REX STOUT

A RIGHT TO DIE

a NERO WOLFE Mystery

First time in paperback

Bantam Books, Dec., 1965

CONDITION:  GOOD or better, with shelfwear, especially at edges and corners of covers; somewhat cocked; pages tanned with age; no markings and pages well bound.

When a bright young heiress with a flair for romance and one too many enemies is found brutally murdered, Nero Wolfe and his sidekick, Archie, find themselves embroiled in a case that is not as black and white as it first appears.

Susan Brooke has everything going for her. Men would have killed themselves to marry her, and, in fact, one did.

Susan came to New York to find love and fulfillment, and ended up dead on a tenement floor. The police say her black fiance did it, but Wolfe has other ideas. Before he's done, he'll prove that good intentions and bad deeds often go hand in hand and that the highest ideals can sometimes have the deadliest consequences.

Commentaries on line:

One of the very best of the Nero Wolfe mysteries--and controversial for a mainstream detective novel written in 1964. 

My first time reading Rex Stout, not likely to be the last. Interesting idea, a detective who never leaves his own home. A book one could read in a long afternoon. A pleasant diversion.

The mystery is complex and subtle. This was my second read through and I still didn't figure it out on my own. Despite my failure, all the clues for the final revelation are given to the reader. Archie didn't figure it out either until the last moment too, so I didn't feel to bad about missing the clues. 

It is not a light hearted Nero Wolfe story so I wouldn't take this one to the beach for light reading but it is a very excellent story and I highly recommend it to anyone.

If you love Nero Wolfe- this story is a must read. If you have never read a Nero Wolfe mystery- this one is an excellent one to start with.

This is a superb mystery novel. It is the first time I have read a book by the author, and thus the first time I encountered Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. Wolfe was a wonderful detective; irascible, with a small hint of comedy, he was interesting enough to read about on his own, even without the gripping storyline, while Goodwin was an great companion for him. The plot was completely absorbing, and I enjoyed the book from beginning to end. The different characters were individually intriguing, and the solution to the crime convincing. Along with being a terrific, page-turning novel, the book is set at an interesting historical time, which adds yet more intrigue to the book. Overall, the book was excellent, and Nero Wolfe is a character of which I shall certainly read more.

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