Prisoner's Base

Classic American with the two awesome characters of Nero and Archie. Sure to sparkle a drab day.

Nero Wolfe fans will not be disappointed in this book. Archie Goodwin delivers his usual smart-alecky narration, Wolfe himself is as gruff and brilliant as usual, and the rest of the cast of favorites make their appearances as well (Fritz is particularly amusing this time around). Wolfe is approached by a young woman who wishes to simply live in his house for a week. While she is out of sight in an upstairs bedroom, a man, also offering to pay Wolfe for his services, comes to the door looking for her. The girl refuses Wolfe's terms, leaves, and winds up dead before morning. After a few more corpses turn up, Archie begins to feel responsible, and takes off on his own to assist the police investigation. In a surprise twist, Wolfe agrees to represent a new client's interests in the matter, and the plot thickens. If you're looking for a highbrow mystery, don't stop here, but if you're looking for a quick whodunit, you'll enjoy this book. At 150 or so pages, it's a nice afternoon's distraction that will keep you entertained, but don't expect Rendell or James here. Stout wrote them fast and furious, and they need to be read the same way. All in all, a very enjoyable episode in the Nero Wolfe collection.

This is a great Nero Wolfe story. It opens with Archie and Wolfe in a heated row. The two detectives have been known to push each others buttons but when Archie tears up his paycheck the resulting friction can be felt for the rest of the novel. Archie at one points runs out of the office and brownstone yelling that he doesn't care if he gets fired and goes to search for a killer himself. Along the way, Archie runs into a variety of strange characters including Sarah Jaffee, a young widow who still has a place set at the table for her dead husband. But the best part of all is this: as the pressure heats up to a boiling point, Wolfe finds himself with an unexpected client, Archie Goodwin. William DeAndrea's terse introduction to the novel covers a lot in a few words. As he makes clear, this is an excellent novel for the new reader of the Nero Wolfe series. As a part of "The Rex Stout Library," a reprint of rare or "never before seen" memorabilia from Stout's archives is included at the back of the volume. I was disappointed with the item for this volume, the first typewritten page of Stout's manuscript. It does not exactly make a big splash, especially when the only difference between manuscript and final book form was the title. But that is my only criticism. I recommend this book to all, avid mystery reader or not. I say not to fear for those fans of the television series that may be wary to tackle the volumes since Tim Hutton followed each novel very closely. The television show was excellent but there is even more detail in the book. For example, you get to learn exactly why Mrs. Jaffee should be able to recognize Eric Hagh along with how far an old man went when planning to strangle a young girl.

I was glad that Bantam re-released this book after many years of my not being able to obtain it. Priscilla Eads, the heiress to millions of dollars, asks Nero Wolfe if she can stay in his house for a week. Shortly after Wolfe turns her down, Priscilla and her maid are found strangled to death. Archie asks Wolfe to investigate the murders. The plot is strong, although dark, and the characters are strong and believable, but the main enjoyment I get out of reading any of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe novels is another trip into the old brownstone house in New York on West Thirty-fifth Street with Archie Goodwin, Nero Wolfe, Fritz, fine dining, and orchids. It's always a pleasure to read a Nero Wolfe mystery.

A bit grim, as if any murder mystery isn't, but this is darker than most of Stout. It is well done with nice characterizations of the companion folks, though, and well worth a read.