Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
London : Warner, 1993. Paperback,
192 S.
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:The scent of murder is in the air at the great Pour Amour perfume contest, and the incomparable Nero Wolfe is intent on sniffing out the killer. The foul deed is committed during the contest�s final round. Only five riddles separate the contestants from the million-dollar cash prize when someone finds the sweet smell of success too intoxicating to leave to chance. Now the contest creator is dead and the answers stolen from his wallet, and it�s up to Wolfe to follow the trail of clues to a source disturbingly close to home. Introduction by Robert Crais �It is always a treat to read a Nero Wolfe mystery. The man has entered our folklore.��The New York Times Book Review A grand master of the form, Rex Stout is one of America�s greatest mystery writers, and his literary creation Nero Wolfe is one of the greatest fictional detectives of all time. Together, Stout and Wolfe have entertained�and puzzled�millions of mystery fans around the world. Now, with his perambulatory man-about-town, Archie Goodwin, the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth is back in the original seventy-three cases of crime and detection written by the inimitable master himself, Rex Stout.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member wormread
I was a little taken aback by the premise of a perfume competition but the book flowed very well and Wolfe and Archie were as excellent as usual.
LibraryThing member whimsicalkitten
The Nero Wolfe stories are so strong on style, but distressingly short on substance. I've found the same reaction whether watching the tv series or listening to an audiobook version - I find that I just can't pay attention to the foolish plots and ridiculous caricatures of clients and other hangers
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on. But I keep on trying, because there's just something about that stlye Show Less
LibraryThing member smik
My crime fiction education is probably very neglected in that I have never read Rex Stout, although I have seen the occasional television story.
The prelude to the Kindle version is an interesting introduction to the two main characters Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, and gave me some tips about what
The basic idea of the plot was a good one - a marketing campaign that involves a quiz, that has involved millions country wide and has now been narrowed down to 5 contestants. And then the final questions are distributed and the question creator takes a slip of paper from his wallet and waves it about claiming that on the paper are written the answers to the final questions. Before the night is out, he is dead and the wallet is missing.
Nero Wolfe takes a commission from the cosmetics company behind the contest to investigate, not the murder, but who took the wallet. He is careful to say he is not undertaking a murder investigation to keep his nose clean with the police whom he has crossed many times. If the murderer though happens to be the same person as the one who took the wallet, so be it.
This is a relatively short book but a sign of how little it interested me was how long it felt. It felt very technical, lots of carefully worked out, logical, scenarios that left me cold. I made it to the end, just, but I doubt I will trouble to read another Nero Wolfe. That's probably anathema to his fans but his writing is just not for me.
The prelude to the Kindle version is an interesting introduction to the two main characters Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, and gave me some tips about what
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to look for in their relationship. The basic idea of the plot was a good one - a marketing campaign that involves a quiz, that has involved millions country wide and has now been narrowed down to 5 contestants. And then the final questions are distributed and the question creator takes a slip of paper from his wallet and waves it about claiming that on the paper are written the answers to the final questions. Before the night is out, he is dead and the wallet is missing.
Nero Wolfe takes a commission from the cosmetics company behind the contest to investigate, not the murder, but who took the wallet. He is careful to say he is not undertaking a murder investigation to keep his nose clean with the police whom he has crossed many times. If the murderer though happens to be the same person as the one who took the wallet, so be it.
This is a relatively short book but a sign of how little it interested me was how long it felt. It felt very technical, lots of carefully worked out, logical, scenarios that left me cold. I made it to the end, just, but I doubt I will trouble to read another Nero Wolfe. That's probably anathema to his fans but his writing is just not for me.
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LibraryThing member MissJessie
I re-read (re-listened to actually) today and enjoyed it as much as I did in the past.
Nero Wolfe books are in many ways very comforting to read: there is seldom any real violence, no sex, no political correctness,no bad language: just a fairly honest mystery whose setting is appropriate to the time
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This book is nearly entirely set in Nero Wolfe's house (as are most) and is devoid of any physical action. All the action in this book is mental; the solving of a murder. All revolves around Wolfe's superior intellect and ability to reason. In this particular book a murder occurs in his own house, which gives Archie and Wolfe a kick in the head.
As in all Wolfe books, in the end the murder is solved and Wolfe triumphs again. Along the way Archie proves his worth as a side-kick. This book is definitely worth a read, especially to fans of non-violent, "family rated" murder mysteries.
Nero Wolfe books are in many ways very comforting to read: there is seldom any real violence, no sex, no political correctness,no bad language: just a fairly honest mystery whose setting is appropriate to the time
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it was written.---
This book is nearly entirely set in Nero Wolfe's house (as are most) and is devoid of any physical action. All the action in this book is mental; the solving of a murder. All revolves around Wolfe's superior intellect and ability to reason. In this particular book a murder occurs in his own house, which gives Archie and Wolfe a kick in the head.
As in all Wolfe books, in the end the murder is solved and Wolfe triumphs again. Along the way Archie proves his worth as a side-kick. This book is definitely worth a read, especially to fans of non-violent, "family rated" murder mysteries.
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LibraryThing member addunn3
A perfume maker has a contest that ends in murder. Nero is asked, not to solve the murder, but to find the stolen answers to the contest.
LibraryThing member antiquary
I love the opening --Archie Goodwin discussing with Nero Wolfe an advertising campaign contest for a perfume called Pour Amour --it involve solving rhymed clues about women known in history for their use of cosmetics.--when the rising advertising genius who designed the campaign is murdered after
Note: rereading this shortly after :Christmas Party" I noted that both involved poison by cyanide in Pernod; perhaps it was useful as a reasonably distinctive drink, but not improbably rare. I cataloged this just before And Be a Villain, which also involves cyanide, though not in Pernod.
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flaunting the answers to the five final questions (which vanish) , the five finalists are suspects. But the advertising agency involved is more worried about how to save the contest, and tat is what they hire Wolfe to solve --not the murder. If the lost list had een the only copy, I think it would have been more interesting, but there is anohter, which is handed over to Wolfe. Spoiler: He uses it to solve the problem of the contest, and appears to deny doing so to Archie, but that turns out to be a dubious verbal subterfuge, the only part of the story I dislike.Note: rereading this shortly after :Christmas Party" I noted that both involved poison by cyanide in Pernod; perhaps it was useful as a reasonably distinctive drink, but not improbably rare. I cataloged this just before And Be a Villain, which also involves cyanide, though not in Pernod.
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LibraryThing member joeldinda
A silly story, but fun (if you can ignore the murders, of course). Liked it better on second read.
LibraryThing member rosalita
When the marketing genius behind a perfume manufacturer's promotional contest is found murdered and the answers to the contest's questions stolen, the advertising firm turns to Nero Wolfe to find the culprit. Solid entry in the series, if not transcendent, but some fine comic moments in the motley
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assortment of contestants gathered for the contest finale. Show Less
LibraryThing member TomDonaghey
Before Midnight (1955) (Nero Wolfe #25) by Rex Stout. This is a case Wolfe should never have taken on. It involves and advertising agency, a perfume company, the contest the two conceive to foist the newest perfume onto an unsuspecting market, and of course death. It is 1955 New York, Madison
The first prize is five hundred thousand dollars while the total awards amount to one million dollars.
The up and coming ad exec who masterminded the contest is killed after showing the five remaining contestants a folded slip of paper that supposedly contained the answers for the final round. Shortly thereafter he is found murdered and the paper missing.
The ad company turns to Wolfe, asking him to solve the mystery of the missing paper and keep the ad boys from looking like fools, to say nothing of their client, the perfume company’s owner.
Wolfe is thinking a lot but getting nowhere. so he calls for a meeting, in his home of course, with the collection of people involved. One of those is poisoned directly in front of Wolfe and that finally gets his juices flowing at full speed. He even manages to lose sleep over the situation.
This is another nice journey down memory lane. The book, like so many of Mr. Stout’s work, has now become not only a quality mystery, but a first class time traveler’s journey to a more romanticized New York City.
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Avenue is in its heyday and Wolfe and Archie get drawn into that world The contest is to solve a collection of puzzles involving something to do with perfume and name the correct woman in each puzzle. There are various rounds until the last which involves five people solving the hardest clues of the entire contest.The first prize is five hundred thousand dollars while the total awards amount to one million dollars.
The up and coming ad exec who masterminded the contest is killed after showing the five remaining contestants a folded slip of paper that supposedly contained the answers for the final round. Shortly thereafter he is found murdered and the paper missing.
The ad company turns to Wolfe, asking him to solve the mystery of the missing paper and keep the ad boys from looking like fools, to say nothing of their client, the perfume company’s owner.
Wolfe is thinking a lot but getting nowhere. so he calls for a meeting, in his home of course, with the collection of people involved. One of those is poisoned directly in front of Wolfe and that finally gets his juices flowing at full speed. He even manages to lose sleep over the situation.
This is another nice journey down memory lane. The book, like so many of Mr. Stout’s work, has now become not only a quality mystery, but a first class time traveler’s journey to a more romanticized New York City.
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1955
Physical description
192 p.; 17.8 cm
ISBN
0751500658 / 9780751500653