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Tecumseh Fox #1
Double for Death
Tecumseh Fox thinks that he is seeing double when financier Ridley Thorpe is shot twice, two gorgeous suspects appear, two very good motives are revealed, and two murder weapons surface.
259 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1939
130 people are currently reading
316 people want to read
About the author
Rex Stout
835 books1,031 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 42 reviews
March 7, 2011
I borrowed Double for Death eBook from the Toronto Public Library, virtual branch, thinking it was a Nero Wolfe mystery, not knowing Rex Stout had written another series starring a different kind of detective called "Tecumseh Fox." A bit of a surprise when I read the Introduction and discovered not Nero Wolfe. But I had been looking for a new series to try, so this was rather serendipitous!
The first big diff between a Fox mystery and a Wolfe one was point of view (POV): it's third person whereas it's first person from Archie's POV in a Wolfe book. This means Stout can write scenes in which Fox or any of his compadres does not appear. It makes for a more complicated, plot-wise, story. But it also means that it's far, far more difficult to get a handle on this Fox character. In fact, I never did get a sense of this man. Given Stout's command of the language, the plot, the clues, I think this is deliberate, that Stout wanted a character as mysterious as Wolfe is obvious. We get hints of who this man is, but one really has to exercise the little grey cells to see the hints from how Fox interacts with the action and the other characters. Show not tell, Stout does well here! It is essentially like meeting a new acquaintance who keeps things close to the vest, doesn't talk much to give you ideas of what they're thinking or feeling. It's intriguing enough to make the reader want to read the next in the series (is there a next? how long is the series, I should look!) to find out more about Fox.
The plot itself is engaging, with enough realistic twists to keep one reading. And the clues are most certainly there, but cleverly woven into the story so that they're not easy to pick up. Yet the dénouement doesn't come out of nowhere, making the reader go, "huh?" Instead, it fits in nicely, and the reader goes, "ooohhhhh, of course!"
The first big diff between a Fox mystery and a Wolfe one was point of view (POV): it's third person whereas it's first person from Archie's POV in a Wolfe book. This means Stout can write scenes in which Fox or any of his compadres does not appear. It makes for a more complicated, plot-wise, story. But it also means that it's far, far more difficult to get a handle on this Fox character. In fact, I never did get a sense of this man. Given Stout's command of the language, the plot, the clues, I think this is deliberate, that Stout wanted a character as mysterious as Wolfe is obvious. We get hints of who this man is, but one really has to exercise the little grey cells to see the hints from how Fox interacts with the action and the other characters. Show not tell, Stout does well here! It is essentially like meeting a new acquaintance who keeps things close to the vest, doesn't talk much to give you ideas of what they're thinking or feeling. It's intriguing enough to make the reader want to read the next in the series (is there a next? how long is the series, I should look!) to find out more about Fox.
The plot itself is engaging, with enough realistic twists to keep one reading. And the clues are most certainly there, but cleverly woven into the story so that they're not easy to pick up. Yet the dénouement doesn't come out of nowhere, making the reader go, "huh?" Instead, it fits in nicely, and the reader goes, "ooohhhhh, of course!"
January 25, 2019
I have read and enjoyed Stout's Nero Wolfe series, but I had not heard of Tecumseh Fox until recently. Stout did not leave his good prose and knack for good dialog for his better known series.
Nero Wolfe and Tecumseh Fox have only one thing in common: their ability to think through the clues of a murder. Where Wolfe is sedentary, Fox is active. Wolfe has a strict schedule, Fox adapts to a fluid timeline. Wolfe has Archie, relies on him for his eyes and ears, and their relationship is part of what makes that series so good. Fox has Dan, who, as far as I can see, barely follows instruction and doesn't see what needs to be seen.
This latter might be one reason the series hasn't become more well known. Maybe Stout just couldn't find a way to make that relationship work. There appear to be only 3 novels in this series. If I stumble across them at next to nothing (or free!), I'll pick them up. But only then. Still, I enjoyed my time here and happy to give it a middling 3-stars.
Nero Wolfe and Tecumseh Fox have only one thing in common: their ability to think through the clues of a murder. Where Wolfe is sedentary, Fox is active. Wolfe has a strict schedule, Fox adapts to a fluid timeline. Wolfe has Archie, relies on him for his eyes and ears, and their relationship is part of what makes that series so good. Fox has Dan, who, as far as I can see, barely follows instruction and doesn't see what needs to be seen.
This latter might be one reason the series hasn't become more well known. Maybe Stout just couldn't find a way to make that relationship work. There appear to be only 3 novels in this series. If I stumble across them at next to nothing (or free!), I'll pick them up. But only then. Still, I enjoyed my time here and happy to give it a middling 3-stars.
January 28, 2025
Distraction /comfort read during norovirus recovery.
July 8, 2020
In the back of the edition I read, the editor or somebody states that Nero Wolfe thought Fox was the best detective he'd ever written. I wonder, given that these little "gems" were added to the books long after Stout's death, and the fact that he only wrote 3 Fox novels. (Oh, and by the way, skip Rita Mae Brown's Introduction unless you want the whole book spoiled for you: plot, denouement and all.) I read somewhere else (perhaps in a biography) that Stout's publisher wanted him to have a different detective besides Wolfe to increase market share, and that Stout was less than enamoured of the idea--witness the fact that from Wolfe he went to Fox, not much of a departure if he was really interested in striking into a new vein.
But it's not just that. The story itself is lacklustre, with no spark, no sparkle, and no humour. Too many characters, many of whom serve no purpose, too much unnecessary convolution. I had great hopes of Fox with his rambling farmhouse and his menage of oddities, but they play no part in the story to speak of. As a detective, Fox is a bit of a duffer; his technique of gathering information seems to be to ask someone a question and then interrupt them before they can give him the answer he supposedly wants. And boy, can Tecumseh talk. Yak, yak, yak. He can't let anyone else get a word in edgewise. Most of the cops and lawyers have the same disease--chatter, chatter, chatter. Stout seems to have forgotten all about "show don't tell" for this book. It feels like it was written by a completely different person--a not very accomplished person, at that.
Just in passing, I notice that Stout continues his penchant for totally made-up brand names for things like cars and firearms. I wonder why? It serves no purpose to call a car a Weathersill instead of a Ford or a Cadillac, just as there's no point in calling a pistol a Dowsey instead of a Colt.
At first I thought it was just "summer brain", but this book was an awful trudge. The only reason I forced myself to finish it was because I was feeling cantankerous, but it took me a week to read this short book. I kept putting it down and picking up other things.
Dull, dull, dull. Perhaps I should have read Brown's spoiler-ridden Intro and left it at that.
But it's not just that. The story itself is lacklustre, with no spark, no sparkle, and no humour. Too many characters, many of whom serve no purpose, too much unnecessary convolution. I had great hopes of Fox with his rambling farmhouse and his menage of oddities, but they play no part in the story to speak of. As a detective, Fox is a bit of a duffer; his technique of gathering information seems to be to ask someone a question and then interrupt them before they can give him the answer he supposedly wants. And boy, can Tecumseh talk. Yak, yak, yak. He can't let anyone else get a word in edgewise. Most of the cops and lawyers have the same disease--chatter, chatter, chatter. Stout seems to have forgotten all about "show don't tell" for this book. It feels like it was written by a completely different person--a not very accomplished person, at that.
Just in passing, I notice that Stout continues his penchant for totally made-up brand names for things like cars and firearms. I wonder why? It serves no purpose to call a car a Weathersill instead of a Ford or a Cadillac, just as there's no point in calling a pistol a Dowsey instead of a Colt.
At first I thought it was just "summer brain", but this book was an awful trudge. The only reason I forced myself to finish it was because I was feeling cantankerous, but it took me a week to read this short book. I kept putting it down and picking up other things.
Dull, dull, dull. Perhaps I should have read Brown's spoiler-ridden Intro and left it at that.
July 6, 2019
I like the Nero Wolfe series, but I had trouble following the characters and the plot. I finally gave up.
April 27, 2019
As a young adult, and dominant in our post-college leisure reading, our favorite stories were undoubtedly the some four dozen Nero Wolfe stories by Rex Stout, written mostly from 1934 to 1975. We somehow just discovered that Stout authored a second series, again about a detective, one Tecumseh Fox – a set of just three tales written right around 1940. “Double” is the first of the three, which are now difficult to secure.
However, we were not particularly impressed. The plot revolves around two deaths in just a couple of days, with a bevy of suspects and clues; and mostly incompetent police and DA officials providing a foil to Fox’s keen sense of logic and ability to run around deciphering events. We found it difficult and not particularly entertaining trying to keep track of everything and everybody, and for a while thought the whole thing was perhaps some sort of farce. It did resolve into a fairly typical whodunit with a "grand reveal" at the end reminiscent of the Nero Wolfe endings.
While not horrible, the novel was definitely not pleasing enough to seek out the other two.
However, we were not particularly impressed. The plot revolves around two deaths in just a couple of days, with a bevy of suspects and clues; and mostly incompetent police and DA officials providing a foil to Fox’s keen sense of logic and ability to run around deciphering events. We found it difficult and not particularly entertaining trying to keep track of everything and everybody, and for a while thought the whole thing was perhaps some sort of farce. It did resolve into a fairly typical whodunit with a "grand reveal" at the end reminiscent of the Nero Wolfe endings.
While not horrible, the novel was definitely not pleasing enough to seek out the other two.
May 22, 2021
2.0 out of 5 stars
ADHD Murder Mystery
May 21, 2021
The only reason I even finished Rex Stout's 1939 novel [[ASIN:B003QTDHTI "Tecumseh Fox, Book 1: Double for Death"]] was to see which of his multitude of red herrings he'd pin things on without evidence or anything approaching a reasonable motive. It's hard to believe this was written by the same person who wrote the Nero Wolfe series. This thing reads like an ADHD Murder Mystery. Everything (plot, murder, characters, dialog) is frantic and jumping around. Some of the text is so chaotic I actually had to read it multiple times to figure out what Stout meant. Also, his portrayal of the police and Attorneys General is just crazy. He doesn't portray every one of them as being merely fools. Instead, he portrays every one of them as active, belligerent idiots. It's just crazy. I'm rating this at a Bad 2 stars out of 5.
ADHD Murder Mystery
May 21, 2021
The only reason I even finished Rex Stout's 1939 novel [[ASIN:B003QTDHTI "Tecumseh Fox, Book 1: Double for Death"]] was to see which of his multitude of red herrings he'd pin things on without evidence or anything approaching a reasonable motive. It's hard to believe this was written by the same person who wrote the Nero Wolfe series. This thing reads like an ADHD Murder Mystery. Everything (plot, murder, characters, dialog) is frantic and jumping around. Some of the text is so chaotic I actually had to read it multiple times to figure out what Stout meant. Also, his portrayal of the police and Attorneys General is just crazy. He doesn't portray every one of them as being merely fools. Instead, he portrays every one of them as active, belligerent idiots. It's just crazy. I'm rating this at a Bad 2 stars out of 5.
June 6, 2019
Tec Fox is a licensed PI who owns a sort of "second chance" rehab ranch for the lost, down~and~out yet with the potential and option to live a normal life or aspire for greatness as the case may be. Fox's PI abilities are what Nancy Grant came looking for, given that her Uncle Andy was once a denizen of The Zoo (as what the residents call their resort of sort) and now the former Zoo~resident is accused of killing millionaire Ridley Thorpe for his losing the advertising account for Thorpe's company when they rejected Grant's campaign proposal resulting in Grant getting fired from his job thus showing a strong motive for murder as far as the police are concerned. A pre~Nero Wolfe period and still makes for a time well~spent with twists and surprises that gives a very satisfactory ending by its almost brilliant deduction.
January 26, 2019
Interesting to read a non-Nero Wolfe book from Rex Stout. In some ways, this story is like an opposite to the Nero Wolfe books. In this specific example, the mystery is really the focus and the driving aspect. The detective character-wise is more background and not very distinct as to who he is and his capabilities. Maybe this was covered in the first book of the series. Still seemed to me to be more of a capable generic detective. That being said, this was a very good mystery and I enjoyed it.
February 24, 2025
This one was extremely fast-paced, and quite hard to follow as Tecumseh races from one inquiry to the next. There are two victims, one a stand-in for the other, two clients, two guns, and lots of misdirection. Halfway through I considered DNF'ing it, but I stuck with it, didn't pay too much attention to the details, and just enjoyed the ride. Fox's household is an amusing scene, with his landlady and various hangers-on inhabiting it. Bottom line: Tecumseh Fox is to Nero Wolfe as Donald Lam is to Perry Mason!
December 27, 2018
This novel features Stout's alternate protagonist, one Tecumseh Fox who is the opposite of the reclusive epicurean Nero Wolfe, yet has the same incisive mind necessary for solving the most convoluted of crimes. A double murder in which the same man appeared to be killed twice is dropped in Fox's lap - and one of the weapons used belongs to him. Full of potential suspects and plenty of motives, Fox works his way to a surprising but gratifying solution.
February 10, 2019
My first Rex Stout book
I stumbled upon this book and read all the reviews talking about the great Nero Wolfe and the awesome Rex Stout. Tecumseh Fox was supposed to be second best. But I really enjoyed the quirkiness of the characters and the fun in this book. Only reserved a star because I felt the motive for the murders was a little thin at the end. But I have found a new author and both Tec Fox and Rex Stout have a new fan.
I stumbled upon this book and read all the reviews talking about the great Nero Wolfe and the awesome Rex Stout. Tecumseh Fox was supposed to be second best. But I really enjoyed the quirkiness of the characters and the fun in this book. Only reserved a star because I felt the motive for the murders was a little thin at the end. But I have found a new author and both Tec Fox and Rex Stout have a new fan.
June 4, 2019
I didn't realize that Rex Stout had a second series of detective novels (although with only three novels featuring Tecumseh Fox, he obviously wasn't as popular as Nero Wolfe). While there are still flashes of Rex Stout's writing style in this novel, its much different than his Wolfe stories. Its a decent story, but the characters are hard to pin down and I finished the book without really grasping what Fox's motivations were or the relationship between him and his right hand man.
September 5, 2017
Not bad, and the setting/setup is interesting.
Tecumseh Fox is not Archie Goodwin, but I actually think he's sufficiently similar to Goodwin to make Fox in some sense a somewhat superfluous character in the Rex Stout universe. Stout could easily have written a very similar story with Archie (and Wolfe) as the main protagonist(s).
Tecumseh Fox is not Archie Goodwin, but I actually think he's sufficiently similar to Goodwin to make Fox in some sense a somewhat superfluous character in the Rex Stout universe. Stout could easily have written a very similar story with Archie (and Wolfe) as the main protagonist(s).
January 24, 2019
Old fashioned mystery
As a fan of Nero Wolfe, I was interested in reading another of Stout’s series. It was interesting in its own way, but I w t be rushing to buy the second Tecumsah Fox. Were the police really that inept and impotent in the late 30s? Were people really that flippant? On the plus side, I will say I was kept guessing about whodunit until the very end.
As a fan of Nero Wolfe, I was interested in reading another of Stout’s series. It was interesting in its own way, but I w t be rushing to buy the second Tecumsah Fox. Were the police really that inept and impotent in the late 30s? Were people really that flippant? On the plus side, I will say I was kept guessing about whodunit until the very end.
January 20, 2019
Double for Death is Bold and Articulate
Great find in Mr Fox quite different than Nero Wolfe, but suffering some of the same arrogance when dealing with law enforcement authority.
Enjoy a good fast paced read and many reliable suspects.
Great find in Mr Fox quite different than Nero Wolfe, but suffering some of the same arrogance when dealing with law enforcement authority.
Enjoy a good fast paced read and many reliable suspects.
February 4, 2019
Double trouble nifty story.
As usual, the clues were there all the time, and in the final act one might ask, "Why didn't I catch that - why didn't I put it together?" Altogether a very good read, equal to the Nero Wolfe stories that Stout assembled so well.
As usual, the clues were there all the time, and in the final act one might ask, "Why didn't I catch that - why didn't I put it together?" Altogether a very good read, equal to the Nero Wolfe stories that Stout assembled so well.
March 21, 2020
The snappy dialogue that you expect with a Rex Stout tale is present. Tecumseh Fox combines Archie Goodwin's activity with Nero Wolfe's brain, but its just not quite as satisfying(for me) as the Nero Wolfe stories.
January 20, 2019
Story's second great detective.
Really fun read. Complex mystery. I liked this book a lot. Will look for more Fox mysteries by this author.
Really fun read. Complex mystery. I liked this book a lot. Will look for more Fox mysteries by this author.
January 29, 2019
No, the character is not Nero Wolfe but the writer is Rex Stout--great humor and turns of phrase. His pre-WWII work is just better, not sure why.
February 22, 2019
Engaging story, but not up to the level of Stout's Nero Wolfe series
July 25, 2019
I enjoy this book more as historical fiction than as a mystery. The murderer is obvious from the start.
May 4, 2020
Interesting plot but I like Nero Wolf better.
October 1, 2021
Very good fun, even without Nero and Archie.
January 27, 2022
Good story
Enjoyed it. Rex Stout is my favorite mystery writer. Not a as good as a Nero Wolfe but very good.
Enjoyed it. Rex Stout is my favorite mystery writer. Not a as good as a Nero Wolfe but very good.
October 30, 2020
As other reviewers have said, this book is an interesting departure for writer Rex Stout from the brilliantly conceived and executed character of Nero Wolfe. Yes, Tec (William Tecumseh) Fox is in most ways the antithesis of the seventh-of-a-ton detective. Fox is agile, eminently able, altruistic and a stellar thinker unto himself. The mystery in question--one of only two created by Stout featuring Fox--is a corker. It's labyrinthine, reminiscent of some of the more far-fetched British mysteries, yet somehow successful in its own right.
I like Tec Fox. I would like to have seen him in, say, five mysteries before Stout moved on to his famous creation. But I guess we diehard Wolfers should be grateful that he DID move on, because clearly his commitment to Fox would have taken up some of the time needed for him to hew out and then evolve the irascible Montenegrin. In the end, I will keep Fox's two outings on my Rex Stout shelf, and I will return to read them, I think, at least once more before I duly kick the bucket. Anything coming from Stout's pen is worthy of ongoing consideration.
I like Tec Fox. I would like to have seen him in, say, five mysteries before Stout moved on to his famous creation. But I guess we diehard Wolfers should be grateful that he DID move on, because clearly his commitment to Fox would have taken up some of the time needed for him to hew out and then evolve the irascible Montenegrin. In the end, I will keep Fox's two outings on my Rex Stout shelf, and I will return to read them, I think, at least once more before I duly kick the bucket. Anything coming from Stout's pen is worthy of ongoing consideration.
June 11, 2011
I am an unadulterated fan of Nero Wolfe and therefore Rex Stout, or perhaps the reverse is true. Double for Death is the third non-Wolfe novel of Stouts that I’ve read and I fully enjoyed it. The detective of the story is Tecumseh Fox (Stout wrote three Fox novels the others are Bad for Business and The Broken Vase). Comparing Tec to Nero and Archie is foolish, as he is neither. Tec moves in the world, unlike Nero and, unlike Archie, he is the brains of the operation.
The most important issue of a murder-mystery is the mystery. Like most of the other Stout books I’ve read I didn’t figure it our until the end, after Tec did his work. This mystery has enough twists, turns and red-herrings to keep any mystery fan interested. Tec gets involved in solving the murder of Ridley Thorpe, twice. He also has to help Mr. Thorpe set up an alibi for the first time he gets murdered. Confusing? Well all I have to say is read the story and enjoy.
The most important issue of a murder-mystery is the mystery. Like most of the other Stout books I’ve read I didn’t figure it our until the end, after Tec did his work. This mystery has enough twists, turns and red-herrings to keep any mystery fan interested. Tec gets involved in solving the murder of Ridley Thorpe, twice. He also has to help Mr. Thorpe set up an alibi for the first time he gets murdered. Confusing? Well all I have to say is read the story and enjoy.
August 30, 2016
Rex Stout had many different characters throughout his career. Some had one shot appearances and some had several. Only Nero Wolfe lasted the longest. But Tecumseh Fox had three. Stout liked the first appearance and always considered it an excellent detective tale with all the right pieces. While I enjoyed the book it was a big of a slow plot to follow the twists and turns. One of Fox's associates is an idiot and his actions/inactions almost led to the wrong people getting arrested. But still a good change from Nero sitting at home and only thinking. Fox is all over the place acting in his own behalf and getting somethings right and some wrong. Looking forward to catching the other 2 with thia cast of characters.
April 29, 2016
I've read most of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books and was glad to learn that he wrote a small number of mysteries with a different detective. Tecumseh Fox is an intriguing character, and his rag-tag retinue adds further interest. There were a few more characters in the story than I could readily keep track of, but I enjoyed the various clues and twists. (The plot involves a stand-in for a celebrity, which apparently appeals to the same aspect of my personality that makes me fascinated by twins and family resemblances.)
January 15, 2013
When a millionaire businessman is killed in his remote getaway cottage, Andy Grant becomes the main suspect. His niece Nancy enlists famed, and eccentric, detective Tecumseh Fox to find the real murderer. Fox is not quite as quirky as Stout's more famous detective Nero Wolfe, but he also delights in confounding and confusing the local police and district attorney, which is all the easier when the dead man comes back to life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews