League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout

The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout

The second Nero Wolfe novel is one of Rex Stout’s best. Two men, part of a large group of college friends with a tragedy binding them together, have died. One was ruled to have passed on by accident and the other by suicide, but someone is mailing the rest of the friends poems that lead them to believe that these two men were murdered and they are next on the list of intended victims. They are in terror, but guilt over the earlier mentioned tragedy in which a foolish college prank led to the crippling of a man, prevents them from taking direct action to save themselves from becoming victim number three. When Wolfe finds out about the problem, he devises a clever scheme for supporting his orchid practice. He basically agrees to put their minds at rest in regard to Paul Chapin (the crippled alleged murderer) for one of his usual lofty fees. He then goes about investigating the deaths of the two men (and the disappearance of a third).

 

I thought I had figured this one out from very early on, but as the story wound its way back and forth I came to doubt my first suspicion. It’s always fun to watch Wolfe and Archie struggle with the problem. But what really makes this book stand above so many of its peers was Wolfe’s need to clear Chapin of a criminal charge in order to be certain he could collect his fee. This one is gripping from beginning to end.