Murder by the Book

by Rex Stout

Paperback, 1985

Status

Available

Series

Nero Wolfe (19)

Genres

Mystery

All Topics

Fiction

Publication

Bantam (1985), Paperback

Description

Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:�??It is always a treat to read a Nero Wolfe mystery. The man has entered our folklore.�?��??The New York Times Book Review Introduction by David Handler It wasn�??t Leonard Dykes�??s writing style that offended. But something in his unpublished tome seemed to lead everyone who read it to a very unhappy ending. Now four people are dead, including the unfortunate author himself, and the police think Nero Wolfe is the only man who can close the book on this novel killer. So the genius sleuth directs his sidekick to set a trap . . . and discovers that the truth is far stranger�??and far bloodier�??than fiction. 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 inimita… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member cmbohn

Cramer seeks Wolfe's help in a homicide, but Wolfe can't come up with a case that just might tie in. Although the action starts around an unpublished manuscript, the real mystery revolves around a law firm.

Archie gets to fly to California and meet the woman of his dreams, ply ladies with orchids,

and Nero Wolfe actually leaves the house, but just to have dinner with a friend.

I liked this one, but I didn't feel like it was anything special. Stout wrote so many books that were very similar. This one didn't really stand out in any way. It was a fun read, but ultimately forgettable.

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LibraryThing member jotoyo

This book started very well, with one murder, a list of non-existant people, and no other clues. By the end however, I was disappointed in the story. I thought Rex Stout could have done a better job, as he had before on many of his other books. I expected more from him. But still the story was well

written, clear and intriging at the same time. I still gave it three stars because of this.

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LibraryThing member MaryWJ

A nice, traditional Nero Wolf novel - always such a pleasure to read and reread.

LibraryThing member Bjace

What's the connection between the deaths of a pretty young publishing assistant, a legal clerk and a professional typist? When Wolfe and Archie learn that they all died because they had read an unpublished novel, they must try to prevent a fourth murder. One of my favorites in the series, probably

because the story is set up so adroitly.

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LibraryThing member LadyoftheLodge

Excellent detective fiction, set in the early 1900's. The way the characters interact with police and the roles of the men and women in the office present an interesting contrast to current situations. Very good wrap up at the end!

LibraryThing member 4hounds

This is the first Nero Wolfe I've read, and I greatly enjoyed it...the snappy dialogue...hmm, as I think about what else I liked, that's really the main thing. The characters, yes, but mainly as defined by their dialogue. The mystery was good but the ending felt a little rushed. When I got to the

end of this book, it seemed like there should be one more twist. I wonder if that's because I've become used to contemporary mysteries - are there more red herrings, or "fake endings" today? Or was it just this particular book? I'll have to read some more and see...

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LibraryThing member antiquary

Not to be confused with a book of the same name by the Lockridges. A young woman who woks as a publisher's reader is murdered because she read a manuscript which had been submitted (and rejected. The woman who typed it is murdered, and the man who wrote it also died. it turns out the book descried

a situation in a legal firm which had led to plans for revenge --but before the murderer could strike his real target he had to remove the book which revealed his motive.

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LibraryThing member leslie.98

Very good full length mystery. I didn't have any idea of who the guilty party was until Wolfe does his big reveal at the end & Archie was in fine form.

LibraryThing member DrApple

I thoroughly enjoyed this Nero Wolfe story with Archie Goodwin narrating and doing al of the actual investigating. In this case, three people who are connected to an unpublished manuscript have been murdered and Wolf and Archie are trying to determine why.

LibraryThing member EricCostello

Solid and rather subtle mystery, involving a series of murders tied to a mysterious, unpublished manuscript. Stout plays fair, by very clearly showing the fatal flaw in the killer's plan; it takes sharp eyes and reasoning (which I didn't have) to make the connection and show what something purports

to be, is not. It is slow in the middle, with an over-extended party sequence, but there's much to like otherwise.

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LibraryThing member leslie.98

Very good full length mystery. I didn't have any idea of who the guilty party was until Wolfe does his big reveal at the end & Archie was in fine form.

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