This one's actually a twofer. In the first novella ('Black Orchids'), an obnoxious young gardener is murdered at a flower show, where Nero Wolfe just happens to be on hand, having made one of his once-in-a-blue-moon excursions out of doors to ogle the world's only black orchids, which are on display at the show. Fortunately, the owner of these precious plants--fellow orchid aficionado and millionaire Lewis Hewitt, a familiar face to Wolfe fans--wants Wolfe to solve the murder (and keep Hewitt's name out of the papers). Wolfe is, of course, happy to oblige, provided Hewitt pays him a handsome fee. And in this case, the only fee that will satisfy our corpulent genius detective is three extremely rare flowers. But if he wants to keep them, he has to earn them, and that means figuring out who killed the gardener, and fast.The second story ('Cordially Invited to Meet Death') involves the black orchids only tangentially. A prominent-but-eccentric party-planner hires Wolfe to figure out who's been sending nasty anonymous letters about her. However, before Wolfe can really dive into the case, his client dies of tetanus poisoning, and her brother is certain she was murdered. Wolfe sends flowers to the funeral--black orchids, no less--but claims to be both uninvolved and uninterested in the death of his client. But when Inspector Cramer commits an egregious (and insulting) blunder--at least according to Wolfe's standards--Wolfe decides that it is on, and is bound and determined to solve the case before Cramer. That'll learn him.Both of these stories are delightful. Wolfe At Large is always amusing, so seeing him stuck at the flower show while Archie gallivants around dealing with a murder is quite entertaining. Archie's infatuation with Anne Tracy (and his eventual recovery from that infatuation) is a treat and provides fodder for many excellent Archie-Wolfe interactions. And the murder itself is fairly ingenious, if convoluted. But the real star of the show is Lewis Hewitt and the big showdown in Wolfe's orchid rooms. Gold stars all around.The second story boasts a heaping helping of insanity, as Wolfe's soon-to-be-dead client kept a chimp, two bears, some alligators, and a Southern secretary who just might know the secret to good corned beef hash. Archie's interactions with the animals, and Wolfe's interactions with the secretary, are not to be missed. This story boasts another clever murder, albeit an extremely unpleasant one (murder by tetanus, ick). And it's nice to see Wolfe actually follow through on his threats to Cramer. Cramer often capitulates to Wolfe's requests in order to avoid the unpleasant consequences, but it's good to see what happens when he doesn't (which, in turn, makes it more believable when he does cooperate).My opinion of Michael Prichard's narration remains unchanged. He's no superstar, and he misses a lot of the nuance in Wolfe and Archie, but he's not actively bad.If you like Nero Wolfe but can't commit to a full-length novel (not that the full-length novels are particularly long, mind you), these half-length novellas might be the way to go.
Nero Wolfe leaves his brownstone for a flower show. But not just any flower show. Someone is displaying three true Black Orchids! He has sent Archie there all the week, but he must see them himself and attempt to obtain them at any cost. Unfortunately, the cost may be far too high when a murder occurs. The Big Man may lose Archie Goodwin and more in the bargain. Great Hounds and Cerberus!Later, a upper-society party arranger who had once insulted Wolfe by asking him to come to a theme party and act the part of the detective has a problem. Someone is trying to ruin her business. Will Wolfe help her out this time?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SPOILERS BLOOMING BY A BABBLING BROOKCover Art - Not accurate, but there is a gun at the flower show, so... go figure. The way it was set up in the book it wouldn't make a good picture anyway. I give it a best try. It gets the idea across.There are two stories in this book. Both related by Black Orchids.1) Black Orchids:The enticement is far too much. Wolfe must go see these three Black Orchids. While he is trying to wheedle a small sample, cutting or one of the plants from the owner, rival orchid grower Lewis Hewitt as he, Wolfe and Archie are walking down a corridor, Wolfe spots Hewitt's missing cane (he's always misplacing it) and asks Archie to pick it up. A very clever way to murder someone, it turns out. At the denouement, Wolfe gives the murderer a chance to kill 8 people at once with a very clever trap of his own.2) Cordially Invited to Meet Death:No. I refuse to believe that this woman had a "Past" with Wolfe. I think Archie is way off base with that thinking. My theory is that he could have prevented her death and, even if he was insulted by her party idea, he was also flattered by it. Also, it was his first opportunity to show off to the world that he had obtained those Black Orchids, because once they were in his Brownstone, they weren't going anywhere else!Apart from that, this is one of the Nastiest ways to murder someone I've come across. The villain gets the victim to cut themselves with glass. The household has many bottles of iodine around because they have a small menagerie of interesting animals and now and then someone gets nipped. Once the cut is made, the bottle of iodine is switched for a bottle of something else, teeming with tetanus bacillus. Later, the bottles are switched back. This is horrible. I have had a mild case of lock-jaw happen to me and that was quite enough. My teeth were chattering so much that the muscles finally seized up and my jaws were still trying to chatter. The nurses gave me lemon-glycerin swabs for my lips. Gah! Awful!
What do You think about Black Orchids (1992)?
BLACK ORCHIDS. (1942). Rex Stout. ****.Nero Wolfe stumbles upon a murder while at the New York Flower Show. He is there to see an exhibition of black orchids on display by one of his flower rivals. The murder occurs in one of the displays on one of the actors in the exhibit. It turns out that Archie Goodwin is the actual killer, but only by accident. This is kind of a merry-go-round of an adventure in which you not only learn about the jealousy of members of the gardeners’ groups, but a lot about orchids and a variety of other flowering plants. You don’t have to be a botanist to enjoy this one. Recommended. This particular edition features a foreword by Larry Block, an extra added treat.
—Tony
I love the whole Nero Wolfe series. I actually started reading these books because of the mini-movie Golden Spider that appeared on AE years ago. I must have been 13, now i'm 24! The stories are classics, set in the early 20-40's (at least that is how i imagine them), yet unabroached by the typical "it was the depression"..."it was the war" theme alot of books set in that time period seem to linger over. The mystery is usually in the fore-front, and the characters are charming (if not slightly flat as they fit their "stereotype" perfectly). Archie is hilarious, and Nero Wolfe himself is quirky, cranky, funny, and brillant.
—Ali
This is my FAVORITE Nero Wolfe story! I am sitting here grinning from ear to ear because I am so excited to share it with you! I would be dancing but I'm waiting until I finally get home to do so.Nero Wolfe is an amateur horticulturist who strictly specializes in orchids. The entire top floor of his brownstone has been converted to a green house and he spends precisely four hours a day attending to his plants. The Black Orchids starts with Archie stuck at a Flower Show examining the main exhibit, three rare black orchids, for his boss. Wolfe eventually ventures out of the brownstone to see the blooms for himself; on the same afternoon a young gardener is found dead in a display. Wolfe eagerly takes on the case in hopes of adding some new orchids to his ever growing collection.I love The Black Orchids because it perfectly showcases the dynamic between Wolfe and Archie. Readers experience Archie's snarky attitude and his joy at badgering his boss through his narration. Wolfe's quirks, including his brash selfishness, are spread out in detail for the readers. But one of the best parts is getting to experience one of Wolfe's theatrical who-dunnit' reveals. Rex Stout is just gifted. His prose pulls you through the narrative making you eagerly await the answers. He delves in to the personalities of most of his characters and I enjoy what he shares of Inspector Cramer and Lewis Hewett. But be warned; the female characters can read flat. Wolfe resists interacting with women on the off chance they get hysterical and Archie is more focused on the physical attributes. But don't worry; they are not sexist pigs. Both men enjoy conversing with highly intelligent and independent women so they show up on a regular basis through the series. Wolfe even verbally spars with two female witnesses in The Black Orchids.Read it! I always recommend Rex Stout for those interested in crime noir. The Nero Wolfe books are not as gritty as most hardboiled crime pieces but I personally enjoy the humorous aspects. Have you read any Rex Stout? Which story is your favorite?Lindsay
—Lindsay Boitnott
