Bad for Business

This book reminds me of movies from the 30's, full of plot twists, fast talk and witty repartee. It's a fun read, and even the murder doesn't feel too serious, since the victim is an unpleasant sort. The story centers on Tingley's Tidbits, a venerable old company whose superlative gourmet treats are under attack by a saboteur who's adulterating the product with quinine. Sales are falling - and in the midst of the chaos Arthur Tingley is murdered. Suspects abound: the lovely niece, who never got along with Uncle Arthur; Arthur's adopted son, who is fanatically anti-business; the entire production staff of Tingley's Tidbits; and certain corporate characters who are out to buy the business. Tecumseh Fox is the detective, an alternate to Wolfe that Stout created at the request of his publishers. But contemporary readers rejected Fox unequivocally in favor of Nero Wolfe, and Stout dropped him pretty quickly. Stout also stole the plot of Bad for Business for the first Wolfe novella, called Bitter End. I'd recommend reading the entire Wolfe series before this book, but for a Rex Stout fan, it still has considerable interest. Friends claimed that Fox was very much like Stout himself.

I love Rex Stout. What a great author. I think I've read all but maybe 1 or 2 of his books -- twice ! Wonderful. And the Nero Wolfe series rocks.