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Nero Wolfe #20
Triple Jeopardy
Vintage book
216 pages, Hardcover
First published February 23, 1951
About the author
Rex Stout
842 books1,038 followersRex 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
July 23, 2019
Three Nero Wolfe novellas. "Home to Roost"--about Communists--is only so-so, "The Squirt and Monkey"--about somebody killed with Archie's gun--is too complicated yet still entertaining, but "Cop Killer"--involving undocumented refugees hiding at Wolfe's after a murder at a barbershop--is delightful.
February 24, 2021
Three novellas from 1950-1951
From the introduction: "The New Yorker once remarked: 'Nero Wolfe, the fat sedentary detective, invented by Rex Stout, is an interesting fellow because the author is an interesting fellow.' Nero Wolfe owes his knowledge of practically everything to the amazing background of his creator who has been, among other things: banker, barker, bookworm, bookkeeper, yeoman on the Presidential yacht, boss of three thousand propaganda writers in World War II, gentleman farmer, big businessman, cigar salesman, pueblo guide, hotelmanager, architect, cabinet-maker, crow trainer, jumping-pig trainer, mammoth-pumpkin grower, politician, potted-plant wizard, gastronome, president of the Authors’ Guild, usher, ostler, and pamphleteer."
He was also, according to critics and readers, one of the great mystery authors. Not just American mystery authors but of all mystery authors. I will go farther and say that he was simply a great and entertaining author who created some of the most memorable characters in American literature.
These novellas were originally published in the AMERICAN MAGAZINE in 1951–1952. The magazine title for “The Squirt and the Monkey” was “See No Evil." Are we really going to be able to say, The monkey did it? Read it and find out why the gun was in the monkey's cage.
“Home to Roost,” was originally “Nero Wolfe and the Communist Killer.” Now there's a title for an early 1950's mystery.
"The Cop Killer" appears here under the same title as it did in the AMERICAN MAGAZINE. In the days in which this story was written and published, killers of law enforcement officers were more likely to have a very foreshortened lifespan than to become the darlings of those on a certain position of the political spectrum. Of course sometimes suspects are innocent. In this one Nero Wolfe scrambles to find evidence which may prove an accused cop killer to be one of the innocent.
From the introduction: "The New Yorker once remarked: 'Nero Wolfe, the fat sedentary detective, invented by Rex Stout, is an interesting fellow because the author is an interesting fellow.' Nero Wolfe owes his knowledge of practically everything to the amazing background of his creator who has been, among other things: banker, barker, bookworm, bookkeeper, yeoman on the Presidential yacht, boss of three thousand propaganda writers in World War II, gentleman farmer, big businessman, cigar salesman, pueblo guide, hotelmanager, architect, cabinet-maker, crow trainer, jumping-pig trainer, mammoth-pumpkin grower, politician, potted-plant wizard, gastronome, president of the Authors’ Guild, usher, ostler, and pamphleteer."
He was also, according to critics and readers, one of the great mystery authors. Not just American mystery authors but of all mystery authors. I will go farther and say that he was simply a great and entertaining author who created some of the most memorable characters in American literature.
These novellas were originally published in the AMERICAN MAGAZINE in 1951–1952. The magazine title for “The Squirt and the Monkey” was “See No Evil." Are we really going to be able to say, The monkey did it? Read it and find out why the gun was in the monkey's cage.
“Home to Roost,” was originally “Nero Wolfe and the Communist Killer.” Now there's a title for an early 1950's mystery.
"The Cop Killer" appears here under the same title as it did in the AMERICAN MAGAZINE. In the days in which this story was written and published, killers of law enforcement officers were more likely to have a very foreshortened lifespan than to become the darlings of those on a certain position of the political spectrum. Of course sometimes suspects are innocent. In this one Nero Wolfe scrambles to find evidence which may prove an accused cop killer to be one of the innocent.
January 11, 2023
A trio of fun but simplistic mysteries.
July 28, 2024
This is a collection of three short stories. I've come to like these threesomes and I think there are several of them: Trouble in Triplicate, Three Doors to Death, Curtains for Three, and others.
Home to Roost
Benjamin Rackell and wife consult with Wolfe regarding the death of their nephew Arthur. Just prior to his death, Arthur, who had been espousing the communist line, told Mrs. Rackell that he was working undercover for the FBI. This is at the time in US history where there was a great communist scare. Arthur had invited 5 guests to a dinner party at a restaurant. Known for taking a vitamin before each meal, he keeled over dead from potassium cyanide. Which of his dinner guests substituted the poison? Wolfe brilliantly solves the mystery.
The Cop Killer
Coming home after a morning walk, Archie sees a couple across the street from the brownstone. They approach him and he recognizes them as the hat-and-coat-and-tie custodian at the barbershop he patronizes and one of the manicurists. They ask for his help for suggesting a destination as they want to leave New York. A policeman was at the barbershop asking questions of all of the staff, but this made them nervous. They had entered the country illegally, having escaped a concentration camp in Russia, and didn't want to be deported. Archie puts them in the "front room" and goes to the barbershop to learn why the policeman is asking questions there. When he arrives, he finds Stebbins, Cramer et al at the shop. The policeman was found murdered with a pair of scissors in his chest. This was my favorite story of the trio.
The Squirt and the Monkey
Archie is upset. He doesn't mind so much having been asked to partake in discovering who stole a gun from Harry Koven, but he's been asked to use his own gun as bait. This story took a long time to set up before there was a murder. As usual, the number of suspects is limited. I liked Archie and his indignation. Unfortunately, I thought it was obvious who did the murder. I admit that sometimes when I think it's "obvious" I am wrong, but not this time. Still, it's important to fully understand the motive and how Wolfe solved it was brilliant.
Home to Roost
Benjamin Rackell and wife consult with Wolfe regarding the death of their nephew Arthur. Just prior to his death, Arthur, who had been espousing the communist line, told Mrs. Rackell that he was working undercover for the FBI. This is at the time in US history where there was a great communist scare. Arthur had invited 5 guests to a dinner party at a restaurant. Known for taking a vitamin before each meal, he keeled over dead from potassium cyanide. Which of his dinner guests substituted the poison? Wolfe brilliantly solves the mystery.
The Cop Killer
Coming home after a morning walk, Archie sees a couple across the street from the brownstone. They approach him and he recognizes them as the hat-and-coat-and-tie custodian at the barbershop he patronizes and one of the manicurists. They ask for his help for suggesting a destination as they want to leave New York. A policeman was at the barbershop asking questions of all of the staff, but this made them nervous. They had entered the country illegally, having escaped a concentration camp in Russia, and didn't want to be deported. Archie puts them in the "front room" and goes to the barbershop to learn why the policeman is asking questions there. When he arrives, he finds Stebbins, Cramer et al at the shop. The policeman was found murdered with a pair of scissors in his chest. This was my favorite story of the trio.
The Squirt and the Monkey
Archie is upset. He doesn't mind so much having been asked to partake in discovering who stole a gun from Harry Koven, but he's been asked to use his own gun as bait. This story took a long time to set up before there was a murder. As usual, the number of suspects is limited. I liked Archie and his indignation. Unfortunately, I thought it was obvious who did the murder. I admit that sometimes when I think it's "obvious" I am wrong, but not this time. Still, it's important to fully understand the motive and how Wolfe solved it was brilliant.
April 22, 2025
Home to Roost
Wolfe investigates the murder of Arthur Rackell, who was allegedly working undercover for the FBI to infiltrate the Communist Party. With little to go on, he proposes a risky and expensive ploy to expose the murderer without tipping off Inspector Cramer or the FBI.
The Cop-Killer
Archie is consulted by Carl and Tina, an immigrant couple who work at the Goldenrod barbershop where he and Wolfe have been patrons for many years. Because of their undocumented status, they are frightened when the police show up asking the employees a lot of questions. Of course there's murder involved, including a police detective stabbed in the back with a pair of scissors. In order to help Carl and Tina, Wolfe is forced to stir himself to go to the shop and question the suspects directly.
The Squirt and the Monkey
A reluctant Archie goes out on a $500, no risk/no complications job to help Harry Kovan find out who stole the gun he kept in his home office. But things get complicated when a man is murdered and the police are convinced that the he and Wolfe are lying about the job.
Wolfe investigates the murder of Arthur Rackell, who was allegedly working undercover for the FBI to infiltrate the Communist Party. With little to go on, he proposes a risky and expensive ploy to expose the murderer without tipping off Inspector Cramer or the FBI.
The Cop-Killer
Archie is consulted by Carl and Tina, an immigrant couple who work at the Goldenrod barbershop where he and Wolfe have been patrons for many years. Because of their undocumented status, they are frightened when the police show up asking the employees a lot of questions. Of course there's murder involved, including a police detective stabbed in the back with a pair of scissors. In order to help Carl and Tina, Wolfe is forced to stir himself to go to the shop and question the suspects directly.
The Squirt and the Monkey
A reluctant Archie goes out on a $500, no risk/no complications job to help Harry Kovan find out who stole the gun he kept in his home office. But things get complicated when a man is murdered and the police are convinced that the he and Wolfe are lying about the job.
April 3, 2017
Good but not great Stout
March 27, 2026
This is the fourth collection of shorter mysteries in Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series, and by this point the author was at the top of his game. The first of them, “Home to Roost,” very much reflects its time, as Wolfe is asked by a wealthy couple to investigate the murder of their nephew, a declared Communist who may or may not have joined the part on behalf of the FBI. It’s the most traditional of the three stories, and arguably the weakest of them. Far more innovative is the second one, “The Cop-Killer,” in which Archie Goodwin seeks to clear of murder charges an immigrant couple working at the barber shop both he and Wolfe frequent. That the victim was an NYPD detective guarantees that the police will be even more resentful of Goodwin and Wolfe’s involvement, even if the two expose successfully the real murderer.
Though there is nothing that ties the stories together in the book, I like to think that their success in showing up Inspector Cramer’s team plays a role in how they treat Goodwin in the final story. For in “The Squirt and the Monkey,” Wolfe’s assistant becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a member of the entourage of a prominent cartoonist. The zeal they demonstrate in going after him can only be explained by the pent-up resentment at having been shown up as frequently as they had by the two in so many cases. Fortunately this only motivates Wolfe to catch the real murderer, which he does despite a host of uncooperative witnesses. It’s a fun case that suggests the depth of his appreciation for Archie, despite the manner in which he often treats him.
Though there is nothing that ties the stories together in the book, I like to think that their success in showing up Inspector Cramer’s team plays a role in how they treat Goodwin in the final story. For in “The Squirt and the Monkey,” Wolfe’s assistant becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a member of the entourage of a prominent cartoonist. The zeal they demonstrate in going after him can only be explained by the pent-up resentment at having been shown up as frequently as they had by the two in so many cases. Fortunately this only motivates Wolfe to catch the real murderer, which he does despite a host of uncooperative witnesses. It’s a fun case that suggests the depth of his appreciation for Archie, despite the manner in which he often treats him.
April 6, 2026
Like the other titles with a number in it's title this is a collection of shorter stories. The first two I found very enjoyable. They both dealt with the social issues of the fifties especially the threat (and fear of) communism. It was fascinating to get what felt like a birds eye view of how the fear that communists have infiltrated any number of organizations affected every day life as portrayed by these stories. They also deal with the issue still facing the USA of displaced persons, refugees who fled Europe and came to America often without the correct papers.
The final story I didn't enjoy very much. It was interesting because Inspector Cramer threatens to take away Nero's license to investigate, and actually suspends it temporarily, but the final solution left me scratching my head. I mean I could see how it was done, but the motivation seemed lacking to me. I never felt that the ultimate villain ever had the passion or ambition that would have lead to the murder that occurred.
The final story I didn't enjoy very much. It was interesting because Inspector Cramer threatens to take away Nero's license to investigate, and actually suspends it temporarily, but the final solution left me scratching my head. I mean I could see how it was done, but the motivation seemed lacking to me. I never felt that the ultimate villain ever had the passion or ambition that would have lead to the murder that occurred.
December 1, 2022
This book collects three Nero Wolfe novellas that were originally published in the American Magazine from 1951-52. The previous two books contained unusually few noteworthy observations about contemporary life, but these stories resume engagement with then-current topics. This was welcome to me, since this is one of the things that I enjoy most about the series – they really give you the feeling of the time and place.
“Home to Roost”, originally titled “Nero Wolfe and the Communist Killer”, is far too obvious in proclaiming Stout’s purportedly reconsidered anti-communist views - methinks the lady doth protest too much. He concedes that there is an extensive network of communist agents who have infiltrated the US and are working against its interests. This was hard to deny after the Rosenberg atomic spy ring was exposed in 1950 and convicted in 1951. He acknowledges that they are very dangerous, including routine murder for the Party’s sake. But he thinks that efforts to expose them are going too far.
This was more than a little self-serving, since Stout was accused in 1950 of being a communist by both Merwin Hart and Martin Dies (D-TX), the first chairman of the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Stout admitted he had been extensively involved with communist groups in the 20s and 30s, but claimed to have been duped and to have distanced himself when he realized it (a common excuse for communists being transitioned from overt to covert mole status). Nevertheless, in 1951-52 and for many years thereafter, Stout remained associated with groups and individuals who were, at least, fellow travelers or what Lenin called “useful idiots” (tyomhaya verboura). 4 stars
“The Cop-Killer” centers around a couple who claim to have recently escaped what would later be infamous as The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956 and who are living in the US illegally. Strangely, they speak good English with neither detective mentioning an accent. Almost no one is who they seem in this story, set in Archie and Nero's barbershop. There is some open-borders handwringing from Archie about what would now be headlined as the ‘plight of illegal aliens’, but Wolfe unsympathetically notes in the conclusion that, when he immigrated, he did so legally. 4 stars
In ”The Squirt and the Monkey”, Wolfe suggests chef Fritz Brenner for President in the upcoming election (apparently he was not a fan of the eventual candidates, Eisenhower and Stevenson). There is renewed complaint about confiscatory Federal tax rates (up from 91% in 1951 to 92% in 1952) that make it not worthwhile for productive people to work. It introduces a newfangled gadget, a concealed audio tape recording setup installed in Wolfe’s office. The dramatic tension is increased because Cramer jails Archie and seriously threatens to revoke his and Wolfe’s private detective licenses, destroying their livelihood. However, the mystery itself is so overly convoluted that it feels contrived. 3 stars
“Home to Roost”, originally titled “Nero Wolfe and the Communist Killer”, is far too obvious in proclaiming Stout’s purportedly reconsidered anti-communist views - methinks the lady doth protest too much. He concedes that there is an extensive network of communist agents who have infiltrated the US and are working against its interests. This was hard to deny after the Rosenberg atomic spy ring was exposed in 1950 and convicted in 1951. He acknowledges that they are very dangerous, including routine murder for the Party’s sake. But he thinks that efforts to expose them are going too far.
This was more than a little self-serving, since Stout was accused in 1950 of being a communist by both Merwin Hart and Martin Dies (D-TX), the first chairman of the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Stout admitted he had been extensively involved with communist groups in the 20s and 30s, but claimed to have been duped and to have distanced himself when he realized it (a common excuse for communists being transitioned from overt to covert mole status). Nevertheless, in 1951-52 and for many years thereafter, Stout remained associated with groups and individuals who were, at least, fellow travelers or what Lenin called “useful idiots” (tyomhaya verboura). 4 stars
“The Cop-Killer” centers around a couple who claim to have recently escaped what would later be infamous as The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956 and who are living in the US illegally. Strangely, they speak good English with neither detective mentioning an accent. Almost no one is who they seem in this story, set in Archie and Nero's barbershop. There is some open-borders handwringing from Archie about what would now be headlined as the ‘plight of illegal aliens’, but Wolfe unsympathetically notes in the conclusion that, when he immigrated, he did so legally. 4 stars
In ”The Squirt and the Monkey”, Wolfe suggests chef Fritz Brenner for President in the upcoming election (apparently he was not a fan of the eventual candidates, Eisenhower and Stevenson). There is renewed complaint about confiscatory Federal tax rates (up from 91% in 1951 to 92% in 1952) that make it not worthwhile for productive people to work. It introduces a newfangled gadget, a concealed audio tape recording setup installed in Wolfe’s office. The dramatic tension is increased because Cramer jails Archie and seriously threatens to revoke his and Wolfe’s private detective licenses, destroying their livelihood. However, the mystery itself is so overly convoluted that it feels contrived. 3 stars
November 5, 2019
Home to Roost
Wolfe is hired to find the murderer of a suspected Communist, Arthur Rackell, by his aunt and uncle. Arthur was at dinner in a restaurant with several acquaintances; he took a vitamin pill from his pillbox; a few minutes later he began to convulse and died. The cause of death was cyanide poisoning. The other two pills in the pillbox were not contaminated with cyanide.
The aunt, Mrs. Rackell, says she confronted him about the Commie rumors and Arthur told her he was actually an undercover FBI agent who was infiltrating the Party. She says she believes another Communist, probably one of his fellow diners, heard rumors that Arthur was an FBI agent and killed him. 4 stars.
The Cop-Killer
Archie and Wolfe have been patrons at the Goldenrod barbershop for several years, and they are acquainted with the staff. Archie answers the door one day and Carl and Tina want to come in and talk to him. Carl is the hat/coat check “boy”, and Tina is a manicurist. They tell Archie the police have been at the shop all morning asking lots of questions. They got scared and sneaked our because they are in the US illegally. They had escaped from a Russian concentration camp and eventually made their way to America, entering without the proper paperwork. They want Archie to help them get to the Midwest, or anywhere that isn’t New York.
Archie goes to the shop and right away sees Sergeant Stebbins, so he knows the police are investigating a murder. Of course the police suspect Carl and Tina simply because they skipped out. Archie doesn’t think either of them is guilty of murder, and Wolfe finally gets involved, too, even though they cannot pay him a fee. 4 stars.
The Squirt and the Monkey
This one was really good. A cartoon creator, Harry Koven, hires Wolfe and Archie to find his missing gun — or so he says. Archie goes to his house and helps execute his plan to discover which of his associates took the gun, but instead, a man is murdered. When the police arrive, Koven tells them a completely different story, and Archie is arrested on suspicion of murder. When Inspector Cramer tells Wolfe stories that his and Archie’s detective licenses are to be suspended, and perhaps revoked outright, Wolfe has his attorney, Nathaniel Parker, prepare a petition suing Koven for damages of $1M for loss of career and income! There are some really funny bits, and the solution is pretty good. 5 stars.
Wolfe is hired to find the murderer of a suspected Communist, Arthur Rackell, by his aunt and uncle. Arthur was at dinner in a restaurant with several acquaintances; he took a vitamin pill from his pillbox; a few minutes later he began to convulse and died. The cause of death was cyanide poisoning. The other two pills in the pillbox were not contaminated with cyanide.
The aunt, Mrs. Rackell, says she confronted him about the Commie rumors and Arthur told her he was actually an undercover FBI agent who was infiltrating the Party. She says she believes another Communist, probably one of his fellow diners, heard rumors that Arthur was an FBI agent and killed him. 4 stars.
The Cop-Killer
Archie and Wolfe have been patrons at the Goldenrod barbershop for several years, and they are acquainted with the staff. Archie answers the door one day and Carl and Tina want to come in and talk to him. Carl is the hat/coat check “boy”, and Tina is a manicurist. They tell Archie the police have been at the shop all morning asking lots of questions. They got scared and sneaked our because they are in the US illegally. They had escaped from a Russian concentration camp and eventually made their way to America, entering without the proper paperwork. They want Archie to help them get to the Midwest, or anywhere that isn’t New York.
Archie goes to the shop and right away sees Sergeant Stebbins, so he knows the police are investigating a murder. Of course the police suspect Carl and Tina simply because they skipped out. Archie doesn’t think either of them is guilty of murder, and Wolfe finally gets involved, too, even though they cannot pay him a fee. 4 stars.
The Squirt and the Monkey
This one was really good. A cartoon creator, Harry Koven, hires Wolfe and Archie to find his missing gun — or so he says. Archie goes to his house and helps execute his plan to discover which of his associates took the gun, but instead, a man is murdered. When the police arrive, Koven tells them a completely different story, and Archie is arrested on suspicion of murder. When Inspector Cramer tells Wolfe stories that his and Archie’s detective licenses are to be suspended, and perhaps revoked outright, Wolfe has his attorney, Nathaniel Parker, prepare a petition suing Koven for damages of $1M for loss of career and income! There are some really funny bits, and the solution is pretty good. 5 stars.
October 2, 2020
This review contains no spoilers.
Back around the time I was gobbling up Hardy Boys adventures in elementary school, I first noticed a section of Nero Wolfe books on my dad's shelf. At that time, amusingly, I found them very intimidating. It wasn't clear to me, for example, why two big names were on the cover above the title. Who wrote the book? Rex Stout or Nero Wolfe? Why were there so many scary household items like ropes, gloves, telephones, and the like scattered about on the covers? What kinds of terrifying books were these?!
In middle school, after I'd begun reading Agatha Christie books, my parents recommended Nero Wolfe to me and even permitted me to borrow them from Dad's collection. I was so surprised to discover such a marvelous world of detection between the covers of the first novel I picked out so I read many more. The characters were so unique and delightful. Archie Goodwin is, for my money, the wittiest "second banana" narrator in the history of murder mysteries (sorry, John Watson and Captain Hastings), and he's much more competent than Wolfe is in the real world. Inside the comfortable walls of his brownstone, however, the eccentric and brilliant Nero Wolfe is truly incomparable. Rex Stout is outstanding at devising deliciously complex puzzles, and Wolfe's awesome intellect never fails to unravel those intricate mysteries in a satisfying way. He is completely in control of the situations that unfold in his office, and he eloquently takes down anyone who foolishly tries to lock horns with him.
Despite my love of these wonderful stories, I hadn't read one in many years when my daily list of eBook offers presented a magnificent discount on this trilogy of short stories. I eagerly downloaded it, and when I dove in, I was immediately sucked into a very familiar world. The stories were clever and offered a variety of plots, secondary characters, and fascinating settings (ever wonder where Archie gets his hair cut?). The only thing preventing me from awarding a full five stars for this fun set of short stories is that there were some careless inconsistencies that took me out of the story a couple times. Nothing serious enough to truly frustrate me, but I'll withhold that fifth star all the same.
This is a fun entry in the Wolfe canon, and it's a fine place to start if you've not read any of these tales before. Really, though, you're doing yourself a favor if you pick up ANY Nero Wolfe book. All the ones I've read are excellent.
Back around the time I was gobbling up Hardy Boys adventures in elementary school, I first noticed a section of Nero Wolfe books on my dad's shelf. At that time, amusingly, I found them very intimidating. It wasn't clear to me, for example, why two big names were on the cover above the title. Who wrote the book? Rex Stout or Nero Wolfe? Why were there so many scary household items like ropes, gloves, telephones, and the like scattered about on the covers? What kinds of terrifying books were these?!
In middle school, after I'd begun reading Agatha Christie books, my parents recommended Nero Wolfe to me and even permitted me to borrow them from Dad's collection. I was so surprised to discover such a marvelous world of detection between the covers of the first novel I picked out so I read many more. The characters were so unique and delightful. Archie Goodwin is, for my money, the wittiest "second banana" narrator in the history of murder mysteries (sorry, John Watson and Captain Hastings), and he's much more competent than Wolfe is in the real world. Inside the comfortable walls of his brownstone, however, the eccentric and brilliant Nero Wolfe is truly incomparable. Rex Stout is outstanding at devising deliciously complex puzzles, and Wolfe's awesome intellect never fails to unravel those intricate mysteries in a satisfying way. He is completely in control of the situations that unfold in his office, and he eloquently takes down anyone who foolishly tries to lock horns with him.
Despite my love of these wonderful stories, I hadn't read one in many years when my daily list of eBook offers presented a magnificent discount on this trilogy of short stories. I eagerly downloaded it, and when I dove in, I was immediately sucked into a very familiar world. The stories were clever and offered a variety of plots, secondary characters, and fascinating settings (ever wonder where Archie gets his hair cut?). The only thing preventing me from awarding a full five stars for this fun set of short stories is that there were some careless inconsistencies that took me out of the story a couple times. Nothing serious enough to truly frustrate me, but I'll withhold that fifth star all the same.
This is a fun entry in the Wolfe canon, and it's a fine place to start if you've not read any of these tales before. Really, though, you're doing yourself a favor if you pick up ANY Nero Wolfe book. All the ones I've read are excellent.
January 20, 2019
I liked all three.
Read
March 24, 2020My first foray into the apparently gigantic ouvre of Nero Wolfe, a lazier, rotund Holmes, and his Watson analog Archie Goodwin. These were breezy and fun, I imagine I'll work my way through a few more while I'm stuck in my cell-like apartment or an indeterminate amount of time.
May 30, 2021
Three, solid short stories with Nero and Archie. 'Home to Roost' and 'The Cop-Killer' were quite good, but the final tale, 'The Squirt and the Monkey' was a little bit of a stretch. Nero deduced his way through them all, but depended way too much on a character cracking in the last one. The NYPD comes off as way too hostile compared to the other stories and nearly all of the novels I have read up to this point.
That said, any Rex Stout has been far better than the average novel you might pluck off a shelf in your local bookstore or drop into your cart at an online retailer.
Find it! Buy it! READ IT!
That said, any Rex Stout has been far better than the average novel you might pluck off a shelf in your local bookstore or drop into your cart at an online retailer.
Find it! Buy it! READ IT!
June 15, 2018
It's rather hard to rate the short-story collections. In this case, I liked two, and the last was rather iffy.
"Home to Roost" was interesting, with another look at the Communist Threat. I also found it interesting that this story, published after Stout's own run-in with McCarthyism, includes Wolfe's view that, while he hates Communism, he also dislikes the trend for fast-and-loose accusations being thrown about. I liked watching Wolfe cope with his client's domineering wife.
"Cop-Killer" was my favorite. I like how Stout can take situations as ordinary and mundane as haircuts and shoeshines and develop mysteries around them. Although it is somewhat surprising that Wolfe has never arranged for a barber who makes house calls! The perilous situation of Carl and Tina is a nice reminder of how good it is to be in a country where you don't have to fear cops merely because they are cops.
"The Squirt and the Monkey" may qualify as Stout's poorest work--which isn't to say that it's all bad, but it could have been so much better. This is another situation where it really might have helped if Stout had laid it aside for a while and then come back, re-read it, and done some judicious editing. There's a number of points:
1. Why the heck did they take the case in the first place? Wolfe rarely takes any case unless there's a good sum of money involved, and Archie points out that they're going to get very little from this. In addition, once having accepted a case, Wolfe hates being told what to do, and for this one, Koven was definitely running things. Essentially, he merely wanted a warm body and a gun--which he could have gotten from any agency in New York at far less cost. Stout does give us a slight, possible hint, but there's no follow-up--when Archie calls home, to furiously report the theft of his gun and the re-appearance of the previously stolen one, Wolfe brushes it off as a prank, chuckles, and says, tellingly, "I wish I could see your face." Now, if Stout had included a couple paragraphs to the effect that Wolfe was vexed with Archie--for any of a thousand and one reasons, take your pick--and chose to accept this silly job solely and purely to aggravate Archie, then it would become comprehensible and amusing.
2. Was Cramer taken over by the pod people, or what? His actions are completely inexplicable. He knows Archie. He knows that Archie is not going to get into an altercation with a stranger over something as ridiculous as the accidental and ignorant abuse of a monkey, and even if he did, a gun would not come into play. He would pick up the squirt and use him to dust the furniture. Archie, an expert with firearms, could not possibly shoot someone accidently (for the few moments that they thought that it might have been an accident--yeah, shooting him accidently through a pillow, uh huh, sure). As for him deliberately killing a stranger for the above reason--oh, puh-leeze! And yet Cramer refuses to entertain the slightest possibility that Koven, not Archie, is the one who is lying. Cramer has been known to pull a fast one on our duo--after all, he gets zinged so often, and gets so few opportunities to hit back--but he doesn't do so in such a way as to cause any real harm. Come on, he's known Archie some ten years, and Wolfe twenty, and he prefers to believe a stranger over them? This situation could have been avoided simply by taking it out of Cramer's jurisdiction. Anywhere would have done, but for choice I would take Westchester County, with Archie's second-favorite nemesis, Lt. Con Noonan. Noonan would have pounced joyfully on the notion of Archie as killer, and he would have been willfully blind and deaf to any logic. Archie wouldn't even have bothered to argue; he would just stand mute and wait for someone with brains to show up.
3. I can't believe that in all the times I've read this story, I never caught this one before: why was Wolfe's license in jeopardy? He wasn't there. He didn't own the gun. He didn't tell Archie to shoot anyone. He may possibly have blown up and ripped Cramer to shreds, but in that case, how could he sue Koven? He makes it clear that Koven is at fault for his loss, therefore it has to come down to the fact that Koven said one thing and Wolfe said another. But surely it would have to wait until the case was closed? The real reason, of course, was so that Wolfe would have a reason to hit Koven with a lawsuit to force him to come to the office. There was a simpler way he could have done it: send Saul Panzer with the threat, "Get over to my office, or all the newspapers are going to hear the real truth about Dazzle Dan!"
This point involves spoilers, so feel free to skip it if you choose.
4. Why did Koven lie? And more to the point, why didn't anyone focus on the fact that Koven lied?
Archie, of all of them, should have focused on the why, as it affected him so badly. The obvious should have leaped out, as it would have to the reader: that Koven lied because he himself had killed Getz and had set Archie up to take the fall. Archie should have brought this up to the police, and he should have discussed it with Wolfe, or tried to, when he got home. Wolfe makes nothing of the lie; he just accepts that the lie was made, and goes on. One has to guess--and it's only a guess--that Koven himself figured out who must have killed Getz, and quickly changed his story in order to protect the killer. The fact that there's no real sense of shock from him when the killer is revealed makes this likely, but it still would be nice it Stout had made it clear. There's no acknowledgement from the killer of Koven's attempt at protection.
5. The killer's motivation? This isn't any too clear, either. When the killer speaks up, it sounds like it's just a matter of simple greed. Yet Wolfe brings up the matter of deep repulsion and malevolence involved, including the vicious and wholly unnecessary killing of the monkey. What had Getz done to inspire such utter hatred? This is just skimmed over.
6. The comic strip allegory. Cute, but I'm sure there would have been a lot of readers writing in to ask why "Koven" had re-run a strip from the previous year, and even more letters when it was re-run again! It would have been simple enough to show the allegory in different stories--different characters with the same initials, selling a different product and dividing it the same way. Wolfe of course would have immediately seen the similarities.
Ah, well. As has been pointed out elsewhere, poor Stout is still better than most.
"Home to Roost" was interesting, with another look at the Communist Threat. I also found it interesting that this story, published after Stout's own run-in with McCarthyism, includes Wolfe's view that, while he hates Communism, he also dislikes the trend for fast-and-loose accusations being thrown about. I liked watching Wolfe cope with his client's domineering wife.
"Cop-Killer" was my favorite. I like how Stout can take situations as ordinary and mundane as haircuts and shoeshines and develop mysteries around them. Although it is somewhat surprising that Wolfe has never arranged for a barber who makes house calls! The perilous situation of Carl and Tina is a nice reminder of how good it is to be in a country where you don't have to fear cops merely because they are cops.
"The Squirt and the Monkey" may qualify as Stout's poorest work--which isn't to say that it's all bad, but it could have been so much better. This is another situation where it really might have helped if Stout had laid it aside for a while and then come back, re-read it, and done some judicious editing. There's a number of points:
1. Why the heck did they take the case in the first place? Wolfe rarely takes any case unless there's a good sum of money involved, and Archie points out that they're going to get very little from this. In addition, once having accepted a case, Wolfe hates being told what to do, and for this one, Koven was definitely running things. Essentially, he merely wanted a warm body and a gun--which he could have gotten from any agency in New York at far less cost. Stout does give us a slight, possible hint, but there's no follow-up--when Archie calls home, to furiously report the theft of his gun and the re-appearance of the previously stolen one, Wolfe brushes it off as a prank, chuckles, and says, tellingly, "I wish I could see your face." Now, if Stout had included a couple paragraphs to the effect that Wolfe was vexed with Archie--for any of a thousand and one reasons, take your pick--and chose to accept this silly job solely and purely to aggravate Archie, then it would become comprehensible and amusing.
2. Was Cramer taken over by the pod people, or what? His actions are completely inexplicable. He knows Archie. He knows that Archie is not going to get into an altercation with a stranger over something as ridiculous as the accidental and ignorant abuse of a monkey, and even if he did, a gun would not come into play. He would pick up the squirt and use him to dust the furniture. Archie, an expert with firearms, could not possibly shoot someone accidently (for the few moments that they thought that it might have been an accident--yeah, shooting him accidently through a pillow, uh huh, sure). As for him deliberately killing a stranger for the above reason--oh, puh-leeze! And yet Cramer refuses to entertain the slightest possibility that Koven, not Archie, is the one who is lying. Cramer has been known to pull a fast one on our duo--after all, he gets zinged so often, and gets so few opportunities to hit back--but he doesn't do so in such a way as to cause any real harm. Come on, he's known Archie some ten years, and Wolfe twenty, and he prefers to believe a stranger over them? This situation could have been avoided simply by taking it out of Cramer's jurisdiction. Anywhere would have done, but for choice I would take Westchester County, with Archie's second-favorite nemesis, Lt. Con Noonan. Noonan would have pounced joyfully on the notion of Archie as killer, and he would have been willfully blind and deaf to any logic. Archie wouldn't even have bothered to argue; he would just stand mute and wait for someone with brains to show up.
3. I can't believe that in all the times I've read this story, I never caught this one before: why was Wolfe's license in jeopardy? He wasn't there. He didn't own the gun. He didn't tell Archie to shoot anyone. He may possibly have blown up and ripped Cramer to shreds, but in that case, how could he sue Koven? He makes it clear that Koven is at fault for his loss, therefore it has to come down to the fact that Koven said one thing and Wolfe said another. But surely it would have to wait until the case was closed? The real reason, of course, was so that Wolfe would have a reason to hit Koven with a lawsuit to force him to come to the office. There was a simpler way he could have done it: send Saul Panzer with the threat, "Get over to my office, or all the newspapers are going to hear the real truth about Dazzle Dan!"
This point involves spoilers, so feel free to skip it if you choose.
4. Why did Koven lie? And more to the point, why didn't anyone focus on the fact that Koven lied?
Archie, of all of them, should have focused on the why, as it affected him so badly. The obvious should have leaped out, as it would have to the reader: that Koven lied because he himself had killed Getz and had set Archie up to take the fall. Archie should have brought this up to the police, and he should have discussed it with Wolfe, or tried to, when he got home. Wolfe makes nothing of the lie; he just accepts that the lie was made, and goes on. One has to guess--and it's only a guess--that Koven himself figured out who must have killed Getz, and quickly changed his story in order to protect the killer. The fact that there's no real sense of shock from him when the killer is revealed makes this likely, but it still would be nice it Stout had made it clear. There's no acknowledgement from the killer of Koven's attempt at protection.
5. The killer's motivation? This isn't any too clear, either. When the killer speaks up, it sounds like it's just a matter of simple greed. Yet Wolfe brings up the matter of deep repulsion and malevolence involved, including the vicious and wholly unnecessary killing of the monkey. What had Getz done to inspire such utter hatred? This is just skimmed over.
6. The comic strip allegory. Cute, but I'm sure there would have been a lot of readers writing in to ask why "Koven" had re-run a strip from the previous year, and even more letters when it was re-run again! It would have been simple enough to show the allegory in different stories--different characters with the same initials, selling a different product and dividing it the same way. Wolfe of course would have immediately seen the similarities.
Ah, well. As has been pointed out elsewhere, poor Stout is still better than most.
March 5, 2024
This was another in the novella collections of Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin. The first case was a mysterious poisoning of a suspected communist, who said he was actually an informant for the FBI, which brought the FBI into the situation. Wolfe is brought in by the father of the deceased to find out who did it since the police nor the FBI were talking. Next a cop was murdered but it starts with two scared escapees of Russian concentration camps who due to their illegal status were looking for help when the policeman had come asking questions. Since they had fled they were considered top suspects when the cop was killed. Lastly a comic strip creator has a gun that wasn't registered and had gone missing. He was hiring Wolfe to send a man to help find it. Goodwin went and went along with a scam to try and find the culprit only to be framed for a murder in the house. Wolfe gets his dander up and goes full bore against everyone including Inspector Cramer to find the murderer.
Highly recommended, these are always fun. The actual cases are always secondary, even though they are usually well done, to the interplay between Wolfe and Goodwin, which is great.
Highly recommended, these are always fun. The actual cases are always secondary, even though they are usually well done, to the interplay between Wolfe and Goodwin, which is great.
January 27, 2019
Another collection of 3 novellas (Stout seems to like 3 novellas in a book as there are several others in this series so far!).
I especially liked the middle story ("The Cop-Killer") due to the fact that Wolfe (somewhat against his will) works for free. The 3rd story ("The Squirt and the Monkey") featured Wolfe in a rage against Inspector Cramer, which is always fun. The first story ("Home to Roost") reminded me of one of my favorite Wolfe books (later in the series) - "The Doorbell Rang" - but not nearly as good; perhaps it was Stout's first inspiration for the later full-length novel.
I especially liked the middle story ("The Cop-Killer") due to the fact that Wolfe (somewhat against his will) works for free. The 3rd story ("The Squirt and the Monkey") featured Wolfe in a rage against Inspector Cramer, which is always fun. The first story ("Home to Roost") reminded me of one of my favorite Wolfe books (later in the series) - "The Doorbell Rang" - but not nearly as good; perhaps it was Stout's first inspiration for the later full-length novel.
August 28, 2018
Usually I am not as impressed by these collections of three Nero Wolfe stories (there are many) as I am by the full-length novels, and this one is no exception. I agree with a Goodreads friend that the middle one is best of the three--it involves two undocumented aliens (not by that fact alone a threat to the fabric of our society, but rather sympathetic characters--even in 1951) whom Archie shelters in Wolfe's brownstone while he investigates a murder in a barbershop. (Wolfe regularly gets his hair cut in a barbershop?! Who knew?) Still, very satisfying entertainment overall.
December 22, 2018
These are three awesome stories of Nero Wolf by the masterful writer Rex Stout.
I recomment all of Rex Stout's work to all. Nero Wolf is the second best detective in the world; the best being Sherlock Holmes.
Enjoy and
Be Blessed
I recomment all of Rex Stout's work to all. Nero Wolf is the second best detective in the world; the best being Sherlock Holmes.
Enjoy and
Be Blessed
September 8, 2025
All three short stories involve clients, who I believe, have few redeeming qualities, and as a result, the stories were difficult for me to read. However, of the three short stories, “The Cop-Killer” and “The Squirt and the Monkey” are of interest to me because they demonstrate the care, protection, and loyalty Archie and Nero feel for one another and how they put their feelings of affection and respect for one another into action. As well, I believe this is why I value the work of Rex Stout. In Rex Stout novels I believe I get to know and appreciate the manner in which Archie and Nero work collaboratively to navigate interpersonal relationships with challenging clients.
May 1, 2026
This book took me way too long to finish - I should have DNF’d it.
April 18, 2020
Rex Stout always provides a good mystery, but sometimes he leaves out the clues that let the reader solve the crime. In these cases, the fun comes from watching Nero Wolfe play a gambit to trick the murderer into exposing himself. Triple Jeopardy offers both styles of story.
In Home to Roost I had no idea who had committed the crime, but once Wolfe’s trick ran its course, I kicked myself for not even suspecting the culprit.
In Cop Killer, Stout gets Wolfe to both work for free and leave his home. The mystery is only okay, but the drama is first rate.
Finally, in The Squirt and the Monkey, Stout provided a plethora of clues and I missed every one of them.
Really, you’d think that Inspector Cramer would finally figure out that he just let Wolfe solve the crimes.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
In Home to Roost I had no idea who had committed the crime, but once Wolfe’s trick ran its course, I kicked myself for not even suspecting the culprit.
In Cop Killer, Stout gets Wolfe to both work for free and leave his home. The mystery is only okay, but the drama is first rate.
Finally, in The Squirt and the Monkey, Stout provided a plethora of clues and I missed every one of them.
Really, you’d think that Inspector Cramer would finally figure out that he just let Wolfe solve the crimes.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
May 13, 2026
Triple Jeopardy is a an eclectic group of short stories. The police are adversarial -- sometimes hostile -- towards the private investigator heroes: no helping hands, no mutual respect. It’s an element that Stout manipulates from book to book in varying degrees.
Wolfe smokes out a killer in "Home to Roost" using a tactic that seems shady on the surface; borderline blackmail. Wolfe is using a $10K payment to encourage the (presumed) witness, Della Devlin, to inform the police of any facts she might be withholding.
Archie contributes his usual swagger:
Archie is sent to FBI agent Wengert to ensure they won't be interfering in the FBI’s investigation:
Wolfe offers a bit of his own sarcasm:
He even offers this nice quote explaining his plan to solve the crime:
In "The Cop-Killer," he and archie dance around a police investigation at their local barbers by claiming a regular visit for a haircut, while actually working to find how a car thief and murderer found himself tied to the shop. An illegal immigrant couple who fled from persecution in their country are wrongly suspected and seek Archie's help. As innocent as they may be, they manage to fully embroil Wolfe in the investigation.
Archie to Wolfe:
Wolfe to Archie:
Archie even tells Sgt Stebbins a boldfaced truth:
Wolfe ties up the case in his single appearance on the scen by doing nothing more than observing the most common items in a typical barber shop. It's a little difficult to tell if the solution is clever or deflating.
The last (and oddest) story, "The Squirt and the Monkey," involves a newspaper comic artist, Harry Koven, who's pistol has been stolen. Koven has hired Archie to replace the stolen gun with his own matching model in order to gauge the effect it has on the group of people he suspects. On top of that it involves a pet monkey... but before you groan and turn away, imagining the monkey will end up being a murder suspect you can rest easy -- it's really only incidental to the puzzle, only contributing to the facts, not the mechanics.
It has a solid opening line:
As quickly as the unbelievable scenario is established, the reader expects the bizarre setup to unravel.
By now, any reader familiar with Nero Wolfe will see this as an inside joke — the exception is the rule.
Archie sets up a particularly cruel joke at Rowcliff's expense with style. It fits the overall adversarial mood in this collection:
Stout uses a literary reference effectively here, sharpening characterization and enhancing the scene. Lon, despite his newspaper background, fails to recognize a quotation from Ben Jonson, and Wolfe corrects him.
Wolfe smokes out a killer in "Home to Roost" using a tactic that seems shady on the surface; borderline blackmail. Wolfe is using a $10K payment to encourage the (presumed) witness, Della Devlin, to inform the police of any facts she might be withholding.
In short, that there was an eyewitness to the murder. I propose to make him talk. Or her.
Archie contributes his usual swagger:
Our bank says that Rackell rates seven figures west of the decimal point, and we would like to earn a fee by tagging a murderer...
At his right was a specimen who was a female anatomically but otherwise a what-is-it....
She was a resident buyer of novelties for out-of-town stores. There are ten thousand of her in midtown New York any weekday, and they're all being imposed on. You see it in their faces. The problem is to find out who it is that's imposing on them, and some day I may tackle it.
Archie is sent to FBI agent Wengert to ensure they won't be interfering in the FBI’s investigation:
Some nerve. Sending you here with that bull about wanting to clear! Why didn't he ask me to send him up the files? Come again when I'm not here."
Wolfe offers a bit of his own sarcasm:
Wengert cleared his throat. "Look, Wolfe," he said, not belligerently, "we're here to talk sense."
"Good. Why not start?"
He even offers this nice quote explaining his plan to solve the crime:
The past is hopeless. There's too much of it.
If their past is too much for us, their future isn't, or shouldn't be.
In "The Cop-Killer," he and archie dance around a police investigation at their local barbers by claiming a regular visit for a haircut, while actually working to find how a car thief and murderer found himself tied to the shop. An illegal immigrant couple who fled from persecution in their country are wrongly suspected and seek Archie's help. As innocent as they may be, they manage to fully embroil Wolfe in the investigation.
Archie to Wolfe:
"So actually what's the difference? If they're sent back where they came from they're doomed there, that's all they have to pick from. One interesting angle is that you are harboring fugitives from justice, and I am not.
Wolfe to Archie:
Even if I had a move to make I couldn't make it. If I so much as stir a finger Mr. Cramer will start yelping, and I have no muzzle for him.
Archie even tells Sgt Stebbins a boldfaced truth:
That's the advantage of having a reputation for gags, you can say practically anything if you handle your face right. I told him they were here in our front room, and he sailed right over it. So I'm clean, but you're not.
Wolfe ties up the case in his single appearance on the scen by doing nothing more than observing the most common items in a typical barber shop. It's a little difficult to tell if the solution is clever or deflating.
The last (and oddest) story, "The Squirt and the Monkey," involves a newspaper comic artist, Harry Koven, who's pistol has been stolen. Koven has hired Archie to replace the stolen gun with his own matching model in order to gauge the effect it has on the group of people he suspects. On top of that it involves a pet monkey... but before you groan and turn away, imagining the monkey will end up being a murder suspect you can rest easy -- it's really only incidental to the puzzle, only contributing to the facts, not the mechanics.
It has a solid opening line:
I was doing two things at once. With my hands I was getting my armpit holster and the Marley .32 from a drawer of my desk, and with my tongue I was giving Nero Wolfe a lecture on economics.
As quickly as the unbelievable scenario is established, the reader expects the bizarre setup to unravel.
His will power sticks and has to be primed with alcohol. I roamed around. We just came in here where his desk is, and I opened the drawer for a look. Someone has taken my gun and substituted his -- his that was stolen, you know? It's back where it belongs, but mine is gone.
By now, any reader familiar with Nero Wolfe will see this as an inside joke — the exception is the rule.
At that hour Wolfe would be up in the plant rooms for his afternoon shift with the orchids, where he was not to be disturbed except in emergency, but this was one.
Archie sets up a particularly cruel joke at Rowcliff's expense with style. It fits the overall adversarial mood in this collection:
His biggest handicap is that when he gets irritated to a certain point he can't help stuttering, and I'm onto him enough to tell when he's just about there, and then I start stuttering before he does. Even with a close watch and careful timing it takes luck to do it right, and that evening I was lucky.
Stout uses a literary reference effectively here, sharpening characterization and enhancing the scene. Lon, despite his newspaper background, fails to recognize a quotation from Ben Jonson, and Wolfe corrects him.
Lon turned his other hand over. "Husband and wife are one, aren't they?"
"Yes. Man and wife make one fool."
Lon's chin jerked up. "I want to print that. Why not?"
"It was printed more than three hundred years ago. Ben Jonson wrote it." Wolfe sighed.
September 12, 2009
Three prime Nero Wolfe shorts including the murder at the barbershop and the interview where to the remark, "Is this a democracy or isn't it?" the wife snaps, "No! It's not a democracy, it's a republic."
March 22, 2020
Contains three short stories or 7 or 8 chapters each. It is amazing how much Stout can pack into a short story! If you aren't familiar with Nero Wolfe and Archie, this might be an easy place to start, even though it is well along in the series. If you are familiar, this is just some added fun!
Home To Roost
A wealthy couple comes to Wolfe to find out about their nephew's murder. He was supposedly a Communist, but told his aunt he was working undercover for the FBI. They can get no information from either the police or the FBI. Wolfe and Archie gather the people who were at the dinner when the nephew was poisoned, and somewhat underhandedly discover the killer.
The Cop-Killer
A barber and manicurist married couple from Archie's barbershop come to him for help. A man has been killed at the shop, and they are afraid they will be blamed because they entered the country illegally. They stay at Wolfe's house, because he thinks they will be caught immediately if he lets them go. While Archie is at the barbershop another manicurist is attacked, the police don't believe Archie, and of course Wolfe decides to solve the case.
The Squirt and the Monkey
The creator of the comic strip 'Dazzle Dan' hires Wolfe because his gun has been stolen. Harry Koven wants to solve the case himself, but using Archie's gun as bait since it's the same kind of gun. Of course, one of the artists who works for him (the Squirt) gets shot with that gun and Archie is in trouble. Cramer ticks Wolfe off by suspending his investigator's license, so Wolfe files a lawsuit against Koven and uses that as an excuse to solve the murder, while Cramer looks on from the spy panel. The monkey is a pet of Koven's and plays a small part in the story.
Home To Roost
A wealthy couple comes to Wolfe to find out about their nephew's murder. He was supposedly a Communist, but told his aunt he was working undercover for the FBI. They can get no information from either the police or the FBI. Wolfe and Archie gather the people who were at the dinner when the nephew was poisoned, and somewhat underhandedly discover the killer.
The Cop-Killer
A barber and manicurist married couple from Archie's barbershop come to him for help. A man has been killed at the shop, and they are afraid they will be blamed because they entered the country illegally. They stay at Wolfe's house, because he thinks they will be caught immediately if he lets them go. While Archie is at the barbershop another manicurist is attacked, the police don't believe Archie, and of course Wolfe decides to solve the case.
The Squirt and the Monkey
The creator of the comic strip 'Dazzle Dan' hires Wolfe because his gun has been stolen. Harry Koven wants to solve the case himself, but using Archie's gun as bait since it's the same kind of gun. Of course, one of the artists who works for him (the Squirt) gets shot with that gun and Archie is in trouble. Cramer ticks Wolfe off by suspending his investigator's license, so Wolfe files a lawsuit against Koven and uses that as an excuse to solve the murder, while Cramer looks on from the spy panel. The monkey is a pet of Koven's and plays a small part in the story.
July 17, 2020
This book contains three Nero Wolfe short stories. Those stories are independent of one another, but together they have the length of a normal Nero Wolfe mystery. The three titles are Home to Roost, The Cop-Killer and The Squirt and the Monkey. I would describe the Nero Wolfe series of mysteries as a character driven series. And, these characters are interesting and memorable people that you wish you could actually meet and know, especially Archie and Nero. In these three stories the two main characters really shine in the second and third mysteries. In the second mystery, Nero solves the case in a manner similar to Sherlock Holmes. That is, he uses logic and deductive reasoning. All the clues are available to the reader and after Nero explains his reasoning, you’ll say “I should have been able to figure that one out too”. In the third mystery, Archie ends up arrested for murder. So, you’ll find Archie at his best with witty dialogue and bold actions to get himself off the hook. However, he cannot do it alone, he needs Nero to resolve the case and clear his name. I felt the first mystery, Home to Roost, was a bit lacking in the usual snappy dialogue and repartee by Archie. He seemed to have a reduced role and he is my favorite character. Therefore, I gave the overall rating a four instead of a five. However, if allowed I would actually rate it 4.5, but that option is not available.
September 1, 2017
Rex Stout's "Triple Jeopardy (A Nero Wolfe Mystery Book 20)" is another collection of three of his short stories ("Home to Roost" (1952), "The Cop Killer" (1951), and "The Squirt and the Monkey" (1951)). It was first published in 1952. Unfortunately, I'm not all that happy with this book. The first two stories ("Roost" and "Cop Killer") are mostly his usual fare for short stories. But, in each one, there's a central character whose behavior is so stupid that it just knocks the legs out from under the thing. So, in those two cases, I'm rating them at merely an OK 3 stars out of 5. The big problem is with the third story ("Squirt & Monkey"). In that story, the writing and pacing are actually much better than that in the previous two stories. But, the very premise of the thing is utterly ridiculous. No villain capable of coming up with that plan would ever be so stupid in the choice of patsies. Plus, Stout's portrayal of Inspector Cramer is an abomination. Yes, Cramer gets a tad upset with Wolfe/Archie on occasion. But, his behavior here is insupportable. The very best I can rate this last story is a pretty bad 2 stars out of 5. Arithmetically, that still leaves me at an overall, integer rating of an OK 3 stars out of 5 for the book. But, that last story left such a bad taste in my mouth that I'd like to rate it a whole lot worse.
May 30, 2021
This book includes three stories from the early 1950's - each one with some quirks.
The first is "Home to Roost". I think this is the only weak Nero Wolfe mystery I've read. To me, the content was mostly about Rex Stout (using Nero Wolfe as his avatar) setting up his anti-communist bona fides. Probably necessary in those paranoid times, but not top-quality writing.
The second is "The Cop Killer", a much better-written novella. The crime is that a police detective, while investigating another crime, is murdered in a largish barbershop during business hours. There are several interesting characters with some twists. The essential clue pointing to the killer was alluded a couple of times earlier in the tale, along with several red herrings. It's one of those deals when the killer is identified and the "how' is revealed, you go "oooooh, of course - it was there all along...."
The third novella is "The Squirt and the Monkey", a bit of a mixed bag. Archie is framed for the murder of a manipulative individual at a well-to-do household/studio of a comic strip creator. With Archie on the hot seat, there's more anger in this story than customary.
The first is "Home to Roost". I think this is the only weak Nero Wolfe mystery I've read. To me, the content was mostly about Rex Stout (using Nero Wolfe as his avatar) setting up his anti-communist bona fides. Probably necessary in those paranoid times, but not top-quality writing.
The second is "The Cop Killer", a much better-written novella. The crime is that a police detective, while investigating another crime, is murdered in a largish barbershop during business hours. There are several interesting characters with some twists. The essential clue pointing to the killer was alluded a couple of times earlier in the tale, along with several red herrings. It's one of those deals when the killer is identified and the "how' is revealed, you go "oooooh, of course - it was there all along...."
The third novella is "The Squirt and the Monkey", a bit of a mixed bag. Archie is framed for the murder of a manipulative individual at a well-to-do household/studio of a comic strip creator. With Archie on the hot seat, there's more anger in this story than customary.
January 27, 2022
The Nero Wolfe stories are one of the few I can say wholeheartedly -- start where you will. Rex Stout started this series in the 1930s and kept writing it into the 1970s, but for the most part, he never let his characters age or change, though the world around them did. So you can read about Archie and Nero's adventures in WW 2 or Nero's disgust with Nixon and Watergate (Family Affair - highly recommended.) These three stories are set more or less in the 50s - so you get a fascinating glimpse at the Commie scare, immigration issues in the 50s and an odd piece with Archie doing some detecting in an odd home.
Throughout the years as I say, though, despite the sweeping changes in their environ, Archie remains Archie - a tough, wisecracking detective, quick to pull a gun or a quip - and Nero remains Nero, a mountainous conglomerate of brains, neuroses and unchanging dedication to being a gourmand and an orchid fancier. And that is why you keep coming back.
I don't think that the occupants of West Thirty Fifth Street could have successfully transitioned to this new century, but when you are looking for a retreat from the 2020s, this is a good destination.
Throughout the years as I say, though, despite the sweeping changes in their environ, Archie remains Archie - a tough, wisecracking detective, quick to pull a gun or a quip - and Nero remains Nero, a mountainous conglomerate of brains, neuroses and unchanging dedication to being a gourmand and an orchid fancier. And that is why you keep coming back.
I don't think that the occupants of West Thirty Fifth Street could have successfully transitioned to this new century, but when you are looking for a retreat from the 2020s, this is a good destination.
May 8, 2019
3 stories. 1. Home to Roost ~ A question of who is the real Communist? 2. The Cop Killer ~ the Vardas work at a barbershop that both detectives patronize. Carl is a barber and his wife Tina is a manicurist... they were also survivors of a Russian concentration camp as well as illegals... and so when a policeman came asking questions... they bolted and went to Wolfe's for a $50.00 worth of advice and maybe sanctuary. It turns out that after they hurriedly left, that same cop got killed so they are now suspected of killing a cop on top of everything else. 3. The Squirt and the Monkey ~ the art of graphics illustration is not only a very lucrative business it is also full of intrigues as the world of Dazzla Dan a detective character that enjoys daily readership at a leading newspaper. Nothing is what it seems... insidious and dark humor lurk in the drawings stabbing at its victims until death put a stop to the torture. Death in the form of Archie's gun and then the lies came to further draw both Wolfe and Archie into its web.
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