The Second Confession: A Nero Wolfe Mystery

Nero Wolfe #15

by Rex Stout, Michael Prichard (Narrator)

When a millionaire businessman hires Nero Wolfe to investigate his daughter's boyfriend, hoping to find that he's a member of the Communist Party, Wolfe suspects it's nothing more than an overprotective father. But after a powerful gangland boss "advises" him to drop the matter -- and machine-gun fire rips into his beloved orchids -- Wolfe realizes it's much more than a father's overactive imagination. And when the boyfriend turns up dead, leaving Archie Goodwin as the prime suspect, Wolfe realizes he must act fast to prevent another murder -- his own.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Detective, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Ebooks

Audio CD

First published September 6, 1949

About the author

Rex Todhunter Stout (1886–1975) was an American crime writer, best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the detective genius from 1934 (Fer-de-Lance) to 1975 (A Family Affair).

The Nero Wolfe corpus was nominated Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon 2000, the world's largest mystery convention, and Rex Stout was nominated Best Mystery Writer of the Century.

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first-class Nero Wolfe entertainment is the second of his three encounters with his own personal Professor Moriarty, Arnold Zeck.

Wolfe finds himself opposing Zeck once again when he is hired by business tycoon Sperling to investigate his prospective son-in-law Rony (a Zeck associate) whom Sperling believes may be a member of the Communist Party. Zeck is of course displeased, and soon nobody or no thing--not even Wolfe's precious orchids--is safe. Mercifully, the two masterminds soon come to share an interest in discovering a murderer, and so their battle to the death must wait until In the Best Families, Stout's next book.

The plot is rich and diverse, involving Agatha Christie style scenes in Westchester, sudden bursts of machine gun fire, and the 1948 Henry Wallace for President campaign. And the plot twist that gives this book its title is both clever and satisfying.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a boy my introduction to mysteries came with The Hardy Boys. That was followed by Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and then Nero Wolfe. I always enjoyed a visit to Wolfe's brownstone on West 35th Street and spending time with Wolfe, his assistant Archie Goodwin, and his personal chef Fritz Brenner. I still enjoy these visits.

The Second Confession was published in 1949 during the cold war and fear of the red menace. James U. Sperling, chairman of the board of the Continental Mines Corporation, wants to hire Wolfe to prove that the man his daughter is dating, Louis Rony, is a Communist. Wolfe is reluctant to take the case on those terms. They come to terms and agree that Wolfe will find something on Rony that will convince Sperling's daughter to end the relationship. That is what Sperling really wants. Rony gone. Of course Wolfe sends Archie to help break up the couple. He is convinced that Archie can sweep any woman off her feet.

Archie heads to Sperling's Westchester estate. Present are Sperling, his wife, son, two daughters, Paul Emerson; a controversial conservative radio commentator; Webster Kane; an economist and friend of the family; and Rony. During the weekend Archie has a plan to drug Rony and search his room for proof he is a commie but winds up getting drugged himself. However in the end he manages to find a membership card for the Communist Party under the name of William Reynolds on Rony.

While Archie was in Westchester Wolfe was contacted by his old nemesis, Arnold Zeck, warning him off the case and giving him a deadline. When the deadline passes Wolfe's plant room on the roof is destroyed by machine gun fire from across the street. This is one of the few stories where Wolfe leaves his home. In this story he goes to Sperling's Westchester estate where he tells Sperling and the family that while he cannot prove Rony is a Communist he can prove he is a member of "Z's" organization but it is Gwenn’s decision whether he is to proceed.

While awaiting her decision Rony is killed. Apparenly run over by Wolfe's own car. Of course Archie becmes a suspect. Until Webster Kane confesses to accidentally running over Rony in the dark. Wolfe doesn't believe it and over several days comes up with a plan which he puts into action. As usual at the end he gathers everyone together in his office where he will reveal the truth and identify of the Rony's killer.

Overall an enjoyable story. A bit dated but fun nonetheless. As stated above it always fun to pay a visit to Wolfe's brownstone.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid and extremely fun story from my favorite mystery writer featuring my favorite detective duo.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

COUNTDOWN: Mid-20th Century North American Crime
BOOK 77 (of 250)
A note by a reader inside the front cover of this library copy says, "Nearly all Stout's books on Nero are great but there are a few stinkers: this one one of them! It's LOUSY." What kind of low-life 1) writes notes on the pages of a library book and 2) reviews the book on the inside cover and 3) uses the term 'lousy'? I'd say it's a person with a terrible vocabulary and probably having a bad day, but that doesn't excuse vandalizing public property. For posterity (because everything one writes on the internet is here forever and ever) I'd like to say the person who vandalized the Delray Beach City Library copy of "Second Confession" by Rex Stout is a 'lousy' person. And rude. And to that person: Karma can be tough although I wish no harm to anyone. But I can't control the universe.
HOOK - 3 stars: "I didn't mind it at all," our visitor said gruffly but affably. "It's a pleasure." He glanced around. "I like rooms that men work in. This is a good one". The chairman of the board of the Continental Mines Corporation is visiting Nero and Archie for help to investigate a man the chairman's daughter is seeing, a suspected communist.
PACE - 3: It's tough to set aside a Stout/Nero novel. These novels aren't blazing reads like Mickey Spillane's Hammer novels, but they certainly glue themselves into your universe for a day or 2.
PLOT - 3: Like the title says, there is a confession to a murder when the suspected communist is killed. And, yes, there is a second confession with some very good twist along the way. Early, Archie puts some kind of sleeping powder in somone's drink but winds up drinking it himself. It's a warning from Nero's arch enemy, Arnold Zeck, to stay out of the case, and when that doesn't work, the glass house on top of Nero's brownstone is destroyed, along with thousands of Nero's carefully groomed orchids. And that's a line crossed that infuriates Nero so much that Nero actually leaves his brownstone home and conducts his investigation elsewhere.
CHARACTERS - 4: Nero and Archie are great. Arnold Zeck never makes an appearance, but he makes his presence known. James U. Sperling (chairman) wants his daughter, Gwen, to be separated from suspected communist Louis Rony. Archie ingratiates himself into the Sperling home and find's himself invoved, semi-romantically, with Sperling's older daughter, Madeleine. Then there are the Emersons: Paul and his wife, Connie. Connie makes the moves on Rony and Paul doesn't much care. Today, I think an author would blatantly have Paul making the moves on Webster Kane (family friend), or perhaps on Sperling's third off-spring, the good-for-nothing James Jr. Nero has his own, personal investigative team and I like the way Stout describes them. For example, "Fred moved like a bear, but Orrie like a cat."
ATMOSPHERE - 4: Oh, it's good enough when all the action, the thinking, the resolution, takes place in Nero's fabulous brownstone (probably worth 8 figures or so these days) but Stout moves the action, Nero included, to Sperling's Country House Manor near Chappaqua. And if you're a fan of Dame Agatha Christie's Country House classic murder mysteries, you're gonna love Sperling's place: massive with terraces, a pool, various wings, grounds to be explored, huge bushes in which to hide (and find) a dead body, or maybe just one practically beaten to death. This is a luxurious location read. Set yourself up for a mini-vacation in your favorite reading chair and you won't be disappointed.
SUMMARY: No, absolutely not, this book isn't 'lousy.' It's pretty good, actually, and my overall rating is 3.4. Stout is one of the smartest 'murder mystery' writers I've encountered.

[Stacie Haden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just can't get enough Nero Wolfe. I may mourn when I've completed the series.

New York City, 1949

[Jill H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can tell that this book was written at the beginning of the "Red Scare" when everyone in the US thought that Communists were lurking behind every tree. A wealthy businessman hires Nero Wolfe to investigate the background of a young man who is dating his daughter. He is convinced that this boyfriend is a Communist and wants Mr. Wolfe to prove it.

Wolfe and Archie take on the job and then they receive a phone call from the only man that Wolfe fears, Arnold Zeck. who warns him to cease his investigation. (Zeck, a mysterious top-drawer king of crime, appears in three books of the series). Wolfe demurs and Zeck strikes back in grand fashion.

The story is somewhat complicated and Zeck's interest in the case is rather vague. And, of course, a murder is committed. This is not one of the best of the series but I am such a fan that it still gets four stars.

[Franc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading the Archie Goodwin mysteries (as I call them because it's the quality of Archie’s narration, not Wolfe’s deductive skills or idiosyncrasies that make the series great) at a rate of about two per year for some time, and I'm up to the 15th book. Apparently Rex Stout wrote his first Nero Wolfe book at 47 (a hopeful thought) and then dashed off a couple a year until he died in his 90s. So I figure I’m reading them at about the same rate as he produced them, and am hopeful I will still be around when I'm in my 90s to make it to the end. The Second Confession is an excellent addition, but it has several things that make it particularly worthwhile:


First, Archie’s narration here is excellent. He’s usual wise ass self and gets in the appropriate amount of jabs on Wolfe. He does something, however, in narrating this book that I don’t remember him doing. Unlike his model, Dr. Watson, whom Conan Doyle keeps clueless as a narrative device to allow Holmes to narrate important explanations, Archie is smart as a whip and usually knows what Wolfe is thinking. Here, however, he breaks down and addresses the reader directly to say that he is lost, “I am perfectly willing to hold out on you so as to tell it in a way that will give Wolfe’s stratagem the best possible build-up, as you may know by this time, but I’m now giving you everything I myself had at the time . . . You know all the I knew.”


For fans of the genre, the plot is a classic locked room mystery, or locked estate in this case, with the twist that we are not sure for a while if the death was murder or an accident.


The book is also rare in that Wolfe sallies forth. Yes, he makes a rare trip, not related to gastronomy or orchids, away from the brownstone in pursuit of solving the case.


Arnold Zeck, Wolfe’s Prof. Moriarity, and one of the great characters in the series makes a brief appearance. Wolfe calls Zeck the only person he truly fears, not because Zeck can hurt him, but because he, Wolfe, fears what Zeck may force Wolfe to do to in order stop him. Unfortunately, unlike his previous appearance in And Be a Villain, there is too little Zeck; and he’s almost a red herring.


Finally, the book, written in 1949 during the first freeze of the Cold War, takes as a plot device person(s) secretly being a member of the Communist Party and going lengths to keep this concealed. It's an interesting glimpse into 1949 attitudes as reflected by the various characters. Stout himself was a vocal member of the Old Left and a target of both Hoover’s FBI and the House Committee on Un-American Activities seems to come down on both sides in this book. He interestingly has Archie and Wolfe take it for granted that the American Communist Party is taking direction from Moscow (something not confirmed until the opening of the Soviet files in the 90s) and then turns around and has Wolfe request in lieu of payment from his client the removal of a blowhard anti-Communist from his radio show. In short, Wolfe (and perhaps Stout) doesn’t take a political stance in the book, but takes the strong view that he doesn’t like liars, murderers, blowhards, or rich Chairmen of Boards who obstruct justice.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

By 1949, Rex Stout had written fifteen crime novels featuring the homebody gardener/detective Nero Wolfe, and the no-nonsense series was a reliable source of entertaining puzzles.

The Wolfe books make good use of the body-mind split concept, with Wolfe—-an obese man who uses an elevator to go from floor to floor in his home—-pondering cases mentally at home while his younger assistant Archie Goodwin performs the legwork and all necessary seductions. The Second Confession, however, breaks from form by sending Wolfe out his office—-for awhile at least.

Hired by the owner of a mining company to prove that the man his daughter is dating is a Communist, Wolfe is accidentally drawn into the sphere of Arnold Zeck, an underworld kingpin (and the only man Wolfe fears.) Zeck’s idea of sending a message is having one his goons machine gun $40,000 worth of damage into the detective’s orchid garden. Wolfe, however, does not retreat. He is bound by honor not to drop a case until it is solved. But when the subject of his investigation, the boyfriend/potential Communist is found dead and an associate of Wolfe’s client makes a dubious confession to a hit-and-run, Wolfe finds himself fired by the mining magnate only to be hired by the shadowy Zeck to look into the death.

The case takes Wolfe and Archie into the upper reaches of the American Communist Party, as Wolfe tries to smoke out information by writing and sending to a newspaper a fake “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” style document that is supposedly the minutes of a meeting of Communists plotting to influence the 1948 Presidential Election.

Though the Communists in the book are portrayed negatively, Rex Stout was himself the target of J. Edgar Hoover’s anti-communist crusade, earning himself a thick file that the FBI attempted to keep sealed even a dozen years after the author’s death.

The Second Confession is appropriately lean and fast-paced. It is quite satisfying, though the storyline with the underworld overlord Zeck are clearly a set-up for a coming book, 1950’s In the Best Families.

[Martin Denton · Rating 2 out of 5]

All Nero Wolfe novels require a certain amount of suspension of disbelief. Do we really believe that any PI, no matter how brilliant or fat, could get everyone from the District Attorney to members of the NYPD to all of the suspects in a murder case to all show up at his beck and call, only for one of them to be called out as the murderer?

No, Rex Stout doesn't trade precisely in realism, but his style is nevertheless pretty impeccable and the characters of Wolfe and his inner circle--particularly his right-hand-man Archie Goodwin--are brilliantly etched and enormously likeable despite the obvious departures from actual life. I almost always enjoy reading a Nero Wolfe mystery, and this one, written in 1949, was for the most part no exception. Once things started to heat up, roughly 2/3 of the way through, it was pretty much impossible for me to put the book down.

But, I already had reservations about The Second Confession by then, and more were added on when I was finished with it. Most damning--and the reason for just two stars here--is the fact that the ending is not, to use Wolfe's favorite compliment, satisfactory. Like many of Stout's other solutions, it's completely unguessable since key information is withheld from the reader. It's also littered with dangling loose ends. Most problematic for me: why did the victim steal the murderer's communist party membership card? What was he going to do with it? And how did that stack up with other things we thought we knew about the victim, particularly his association with Wolfe's arch-nemesis, Arnold Zeck? None of this felt explained or made sense to me.

There are other problems that I had with the book. Archie makes a serious error near the beginning; one could argue that Wolfe does as well. This feels out of character for both. Stout's portrayals of the female characters are laughably bad--all come across as ninnies, even the plucky one whom we're supposed to be rooting for as Archie's next conquest. And the strident anti-Communist tone throughout the book is hard to take; it almost made me think that Stout, who was a champion of free speech and free thinking as far as I know, was here bowing to some sort of pressure (I have no evidence of this, just a feeling).

In any event, I was really disappointed with The Second Confession, despite the real pleasure I derived from reading it.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two and a half stars. I'm sure this book played a lot better in 1949, in the heat of the McCarthy witch hunts when otherwise rational people saw Communists under every bed and behind every movie or book they didn't personally like. However, I've read it once and a half, and listened to it once, and it just isn't his best work. I know Stout and Wolfe both became more political over the years (see also A Right to Die and a couple of others in the series) but something just seemed to be missing this time around--not least, Archie's interactions with Fritz. He mentions meals but not in detail; most of the time Goodwin isn't even around at mealtime in brownstone, or simply has a sandwich in the kitchen, but no conversations to speak of. (Pun intended.) There are a couple of good twists and red herrings, but it just didn't grab me at any point. (I mean, seriously--Mr X? Really?) I decided to listen to the audio book just to see if that would help, but it really didn't. The spark and the sparkle were missing, in spite of Archie and Saul actually working together a couple of times. I really wish I could have enjoyed it more.

ETA: So forgettable I didn't remember I'd reviewed it before! Second impression: too much tell, not enough show. Talky for a Wolfe novel.

[Jack Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars. One of Rex Stout's great ones starring his genius detective Nero Wolfe. I raced through the last chapters. Archie Goodwin, Wolfe's assistant, is at his outspoken finest. It is set in mid 1949, just before the Red Scare days in the United States. People were already concerned that subversive communists were in all the dark corners, preparing to pounce on an unsuspecting nation. Senator Joseph McCarthy's craziness was coming in 1950; indeed the Chinese Communist revolution under Mao took place three months later in October 1949. A well known business man, James U. Sperling, approaches Wolfe; he wants to find out if his 22-year-old daughter Gwenn is dating a communist sympathizer and member, a young lawyer named Louis Rony. Can Wolfe prove it? Initially he turns it down, but the bucks are not bad, and Sperling comes around to Wolfe's terms. Archie goes under cover, stages an illegal mugging to get the goods on Rony, but then becomes the number one suspect when the lawyer dies in a hit and run. I was inclined to avoid it because of the communist aspect, but was glad I didn't. I felt I had a better understanding of the era. You too should give it a go. (No2025)

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

another adventure for Archie and Wolfe. Although this time Wolfe leaves the brownstone

[Bryan Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid entery in the Nero Wolfe books but it's most notable for once Nero and Archie unwittingly brush up against Nero's arch rival Mr. Z's operations. Wolfe is retained to finish a fairly pedestrian piece of work because he needed money. But in the process of working on the case he recieves a threatening call demanding that he drop the case. He refuses and in retaliation his precious greenhouse and orchids are attacked and destroyed.

In the meantime Archie discoveres that an object of their initial case has been murdered. Their first case done because of the murder they are then retained by a mysterious person to investigate the murder and bring the murderer to justice.

With trepidation Wolfe takes the case, knowing he can't really refuse and that he needs to money to recover from earlier events. The murder mystery is excellently delivered and done and the only thing that takes this down from a four star review is I was unconvinced by Archies relationship with the daughter of the person who originally retained Wolfe and who played a part in the investigation.

What this book does really well is to raise the stakes between Wolfe and the distant but ominous Mr Z.

[cool breeze · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the best Nero Wolfe mystery out of the first 15. The inclusion of Wolfe’s Moriarty, Zeck, benefits the novel with a darker, more serious undertone, even if he is mostly in the shadows offscreen.

From a historical perspective, the most interesting thing in this 1949 book is its recognition of the growing infiltration of American institutions by communists. It is all the more remarkable because Rex Stout was a leftist, yet he acknowledges that the infiltration is real, that it is a bad thing, and that the communists are being controlled by Moscow. This does not, however, stop Wolfe from making his price for solving the mystery the firing of an anti-communist talk radio host who is not involved in the case.

[Pamela Shropshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful case solved by Archie and Wolfe, one that actually required Wolfe to leave the brownstone house and venture into the wilds of Westchester county and the realm of DA Cleveland Archer.

This time, Wolfe has been hired by a very successful capitalist to uncover the identity of a Communist very close to him - the only problem is that he has the wrong Communist in his sights.

Plenty of Archie’s flirtations and Wolfe’s obscureness.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few of these now after the Pulp Fiction Goodreads group introduced me to the splendid character of Nero Wolfe when they chose "Fer De Lance" as a monthly read one month.
This was by far my favourite so far - Wolfe's mysterious nemesis, Arnold Zeck adds a lot to the series.
This had a clever storyline albeit a bit dated now with its then current Communism related theme (Rex Stout himself was implicated by McCarthy).
I'm going straight on to the final book in the series featuring Zeck, In the Best Families.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one from Rex Stout. Well worth reading.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Second Confession might just be my new favorite, favorite Nero Wolfe novel. I didn't think it was possible to love Wolfe and Goodwin more than I already did, but spending two days with this book proved that I had more love to give. I loved, loved, loved every minute of this mystery.

Mr. Sperling hires Wolfe as a private detective "to prove" that his daughter's boyfriend is a communist. Wolfe is reluctant to take on a case with those terms. He argues that what Sperling desires is not proof that this Louis Rony is a Communist, instead what he wants is his daughter to end things with him, period, Communist or not. Wolfe agrees to take the case on his own terms. He will help find proof that will convince this young woman that Rony's not the man for her; he'll even strongly encourage Archie to flirt with the daughter in question and distract her.

"Get invited to his home, socially. Meet Mr. Rony and form an opinion of him. More important, form one of the daughter, as intimately and comprehensively as possible. Make appointments with her. Seize and hold her attention. You should be able to displace Mr. Rony in a week, a fortnight at the most--and that's the objective."
"I'll be damned." I shook my head reproachfully. "You mean to make a pass at her."
"Your terms are yours, and I prefer mine. Mr. Sperling said his daughter is excessively curious. Transfer her curiosity from Mr. Rony to you."
"You mean break her heart."
"You can stop this side of tragedy."
"Yeah, and I can stop this side of starting." I looked righteous and outraged. "You've gone a little too far. I like being a detective, and I like being a man, with all that implies, but I refuse to degrade whatever glamour I may--"
"Archie!" He snapped it.
"Yes, sir."
"With how many young women whom you met originally through your association with my business have you established personal relationships?"
"Between five and six thousand. But that's not--" (9-10)

But the case doesn't go exactly as planned. The relationship is ended. That part was a success. Then again, it's hard to have a relationship with a corpse. Yes, Rony ends up dead, apparently run over by a car in the Sperling driveway. Who murdered him? What was the motive?

This case was very exciting and intense. I loved following it from beginning to end. It was a lot more exciting than most of Wolfe's cases. I love how full of personality it was. It was also very quotable!!!

[Perry Whitford · Rating 4 out of 5]

James U. Sperling, chairman of the board of the Continental Mines Corporation and a man who 'didn't bite ears off ... because he took whole heads and ate them bones and all', suspects that his youngest daughter is dating a communist, so he hires Nero Wolfe to produce the evidence.

Louis Rony may or may not be a communist, but as Wolfe soon discovers, if he is then that would be the least of his crimes. Much worse than that suspected affiliation is his connection with the only criminal Wolfe fears, his very own Moriarty - Arnold Zeck.

Wolfe's path had tangentially crossed Zeck's once before, resulting in a stern warning to the corpulent detective from the criminal underground's Mr. X. Wolfe wasn't overawed, but he correctly sensed a nemesis, concluding that their paths were certain to cross again.

Once committed, Wolfe's monstrous ego insures that their horns are locked, and the reprisals are instantaneous as the Montenegrin's beloved orchid house is demolished in a rain of bullets. So this isn't just any other Nero Wolfe investigation. This time, it's personal.

The second book in a trilogy of novels, designed to pit Wolfe against an adversary of equal statue (not in size, of course, in genius) which began with To Be a Villain, the three books can be found collected in the snappily named Triple Zeck anthology.

This is the best of the three. It's always fun to see Wolfe say 'Pfui' to captains of industry and other blowhards, and as the tension ramps up he is at his most arrogant and obtuse, whereas Archie is really in the wars, but never short of a wise crack.

The final face-to-face confrontation with Zeck, entitled In the Best Families, is regrettably something of a disappointment.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

James U. Sperling, the chairman of Continental Mines Corporation, had a problem: his youngest daughter, Gwenn, is dating an attorney he suspects of being a Communist. To obtain proof of his suspicions, he turns to Nero Wolfe, who sends his right-hand man, Archie Goodwin, undercover to a weekend party at the Sperling home in order to obtain evidence. Goodwin soon finds himself against a wily suspect, one who avoids the detective’s best attempts to learn more about him. And while Goodwin is gone, Wolfe receives an ominous call from the one man he fears, warning him to back off from his investigation – or else.

That man is Arnold Zeck, the crime boss Rex Stout introduced in his preceding entry in his series of Nero Wolfe novels, And Be a Villain. His inclusion seems to have been part of Stout’s interest in creating a recurring antagonist for Wolfe who would be every bit the detective’s equal. As intriguing as the idea is, however, the character feels a little shoehorned into the plot, and who effectively disappears from the novel halfway through. Perhaps the awkwardness of his presence is one of the reasons why I found the first half unappealing as I did, as it felt like an unnecessary escalation of the stakes. By the time Zeck disappeared, however, the novel picked up its pace, turning from an awkward investigation of a man for his supposed ties to the Communist Party into another whodunit about a murder. While the second half redeemed the novel, the work as a whole suggests why Zeck made so few appearances in the Nero Wolfe novels. Simply put, he wasn’t necessary for Stout to tell an engaging tale.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always felt very noncomformist and clever for my notion that Archie is the interesting detective and Nero is the worst part of the Nero Wolfe books, so it was bracing to read in the introduction that, really, everybody thinks that. Well, the Wolfe books are what they are. I'm not especially proud of liking them, but I do. This is a good one.

Note: I read it on my phone, which is unusual for me. It worked pretty well.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the Nero Wolfe novels as published has been a fascinating (and sometimes, challenging) experience. My brother’s generosity, my public library’s near-complete collection, used bookstores, Kindle purchases, and online bookstores have enabled me to keep going thus far. The Second Confession is the 15th book in the series. It is set between the end of WWII and prior to involvement in Korea. And, while it is prior to the worst of McCarthyism, it does deal with the American Communist Party, as well as allusions to erstwhile VP and progressive candidate, Henry Wallace. Indeed, the idea of Communist infiltration of US society is integral to the plot of this novel.

After 15 novels, characterizations of the eccentric genius, Nero Wolfe, and the womanizing leg-man (in both senses), Archie Goodwin, continue to make more sense. Archie’s resentment of Wolfe’s determination to husband his information and plans has a softer edge, but it’s still there. Wolfe’s ego begins to fray around the edges when he is frustrated for too long. The desire to dance around the police to avoid inconvenience, while recognizing potential repercussions is understandable. Archie’s womanizing seems more targeted (and rational) than some of the former dalliances, even though Wolfe attempts to use this ability to cajole Goodwin into a certain relationship in this case.

The Second Confession is not only appropriately titled because it involves two confessions of murder, but also because it involves a marvelously clever revelation, as well. It appears Rex Stout was very aware of the potential dangers of capitalism, as well as those of socialism/communism (a spectrum, of course), but definitely hated autocratic abuse. As usual, The Second Confession largely takes place in the demesne of the wealthy and powerful. The case begins in paranoia (that a society daughter might be involved with a card-carrying Communist) and ends in murder and exposure of a major hypocrite. The only unsatisfying aspect of this terrific detective romp is that Wolfe must resort to one of his intricate ruses to draw out the suspects (or key witnesses) involved. Other than that, I would have rated this with an additional star. But overall, I look forward to continuing this quest.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nero Wolfe is at it again in this excellent mystery and it’s a pleasure to watch him maneuver with clients, lawmen, and criminals alike. Hired essentially to discredit the suiter of a millionaire’s daughter, things get complicated when a criminal mastermind threatens Wolfe off the case by machinegunning Wolfe’s prized plant rooms. This gets Wolfe out of his beloved house to try and resolve matters, only to have the unwanted suiter murdered with Wolfe’s car. The client wants to know who the killer is, but then changes his mind making Wolfe pursue the investigation without him.

It's a great mystery and I enjoyed every page. The eventual solution was ingenious. But make no mistake Rex Stout is not writing Ellery Queen mysteries. The reader knows there is a piece of evidence that Wolfe is keeping to himself, but we don’t get to see it in time to solve this crime ourselves. But then, it’s watching Wolfe draw out the criminal that is the ultimate pleasure in these stories, and this one was simply great.

If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.

[Alecia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable old style mystery written in 1949. It was given to me to read by a devout Rex Stout fan, and this is my first Nero Wolfe mystery. I would give it a 3.5 rounded up to a 4 for being literate and well-written. It is of it's time, with a lot of (now) offensive remarks, once considered cute, about women. And since it was written during the McCarthy era, "Commies" are not appreciated. But I enjoyed the writing and both Nero Wolfe and the narrator, Archie Goodwin, and would read another one in this series.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Not enough Purley and Cramer, otherwise I loved it.

[Gavin · Rating 2 out of 5]

My fourth Nero Wolfe mystery, and the only dullish one so far. Vague plot with confusing motives. Hasn't aged well since being published in 1949: overt sexism, "Commies", etc.

[Maria Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mi è piaciuto di più rispetto a Orchidee Nere, non tanto come storia perché non è particolarmente intrigante, più per la caratterizzazione dei personaggi, mi sembra che vengano un pochettino più fuori sia Nero Wolfe che Archie, e mi pare che ci sia un'ironia di fondo che nell'altro libro o non c'era, o non l'ho colta io.

[Christine Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Misogynistic but always a fun read

Much like the traditions of Sam Spade and others, there is always a dame, a cocky Secretary (in this case Archie) and the ever do quirky detective.

[Diane K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's rather hard to believe that, following publication of this book, Rex Stout was accused of communist activity. Apparently the accusation centered on his being one of the editors of a communist magazine. Facts in the matter: Rex Stout helped to found the magazine, and contributed some articles, but was never an editor. Once he discovered that people on staff were working to make the magazine communist-oriented, he and several others fought hard to prevent it. When they realized that their struggles were in vain, they withdrew from all association with the magazine. The really ugly thing about the matter is that Stout's accuser was fully aware of the facts...and accused him anyway, thus proving that he was far more interested in the publicity inherent in attacking a famous author than in going after genuine communists. No wonder Rex Stout ended up fighting against McCarthyism.

One side note: if you like reading these in chronological order (not usually necessary, but better with the Zeck trilogy) it's helpful to read the short story "Door to Death" before reading this. A couple of characters from the story are referenced in the book.

This was another marvelously entertaining book, the second of the Zeck trilogy. It has excellent characters, an fine mystery, and a shocking attack on Wolfe's loved ones. Wolfe is forced to work against his own client, and the means by which he manages to force the truth out into the open is cleverly done. Archie really shines in this one, from his weekending with the client's family, to obtaining a closely held secret (with the assistance of Saul and a tough female private eye, Ruth Brady, whom, sadly, we never see again), and a brilliant discovery of an important clue.

However, the book does have a major blooper, right near the beginning. Stout reminds the reader (as he does in every book) of Wolfe's rigid schedule, particularly regarding the 4-6 pm session with the orchids. Eight sentences later, he has Wolfe arise from lunch, at five minutes to two, and proceed to the plants rooms--TWO HOURS EARLY!!! Every time I read this book, that goof hits me right between the eyes. On reflection, I would have to guess that Stout possibly did it on purpose. The scene involved Archie informing Wolfe of his discovery--via Bascom's tailing reports--that Rony might just possibly be part of Zeck's organization. Given what happens in the plants rooms a short time later, perhaps Stout felt that it was poetically fitting that the scene take place there. Sorry, Stout, but it doesn't work for me. After 14 books emphasizing how fiercely Wolfe maintains his schedule, it is utterly senseless to have him casually break it for no discernible reason whatsoever. I wonder how many fans wrote to him afterwards, pointing out this blunder?

Ah, well. It's irritating, but it doesn't detract very much from the excellence of the book. For a first-time reader, the ending will be quite an eye-opener. For those like me, revisiting well-loved characters, it's still great entertainment.

[Jeff Bleyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nero and Archie again encounter their own version of Moriarty in Arnold Zeck in this second book of the Zeck trilogy. Recommended indeed!