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SYNOPSIS:
"Man Alive"
A high-fashion designer consults Wolfe after she sees her uncle — believed to have committed suicide a year before — in disguise and in the audience at one of her shows. [edit]
"Omit Flowers"
As a favor for his oldest friend Marko Vukcic, Wolfe takes the case of Virgil Pompa, a chef who traded his genius for a high-paying job as the supervisor of a restaurant chain. He is in jail, charged with murder. Archie begins the story with the statement, "In my opinion it was one of Nero Wolfe's neatest jobs, and he never got a nickel for it."
"Door to Death"
When orchid nurse Theodore Horstmann leaves the brownstone indefinitely to tend to his sick mother, Nero Wolfe goes out — in the snow and on foot — into the raging wilds of Westchester to find a replacement. He and Archie find a corpse in the greenhouse, as well.
QUOTATIONS:
"Man Alive"
"He pushed back his chair and was on his feet. 'You say I'm lying. Prove it. But for less provocation than you have given me by your uncivilized conduct in my dining room, I would lie all day and night. Regarding this murder of a bearded stranger, where do I fit, or Mr. Goodwin? Pah. Connect us if you can! Should you be rash enough to try to constrain us as material witnesses, we would teach you something of the art of lying, and we wouldn't squeeze out on bail; we would dislocate your nose with a habeas corpus ad subjiciendum.'" (p. 29)
"Omit Flowers"
"He dehydrated me with a look. 'If true, boorish. If false, inane.'" (p. 130)
"Door to Death"
"[Gus:] 'I don't know why -- when a man starts turning gray why don't he realize the whistle has blowed and concentrate on something else? Take you, you show some gray. I'll bet you don't dash around crowing and flapping your arms.'
I tittered without meaning to. Wolfe gave me a withering glance."
REVIEW:
I suppose I could spend some time detailing the plots of these three novellas, but when it comes right down to it they are formulaic, but my, what a formula. I love Rex Stout, although the early novels are probably better than those toward the end of his life. Nevertheless, if you have never read any Nero Wolfe stories, you must. The characters are classic and the word interplay between them is wonderful.
My favorite is the third. Wolfe is desperate as Theodore has left for an extended period of time to care for his sick mother so Wolfe has no one to do the dirty work with the orchids. He thinks he’s found a replacement and has actually left the brownstone to beseech Andy to come work for him. Unfortunately, Andy’s fiance has just been killed and he’s the prime suspect so if Wolfe wants to get his orchids cared for he has to solve the crime quickly. Wolfe actually has to sneak through the woods in the middle of the snow, falling down a couple of times. Now that must have been a sight. Just go read all those you can get your hands on. [goodreads.com]
