Review of "Fer-De-Lance" by Rex Stout, Michael Prichard

There are 75 Nero Wolfe books written by Rex Stout, that master of detective fiction. This is one of the best tales and it was the author's first. From the very first introduction and meeting with the private detective/orchid fancier we become hooked to this new character. Wolf was and is a great character. Iconoclastic and a recluse, he almost never leaves his elegant home. His assistant, named Archie, is a likable chap who is especially liked by women. Archie does all of the outside work and Wolf solves the cases with a final get together of all of the suspects. This is a time-honored method of completing a mystery tale.

The mystery here involves murder and when a deadly snake is sent to Wolfe, he knows he is getting close to the solution of the mystery.

Michael Prichard is a perfect reader for Nero Wolfe, the imperfect detective.