This is the first of the Nero Wolfe mysteries. It was first published in 1934, and was the basis for a film called "Meet Nero Wolfe" starring Edward Arnold as Wolfe, and Lionel Stander as Archie Goodwin.
I was delighted when I found this Nero Wolfe book I hadn't read before. Unfortunately, I put it in my pile of books to be read as I was already reading a couple of other books, I got caught up in other things, and I forgot I had it. While doing some sorting recently, I rediscovered it, and started reading it immediately!
The story begins with Fred Durkin asking Wolfe to talk with a friend, Marie Maffie. She is concerned that her brother, Carlo, a metalworker, has disappeared. Wolfe takes the case, and sends Archie to get more information.
Investigating at Carlo's boarding house, Archie finds Anna Fiore, who had overheard a phone call Carlo had received just before he disappeared. Wolfe talks to her and discovers that Carlo had clipped an article about the heart attack death of Peter Oliver Barstow from the paper, but won't tell Wolfe anything else.
Soon after, Carlo is found murdered in the country, and Wolfe suspects that the reason Carlo has clipped the article is that he knew something about the death--and that made the death murder. Wolfe sets up a strategy to get Barstow's body exhumed and autopsied, and sets himself up for a big payday when he determines who the murderer is.
An interesting read, with many of the characters that feature in future books introduced here. While reading it, though, I noticed that previous cases Wolfe and Archie had solved were mentioned, so it felt that I was reading one of the mysteries in the middle of the series, instead of the first one.
This is part of my Vintage Mystery BINGO Challenge--Golden--L--Book Made into Movie
It is also part of my Mt. TBR reading challenge--bought in Sept. 2011.
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