Started: Nov. 28, 2012
Finished: Dec. 3rd, 2012
Pages: 247
Rex Stout, like Ellery Queen, began his career during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction during the 1930s. And be a villian was the 13th in the series that nominally starred the eccentric genius Nero Wolfe as its detective. I say "nominally" because in fact Wolfe is only the costar: he provides the brains, but his confidential assistant Archie Goodwin provides the charm, brawn, and ingenuity necessary to corral clues for Wolfe.
The plot: clever, as is usual in Golden Age fiction, and especially as is usual for a Nero Wolfe tale. After all, why write a novel about a reclusive genius detective unless you're going to come up with a puzzler? In this case Wolfe is prodded by Archie and the state of his finances to approach a radio star who has just had a dramatic on-air murder occur on her show. Contrary to logic and fairness, the guest was NOT killed by the execrable beverage that they were drinking as a promotion...but by someone who managed to introduce poison into a single glass poured from a just-opened bottle in front of the host, several guests, and a studio audience. Who did it? How did they do it? And did they mean to kill the seemingly innocuous guest at all or perhaps the host?
Read And be a villian to find out. And see if you spot the same plot hole that troubled me. :-)
Rex Stout, like Ellery Queen, began his career during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction during the 1930s. And be a villian was the 13th in the series that nominally starred the eccentric genius Nero Wolfe as its detective. I say "nominally" because in fact Wolfe is only the costar: he provides the brains, but his confidential assistant Archie Goodwin provides the charm, brawn, and ingenuity necessary to corral clues for Wolfe.
The plot: clever, as is usual in Golden Age fiction, and especially as is usual for a Nero Wolfe tale. After all, why write a novel about a reclusive genius detective unless you're going to come up with a puzzler? In this case Wolfe is prodded by Archie and the state of his finances to approach a radio star who has just had a dramatic on-air murder occur on her show. Contrary to logic and fairness, the guest was NOT killed by the execrable beverage that they were drinking as a promotion...but by someone who managed to introduce poison into a single glass poured from a just-opened bottle in front of the host, several guests, and a studio audience. Who did it? How did they do it? And did they mean to kill the seemingly innocuous guest at all or perhaps the host?
Read And be a villian to find out. And see if you spot the same plot hole that troubled me. :-)
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