archie to see her home.
She is gunned down by a passing car on her doorstep with Archie as witness.
After several hours with the cops he returns to the Wolfe’s brownstone only to be met by “daddy” and his heavy muscle. Those two are in turn mown down by bullets from a passing car, just missing Archie.
There is more but that’s enough of the puzzle for now. To find out more, read the book.
Next is Help Wanted. Male. A death threat is sent to a man Wolfe had been working with during the war and the man is soon thereafter murdered. The next day Wolfe receives the same threat. Archie has to go to Washington on military matters (he rose to the rank of Major during the war and they still insist they have control over his actions) and is gone a few days. When he returns he finds an imposter sitting in Wolfe’s chair.
The fill-n is part of Wolfe’s plan to lure the killer out and capturing him. All goes well until there is a pistol fired during a visit by the son of the other man who was killed, and a young woman who is involved in the situation. Seems the shot was fired from the front room, not in Wolfe’s office, and they were the only two possible as having fired the shot. Wolfe himself was busy getting set up to spy on the coming conference in the office and Archie had just left the pair in the front room and had only begun to speak with Wolfe. The sacrificial lamb had his eyes closed when the shot was fired, thus not seeing who did it. Blood on his ear and a hole in the headrest of his chair told the story of the angle of the shot, but not who pulled the trigger.
It is up to Wolfe to figure out exactly who tried to kill him.
The last is titled Instead of Evidence. Mr. and Mrs. Poor come to see Wolfe. He is the executive side of a two man partnership in the novelty gag business. He says his partner is going to kill him to gain complete control of the business. The partner has offered to buy him out at about 10% of what his half should be valued at and Mr. Poor said no. Reluctantly Wolfe takes the job of finding the killer and proving it in the off chance that Mr. Poor is killed within the year.
Later that day the police are all over the Poor’s apartment after the husband is found dead due to a trick exploding cigar.
This is a nice collection showing that Mr. Stout was just as adept in the short form as in the long. It makes for a nice day’s reading at the beach or on the train. Well worth finding in the used book aisles.
The first is Before I Die. This is a rather complicated matter of a major dealer in the blackmarket wanting to have a pesky blackmailer stopped. He can’t do it himself, or
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have it done for him because the blackmailer is his “daughter”. Afraid of having his real but estranged daughter being the victim of violence as a lever on him he went out west and found a woman near enough to his daughter’s age and set her up in his penthouse. She was being paid a hundred a month but got greedy. Then she got greedier until he couldn’t take it anymore, so he turned to Wolfe to fix the situation.Wolfe gets the girl to come talk with him and he informs her that he is blackmailing her now. Pay up most of what you get from your “daddy” and Wolfe will stay mum. Don’t and he has no qualms about contacting the police out west and sending back to serve her due time. He gives her time to think it over and sends Archie to see her home.
She is gunned down by a passing car on her doorstep with Archie as witness.
After several hours with the cops he returns to the Wolfe’s brownstone only to be met by “daddy” and his heavy muscle. Those two are in turn mown down by bullets from a passing car, just missing Archie.
There is more but that’s enough of the puzzle for now. To find out more, read the book.
Next is Help Wanted. Male. A death threat is sent to a man Wolfe had been working with during the war and the man is soon thereafter murdered. The next day Wolfe receives the same threat. Archie has to go to Washington on military matters (he rose to the rank of Major during the war and they still insist they have control over his actions) and is gone a few days. When he returns he finds an imposter sitting in Wolfe’s chair.
The fill-n is part of Wolfe’s plan to lure the killer out and capturing him. All goes well until there is a pistol fired during a visit by the son of the other man who was killed, and a young woman who is involved in the situation. Seems the shot was fired from the front room, not in Wolfe’s office, and they were the only two possible as having fired the shot. Wolfe himself was busy getting set up to spy on the coming conference in the office and Archie had just left the pair in the front room and had only begun to speak with Wolfe. The sacrificial lamb had his eyes closed when the shot was fired, thus not seeing who did it. Blood on his ear and a hole in the headrest of his chair told the story of the angle of the shot, but not who pulled the trigger.
It is up to Wolfe to figure out exactly who tried to kill him.
The last is titled Instead of Evidence. Mr. and Mrs. Poor come to see Wolfe. He is the executive side of a two man partnership in the novelty gag business. He says his partner is going to kill him to gain complete control of the business. The partner has offered to buy him out at about 10% of what his half should be valued at and Mr. Poor said no. Reluctantly Wolfe takes the job of finding the killer and proving it in the off chance that Mr. Poor is killed within the year.
Later that day the police are all over the Poor’s apartment after the husband is found dead due to a trick exploding cigar.
This is a nice collection showing that Mr. Stout was just as adept in the short form as in the long. It makes for a nice day’s reading at the beach or on the train. Well worth finding in the used book aisles.
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LibraryThing member tuckerresearch
I was introduced to Nero Wolfe through the amazing Nero Wolfe A&E series, so I see Maury Chaykin as Nero Wolfe and Timothy Hutton as Archie Goodwin, et al. So, after a hiatus of several years, I got a hold of And Be a Villain and liked it, so I decided to get them all so I could read them in order
This one is number 14: Trouble in Triplicate, three short stories: "Before I Die," "Help Wanted, Male," and "Instead of Evidence." Bouncing around the end of World War II, this one includes a story where Wolfe takes a case for the opportunity to get some classy, black-market meat. He doesn't get any. The coincidences and incidences in "Help Wanted, Male" are a tad far-fetched, But, all-in-all, all in good fun. Good mysteries, well-told, with entertaining characters. Though the tendency for the Hawksian ingenue to get offed is starting to get trope-ical.
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(from 1934 to 1975).This one is number 14: Trouble in Triplicate, three short stories: "Before I Die," "Help Wanted, Male," and "Instead of Evidence." Bouncing around the end of World War II, this one includes a story where Wolfe takes a case for the opportunity to get some classy, black-market meat. He doesn't get any. The coincidences and incidences in "Help Wanted, Male" are a tad far-fetched, But, all-in-all, all in good fun. Good mysteries, well-told, with entertaining characters. Though the tendency for the Hawksian ingenue to get offed is starting to get trope-ical.
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
These three Nero Wolfe novellas all have one thing in common: Wolfe’s client is murdered in each one (although technically he didn’t accept the victim as a client in the second novella) . The novellas are out of order since the middle one takes place during World War II while Archie is in the
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army and assigned to Wolfe, while the first and last are set shortly after the war. The novella length works well for Wolfe stories. It’s long enough to allow the reader to consider multiple suspects for the murder, and the pace suits first-person narrator Archie’s repartee. Show Less