Triple Jeopardy (A Nero Wolfe Mystery Book 20)

Triple Jeopardy (A Nero Wolfe Mystery Book 20) and millions of other books are available for . Book 20 of 45 in the Nero Wolfe books by Rex Stout Series.
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Unfortunately, I'm not all that happy with this book. The first two stories "Roost" and "Cop Killer" are mostly his usual fare for short stories. But, in each one, there's a central character whose behavior is so stupid that it just knocks the legs out from unde Rex Stout's "Triple Jeopardy A Nero Wolfe Mystery Book 20 " is another collection of three of his short stories "Home to Roost" , "The Cop Killer" , and "The Squirt and the Monkey" But, in each one, there's a central character whose behavior is so stupid that it just knocks the legs out from under the thing.

So, in those two cases, I'm rating them at merely an OK 3 stars out of 5. In that story, the writing and pacing are actually much better than that in the previous two stories. But, the very premise of the thing is utterly ridiculous. No villain capable of coming up with that plan would ever be so stupid in the choice of patsies. Plus, Stout's portrayal of Inspector Cramer is an abomination. But, his behavior here is insupportable. The very best I can rate this last story is a pretty bad 2 stars out of 5. Arithmetically, that still leaves me at an overall, integer rating of an OK 3 stars out of 5 for the book.

But, that last story left such a bad taste in my mouth that I'd like to rate it a whole lot worse. Nov 01, Ronald Koltnow rated it really liked it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Rex Stout wrote a number of short stories and novellas for magazines that would be bound up into collections, generally three at at time. Triple Jeopardy is a typical, although not stellar, example. Both title characters get croaked. In it, Archie almost loses his cool in a house full of egos, while Wolfe reads comic strips. Not top drawer Stout but lovely nonetheless. May 14, Glen U rated it really liked it.

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Another classic Nero Wolfe book, this one a threesome of Stout's novellas featuring the heavy weight cerebral detective and his sidekick, Archie Goodwin. Written in the early fifties about the middle of Rex Stout's illustrious career , this trio of stories are at the tail end of the Golden Age of detective fiction, started in the 's. This era of mystery novels would soon give way to the Noir of the 50's and 60's. Rex Stout with his unique protagonist is an iconic example of the great Ameri Another classic Nero Wolfe book, this one a threesome of Stout's novellas featuring the heavy weight cerebral detective and his sidekick, Archie Goodwin.

Rex Stout with his unique protagonist is an iconic example of the great American mystery writer and this short compendium of novellas is worthy of four stars, even after almost 70 years. Sep 10, Donna rated it really liked it. I inherited his collection when I was just 17 and always regretted that my Dad didn't get to read Rex Stout's last Nero Wolfe novel.

I only gave this 4 stars because I never liked 'The Squirt and the Monkey'. Maybe since it was a novelette he didn't have time to develop the characters as well as in others, but it is not my favorite, by far. Oct 29, Bill Dauster rated it it was ok. This set of three detective novellas now creaks, with its fear of communists and immigrants from unspecified parts of Europe.

Perhaps others who have become acquainted with the protagonist Nero Wolfe in other books will have found more to commend him as a character, but such was not in evidence here. This was a lot of fun, but I thought it was a slight notch below the period Nero Wolfe books I am reading them in order. Some very decent and funny mysteries.

Feb 11, Jefferson Searle rated it liked it.

Another great story, or three stories about Archie and his people. The last is the best in my opinion. Although the barber shop story wad a close second. The incredulity Wolfe and Archie have for not being believed buy the police was amusing. Aug 23, Marie rated it really liked it Shelves: Jan 14, Lark rated it it was amazing. Beat Wolfe in a while. Three shorts with three excellent twists and three hilarious situations.

Wolfe gets a haircut. Archie goes to jail. Jul 23, Christopher Rush rated it liked it Shelves: I want to go with 3. Technology hasn't gotten to the point in 2Q enabling us to give partial stars on Internet book review Web sites, much like the inability to indent paragraphs on Web sites.

A Nero Wolfe Mystery S02E06E7 Motherhunt

I say that for the sake of posterity, when this review will be read, mainly for its historical commentary interest. The three stories in this collection are diverse and bring unusual moods to the audience different "feels" to the stories, which I say as a pl I want to go with 3. The three stories in this collection are diverse and bring unusual moods to the audience different "feels" to the stories, which I say as a plurality of "feel," not in the inane way many people seem to use it in - again, a comment for historical flavor.

It is a fairly dry story, but that shouldn't be taken as a derision. It's fairly straightforward without any wholly unusual scenes in some stories, if memory serves, but again that's not a slight. It almost drags on a bit too much by the end, feeling like Archie makes one too many trips to and from the barbershop where most of the story occurs, but it does have a few very enjoyable moments that make the story remarkable and make up for the pacing, especially the "the purpose of the front room is to keep the killers" jibe against Cramer, but he sort of deserves it for still not trusting Wolfe or Archie.

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The ending is atypical, in that Wolfe leaves his home to conclude the case for which he is not getting paid, and while the conclusion makes sense it is based on things we don't really know and seems a bit of a stretch, even for Wolfe, even though reading it when knowing how it ends enables us to see a lot of the clues Stout gives us more overtly than usual. One other drawback of this story is the lowdown way Archie treats the non-paying clients: Wolfe, too, is nicer in the TV version, especially in the denouement: This is definitely one of those stories, in which Archie is set up by a few people to take the fall for murder with his own gun, no less , but the speed and unusual nature of the story again, the "feel" of it overcame for me my usual dislike, and I really enjoyed it.

Somehow, this time it did, perhaps because Archie gets his own gun back so soon. Another irritating aspect of this story was again how nonsensically Cramer treats Goodwin: I would think he would be more grateful for the capturing of murderers, but he is eager to take any legitimate opportunity of making things difficult for Wolfe and Goodwin, even if it irritates us almost as much as it does our heroes. Still, the unusual nature of the story makes it very enjoyable, especially with the very atypical maneuverings involved in the revelation of the murderer.

Is it the monkey? Read it and find out. Mar 12, Katie Bee rated it really liked it Shelves: A lovely characterization story in the Wolfe universe. Sep 24, Adam Graham rated it liked it. A young man suspected of being a Communist but who had told his Aunt he was really an undercover FBI agent was murdered and his Aunt and Uncle believe Communist agents did it and want Wolfe to find out the truth. A less engaging story that still manages to pack a punch with a surprising ending.

A classic Wolfe story that finds two refugees from the Soviet Union who are in the country illegally suspected of murder after fleeing the crime scene which is Home to Roost: A classic Wolfe story that finds two refugees from the Soviet Union who are in the country illegally suspected of murder after fleeing the crime scene which is the shop of Wolfe and Archie's barber.

They take refuge in Wolfe's home without Wolfe fully understanding the police want them.

Triple Jeopardy

Wolfe's sense of hospitality won't allow him to turn them over to the police and Wolfe and Archie have to find out who the real killers are. This is a story with a lot of fascinating features with us seeing their Barber shop. Some great interactions, including the police entreating Archie for a help with a difficult manicurist and Wolfe and Archie snowing Inspector Cramer by telling him that the suspects were there but in such a way he wouldn't believe them. Archie explained to the frightened migrants, "They Hitler and Stalin tell barefaced lies to have them taken for the truth, and we told the barefaced truth to have it taken for a lie.

Very Satisfactory The Squirt and the Monkey: This one begins with some strained credibility. For once, Wolfe is willing to take a job and Archie doesn't want him to. A big shot on the Comic Strip, Dazzle Dan wants to use Archie's gun to help recover his own stolen gun. Through a complex series of events, a man is murdered with Archie's gun, the client lies about why he'd hired Wolfe, and Cramer informs Wolfe that his license will be suspended.

Once again you have to suspend disbelief as we've seen Wolfe insist on getting in writing what he's being hired for multiple times. However, this is when the story gets interesting. Wolfe goes to work in earnest and has his lawyer file a lawsuit against the client for a million dollars and begins an earnest study of the Dazzle Dan comic to unravel the mystery of what goes in the house that created him. Overall, there is much about this story that makes it unique. Unfortunately, Stout, has a lot in here that's hard to buy, so I can only rate it: Satisfactory The stories vary in quality but solidly clever solutions and some great settings in the last two stories make this a solid read.

Apr 12, Nan Silvernail rated it really liked it. Birthday slackness is to blame for the short treatment. May come back and edit this later. Was he or wasn't he and who murdered him? They come to nero Wolfe for answers. The Cop-Killer - When a policeman comes asking q Birthday slackness is to blame for the short treatment. The Cop-Killer - When a policeman comes asking questions at the barber shop that Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe patronize, it spooks an illegal immigrant couple who works there.

They turn to Archie for help and advice on how to hide. Nearly all the characters except one or two women are upleasant.. Three stories in one. Kept my attention as I drove up and down I-5 to visit family. I like the middle one of these much better than the other two; after thinking about why, I've decided that it's probably because it contains some sympathetic characters. In "Home to Roost," the uncle and aunt of a murdered Communist asks Nero Wolfe to look into their nephew's death; the aunt is particularly troubled because her nephew had recently told her that, rather than being a true Communist, he was actually working for the FBI after infiltrating a local Communist cell.

She worries that this fact is the cause of the murder, but there are only five possible suspects because of the circumstances of the death. Or perhaps there are more suspects than that Since Wolfe has fed the couple before learning that they might be murderers, his pride demands that he get to the truth of the matter, as he has never offered a meal to a murderer and doesn't intend to start now And in "The Squirt and the Monkey," a rich and successful comic book writer asks Archie to visit his home in order to determine who in his group of artists, managers and relatives might have stolen his gun; Archie has the same make of gun and the idea is to jolt the truth from the company by displaying that gun in the accustomed place, because obviously one person knows that it cannot possibly be the same gun after all.

Things go awry when one of the group turns up dead, and all signs point to Archie, and his gun, as the killer As always, a pleasure to read, although the first two are a bit thin, I thought. I thoroughly enjoyed the last story, however, particularly the idea that someone could have the audacity to try to frame Archie and get away with it, when Nero Wolfe is on the case!

Kings Full of Aces: The Squirt and the Monkey by Rex Stout. Home to Roost short story. The Cop-Killer short story. The Squirt and the Monkey.


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Rex Stout has a Legacy Library. He stubbornly adhered to the Communist position. He applauded the Communist attack in Korea and denounced the action of the United Nations. You finally found it insufferable and gave him an ultimatum: I merely--" Wolfe outspoke her. You must have made it fairly strong, since he was moved to disclose an extremely tight secret: No easy admonition would have dragged that out of him, surely.

I told him--" She stopped, and the thin lips really did tighten. She relaxed them enough to let words out. Much more than he earned, the amount of work he did. Privately admiring him, with others you had to pretend to maintain your condemnation. You told your husband and no one else. That was about a week ago, you say? You have added little to what the papers have carried, but let''s see. He left the apartment, your home, and took a taxi to Chezar''s restaurant, where he had a dinner engagement.

He had invited three women and two men to dine with him, and they were all there when he arrived, in the bar. When your nephew came they went with him to the table he had reserved and had cocktails. He took a small metal box from--" "Gold.


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    4. He took it from a pocket, his side coat pocket, put it on the table, and left it there while he conferred with the waiter. When plates and rolls and butter were brought, the pillbox got pushed around. It was on the table altogether some ten or twelve minutes. When hors d''oeuvres were served, your nephew started to eat, remembered the pillbox, found it behind the basket of rolls, got from it a vitamin capsule, swallowed the capsule with a sip of water, and began on his hors d''oeuvres. Six or seven minutes later he suddenly cried out, sprang to his feet, overturning his chair, made convulsive gestures, became rigid, collapsed and crumpled to the floor, and died.

    A doctor arrived shortly, but he was already dead. It has been found that two other capsules in the metal box, similar in appearance to the one he took, contained what they were supposed to and were harmless; but your nephew had swallowed potassium cyanide. He was murdered by replacing a vitamin capsule with a capsule filled with poison.