Triple Zeck

For those who love Nero Wolfe, Archie, and the gang, this compliation of the 3 adventures in which Nero Wolfe faces his arch nemesis, Arnold Zeck, is indispensable. Riveting reads for Rex Stout fans. While the individual novels are available separately, they should be read in order and together. This old volume is a convenient solution. A wonderful summer read for fans of classic mysteries, from the days before CSI and gory forensic procedurals. This trio of books is about colleagues who are really family. They reflect the time when they were written in a fascinating way. Highly recommended

I had read a dozen Nero Wolfe novels, and I thought I had read Rex Stout's best. This set beats them all, and this is exactly the way to read them -- the three novels, published a year apart, that have the undercurrent of Wolfe's Moriarty, the villianous mastermind known as Arnold Zeck. Start with And Be A Villian (1948), as Wolfe solves the murder of the guest on an Oprah-esqe radio talk show. Continue with The Second Confession (1949), where Wolfe is hired to expose a Communist and ends up solving a murder. They set the stage for In The Best Families (1950), as Zeck shows that his interference cannot be tolerated; Wolfe goes to amazing, drastic measures to stay alive and, almost as an afterthought, wraps up another murder case. If you want to get analytical, you can compare Wolfe/Goodwin with Holmes/Watson, particularly during the events of In The Best Families. Or you can just hang on for one great ride.

This set of three books forms a gripping and yet humorous story about Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin (who cheerfully describes Wolfe as weighing "a seventh of a ton") and their battle against a powerful, ruthless, and all but untouchable crime lord named Arnold Zeck. The first two books concern other cases where Zeck was indirectly involved, and the third is where Wolfe is forced to combat Zeck himself. If you like a good mystery, this collection is highly recommended.