Fer-de-Lance (Crime Line)

More of a note, really. This is the FIRST Nero Wolfe mystery, not the second as it says in the summary. But, you can read the Nero Wolfe books in almost any order, without trouble. I really enjoyed the Wolfe books. Started reading them in about 7th grade and had read them all by high school. --JM

I've been picking up little things about Nero Wolfe and Rex Stout for the past few weeks (mostly thanks to Lawrence Block and Chip Harrison), and so I decided I wanted to check it out. Published in 1934, Fer De Lance is the first NERO WOLFE novel and it is fantastic. I couldn't ask for a better introduction to the characters. Let's just say that Nero Wolfe, while a genius, he a complete and...more

I've been picking up little things about Nero Wolfe and Rex Stout for the past few weeks (mostly thanks to Lawrence Block and Chip Harrison), and so I decided I wanted to check it out. Published in 1934, Fer De Lance is the first NERO WOLFE novel and it is fantastic. I couldn't ask for a better introduction to the characters. Let's just say that Nero Wolfe, while a genius, he a complete and utter jerk, and that is what makes him so likable. He is not charming, he is not perfect, and he is not without his flaws, which is why these past few days I've made a few efforts to track down a number of other Nero Wolfe books.   hide

The beginning of a fantastic sleuth. I read multiple Nero Wolfe mysteries before reading this one. As a result I missed Inspector Kramer's rantings and not knowing who the murderer was until almost the end of the book. It has all the charm and twists of the later Nero Wolfe books and is great for fans or new converts to the series.

Rex Stout - one of my favorite authors