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Nero Wolfe #38
The Mother Hunt
When an abandoned baby is left on her doorstep, the young socialite widow knows only too well the identity of the father: her deceased philanderer of a husband. But who is the mother? The case seems like child's play to Nero Wolfe, until the first dead body.
While the police nurse their grudges against him, and the widow nurses Archie, the genius sleuth and his sidekick look for the hand that rocked the cradle. But nothing can pacify the killer, who's found the formula for murder—and is determined to milk it for all it's worth.
While the police nurse their grudges against him, and the widow nurses Archie, the genius sleuth and his sidekick look for the hand that rocked the cradle. But nothing can pacify the killer, who's found the formula for murder—and is determined to milk it for all it's worth.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 1963
182 people are currently reading
761 people want to read
About the author
Rex Stout
834 books1,030 followersRex Todhunter Stout (1886–1975) was an American crime writer, best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the detective genius from 1934 (Fer-de-Lance) to 1975 (A Family Affair).
The Nero Wolfe corpus was nominated Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon 2000, the world's largest mystery convention, and Rex Stout was nominated Best Mystery Writer of the Century.
The Nero Wolfe corpus was nominated Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon 2000, the world's largest mystery convention, and Rex Stout was nominated Best Mystery Writer of the Century.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
March 10, 2019
One of the best in the series. A nine-month widow who has had a baby left on her doorstop wants to find out who the mother is, and she hires Wolfe to do so. Soon after, the search is transformed into a quest for the source of a unique kind of button, bodies begin to accumulate, and before long Wolfe--in order to avoid the awkward questions of Inspector Cramer--is compelled to leave his brownstone home.
January 15, 2019
This was an other great story of Nero Wolf and Archy Goodwin. An abandoned baby was looking for his Mother and their were many prospects.
Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Enjoy and Be Blessed.
September 14, 2023
3.5/5
One of the Lesser Nero Wolfe stories. This didn't have any of the dialogue or twists that I love about the series but it still had the great cast of regulars.
One of the Lesser Nero Wolfe stories. This didn't have any of the dialogue or twists that I love about the series but it still had the great cast of regulars.
November 15, 2024
We all know I am a huge fan of this series. Such statements are often followed by a But, and I offer no exception. BUT, this one dragged. And dragged. Honestly, I didn't care who was the mother of the child left on Lucy Valdon's vestibule. That was what Wolfe's case was about. Of course, there was a murder. Still, he was all about finding out who was the mother. Yes, I got it: the title of the novel is The Mother Hunt.
Eventually, of course, Wolfe feels pushed to solve a murder. And so he does. I didn't care about that who either. Oh, yes, I'm still very much a fan of the series. Each installment is in the 175-225 page range and, despite being about murder, are on the light side. Archie and Wolfe still have to spar a bit and there is always Fritz to serve gourmet food, even gourmet scrambled eggs for breakfast. It's even possible I'll be a completist, although that is not my goal. Still, this installment just barely breaks above the 2-/3-star line.
Eventually, of course, Wolfe feels pushed to solve a murder. And so he does. I didn't care about that who either. Oh, yes, I'm still very much a fan of the series. Each installment is in the 175-225 page range and, despite being about murder, are on the light side. Archie and Wolfe still have to spar a bit and there is always Fritz to serve gourmet food, even gourmet scrambled eggs for breakfast. It's even possible I'll be a completist, although that is not my goal. Still, this installment just barely breaks above the 2-/3-star line.
April 2, 2020
A solid entry into the Nero Wolfe body of work, this one involves Archie and Nero trying to find the mother of an abandoned baby. But everything changes once the bodies start showing up. My one quibble with this book is that there is no way Nero and Archie wouldn't be prosecuted for Obstruction of Justice, and probably kidnapping. But instead that threat is waved away when Nero exposes the murderer in the final drawing room resolution.
I couldn't recomend this book to anyone but a fan though, Nero is at his most misogynistic after being forced to deal with women the entire book. Stout used Archie to lessen that by having him spend a lot of time with said women but it can't be avoided that Nero's attitude is sometimes repellent in this story.
I couldn't recomend this book to anyone but a fan though, Nero is at his most misogynistic after being forced to deal with women the entire book. Stout used Archie to lessen that by having him spend a lot of time with said women but it can't be avoided that Nero's attitude is sometimes repellent in this story.
October 17, 2024
Pidän kovasti näistä Rex Stoutin Nero Wolfe -dekkareista. Yleensä annan niille neljä tähteä, mutta tällä kertaa kelvoton, paikoin jopa lukemista vaikeuttava suomennos pudotti kokonaisuuden kolmeen.
September 16, 2019
I very much enjoyed this one! A widow finds a baby, a few months old, in the vestibule of her home. A note pinned to the blanket states the baby is the offspring of her late husband. She hires Wolfe to determine who is the baby’s mother, and if actually was fathered by her husband.
Wolfe is often stymied for a few days or even a week or two. In this case, he is stumped for 45 days, and eventually he and Archie are compelled to leave the brownstone to avoid Inspector Cramer.
I always enjoy the food in Rex Stout’s books, and this one featured a couple of ways to cook eggs. The first was Eggs au beurre noir, which sounds fabulous — I may have to try it some time. Later, when Wolfe is in self-imposed exile and deprived of Fritz’s cooking, he has to fend for himself. He fixes scrambled eggs, swearing that properly scrambled eggs cannot be cooked in less than 40 minutes. YouTube has any number of videos on scrambling eggs; the French method involves cooking the eggs in a double boiler. I don’t know if it takes 40 minutes or not. Myself, I like to cook eggs over medium heat and leave them slightly underdone, and with plenty of butter.
Wolfe and Archie often get pretty close to committing felony withholding of evidence and/or obstructing justice. In this one, they actually are on the wrong side of that line, and it’s only the fact that Wolfe hands Cramer the murderer that keeps them out of jail. Cramer doesn’t show up in this book as much as usual, and Stebbins hardly appears at all. Still, a very good one.
Wolfe is often stymied for a few days or even a week or two. In this case, he is stumped for 45 days, and eventually he and Archie are compelled to leave the brownstone to avoid Inspector Cramer.
I always enjoy the food in Rex Stout’s books, and this one featured a couple of ways to cook eggs. The first was Eggs au beurre noir, which sounds fabulous — I may have to try it some time. Later, when Wolfe is in self-imposed exile and deprived of Fritz’s cooking, he has to fend for himself. He fixes scrambled eggs, swearing that properly scrambled eggs cannot be cooked in less than 40 minutes. YouTube has any number of videos on scrambling eggs; the French method involves cooking the eggs in a double boiler. I don’t know if it takes 40 minutes or not. Myself, I like to cook eggs over medium heat and leave them slightly underdone, and with plenty of butter.
Wolfe and Archie often get pretty close to committing felony withholding of evidence and/or obstructing justice. In this one, they actually are on the wrong side of that line, and it’s only the fact that Wolfe hands Cramer the murderer that keeps them out of jail. Cramer doesn’t show up in this book as much as usual, and Stebbins hardly appears at all. Still, a very good one.
April 10, 2022
A young widow comes to Wolfe to ask him to find the mother of an infant who was left in her vestibule with a note intimating that the baby's father was her late husband. The only clues are some unusual buttons on the baby's clothes.
This is the third time that I'm reading through the Wolfe series. Fortunately, I have very little memory for mystery plots, so it's like reading them for the first time. I especially appreciate that they're not very long, about 150-250 pages. Fiction these days, even mysteries, can be 400-500 pages. Sometimes it's too much.
This is the third time that I'm reading through the Wolfe series. Fortunately, I have very little memory for mystery plots, so it's like reading them for the first time. I especially appreciate that they're not very long, about 150-250 pages. Fiction these days, even mysteries, can be 400-500 pages. Sometimes it's too much.
August 24, 2017
A pretty good Nero Wolfe adventure, written when the author was 77 and still, as it turned out, had seven more novels in him. This one is unique in that Wolfe is harried out of his beloved brownstone, forced to leave at a trot through the back door and down the alley as Inspector Cramer is pounding on the front door. The mystery is a good one, Archie is very much his own man, and his love-hate relationship with Wolfe is on full display. Wolfe admits he's grasping at straws as he accuses the murderer, and even so he has a bit of information that the reader doesn't. But still a good read without a wasted word.
December 24, 2018
When a baby winds up in the house of a rich woman who is seeking answers about its past, Wolfe and Goodwin must not only locate the anonymous mother, but find themselves hunting down a killer as suspects start dropping. Stout will keep fans glued to the pages with this tense and snarky entry to the series, brimming with wit and twists that will keep readers pleased for a long time to come. It will take more than the usual questions to get these suspects to speak out...
August 5, 2017
Brisk and fun Wolfe, which, until the mystery is actually solved, is a great picture of Wolfe and Archie working together. The last twenty pages of solution are kind of anticlimactic. And I question the device of the person-with-the-solution suddenly being dispatched; it happens twice. But other than that, you can't go wrong.
August 18, 2024
A classic by-the-numbers Nero Wolfe, possibly seeming like a standout just because I haven't read one of 'em for a while.
August 31, 2014
I read my first Nero Wolfe mystery, "Murder by the Book", in translation into my native language, about 1970 or so. I liked it a lot, so when I came to the U.S. I was eager to read other books by Rex Stout. I believe I managed to read all 46 of them between the early Eighties and the mid-Nineties. At that time I was still able to read mystery series. Now I dislike series, but I decided to reread two or three novels in the Nero Wolfe series, just to see whether and how my reception of Mr. Stout's work has changed over time. The first book to reread, randomly selected, is "The Mother Hunt" (1963).
The wife of a successful novelist, recently deceased, finds in her vestibule a healthy baby with a note implying that her husband was the father. She hires Nero Wolfe to find out who the mother is. Archie Goodwin investigates, while Mr. Wolfe lazes around in his old brownhouse on West 35th Street, New York, attends his orchids, drinks beer, reads books, and thinks about the case during breaks between these activities.
A murder occurs, clearly connected to Archie's (sorry, Wolfe's) investigation. The plot is captivating, but rapidly deteriorates when Mr. Stout begins to use, several times, his trademark literary device - gathering in Wolfe's office several characters connected to the investigation and discussing the facts of the case with them. Too theatrical and implausible.
My feeling of being too familiar with the characters is strong; they are cut and pasted from book to book, never ever changing, perhaps except for Archie, who has always been the most (perhaps the only) interesting character. Yet the first half of the novel is enthralling and Mr. Stout's writing is good. I will try one or two more rereads and then come back to my favorite "one-off" books.
Three stars.
The wife of a successful novelist, recently deceased, finds in her vestibule a healthy baby with a note implying that her husband was the father. She hires Nero Wolfe to find out who the mother is. Archie Goodwin investigates, while Mr. Wolfe lazes around in his old brownhouse on West 35th Street, New York, attends his orchids, drinks beer, reads books, and thinks about the case during breaks between these activities.
A murder occurs, clearly connected to Archie's (sorry, Wolfe's) investigation. The plot is captivating, but rapidly deteriorates when Mr. Stout begins to use, several times, his trademark literary device - gathering in Wolfe's office several characters connected to the investigation and discussing the facts of the case with them. Too theatrical and implausible.
My feeling of being too familiar with the characters is strong; they are cut and pasted from book to book, never ever changing, perhaps except for Archie, who has always been the most (perhaps the only) interesting character. Yet the first half of the novel is enthralling and Mr. Stout's writing is good. I will try one or two more rereads and then come back to my favorite "one-off" books.
Three stars.
June 27, 2018
I was surprised to find that I had been given this book four years ago. Time does fly, it seems, because I find it hard to believe that I’ve been working my way through the Wolfe books for over four years. But it’s true. I am nearing the end, however, and Stout isn’t failing yet. While I’m slightly disappointed to discover that every Wolfe novel revolves around not just a mystery, but a murder, I can also understand that this was Stout’s formula for the Wolfe stories and to wish it different would be like wishing that Wodehouse had written westerns. Stout continues to be increasingly frank regarding sex in these books–I wonder if the books written in the 70s will go even further. I doubt it. Too much more change in this area and it wouldn’t be the same formula.
September 24, 2020
The mystery in this one is not one of Stout's best -- very solvable, even for the teenager I was when I first read this, and with a motive that is mostly a series of question marks. But the mysteries aren't really the point with Stout, and this book, on a character level, is nothing but fun.
Wolfe is forced to LEAVE HIS HOUSE for reasons of business. He's also forced to work both for a woman and on a woman; naturally, this is a great challenge to his composure. Archie encounters a button fiend. And there's a lot of great Archie moments and a nearly-acceptable level of Saul, including an excellent bit of Saul information.
This is not one of the very best Wolfe books, but it is one I reread pretty regularly.
Wolfe is forced to LEAVE HIS HOUSE for reasons of business. He's also forced to work both for a woman and on a woman; naturally, this is a great challenge to his composure. Archie encounters a button fiend. And there's a lot of great Archie moments and a nearly-acceptable level of Saul, including an excellent bit of Saul information.
This is not one of the very best Wolfe books, but it is one I reread pretty regularly.
August 13, 2019
Having seen and enjoyed the A&E series episode of this title, I knew I would like the book but I had no idea how much. There's so much of Archie's relationship with Lucy that was left out of the series, but only in the details, not in the actualization of it. Having those details to absorb is great fun. The plot itself is interesting in the complexity and difficulty when it comes right down to what Mrs. Valdon hired Wolfe to do. It's not as straightforward as they initially assume it will be, and the struggle to find a solid clue to hang onto is very well realized. Also, Wolfe outside his preferred environment is always a treat. I really enjoyed a chance to revisit this story in its original form. I definitely recommend it.
October 29, 2011
I liked this story, but can someone explain to me why Stout's female characters feel so off. I think it's because the author writes more men than women so all his women really sound like men. The plot of this one centers on a baby. Recent widow Lucy Valdon come to Wolfe with a pickle of a problem. One night a few weeks earlier she recieved a call late at night telling her she had something outside her vestibule. Turns out to be a baby, with a note attached telling her the father was her late husband. Now she needs to find the mother, and of course that leads to nothing but trouble.
March 4, 2023
3.5*
This book is one of the few entries in the Nero Wolfe series in which it truly seems like Wolfe will be stymied. Of course, as any fan knows, that isn't going to happen but it takes quite long for him to figure out how to crack the case. On one hand, it was somewhat interesting to see all the dead ends Archie, with the assistance of Saul, Fred & Orrie, have to comb through but, on the other hand, it did make this book a bit less exciting. Still, it was an easy book to complete in an evening and Archie & Wolfe are always enjoyable to read about.
This book is one of the few entries in the Nero Wolfe series in which it truly seems like Wolfe will be stymied. Of course, as any fan knows, that isn't going to happen but it takes quite long for him to figure out how to crack the case. On one hand, it was somewhat interesting to see all the dead ends Archie, with the assistance of Saul, Fred & Orrie, have to comb through but, on the other hand, it did make this book a bit less exciting. Still, it was an easy book to complete in an evening and Archie & Wolfe are always enjoyable to read about.
March 12, 2013
This Nero Wolfe story only gets three stars from me because I could not understand why the murderer decided why murder must take place. However, Nero, Archie and Fritz always get at least three stars even when the story is a wash. They are always star material!
Then I will add another half star because Nero was forced to leave his house on this one! A very rare event indeed....
Then I will add another half star because Nero was forced to leave his house on this one! A very rare event indeed....
May 18, 2025
"Mr. Cramer is at the door," Wolfe said. "Archie and I are leaving at the back and don't know when we'll return. Certainly not tonight. Don't admit him. Put the chain bolt on. Tell him we are not here and nothing else. Nothing. If he returns with a search warrant you'll have to admit him, but tell him nothing. You don't know when we left."
"The police will press you, now that they have connected Carol Mardus with me and therefore with you, and I have decamped. You're my client and I should be shielding you, but instead you're shielding me.
How did Wolfe get in such a tight spot? In The Mother Hunt, Nero Wolfe and Archie are in familiar waters -- laughable but at the same time intense. The situation isn't all that rare. A client brings them a puzzle (in this case an orphaned baby), a murderer follows in Archie's footsteps as he investigates. Now they know too much:
If I had known the job would develop thus -- a murder, and my involvement, and routine fishing in a boundless sea -- I wouldn't have taken it.
Stout treats the situation a little more playfully than he has elsewhere. Early in the mystery, Archie tries to beat the genius Wolfe to a clue and score a point of his own:
He might spot it the second time around and should have the chance without a tip from me.
Although it's not necessary to the story, he rounds out the friendly rivalry that Wolfe shares with his personal chef over who commands the kitchen:
The only time he has been overruled about the furniture in his house was when he bought a king-size armchair for the kitchen and Fritz vetoed it. It was delivered, and he sat in it for half an hour one morning discussing turnip soup with Fritz, but when he came down from the plant rooms at six o'clock it was gone. If he or Fritz ever mentioned it again they did so in privacy.
Cramer, based on past experience with Wolf, can only suspect that he is being cagey:
"You ask if I'm blocked. I am. I'm at my wit's end."
"I'll bet you are." Cramer's eyes were slits. "If you're reserving the message why did you tell me about it?"
The playboy Archie manages an honest and insightful quip:
No man with any sense assumes that a woman's words mean to her exactly what they mean to him.
He gets in a characteristically sarcastic jab at Cramer:
"You spent the night in Mrs. Valdon's house. Last night."
I raised a brow. "There are two things wrong with that statement. First, it's not true. Second, even if it were true, what would it have to do with homicide?"
"What time did you leave?"
"I didn't. I'm still there."
Stout uses another trap to draw the killer out, using some phony evidence. Eventually he tracks down a missing link connecting the victims to the murderer. What starts as a malicious prank of jealousy became a lethal slide into multiple murders.
July 24, 2019
Some of these later Wolfe adventures by Stout are among his best, which is a remarkable feat after writing the same characters for decades. This trim novel is another fast-paced mystery, with plenty of false clues, missteps, and fresh twists. Even when the investigation switches directions and soon after grinds to a halt a little over halfway through the book, Stout somehow manages to keep the momentum going for us readers, even when Archie and Wolfe are up a stump. This time around Archie gets awfully cozy with the client, which is perhaps a poor choice, but nothing seems to come of it. The Chaykin/Hutton adaptation of ... well, it seems a few years ago but by now it's been almost 20 years! ... anyway, their adaptation does as it often did a fantastic job of trimming what little fat there is to trim and turn this into a visual story. In fact, seeing the mystery played out this time actually brings some of the characters and conflicts to life a bit bitter than reading it, particularly in the conclusion to the eponymous hunt for the eponymous mother. When she is finally identified, the final barrier of not identifying her is rather flat in the book compared to the scene in the show - seeing the men react to her picture is a much more impressive visual than written experience. The adaptation also adds a bizarre sub-current of Mrs. Valdon's war against smog, which isn't in the book. I wonder if that was by request of the actress or the screenplay adapter. Either way, it makes her character in the show come across as more intelligent than in the book, so it's a good change. This is a good one, for sure.
September 17, 2020
I am romping through a re-reading binge of Nero Wolfe novels during the protracted "stay at home" period of Summer 2020. Nothing has brought me as much pleasure this spring, summer, and fall as revisiting (for a fourth or fifth time in some instances) Stout's terrific mysteries.
In general, I prefer the earlier books in the series because I like the period charm of New York in the forties and early fifties--but, this book had some particular interest to me because it featured an actual romance between Archie Goodwin and a current client. Not a flirtation, not just "admiration," but a romantic relationship. I didn't get a good sense of the woman's personality --- at least not enough to understand her attraction to Archie--but, I was intrigued by the concept of him engaging with a client in this (unprofessional ?) manner.
As a reader who thinks he and Lily Rowan (NOT featured in any way in this novel) are a well-matched pair, it was interesting to contemplate Archie involved in any way with another "eligible" woman. So, that aspect of the book intrigued me more than the mystery itself (which got a bit tiresome at times).
Rex Stout's series is capable of engaging me on several levels--I could read it exclusively for a chance to walk the streets of Manhattan with Archie, OR for the opportunity to be inspired by Fritz Brenner's creative cuisine, but most often my pleasure comes from Wolfe's unbelievable vocabulary and the fun of his verbal sparring with Archie.
This book had a bit less of each of those aspects, but a glimpse into Archie's love life was a fair trade in the end.
In general, I prefer the earlier books in the series because I like the period charm of New York in the forties and early fifties--but, this book had some particular interest to me because it featured an actual romance between Archie Goodwin and a current client. Not a flirtation, not just "admiration," but a romantic relationship. I didn't get a good sense of the woman's personality --- at least not enough to understand her attraction to Archie--but, I was intrigued by the concept of him engaging with a client in this (unprofessional ?) manner.
As a reader who thinks he and Lily Rowan (NOT featured in any way in this novel) are a well-matched pair, it was interesting to contemplate Archie involved in any way with another "eligible" woman. So, that aspect of the book intrigued me more than the mystery itself (which got a bit tiresome at times).
Rex Stout's series is capable of engaging me on several levels--I could read it exclusively for a chance to walk the streets of Manhattan with Archie, OR for the opportunity to be inspired by Fritz Brenner's creative cuisine, but most often my pleasure comes from Wolfe's unbelievable vocabulary and the fun of his verbal sparring with Archie.
This book had a bit less of each of those aspects, but a glimpse into Archie's love life was a fair trade in the end.
May 21, 2019
This is one of Wolfe's and Archie's longest and most delayed case that even had me worried as to its resolution. A 4~month old baby boy was left at newly widowed (9 months) Mrs. Lucy Valdon's vestibule one Sunday evening in February with a note pinned in his blanket stating "...a boy should live in his father's house" implying that the widow's recently dead bestseller novelist husband was the baby's father. Mrs. Valdon then hired Wolfe to find out who the baby's mother was. Archie was tasked to look into the unique hand~made horsehair buttons on the baby's jumpsuit that got the button~maker killed. In the course of their extensive search for the mother, they investigated more than a hundred women but Wolfe's strategy back~fired because in trying to preserve his client's involvement, he had to resort to lies and deceptions thus their inquiry was flawed. A change of tactics paid dirt and the mother appeared to Wolfe but refused to answer his questions then she was also strangled as the first victim. In all these, Archie was a rock for the widow to lean on and then some. Again, as in most human relationships, thwarted desires play a big part in some deadly games... for this one started as an impish taunt coupled with black sadistic humor and escalated into murder.
September 3, 2023
This Nero Wolfe mystery starts out unusually. Wolfe is hired to discover who left a baby in a vestibule and who are its mother and father. Then two people Wolfe has contacted are murdered, which makes it personal for him. Wolfe and Archie are forced to flee his home to avoid a warrant for obstructing justice because he wants to catch the murderer himself. Determining the parents is one of Wolfe’s most time consuming and expensive cases, but I thought the murder mystery and its resolution were just slightly above average, 3.3 stars.
There are more than the usual number of observations on contemporary life in 1963. A merchant observes that “soon everything will come from [Japan]”. Wolfe is reading Rachel Carson’s erroneous but influential Silent Spring. Swiss bank accounts are mentioned for the first time that I recall in the series. So is “payola”. Sexual morality is loosening up and some women with social standing are now openly promiscuous. It is noted that one had an abortion in 1957, which was largely illegal in 46 states, but legal in New York, at the time. Finally, Archie observes, “No man with any sense assumes that a woman’s words mean to her exactly what they mean to him”.
There are more than the usual number of observations on contemporary life in 1963. A merchant observes that “soon everything will come from [Japan]”. Wolfe is reading Rachel Carson’s erroneous but influential Silent Spring. Swiss bank accounts are mentioned for the first time that I recall in the series. So is “payola”. Sexual morality is loosening up and some women with social standing are now openly promiscuous. It is noted that one had an abortion in 1957, which was largely illegal in 46 states, but legal in New York, at the time. Finally, Archie observes, “No man with any sense assumes that a woman’s words mean to her exactly what they mean to him”.
May 7, 2019
Unfortunately, I'm rating Rex Stout's 1963 "Nero Wolfe" novel "Nero Wolfe, Book 38: The Mother Hunt" all the way down at a mere OK 3 stars out of 5. As always, the wordsmithing is just fine. But, I've got problems with the pacing and both the means and motive of the murderer. Regarding the pacing, for most of the book, Wolfe has nothing and is merely pulling at straws. It isn't until the last 20% of the book that things actually start happening. Describing my issues with the murderer is a bit difficult without spoilers. But, I just don't see how the villain could physically do what was required. Similarly, I can't see the motive for the villain jumping from one activity to the next. And, finally, as a sort of aside, I have trouble coming to grips with someone who heavily suspects someone of being a murderer somehow ending up alone with said person. So, the book is fine as a reading object. But, has definite problems as a murder mystery. Again, merely an OK 3 stars out of 5.
September 10, 2023
A good classical crime. The first book that I have read from the Nero Wolfe series. The story was a little complicated but overall the clues were there if I had looked a little bit harder. I really enjoyed seeing it all unravel.
Nero Wolfe is an interesting character to say the least. As someone who doesn't leave his house and only moves between his cabinet, greenhouse and dining table and whose only job is to think . . . I felt that his effort and time put into THINKING was lacking. But maybe, if I read more books about him, my opinion could change.
But I really liked Archie Goodwin. His answers were on point. I find the fact that Nero doesn't like dealing with women and in this book left it to Archie and from that developed Archie's and Lucy's relationship funny and interesting. I also enjoyed seeing his and Lucy Valdon's relationship. And I am hopeful for their future.
And I can't not name how Archie and Nero balance out each other.
Nero Wolfe is an interesting character to say the least. As someone who doesn't leave his house and only moves between his cabinet, greenhouse and dining table and whose only job is to think . . . I felt that his effort and time put into THINKING was lacking. But maybe, if I read more books about him, my opinion could change.
But I really liked Archie Goodwin. His answers were on point. I find the fact that Nero doesn't like dealing with women and in this book left it to Archie and from that developed Archie's and Lucy's relationship funny and interesting. I also enjoyed seeing his and Lucy Valdon's relationship. And I am hopeful for their future.
And I can't not name how Archie and Nero balance out each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2024
A baby is left on a woman's doorstep and she knows exactly who the father is: her philandering late husband who had died only a few months before. She hires Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin to discover who the mother is. A simple enough case, right? Until a woman is murdered after Archie paid her a visit. Now Wolfe and Archie have two mysteries to solve--the baby's mother and a murder. And then a second murder.
I always like Stout's rotund detective, Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, his leg man. They are great mysteries, and also snapshots in time. The series began in the mid-1930s and continuted until Stout's death in 1975. So they give you a glimpse into aspects of life years ago.
Archie is as good as ever at trading barbs with Wolfe, and manages to keep a good attitude. There is also Wolfe's condescension toward women. It's not mysoginy, but rather a chauvanistic, patronizing view of women.
All in all great read.
I always like Stout's rotund detective, Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, his leg man. They are great mysteries, and also snapshots in time. The series began in the mid-1930s and continuted until Stout's death in 1975. So they give you a glimpse into aspects of life years ago.
Archie is as good as ever at trading barbs with Wolfe, and manages to keep a good attitude. There is also Wolfe's condescension toward women. It's not mysoginy, but rather a chauvanistic, patronizing view of women.
All in all great read.
January 26, 2018
The Mother Hunt is one of the last Nero Wolfe novels. There is a bit of a wheeze to the plotting and some of it is not up to Wolfe's best, yet Wolfe is Wolfe. Stout is always worth reading. There are some special bits in this story: Wolfe willingly leaves the house, Archie gets a new love interest, and the Del Bonner Agency gets a shout-out (Bonner is the female detective created by Stout). Archie and Wolfe attempt to find the mother of an abandoned baby. The search takes them from the office of a button obsessive, to a baby care home upstate, and even to Long Island. As they are stumped on the case, Wolfe spends a lot of time reading. His ennui is sort of ours as well. Yet, it's fun and brisk, as one would expect.
February 27, 2021
Simple request, find the mother of an abandoned baby. Sure!
After weeks of fruitless efforts by Wolfe and his band of merry men the answer is clear as mud. On top of it all a murder occurred that Wolfe knows is related but keeps from Cramer ( the semi-idiot head of NYC homicide ).
But as usual one little bit of info and some razzle dazzle opens the gate and the evidence is discovered.
And again we see how Cramer is just a foil Stout uses to portray the basic inability of the police to see that preconceived impressions never achieve results. He hates that Wolfe and Goodwin think outside the box while he either tows the line or lets thugs like Rowcliff remain on the force to threaten or beat the evidence out of suspects.
After weeks of fruitless efforts by Wolfe and his band of merry men the answer is clear as mud. On top of it all a murder occurred that Wolfe knows is related but keeps from Cramer ( the semi-idiot head of NYC homicide ).
But as usual one little bit of info and some razzle dazzle opens the gate and the evidence is discovered.
And again we see how Cramer is just a foil Stout uses to portray the basic inability of the police to see that preconceived impressions never achieve results. He hates that Wolfe and Goodwin think outside the box while he either tows the line or lets thugs like Rowcliff remain on the force to threaten or beat the evidence out of suspects.
October 31, 2021
The widow a bestselling writer show up at Wolfe's door. Someone has left a baby at her door, with a note saying that her deceased husband was the father. She wants Wolfe to find out who the mother was and if her husband could have been the father. Wolfe reluctantly agrees, and they soon find clue: a handmade button on the baby's clothes. They track down the creator, but after Archie talks to her, she runs off, and is later found murdered.
By novel's end, Wolfe must solve two murders so as not to be charged with withholding evidence and obstruction of justice. Worse, he must flee his home before Cramer can show up and haul him in.
As always, a fun, well-constructed mystery. Stout is one of the underappreaciated authors of mid-twentieth century America.
By novel's end, Wolfe must solve two murders so as not to be charged with withholding evidence and obstruction of justice. Worse, he must flee his home before Cramer can show up and haul him in.
As always, a fun, well-constructed mystery. Stout is one of the underappreaciated authors of mid-twentieth century America.
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