Sun 23 May 2021
REX STOUT – Champagne for One. Nero Wolfe & Archie Goodwin #31. Viking, hardcover, 1958. Bantam, paperback, April 1960. Reprinted many times since.
Not only was this a long-delayed return visit to the brownstone mansion on West 35th Street for me, it’s also an impossible crime murder mystery — double the pleasure! And the only reason the cops cannot call the death of Faith Usher a suicide is that Archie Goodwin is there and watching as the dead girl is served a single glass of champagne with (apparently) no one else at the party able to drop the fast-acting cyanide into it between the time it was poured and it was served to her.
This all takes place at a “coming out” party for a group of unwed mothers, guests of a large philanthropic organization. Nero Wolfe’s investigation, provoked in part to stand up to Inspector Cramer and the District Attorney, who want nothing more to whitewash the affair, shows that the dead girl had no friends, no acquaintances, only a mother she hated and wanted nothing to do with. And hence, no motive.
It’s a baffling case, but if not needing to leave his house, not even once, is a criterion, this is an easy case for Nero Wolfe to solve, culminating in bringing all of the suspects together in the final chapters and having the scene of the crime re-created. That and Stout’s usual smooth and witty way of telling the story — through the lips and mind’s eye of Wolfe’s most trusted assistant — makes this a treat I’ve neglected for far too long.
May 23rd, 2021 at 11:25 pm
That is sure some cover art!
May 23rd, 2021 at 11:50 pm
The scene where Cramer beams over Wolfe complimenting Sgt. Stebbins for spotting the clever clue that the mystery turns on remains a favorite moment in the series, a small moment, but I would argue business such as that was as important to the success of the series as the mysteries themselves, much as we read Sherlock Holmes for certain passages as much or more than the mystery involved.
May 24th, 2021 at 12:46 am
Yes, thanks for reminding me of that scene. Little bits like this certainly lift the whole series to a different level than mere mystery stories.
May 24th, 2021 at 4:20 am
Thanks for the reminder that I need to read more of this series.
May 24th, 2021 at 11:27 am
I have been trying some books by lesser known writers and giving up long before finishing. I thought I’d better switch to reading the “classics” for a while, authors such as Gardner and now Stout, and discovering exactly why they’re classics.
May 24th, 2021 at 9:24 pm
Interesting how Parker’s books seemed to be tired after 10 titles and Stout’s book is number 31 and sounds like it still seems fresh.