Customer Reviews

Triple Zeck: A Nero Wolfe Omnibus

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I had read a dozen Nero Wolfe novels, and I thought I had read Rex Stout's best. This set beats them all, and this is exactly the way to read them -- the three novels, published a year apart, that have the undercurrent of Wolfe's Moriarty, the villianous mastermind known as Arnold Zeck.

Start with And Be A Villian (1948), as Wolfe solves the murder of the guest on an Oprah-esqe radio talk show. Continue with The Second Confession (1949), where Wolfe is hired to expose a Communist and ends up solving a murder. They set the stage for In The Best Families (1950), as Zeck shows that his interference cannot be tolerated; Wolfe goes to amazing, drastic measures to stay alive and, almost as an afterthought, wraps up another murder case.

If you want to get analytical, you can compare Wolfe/Goodwin with Holmes/Watson, particularly during the events of In The Best Families. Or you can just hang on for one great ride.

This set of three books forms a gripping and yet humorous story about Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin (who cheerfully describes Wolfe as weighing "a seventh of a ton") and their battle against a powerful, ruthless, and all but untouchable crime lord named Arnold Zeck. The first two books concern other cases where Zeck was indirectly involved, and the third is where Wolfe is forced to combat Zeck himself. If you like a good mystery, this collection is highly recommended.

For those who love Nero Wolfe, Archie, and the gang, this compliation of the 3 adventures in which Nero Wolfe faces his arch nemesis, Arnold Zeck, is indispensable.

Riveting reads for Rex Stout fans. While the individual novels are available separately, they should be read in order and together. This old volume is a convenient solution.

A wonderful summer read for fans of classic mysteries, from the days before CSI and gory forensic procedurals. This trio of books is about colleagues who are really family. They reflect the time when they were written in a fascinating way. Highly recommended

Everybody has a favorite Nero Wolfe-- everybody who's been lucky enough to discover the best mystery series ever. Wolfe's nemesis, like Moriarty to Sherlock Holmes, was Arnold Zeck. Here are the Zeck novels under one cover, and they're such fun that they're at the top of my list of Rex Stout reads. If you're a newcomer to Wolfe, start with "Fer-de-lance," the first Wolfe mystery. Then, if you want to skip right to dessert, get "Triple Zeck." Pure fun from start to finish.

Also at the top of my Wolfe list: "Too Many Cooks," "Some Buried Caesar," and "The Doorbell Rang." The latter is one of the last that Stout wrote, and one of the very best. MAN, did he hate J.Edgar Hoover!

The Zeck trilogy of Nero Wolfe novels is the only set of Nero Wolfe stories, out of 73 novels and novelettes, which have a common villain and therefore a sustained theme.

Having them--And Be a Villain, The Second Confession, and In the Best Families--all in one volume is a special convenience and treat.

I have read all the Nero Wolfe stories numerous times. Each one has its pros and cons, but all are, for me, endlessly rereadable (though in general I never can stand to read a book a second time.) Plotting is not usually Stout's strong point. The attraction of the Wolfe series is in the place, the personalities, the wit, the use of language. However, the three Zeck novels feature strong plotting, some of the strongest in the corpus, and each of them has its own charm and attraction: in the first, I love the teenaged pill, Nancy. In the second, Archie is staying in a client's mansion and has to make a huge effort to lock his bedroom door--why? In the third, Archie is shocked (and so are we) one morning when he arrives home to find the front door open. I never get tired of these three stories.

For any Nero Wolfe fan, this trilogy is a must. For those who haven't had the pleasure of getting to know Wolfe and his sidekick Archie, I would recommend reading a few earlier stories in the corpus first. When you get to these, they will be an especial treat.

Highly recommended.