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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Just masterful. The VOICE.
Solid Nero Wolfe. I found this one a bit slow going.
The Rubber Band is another intricately woven plot that introduces a couple of new characters.
As usual, the Wolfe household is in a state, but for a change our protagonists are already working on a case while another interesting case falls into their laps. From money stolen from a desk to a last minute rescue of a man heading to the noose to a beautiful new client whose charms work wonders… this case has it all. But what can a fifty year old lynching case have to do with the present? And will Nero be able to handle all the police interference?
This time Nero has more people he can get to do all the legwork for him. As such Archie is in the Brownstone for most parts and it makes for a different kind of entertainment. Archie and Nero’s relationship is the cause of half the humour in the books. I love their dynamics and their banter and as usual they are up to it again. Also, there’s a particular situation in this book where the police search Nero’s house, and without giving any spoilers, it was a brilliant moment on the book.
This is a slow burn sort of a book. It takes a while for the actual plot to take off, but there is plenty in the meantime to keep the reader engaged. The plot in this one is complex and there are quite a few red herrings left along the way for the readers. I almost missed out on the whodunit myself.
All in all, another entertaining book in a series that is yet to disappoint me.
As usual, the Wolfe household is in a state, but for a change our protagonists are already working on a case while another interesting case falls into their laps. From money stolen from a desk to a last minute rescue of a man heading to the noose to a beautiful new client whose charms work wonders… this case has it all. But what can a fifty year old lynching case have to do with the present? And will Nero be able to handle all the police interference?
This time Nero has more people he can get to do all the legwork for him. As such Archie is in the Brownstone for most parts and it makes for a different kind of entertainment. Archie and Nero’s relationship is the cause of half the humour in the books. I love their dynamics and their banter and as usual they are up to it again. Also, there’s a particular situation in this book where the police search Nero’s house, and without giving any spoilers, it was a brilliant moment on the book.
This is a slow burn sort of a book. It takes a while for the actual plot to take off, but there is plenty in the meantime to keep the reader engaged. The plot in this one is complex and there are quite a few red herrings left along the way for the readers. I almost missed out on the whodunit myself.
All in all, another entertaining book in a series that is yet to disappoint me.
My love for Archie and Wolfe's old married couple relationship continues to grow.
A large cast in this one but I’m tired of the dumb girls. As always, love Archie.
I thought this was better than the first two. It's nice that Archie and Wolfe didn't have a hissy and stop talking to each other this time and I thought the relationship with law enforcement was also much better.
I liked the way the cases were introduced and intertwined and Wolfe's reasoning was enjoyable. The demonstration that he used in his exposè was a snap!
I liked the way the cases were introduced and intertwined and Wolfe's reasoning was enjoyable. The demonstration that he used in his exposè was a snap!
Just an excellent read. Lovely dialogue. Complex case that all made sense once explained by Wolfe.
The book starts out with Wolfe and Archie playing darts as a form of exercise for the former. As they play, the discuss a certain Marquis of Clivers that is in town. A man who is working for the government.
A few days later, they have two clients that are coming in. One is Anthony D. Perry. He's concerned that a secretary in his firm has been wrongly accused of stealing thirty thousand dollars. In a strange twist, it seems that the same secretary is the second client of the day. Well, her and a few others. She's the daughter of a man who helped a convict escape (in the wild, wild West) in exchange for half the convict's inheritance, and now she and the other people who helped out want their fair cut.
Before the book is over, two of those other people are dead and it's possible Wolfe is about to create some grave tensions with England. Of course, he triumphs in the end. But this is a good book and very fairly clued. The reader most definitely has a fighting chance at guessing who the murderer is.
A few days later, they have two clients that are coming in. One is Anthony D. Perry. He's concerned that a secretary in his firm has been wrongly accused of stealing thirty thousand dollars. In a strange twist, it seems that the same secretary is the second client of the day. Well, her and a few others. She's the daughter of a man who helped a convict escape (in the wild, wild West) in exchange for half the convict's inheritance, and now she and the other people who helped out want their fair cut.
Before the book is over, two of those other people are dead and it's possible Wolfe is about to create some grave tensions with England. Of course, he triumphs in the end. But this is a good book and very fairly clued. The reader most definitely has a fighting chance at guessing who the murderer is.
Reading some Nero Wolfe stories as research for a project... they are pretty dated, of course, but don't hold up as well as, say, Holmes. The protagonists are just not very worthy of our identification... a least so far. The crime detection by Wolfe feels lackluster and more prone to the omniscience of the writer than the characters logical deductions.
Solid Nero Wolfe! 40 years later the Rubber Band are trying to get a debt repaid.