Trio for Blunt Instruments by Rex Stout

Trio for Blunt Instruments by Rex Stout

Here are three more wonderful novellas featuring Nero Wolfe. In Kill Now Pay Later the man who shines Wolfe’s shoes three times a week is first suspected of murder and then believed to have committed suicide, but Wolfe will have none of it. After three years of discussing Ancient Greece with the man, he is prepared to suffer inconvenience and work without pay to find that man who murdered him.

 

In Murder Is Corny, Inspector Cramer actually brings Wolfe a case—sort of. He brings Wolfe a carton of corn found at a murder site because the carton has Wolfe’s name on it. Then he practically accuses Archie of murder and drags him off for questioning. Why does he think Archie is a killer? Because a pretty young model of Archie’s acquaintance sort of fingered him for the crime (while arguing that she never dreamed the police would think Archie did it). So, Wolfe is forced to get involved or potentially lose Archie’s services forever.

 

The final story, Blood Will Tell, starts with a bloody tie being sent to Archie in the mail. From there, Wolfe and Archie get dragged into a murder that apparently hasn’t happened yet. It’s another thoroughly enjoyable tale.