A review by jdcorley
Murder by the Book by David Handler, Rex Stout

adventurous funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Putting a big cast of girls in a room with Archie is always a delight, but what I think this book pulls off quite well is Wolfe's determination to look past the most obvious "next thing" that the lawyers, cops and rival PIs are unable to surpass.  Everyone else is just reacting to the "most recent thing", but Wolfe's more comprehensive understanding leads him to a solution, one you can get too - as he tells Cramer, he doesn't really have anything else that you don't - and the ending is just as charming and satisfying a classic mystery as one could want.