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An unexpected client and a few
details from the newspaper is all Wolfe needs to put two and two together and
get twenty two. The race is on to solve not one but two murders and the first
problem is to convince the district attorney that there in fact has been a
murder. What follows is a romp through two New York counties solving the
murders, convincing the authorities and of course, collecting the fee! Archie
Goodwin (Wolfe’s assistant of seven years) and “the roadster” get quite a
workout.
Fer-De-Lance is the first in the Nero Wolfe series and introduces most of the
recurring characters. The characters are not fully developed and will mature as
subsequent books in the series unfold, but all the basics are there. Wolfe
himself (all 1/7th of a ton of him) is just beginning to develop eccentric into
a fine art. True Wolfe fans will not want to omit this one and it’s a perfect
place to introduce yourself to Nero Wolfe, one of the great American detectives.
Michael Pritchard reads and does and excellent job. The characters are not
over-acted but there is enough variation in the voice to tell who’s who. I’ve
read enough of them that I don’t like anyone else but Pritchard as the narrator
for this series. Add this one to your list. You’re sure to find it “Highly
Satisfactory!”
About Ken Reiss - Ken is a long time
audiobook listener having little time to read but spending a lot of time
in the car. Mysteries, Old Time Radio and non fiction all occupy his
time, but a good detective story is by far the favorite. In addition to
audiobook reviews, he writes a monthly column for a popular electronics
magazine and reviews of communications equipment.
He has an MBA from Webster University in St. Louis where he teaches evening classes. He lives in the St. Louis area with his wife
and three dogs.
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