What do you think?
Rate this book
Nero Wolfe Mysteries #6, 22
Some Buried Caesar/The Golden Spiders
"Nero Wolfe towers over his rivals...he is an exceptional character creation." --"New Yorker
"A grand master of the form, Rex Stout is one of America's greatest mystery writers, and his literary creation Nero Wolfe is one of fiction's greatest detectives. Here, in this special double edition, the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth and his trusty man-about-town, Archie Goodwin, solve two of their most bizarre cases.
Some Buried Caesar
A prize bull destined for the barbecue is found pawing the corpse of a late restaurateur. Wolfe is certain that Hickory Caesar Grindon, the soon-to-be-beefsteak bull, isn't the murderer. But who among a veritable stampede of suspects--including a young woman who's caught Archie's eye--turned the tables on Hickory's would-be butcher? It's a crime that wins a blue ribbon for sheer audacity--and Nero Wolfe is the one detective audacious enough to solve it.
The Golden Spiders
A twelve-year-old boy shows up at Wolfe's brownstone with an incredible story. Soon the great detective finds himself hired for the grand sum of $4.30 and faced with the question of why the last two people to hire him were murdered. To keep it from becoming three, Wolfe must discover the unlikely connection between a gray Cadillac, a mysterious woman, and a pair of earrings shaped like spiders dipped in gold.
"A grand master of the form, Rex Stout is one of America's greatest mystery writers, and his literary creation Nero Wolfe is one of fiction's greatest detectives. Here, in this special double edition, the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth and his trusty man-about-town, Archie Goodwin, solve two of their most bizarre cases.
Some Buried Caesar
A prize bull destined for the barbecue is found pawing the corpse of a late restaurateur. Wolfe is certain that Hickory Caesar Grindon, the soon-to-be-beefsteak bull, isn't the murderer. But who among a veritable stampede of suspects--including a young woman who's caught Archie's eye--turned the tables on Hickory's would-be butcher? It's a crime that wins a blue ribbon for sheer audacity--and Nero Wolfe is the one detective audacious enough to solve it.
The Golden Spiders
A twelve-year-old boy shows up at Wolfe's brownstone with an incredible story. Soon the great detective finds himself hired for the grand sum of $4.30 and faced with the question of why the last two people to hire him were murdered. To keep it from becoming three, Wolfe must discover the unlikely connection between a gray Cadillac, a mysterious woman, and a pair of earrings shaped like spiders dipped in gold.
510 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1938
48 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Rex Stout
835 books1,032 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 6, 2022
Two delightful, entertaining stories from Rex Stout!
Some Buried Caesar, which is the sixth in the Nero Wolfe series and was published in 1939, opens with a rare occurrence: stout, opinionated private investigator Nero Wolfe has left his New York brownstone to exhibit some of his rare orchids at an agricultural fair! Who would have thought that would happen? Then, Archie Goodwin has an accident — a tire blows and the vehicle crashes into a tree.
All is not lost, however, because there is a large ranch across the street where they are given sustenance and a phone. Heck, they are invited to spend the night by Thomas Pratt, home owner and founder of a chain of fast-food restaurants. Shortly afterwards, a neighbor is found gored to death by the champion Guernsey bull Hickory Caesar Grindon, who Pratt has purchased to make into expensive barbecue.
Wolfe doesn't believe that Caesar is the murderer and argues the case with all and sundry, then leaves it for the police and others, including Archie, to bring him the supporting evidence. It's a pretty audacious announcement by Wolfe and it sets us up for one exciting ride watching the ins and outs of friends, family and assorted other characters — all of whom don't at first blush appear to have a reason for murder.
The second tale, The Golden Spiders, opens with a 12-year-old boy showing up at Wolfe's front door with an incredible case. Needless to say, Wolfe doesn't like children much but he does pay attention to the tale told by Pete Drossos: while washing the windows of a car at a stop light, the woman driver — who is wearing distinctive gold spider shaped earrings — mouths the request that Pete summon a police officer. But before he can do anything, the car drives away. Pete is convinced that the woman was being threatened by the male passenger and shares descriptions of the people and the car, including the license plate number.
Before the Wolfe and Goodwin hear about the vehicle, young Pete is killed and his mother comes to the detectives because her son has told her to before he died. She hands over Pete's savings of $4.30 and the duo feel honor bound to investigate the case. Before they are done there are two more deaths and other crimes that involve not only Wolfe and Goodwin, but operatives Saul Panzer, Fred Durkin and Orrie Cather, all seeking various leads that they believe haven't been thought of by the police. There are many twists to the story and of course, only Wolfe has come up with the goods but it takes some interesting actions to bring everyone together for the reveal.
Two very different but wonderfully creative tales with those wonderful characters of Rex Stout. It's been a while since I've found myself grinning as I did with fussy Wolfe actively defending a bull, or explaining to a small child honor and pride of work. It makes for an especially good read all around.
Some Buried Caesar, which is the sixth in the Nero Wolfe series and was published in 1939, opens with a rare occurrence: stout, opinionated private investigator Nero Wolfe has left his New York brownstone to exhibit some of his rare orchids at an agricultural fair! Who would have thought that would happen? Then, Archie Goodwin has an accident — a tire blows and the vehicle crashes into a tree.
All is not lost, however, because there is a large ranch across the street where they are given sustenance and a phone. Heck, they are invited to spend the night by Thomas Pratt, home owner and founder of a chain of fast-food restaurants. Shortly afterwards, a neighbor is found gored to death by the champion Guernsey bull Hickory Caesar Grindon, who Pratt has purchased to make into expensive barbecue.
Wolfe doesn't believe that Caesar is the murderer and argues the case with all and sundry, then leaves it for the police and others, including Archie, to bring him the supporting evidence. It's a pretty audacious announcement by Wolfe and it sets us up for one exciting ride watching the ins and outs of friends, family and assorted other characters — all of whom don't at first blush appear to have a reason for murder.
The second tale, The Golden Spiders, opens with a 12-year-old boy showing up at Wolfe's front door with an incredible case. Needless to say, Wolfe doesn't like children much but he does pay attention to the tale told by Pete Drossos: while washing the windows of a car at a stop light, the woman driver — who is wearing distinctive gold spider shaped earrings — mouths the request that Pete summon a police officer. But before he can do anything, the car drives away. Pete is convinced that the woman was being threatened by the male passenger and shares descriptions of the people and the car, including the license plate number.
Before the Wolfe and Goodwin hear about the vehicle, young Pete is killed and his mother comes to the detectives because her son has told her to before he died. She hands over Pete's savings of $4.30 and the duo feel honor bound to investigate the case. Before they are done there are two more deaths and other crimes that involve not only Wolfe and Goodwin, but operatives Saul Panzer, Fred Durkin and Orrie Cather, all seeking various leads that they believe haven't been thought of by the police. There are many twists to the story and of course, only Wolfe has come up with the goods but it takes some interesting actions to bring everyone together for the reveal.
Two very different but wonderfully creative tales with those wonderful characters of Rex Stout. It's been a while since I've found myself grinning as I did with fussy Wolfe actively defending a bull, or explaining to a small child honor and pride of work. It makes for an especially good read all around.
January 26, 2023
This a compilation of two separate Nero Wolfe mysteries:
Some Buried Caesar is a fine example of a rare occasion when Nero Wolf must solve a mystery while far from the comfort of his plus-sized chair. Caught in the country, this food connoisseur must make the best of the situation by returning to the chicken dumplings at the tent of the Methodist women at the county fair, while he investigates a bull charged with murder.
The Golden Spiders is my favorite Nero Wolf mystery to date. The quick wit from Archie Goodwin simply never runs dry, and the story flows like a Humphrey Bogart movie, black and white shadows and all.
Some Buried Caesar is a fine example of a rare occasion when Nero Wolf must solve a mystery while far from the comfort of his plus-sized chair. Caught in the country, this food connoisseur must make the best of the situation by returning to the chicken dumplings at the tent of the Methodist women at the county fair, while he investigates a bull charged with murder.
The Golden Spiders is my favorite Nero Wolf mystery to date. The quick wit from Archie Goodwin simply never runs dry, and the story flows like a Humphrey Bogart movie, black and white shadows and all.
April 9, 2022
So - here we have a pair of Nero Wolfe mysteries, set in the good ol' U.S. of A during the 30's I'm guessing. There's a fair bit of slang and the women are treated like 'dames' of that time/place. That said, these were both enjoyable mysteries so it was a fun jaunt.
June 19, 2012
I discovered Rex Stout’s delightful mysteries set in 1940s New York City after a neighbor lent me the marvelous but short-lived TV series, “Nero Wolfe,” with Timothy Hutton perfectly capturing the character of Archie Goodwin, Wolfe’s secretary, hatchet man, and man about town. The writing is often laugh-out-loud funny, the stories intriguing and not too gory, and the characters of Wolfe, Goodwin, the fussy chef Fritz, the bellicose police inspector, Cramer, and the various femme fatales skillfully depicted. A fun series worth discovering with twenty or thirty short mysteries.
August 1, 2018
An omnibus version containing two books.
Some Buried Caesar was very interesting - I learned a lot more about championship cattle than I really wanted to know! Caesar is a prize bull who has been purchased by a man who owns a chain of restaurants - he paid a ridiculous amount of money for him and plans to butcher and barbecue him as an advertisement for his eateries. Wolfe and Archie get involved because they get chased by the bull while trying to get to the original owner's house by walking through his pasture. The reason they are in the area in the first place is to show Wolfe's albino orchids at the fair. When the man's son ends up dead, apparently killed by the bull, Wolfe takes an interest. When another death occurs, the local/state police are stymied, and he has to take a hand. The plot is too convoluted to try to describe, but it is very readable. There is a fair amount of humor involved, with Nero Wolfe in the "country" - this is also the book where Lily Rowan is introduced. I always wondered where her name for him - "Escamillo" - came from.
The Golden Spiders has a little less action, but inserts some fun when Archie brings a young boy to Wolfe's dinner table as a "client", to get even for Wolfe spoiling Archie's night out. Wolfe, to get even with Archie, spends quite a while explaining the detective business to the boy. The boy wants to tell them about his "case" - when he was wiping car windows at an intersection, a woman driving a car mouthed "Get a cop" at him. He has all the particulars of the car make and license, and adds that the woman was wearing gold spider earrings. Three deaths later, a wealthy woman, her organization that helps displaced persons, a lawyer, and a lot of other people all get embroiled. Towards the end, Archie and the three operatives on whom Wolfe relies are all together in the basement of a warehouse with several unsavory characters, and the case begins to come together. The police, as usual, are getting nowhere.
Both of these were good reads - interesting, fun, and of course well written, as are all Rex Stout's books.
Some Buried Caesar was very interesting - I learned a lot more about championship cattle than I really wanted to know! Caesar is a prize bull who has been purchased by a man who owns a chain of restaurants - he paid a ridiculous amount of money for him and plans to butcher and barbecue him as an advertisement for his eateries. Wolfe and Archie get involved because they get chased by the bull while trying to get to the original owner's house by walking through his pasture. The reason they are in the area in the first place is to show Wolfe's albino orchids at the fair. When the man's son ends up dead, apparently killed by the bull, Wolfe takes an interest. When another death occurs, the local/state police are stymied, and he has to take a hand. The plot is too convoluted to try to describe, but it is very readable. There is a fair amount of humor involved, with Nero Wolfe in the "country" - this is also the book where Lily Rowan is introduced. I always wondered where her name for him - "Escamillo" - came from.
The Golden Spiders has a little less action, but inserts some fun when Archie brings a young boy to Wolfe's dinner table as a "client", to get even for Wolfe spoiling Archie's night out. Wolfe, to get even with Archie, spends quite a while explaining the detective business to the boy. The boy wants to tell them about his "case" - when he was wiping car windows at an intersection, a woman driving a car mouthed "Get a cop" at him. He has all the particulars of the car make and license, and adds that the woman was wearing gold spider earrings. Three deaths later, a wealthy woman, her organization that helps displaced persons, a lawyer, and a lot of other people all get embroiled. Towards the end, Archie and the three operatives on whom Wolfe relies are all together in the basement of a warehouse with several unsavory characters, and the case begins to come together. The police, as usual, are getting nowhere.
Both of these were good reads - interesting, fun, and of course well written, as are all Rex Stout's books.
July 15, 2019
Between Archie's clever banter and the usual entitled cast, these two novels have everything you could want from a Nero Wolfe story!
I would say that liked "Some Buried Caesar" a bit better just because you can follow the logic of the evidence more clearly, but that is neither here or there for most mysery novels.
All in all, solid and classic entries in the Wolfe line.
I would say that liked "Some Buried Caesar" a bit better just because you can follow the logic of the evidence more clearly, but that is neither here or there for most mysery novels.
All in all, solid and classic entries in the Wolfe line.
June 5, 2018
Great books!
Rex Stout's books are so good. I have read all of them but it has been many years since I've read one. It's like meeting an old friend. I find myself wanting to re-read them all.
Rex Stout's books are so good. I have read all of them but it has been many years since I've read one. It's like meeting an old friend. I find myself wanting to re-read them all.
July 8, 2024
Both stories where good. Starting a Union for prisoners was typical for Archie. Loved it. As for the Golden Spiders, I did not see the ending until Mr Wolfe asked his questions. Then it came a clear as a bell. Brilliant!
June 20, 2017
I like anything by Rex Stout
April 1, 2019
Oppressively American.
May 29, 2019
Two great Nero Wolfe mysteries in one volume. The Golden Spiders is probably just a bit better than Some Buried Caesar, but they're both well worth your time.
October 31, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed both stories. Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe are great characters.
December 28, 2021
My review
Nice plot and enjoyed there e story but just got to wordy in places that didn't help the story just looked like author was filling space
Nice plot and enjoyed there e story but just got to wordy in places that didn't help the story just looked like author was filling space
May 3, 2022
Disliked
February 10, 2023
More fun with Wolfe and crew. This one was a bit knottier than the first books in the series, and some of the details were buried a little too deep to see. It was still a good story.
July 25, 2023
Love the entire series. Good fun!
August 6, 2023
The usual. As a side note, this really should count as two (albeit, short) books.
January 29, 2024
Some Buried Caesar among Stout’s best. the Golden Spidershas great tough -guy action and dialog, although the plot is thin
August 3, 2010
While I'm enjoying this little Wolfian project of mine, I noticed when I picked up Some Buried Caesar that I was rather eager to dig into it. This is easily one of my favorite books--not just in this series, either. This is one of the funniest, most entertaining books Stout wrote, a real winner.
Like the last book, we again find Wolfe and Archie away from their cozy New York City abode. Last time, Wolfe was driven by his love of haute cuisine to subject himself to the whims of machinery. He has baser motives for this trip--a fellow orchid grower has slighted Wolfe, so Wolfe's journeyed to upstate New York to humiliate him at a county fair's competition.
As they near their destination, they have a minor accident in their car and find themselves taking refuge at the home of Thomas Pratt, the millionaire owner of a chain of diners called Pratteterias (don't that just sound appetizing?). Pratt is preparing for a publicity stunt, where he will be barbecuing a champion bull, still in the prime of life. This is causing quite the stir among local (and, apparently some non-local) cattlemen, and Pratt is worried (with good reason) that at least one of them will attempt some sort of tomfoolery to prevent the bull feed. The son of one cattleman bets Pratt $10,000 that it won't happen, which drives Pratt to engage Wolfe's services to ensure it'll take place.
From there, Fletcher's Law kicks in and Wolfe has something more up his alley to work on. The trip to the country for a flower show becomes a maze of intrigue, crime, old family feuds, prison reform, and dumplings that are out of this world.
It is in this book that Archie meets Lily Rowan. There will be many competitors for Archie's affections, and a few women will come close, but none are the match for him that Lily is. There aren't many recurring characters that haven't been introduced by this book, but Lily quickly takes her place amongst them.
For the sake of remaining spoiler-free, I trimmed my original selection of quotable portions somewhat, and still have what's likely to be the largest selection I'll offer up in this series.
[Archie speaking:] Let's say she goes ahead and ruins him. In my opinion, if he's worth the powder to blow him to hell, he'll soon get unruined. No man was ever taken to hell by a woman unless he already had a ticket in his pocket, or at least had been fooling around with timetables.
I had been accosted by a tall skinny guy in a pin-check suit, as young as me or younger, wearing a smile that I would recognize if I saw it in Siam--the smile of an elected person who expects to run again, or a novice in training to join the elected person class at the first opportunity. He looked around to make sure no spies were sneaking up on us at the moment, introduced himself as Mr. Whosis, Assistant District Attorney of Crowfield County, and told me at the bottom of his voice, shifting from the smile to Expression 9B, which is used when speaking of the death of a voter, that he would like to have my version of the unfortunate occurrence...[Archie makes a wise crack:] That confused him, because he had to show that he appreciated my wit without sacrificing Expression 9B
Dressed in a light tan jersey thing, with a blue scarf and a little blue hat, among those hearty country folk [Lily Rowan:] looked like an antelope in a herd of Guernseys. I sat down across the table from her and told her so. She yawned and said that what she had seen of antelopes' legs made it seem necessary to return the compliment for repairs
I was wondering which would be more satisfactory, to slap her and then kiss her, or to kiss her and then slap her.
It was Nancy Osgood, and the glance she cast behind her as she entered one of the sheds was either furtive or I was getting fanciful. Even if she was furtive it was none of my business, but a detective who minds his own business would be a contradiction in terms
"One test of intelligence, [Wolfe:] said patiently, "is the ability to welcome a singularity when the need arises, without excessive strain. Strict rules are universal. We all have a rule not to go on the street before clothing ourselves, but if the house is on fire we violate it..."
[Wolfe speaking:] "Proscriptions carried too far lead to nullity."
[Archie replies:] "After I analyze that I'll get in touch with you. My first impulse is to return it unopened."
Like the last book, we again find Wolfe and Archie away from their cozy New York City abode. Last time, Wolfe was driven by his love of haute cuisine to subject himself to the whims of machinery. He has baser motives for this trip--a fellow orchid grower has slighted Wolfe, so Wolfe's journeyed to upstate New York to humiliate him at a county fair's competition.
As they near their destination, they have a minor accident in their car and find themselves taking refuge at the home of Thomas Pratt, the millionaire owner of a chain of diners called Pratteterias (don't that just sound appetizing?). Pratt is preparing for a publicity stunt, where he will be barbecuing a champion bull, still in the prime of life. This is causing quite the stir among local (and, apparently some non-local) cattlemen, and Pratt is worried (with good reason) that at least one of them will attempt some sort of tomfoolery to prevent the bull feed. The son of one cattleman bets Pratt $10,000 that it won't happen, which drives Pratt to engage Wolfe's services to ensure it'll take place.
From there, Fletcher's Law kicks in and Wolfe has something more up his alley to work on. The trip to the country for a flower show becomes a maze of intrigue, crime, old family feuds, prison reform, and dumplings that are out of this world.
It is in this book that Archie meets Lily Rowan. There will be many competitors for Archie's affections, and a few women will come close, but none are the match for him that Lily is. There aren't many recurring characters that haven't been introduced by this book, but Lily quickly takes her place amongst them.
For the sake of remaining spoiler-free, I trimmed my original selection of quotable portions somewhat, and still have what's likely to be the largest selection I'll offer up in this series.
[Archie speaking:] Let's say she goes ahead and ruins him. In my opinion, if he's worth the powder to blow him to hell, he'll soon get unruined. No man was ever taken to hell by a woman unless he already had a ticket in his pocket, or at least had been fooling around with timetables.
I had been accosted by a tall skinny guy in a pin-check suit, as young as me or younger, wearing a smile that I would recognize if I saw it in Siam--the smile of an elected person who expects to run again, or a novice in training to join the elected person class at the first opportunity. He looked around to make sure no spies were sneaking up on us at the moment, introduced himself as Mr. Whosis, Assistant District Attorney of Crowfield County, and told me at the bottom of his voice, shifting from the smile to Expression 9B, which is used when speaking of the death of a voter, that he would like to have my version of the unfortunate occurrence...[Archie makes a wise crack:] That confused him, because he had to show that he appreciated my wit without sacrificing Expression 9B
Dressed in a light tan jersey thing, with a blue scarf and a little blue hat, among those hearty country folk [Lily Rowan:] looked like an antelope in a herd of Guernseys. I sat down across the table from her and told her so. She yawned and said that what she had seen of antelopes' legs made it seem necessary to return the compliment for repairs
I was wondering which would be more satisfactory, to slap her and then kiss her, or to kiss her and then slap her.
It was Nancy Osgood, and the glance she cast behind her as she entered one of the sheds was either furtive or I was getting fanciful. Even if she was furtive it was none of my business, but a detective who minds his own business would be a contradiction in terms
"One test of intelligence, [Wolfe:] said patiently, "is the ability to welcome a singularity when the need arises, without excessive strain. Strict rules are universal. We all have a rule not to go on the street before clothing ourselves, but if the house is on fire we violate it..."
[Wolfe speaking:] "Proscriptions carried too far lead to nullity."
[Archie replies:] "After I analyze that I'll get in touch with you. My first impulse is to return it unopened."
August 8, 2012
These two stories in one volume are perhaps the funniest in the Nero Wolfe canon. I had a lot of fun reading these. As always the characters are well fleshed out, the situations are well written and the action is not lacking. Some Buried Caesar features Nero Wolfe actually leaving his cocoon and traveling (in a car!), where predictably there is a mishap which forces him to push his boundaries and interact with people outside his comfort zone (i.e. his brownstone). The plot involves the apparent accidental death of a man killed by a prized bull, but Wolfe is convinced it is murder. Along the way Archie actually kisses a girl (!), the ubiquitous Lily Rowan who later pops up in other stories. Later in the story Archie spends time in a jail cell where he leads a mini-rebellion. What's not to like?
The second story, The Golden Spiders is one of the better known stories in the canon. It is spurred on by the apparent vehicular homicide of a child, one that Nero Wolfe is fond of. As the story gets deeper and deeper. At one point there is a shootout and Archie is put in mortal danger, all the while Wolfe is sleeping in the comfort of his brownstone.
The second story, The Golden Spiders is one of the better known stories in the canon. It is spurred on by the apparent vehicular homicide of a child, one that Nero Wolfe is fond of. As the story gets deeper and deeper. At one point there is a shootout and Archie is put in mortal danger, all the while Wolfe is sleeping in the comfort of his brownstone.
April 7, 2022
I’m on a relapse, as my brother would say. That’s when one of us starts obsessively re-read Nero Wolfe mysteries. Did you know that the author, Rex Stout, was a founder of the American Civil Liberties Union? Who worked as a young man on Theodore Roosevelt’s yacht? And made his money on a school banking system that he set up and only started writing Nero Wolfe mysteries in his late 40s?
Anyhow, Nero Wolfe leads a pretty perfect life in his New York brownstone with his personal chef Fritz, and his roof garden where his gardener Theodore raises prize orchids. Every once in a while he is asked to be a genius for a ridonculous amount of money, leaving all the hard work to his long-suffering assistant and amanuensis Archie Goodwin.
Some Buried Caesar introduces Archie’s part-time lover, Lily Rowan. She’s a rich socialite who sees him being chased by a bull and falls in lust with him. They are in upstate New York, there are murders (including said bull) and they find a Methodist tent at an agricultural fair that sells amazing chicken and dumplings. What else do you need to know? Off to read Fer de Lance.
Anyhow, Nero Wolfe leads a pretty perfect life in his New York brownstone with his personal chef Fritz, and his roof garden where his gardener Theodore raises prize orchids. Every once in a while he is asked to be a genius for a ridonculous amount of money, leaving all the hard work to his long-suffering assistant and amanuensis Archie Goodwin.
Some Buried Caesar introduces Archie’s part-time lover, Lily Rowan. She’s a rich socialite who sees him being chased by a bull and falls in lust with him. They are in upstate New York, there are murders (including said bull) and they find a Methodist tent at an agricultural fair that sells amazing chicken and dumplings. What else do you need to know? Off to read Fer de Lance.
December 17, 2012
The Nero Wolfe stories are some of my favorite cosy mysteries because they're not terribly cosy and i know that the language will be wonderful and the stories fast paced. These two novels don't disappoint as Nero Wolfe first ventures to upstate New York to show his orchids and finds a murder. Archie must soothe him and help while not being told enough though he does meet the charming Lily Rowan. In The Golden Spiders, Wolfe's routine is broken by Archie and in the end that becomes a rather good thing. I wouldn't recommend these two mysteries to a new reader of Nero Wolfe as they don't follow the classic set up for the stories but to a fan of mysteries of this era, Rex Stout is one of the best.
July 2, 2013
Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books are always entertaining, and these two books are no exception. They are not overly taxing on the brain or the emotions. I always find that the Nero Wolfe stories are as much or more about the narrator character, Archie Goodwin, as they are Nero Wolfe. We learn much more about Archie than Nero and that is just how Nero would like it. He wants to stay aloof and distant. He just steps in at the end and puts all the pieces together after Archie and others do all the leg work. As with most of the Nero Wolfe series, the most interesting parts of these two books are the interactions between Archie and Nero and the idiosyncrasies of Nero. If you just need to be distracted for a while, a Nero Wolfe story may do it.
May 9, 2014
Neither of these two stories are the very best of the Nero Wolfe series, but the two books together are a fine way to spend some undemanding time enjoying Archie's smug narration. The largest problem with the novels is that neither has fully developed secondaries, persons are introduced to be killed a few pages later, and our obvious suspect is the one with slightly more description than the others (eyebrow mustache, limp). From the completist's angle, the biggest appeal of Some Buried Caesar is that it is the novel where Archie meets his sometime girlfriend (it is played for a goof). Similarly, The Golden Spiders is a novelty case because of how Nero gets involved.
Very readable, but nothing special.
Very readable, but nothing special.
June 22, 2015
Couldn't pass it up
I've been a devoted fan of Rex Stout, and in particular, his unique detective with several psychotic disorders, for many years. I reread each novel about once every year or two. That's how addictive one can become to Nero Wolfe and his amazing ability of deduction. At first, he doesn't really appeal to the reader as a likeable main character (though his assistant, Archie Goodwin, is both loveable and humorous), however Wolfe can worm his way into your heart by simply being both a genius (in Archie's words) and needing others to help him. Of course, the famous detective would never admit to any of this. Two novels in one book makes me want to read even more of these delightful classics.
I've been a devoted fan of Rex Stout, and in particular, his unique detective with several psychotic disorders, for many years. I reread each novel about once every year or two. That's how addictive one can become to Nero Wolfe and his amazing ability of deduction. At first, he doesn't really appeal to the reader as a likeable main character (though his assistant, Archie Goodwin, is both loveable and humorous), however Wolfe can worm his way into your heart by simply being both a genius (in Archie's words) and needing others to help him. Of course, the famous detective would never admit to any of this. Two novels in one book makes me want to read even more of these delightful classics.
May 11, 2012
I love the Nero Wolfe mysteries. They are classic like Sherlock Holmes , Miss Marple, etc. I read some a long time ago when I was in my twenties. I've started reading them again. I love the way Nero only leaves the house if he has to, he cultivates prize orchids on his top floor, has a cook named Fritz who prepares gourmet meals and a sidekick detective who also narrates the mystery---Archie Goodwin. The action is mostly cerebral but there are some moments when Archie is trailing or pursuing someone.
January 27, 2012
Reading Nero Wolfe is so fun! Since I'm addicted to the radio version, while reading I kept hearing Sidney Greenstreet's voice every time Nero "spoke" in the book. Wonderfully imaginative mysteries, fascinating characters and brilliant language-just fantastic! Have to start building my collection.
August 3, 2012
These two books in one volume were great fun! Rex Stout is just such an entertaining author to read. The characters just pop out of the page and he makes the humor and suspense seem effortless. If you want a good ol' mystery told with expert storytelling and wit, pick up a Nero Wolfe book. You won't be disappointed.
March 16, 2012
I have listened to old Nero Wolfe radio shows before, but the book gives me a better idea of who the detective is. I didn't like him as much as Sherlock Holmes. I was surprised at the lack of description of characters, but part of this could be because I did not read all of the books in order.
January 13, 2009
I love the "Nero Wolfe" books, with the eccentric recurring characters and the humor.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews