A client presents Wolfe with a difficult job: to find something unsavory about his son's fiancee in order to stop their interracial marriage. The white girl's record comes up clean but she comes up dead, with her black fiance accused. Nero and Archie set out to prove his innocence in this story of thwarted romance and murder.
Very much enjoyed this book, was a fun read. The two main characters, Archie and Wolfe, help to put some homour in the book as they always do. Since the book, and the Wolfe series, was written some time ago, there are some words in it that are not "acceptable" today, so be prepared for this.
Fine Narration of a Superb Book
Written by Mark Fearnow from Wabash, IN
on December 31st, 2005
Book Rating: 5/5
Like all the Nero Wolfe-Archie Goodwin books, this one is extremely well crafted. This is a rather late book in the series, and Stout assumes that his reader already knows most of the endearing and lovable details of how the Wolfe-Goodwin household operates. If you are just starting the books, begin with the earlier ones. They contain delights, but are never cute. This story unfolds under tension, but Stout, as always, makes the construction of his story seem effortless. The plot in this one is unusual in the series. It concerns politics and race. Stout walks gracefully into a very sensitive subject. I should say he has Wolfe walk in, and though he is not given to walking, he is as usual wise, frank, and a gentleman. The accused is a young African American leader in the civil rights movement, and the victim is his fiancee, a wealthy young white woman. The book captures the energy of the 1960s race matters and puts our heroes in the middle of it all. Good stuff.
