The Silent Speaker

Stout's work is reminiscent of P.G. Woodhouse: they are domestic comedies with either Jeeves and Wooster or Goodwin and Wolfe. (They are also both compulsively re-readable.) THE SILENT SPEAKER has all our beloved characters at full blast, including a wonderful, joyous final scene with Inspector Cramer.

"Our literature needs some revision. For example, 'dead men tell no tales.' Mr. Boone is dead. Mr. Boone is silent. But he speaks." - Wolfe to Archie, herein As with all of Stout's Wolfe mysteries, the setting is contemporary with the time of its writing - in this case, 26 March - 6 April 1946, making it a period piece today. This was the first new Wolfe novel since 1939, all the war years cases having been told as short stories. Archie's wartime stint in Army intelligence (which assigned him right back to Wolfe) has been over for months, and Wolfe is just getting back into private practice. Operation Payroll is about to begin: the first case in which Wolfe actively seeks new business. (The next, in AND BE A VILLAIN, soured him on the tactic for years to come.) Cheney Boone, head of the Bureau of Price Regulation, was scheduled as guest speaker at a bash thrown by the National Industrial Association, but for him, the bash featured a monkey wrench to the head (a prop brought along for his talk). Since the BPR and the NIA are arch-enemies, and the NIA have a reputation as rich creeps, the NIA's members have been condemned as murderers at the bar of public opinion. They're *eager* to hire Wolfe to clean up the mess. As usual when Wolfe's client is a corporate entity - initially, at least, the NIA, who are worth billions *and* suffering the worst PR in history - are not interested in catching a killer, but in getting bad publicity under control, resulting in a certain conflict of interest. The employees of the BPR, on the other hand, are convinced that Wolfe's been hired to clean up the mess, not uncover the truth about their chief's death. The case soon narrows to a hunt for a set of recordings of dictation given by Boone to his confidential assistant, Phoebe Gunther, who made them disappear. Far from being crooked, she's actually very much like Archie; she's determined to see her boss' arch-enemies publicly ruined by his death, and is willing to run the risk of concealing the location of the crucial cylinder revealing the key information identifying Boone's killer. This is a very cool case. - Archie's very much attracted to Phoebe, who turns the tables by treating *him* with the same kind of humour that serves as his best defence mechanism in conversation. - In the public hue-and-cry over the Boone murder, Cramer is relieved of command in favour of an unspeakably obnoxious replacement from Queens. - Wolfe fakes a nervous breakdown, with Doc Vollmer's cooperation. The A & E adaptation with Maury Chaykin as Wolfe is faithful to the story. The corresponding Bantam paperback edition has an afterword consisting of an exchange of letters between Stout and his publisher about recycling the metal of the printing plates used for three of his earlier books due to the wartime shortage of metal.

Nero Wolfe is surely one of the most beloved and fully imagined fictional detectives to be found. So, it is with great enthusiasm that I can now turn to a favorite story in audio book form. Michael Prichard, who was named one of Smart Money's Top Ten Golden Voices, gives an exuberant reading, adding another dimension to Archie Goodwin, Wolfe's aide. Fans will remember that with "The Silent Speaker" Wolfe is, to say the least, in need of cash. Therefore, when a government honcho doesn't show up for a scheduled speech but instead shows up dead Wolfe is soon on the prowl. With the sometimes able assistance of the fey Archie the pair uncover a feud and a murderer. How they do it is a reminder of the narrative skills of Rex Stout. - Gail Cooke

All the elements of a great Nero Wolfe novel are to be found in The Silent Speaker. Great verbal sparring between Archie and Wolfe: "I dislike commotion," Wolfe said peevishly. "I didn't tell you to hit him." "He tried to kick me. He did kick me. Next time, you do it."Wolfe shuddered.A solid mystery, more challenging than the average Wolfe novel, and Wolfe pulling off one of his greatest stunts (it involves a lot of time in his yellow silk pajamas) add up to one of the best books in the series.

Stories of conflict between big business and public interest are common enough. What makes this book unforgettable is the series of murders which have been woven so smoothly into the plot as to make the behind the scenes looks this book provides into the world of big business and its murky politics register almost unnoticed. And old followers of Nero Wolfe who might be forgiven for occasionally getting satiated with the irrepressible Archie Goodwin will be delighted to meet Phoebe Gunther the one female who manages to bring Goodwin under complete control (In past stories he always manages to hold his own where the ladies in the plot are concerned.); he does escape of course finally but the way that happens will probably linger in the reader's memory. I think that in Phoebe Gunther, Rex Stout has created an image not easily forgotten and one whom today's career girls might well wish to emulate. Even if you are not a Nero/Archie fan this is one book you will probably enjoy and wish to keep.