Alphabet Hicks

by Rex Stout

Meet the amazing Alphabet Hicks... Disbarred lawyer, uncommon cabby, and investigator extraordinary, who confronts cynical cops and conniving corporations as he pieces together a complex series of confusing clues to trap a cold-blooded killer.

Genres: Mystery, Detective

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

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

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

Reviews

[♪ Kim N · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded up because it's Rex Stout after all.

Alphabet Hicks is a former attorney, disbarred for having a conscience and exposing corruption when he saw it. Now he drives a cab in NYC and picks up the odd detective-type job if/when it appeals to him. He's an interesting character, with manners and personality a bit like Archie Goodwin, but less sympathetic and less charming. There are also a loyal restaurant owner, a clueless DA, and an overly suspicious police detective to round out the cast. The case itself is convoluted, involving sale of industrial secrets and two women with seemingly identical voices. Hicks is smart and savvy for the most part, managing to keep ahead of the police and the murderer until the final reveal. I enjoyed the story overall, but it did take some time for me to be pulled in.

[Antonis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ωραίο, στακάτο νουάρ με έναν απολαυστικό ήρωα, τον Άλφαμπετ Χικς.

[Mira · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a very messy peek into the life of upper-class New Yorkers and their melodrama.It's literally a fast-paced narrative, within the timeline of the story, but because of how dense and dated the writing style is it feels very slow. There is a lot of filler and a lot of fluff to fill out the book that has no real bearing other than to contribute to the general ambiance, which I don't mind so much but I do understand why the majority of people would. The ending is satisfying enough and not completely predictable, but I'm sure it was very clever for its time. The final few chapters of the book are the best part, mostly it's because you've given the clear intentions of everyone rather than having to guess based on vague physical descriptions and implications in their old-timey statements. A dense read from another era that loops around to being charming and new in the end. 3/5

[Rick Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a standalone novel - not a Nero Wolfe. According to Wikipedia, it was later republished under the title The Sound of Murder. there is only one other work featuring Alphabet Hicks: a short story titled "His Own Hand" which also appears in anthologies under the title "Curtain Line".

Major characters:
Alphabet Hicks, disbarred lawyer
Judith Dundee, accused of selling out her husband
Richard I. Dundee, her husband, owner of the plastics factory
Ross Dundee, their son, a technician in the factory
Herman Brager, an engineer in the factory
Heather Gladd, a secretary in the factory
Martha Cooper, Heather's sister
George Cooper, her husband
Jimmy Vail, a competitor

Locale: Katonah, New York

Synopsis: Disbarred lawyer Alphabet Hicks is driving a NYC taxicab, and picks up a fare, Judith Dundee. She recognizes his name and hires him to fix a touchy issue: her husband, Richard I. Dundee, has accused her of selling his business secrets on plastics manufacturing to a competitor, Jimmy Vail. She claims innocence, but her husband says he has proof - in the form of a phonograph record (which they call a sonograph plate) containing a conversation between her and Vail.

Hicks encounters another woman - Martha Cooper - and initially thinks she is Judith, as she has an identical voice. Hicks follows her to Katonah, NY, site of Dundee's plastics factory. She goes to the house on the site, which is occupied by Heather Gladd (secretary), Herman Brager (engineer), Ross Dundee (a technician, and Richard's son), and Mrs. Powell, a housekeeper.

Hicks suspects that the voice on the record may really be Martha Cooper, which would let Judith off the hook. Before he can investigate, Martha is found dead outside the factory; and the record is nowhere to be found. Her husband arrives on the scene - and soon he is dead also.

Review: All through this book I thought I must be reading Erle Stanley Gardner. Gardner has a similarly-named lawyer (A.B.C. Carr) in his Doug Selby series. The action is like Gardner also. Hicks is quirky but quite at home dealing with the authorities, somewhat a disorganized Archie Goodwin.

As soon as I found the plot involved a sound recording, I suspected a trick as in Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) - but thankfully - it does not. The recording does play a part in the solution, but is not as simple as being either Judith Dundee or Martha Cooper. Let's just say that manipulating media files is nothing new!

[Virginia Tican · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alphabet Hicks is Archie Goodwin as a disbarred lawyer with a touch of Nero Wolfe. This case is a mix of treason and the vindictiveness of scorned passion. It all started with a woman and then with yet another woman who sounded just like the first one... and the wonder of plastic invention (as the sonograph plate, a sort of a disk that can play and record sounds and conversations like a vinyl record) so that revenge could be extracted and then the murders of innocent persons are inevitable... with the passive participation of yet another self~serving individual who only cared for profits. This is more than a murder mystery, the author definitely showed the reader that a series of circumstances and people at the right time and place have made it possible for the murderer to plan his revenge and for such to go undetected, two people must be eliminated... and what does it matter to the murderer since he is after all working for the Fatherland and they are the enemy?... Makes one wonder about the hidden agenda of people given the opportunity.

P.S. ~ This is not for readers who only want the feel and excitement of the awesome brilliance of the Nero Wolfe Mysteries. This is for those who Love the author's works N.M.W. (No Matter What).

[Paul O'Grady · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book mildly amusing but would only really recommend it to a Rex Stout fan interested in his detective fiction beyond Nero Wolfe. While Alphabet Hocks is an interesting character he lacks some of gge charm and wit. of Archie Goodwin and Tecumseh Fox another Stout detective. As a mystery novel I would rate it as above average but the technology at the center of the story is a tad outdated and it certainly might affect some modern readers. Recommend for Stout fans. Everyone else might want to pass.

[Sean O · Rating 2 out of 5]

This might be my favorite two star book. Written by Rex Stout, who is great writing Nero Wolfe, this is a rambling, shabby book with an oddball detective.

It was hard to get into, slow moving, and a rather messy story.

OTOH, it was a gumshoe detective story with some pretty good lines and not even a smidge of “noir.”

I got the sense that Stout was making up Alphabet Hicks as he went along. And basically just took 5 or so quirks and mashed them together.

It didn’t quite jell, but some of the writing is fun.

Recommended to Rex Stout fans only.

[Joseph Donovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sound of Murder, by Rex Stout, is mediocre when compared to the stories in Mr. Stout’s Nero Wolf series of murder mysteries. The plot surrounding the murder is full of actions and events which seem contrived to create a suspenseful unmasking and clever solution. However, the suspense was lacking because none of the characters stood out so I could feel some affinity for him/her. The main character, Alphabet Hicks was not very likable. I can understand why The Sound of Myrder is both the first and last novel in which he is a character.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even a superior writer like Rex Stout does not get too many chances to create a great character. He hit the jackpot with Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, but when he tried another detective named Alphabet Hicks, a disbarred lawyer who hands out humorous business cards, he missed the mark. A society matron hires taxi-driving Hicks to find out why her husband has accused her of leaking business secrets. His secretary's sister, an actress, is murdered. Then her husband (who is in love with the secretary, as is the tycoon's son) is killed. The plot is interesting, but not compelling.

[Scott Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fully expecting to see the names Archie and Nero in the first pages, then possibly in a chapter or two into reading, but imagine how delighted I was / am to be introduced to such a character as Alphabet Hicks!

Okay, yeah it's a little biased towards the simple solution rather than anything rigorous (at least it was to me) but still a load of fun with some puzzle pieces that I hadn't quite gotten smoothed out.

I'm now going to scour the local used bookstores for more!

[Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this mostly because I wanted to read a mystery book from the 1940s. The fact that voices/sounds could be recorded was a revolutionary event was interesting. My favorite line was, "It will be the first time in history that the sound of the shot itself is used as evidence in a murder trial." But the plot itself didn't do much for me, and Hicks (main character) didn't interest me that much either.

[Mardi D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was excellent. It had lots of tidbits of information throughout that had me suspecting first one than another and then someone else and back in a circle again. Not until near the end of the book did it all become clear. I think this one was even better than the Nero Wolfe mysteries I have read so far. It's worth looking for this one if you like Rex Stout mysteries.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ο απολυμένος δικηγόρος και διάσημος Άλφαμπετ Χικς εργάζεται πλέον ως οδηγός ταξί όταν τον αναγνωρίζει μία επιβάτις του και τον προσλαμβάνει για να λύσει το μυστήριο βιομηχανικής κατασκοπίας σε ένα εργοστάσιο πλαστικών για το οποίο κατηγορείται.
Αρκετά παλιομοδίτικο, χωρίς να όμως να έχει κάτι από την αίγλη των αντίστοιχων.

[B.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. That was a twisty, turny, 'keep you guessing' book if ever there was one. Alphabet Hicks is a heck of a hero and I wish I'd discovered him years ago. Now I'll have to go searching to see if Stout wrote any others and finding them to snag as my own. FUN!

[Clyde Tosalini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well done, entertaining read. A seasoned mystery aficionado should be able to figure out at least the gist of the solution and whodunnit. Hicks is a likable, competent character. The alphabet business is kind of silly and unnecessary.

[Tiina · Rating 1 out of 5]

So sad! When the main character is called Alphabet Hicks, one has one's hopes up. But the story was b-o-r-i-n-g and went on far too long. Yawn!

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am being generous by giving this book two stars. Very disjointed and dragged out. I could only read about three pages at a session. It was all my brain could bear.

[m. j. matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

Recommend to all Red Stout fans
Held my attention the book. Hope there are more as I love Nero Wolf books

[Albert Belcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is rather good.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Rex Stout, but this book is pretty bad.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a Nero Wolfe story but still very entertaining, different pacing from his other work.

[David William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as the Nero Wolf novels

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearing out my bookshelves I found this vintage paperback of this 1941 Rex Stout mystery that features a new detective, not Nero Wolfe. I am such a fan of Wolfe and Archie Goodwin that Stout's other detectives couldn't possibly compete successfully for my affection.

The character, Alphabet Hicks, shows promise and perhaps if he were developed over dozens and dozens and dozens of stories (like Wolfe and Goodwin) he could emerge as a fascinating character. He has all the makings of an interesting personality, but this book just scratches the surface of his character development.

If it has any appeal at all, to me the fun of reading this vintage mystery is visualizing the plot in its appropriate time frame--not now. What seems like a rather tortured description of a technological development must have been quite radical in its time. That might have made the story more intriguing. Otherwise, the characters were not that vibrant and the storyline not so solid.

That said, it was fun to see Stout try to feature another detective I would love to know what he thought of this character, its reception at publication, and his decision regarding featuring the character in other books. (which it appears he did not do)

[Christi Holman · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of Stout's strengths is certainly his engaging first-person narration. That's part of why Archie Goodwin is such a wonderful character. Sadly, this book has neither Archie or first-person. "Alphabet" Hicks is a rather flat character with some artificial quirkiness (such as business cards with ridiculous acronyms printed on them - a detail which seems completely at-odds with the matter-of-fact character). There were small touches that maybe made Hicks a more engaging character in later books (were there more ABC Hicks books?), such as his dislike of crooked dealings (so great that he was disbarred for speaking up against corruption when he saw it), but these were still overshadowed by closely-followed PI-novel conventions (the women fouling things up, everyone being contrary for no good reason). I'm glad I read it, but I'm also glad I have another Nero Wolfe novel to read now as a palate-cleanser.

[Sloweducation · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent book with typically thin Rex Stout plot. Two women with identical voices threaten to upset a conspiracy in the plastics industry. Sure, Rex. However, Alphabet Hicks is a quite full character, although he hews a bit close to Nero Wolfe, and the dialogue is of first rate. I found the ending flat. Notably, it copies the typical Wolfe move of assembling all of the characters for a round of dramatic false but logical accusations in order to uncover the real killer. In fact, most of the thrills - and there are plenty - are squarely in the Wolfe vein but with Hicks substituted for Wolfe and Goodwin. I found this change agreeable, simply because I've read a lot of the latter and found it a welcome change of pace.

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 2 out of 5]

The copy I read was called Alphabet Hicks, which I guess was an earlier edition but the same book as- The sound of Murder. A pre-Wolfe story by Stout shows how he was searching for a detective that could use wit, braun and brain all in one.

My rating of okay is mostly due to the fact that it lagged in momentum. The fact that I could put the book down and not come back to it for a day or two was not a good sign. The book shows Stout as the diamond in the rough - he had the humor and command of the language and a good plot but needed a stronger character to bring out all the humor and human observations that books to come were filled.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Featuring "Alphabet Hicks" this is a partially successful mystery revolving around the new potential of recorded sounds to complicate motives and murder. Unfortunately much of the drama revolves around Hicks realising something which should be plainly obvious to a group of people working in the field of sound technology.

There's a romantic plotline which was teeth-gritting to me (male in ardent pursuit and female having transparent NononononoI'mnotinterestedatall "protests too much" fits is not a dynamic which amuses me).

[Joel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Title: Alphabet Hicks.
Edition: Dell mapback #146, 1947.
The murderer is obvious less than halfway in, but that was somewhat due to the use of a new technology that to us seems quite dated. The Stout writing is fun to read again, but the character is nowhere as memorable as Nero Wolfe. Too bad there was no second outing, however.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was clever and fun to read, but the plot was confusing and totally contrived, and hinged on preposterous coincidences. The Alphabet Hicks character was cute, but way too quirky, and the romance subplots were (typically) unbearable.

[Babete · Rating 3 out of 5]

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