The rubber band -- In all his years of detecting, the unflappable Nero Wolfe has never encountered an investigation as damnably messy as this one. For what began as a clean case of larceny quickly sank into a quagmire of blackmail and broken promises, international scandal and cold-blooded murder. Now Wolfe and his assistant, Archie Goodwin must bridge eras and oceans to find the link between a Wild West lynching and a respected British peer. Only...

Nero Wolfe's search for a mad bomber in the tale "Booby Trap" accompanies the title story of the famous detective's efforts to clear his assistant, Archie Goodwin, of a murder charge.

A lovely woman is dead, and the fortunes of overextended theatrical producer Llewellyn Frost depend on solving the mystery of the red box: two pounds of candied fruits, nuts and creams, covered with chocolate -- and laced with potassium cyanide. When Nero Wolfe's suspicion falls on Frost's kissing cousin, Frost wants the detective to kill the sickly sweet case--before it kills him.

Three murders, counterfeit money, and a soup-stained tie that becomes a deadly weapon engulf grand master of detection Nero Wolfe and his sidekick Archie in intrigue.

Nero Wolfe and his assistant, Archie Goodwin, star in these four short tales of detection. In "The Christmas Party" Archie and his fiancee attend an office party where Wolfe condescends to uncharacteristic theatrics. His dramatic technique is good, but it isn't enough to clear him from suspicion of murder. The "Easter Parade" tempts Wolfe to commit petty larceny for an orchid. Though that crime goes unpunished, the inevitable murder doesn't. "A Fourth...

Death comes a-calling not once but three times in this murderous collection of cases from the files of Nero Wolfe, the worlds greatest detective. First there is the exclusive dinner party where the guests are gourmets, arsenic is the appetizer, and the suspects are five of the most gorgeous gals in New York. Next, a wandering cab pulls up to Wolfes door, containing a lady driver who doesnt belong . . . and a comely corpse with a knife between her...

Nero Wolfe, a genius at detection, prefers gourmet food and prize-winning orchids to damsels in distress. But at the prodding of his confidential assistant, Archie Goodwin, he opens his office door to three beautiful women, who usher in three of the most intriguing cases of Wolfe's career. With them come three baffling clues -- a shoeshine, an ear of corn, and a bloodstained tie. The killers in question turn out to be virtuosi in the use of instruments......

Originally published in 1938, this book follows the gourmand Nero Wolfe to a meeting of the greatest chefs in the world, where he is to be the honored dinner guest. This is a rare vacation for the corpulent sleuth - until a four-star killer serves up a side dish of murder. In order to solve the crime, Wolfe and Goodwin must deal with inept local law enforcement, recalcitrant witnesses, and Wolfe's fervent desire to get back to his orchids and his...