The feud between the Bureau of Price Regulation and the National Industrial Association has been long and bitter, but few thought it would end in murder. At a large public dinner, however, that's just what happened. Nero Wolfe takes the NIA as a client and agrees to find out who murdered BPR president Cheney Boone. With Archie Goodwin providing the legwork and goading his boss into action, the case moves along until a second murder changes everything.

I have enjoyed Nero Wolfe mysteries for a long time, but not as much as some other mystery series. Maybe it's because there are just so many of them that they do get to be a little too similar. This one, though, stands out as the case that actually caused Nero Wolfe to leave the house. If you enjoy mysteries and you haven't tried writer Rex Stout before, this is not a bad place to start. ( )

I suspect that I've mentioned elsewhere that I'm deeply, madly, truly in love with Archie Goodwin. The mystery, the story, the rest of the characters - all just excuses to spend time with my beloved.

I don't find the stories or the writing particularly enthralling, and this is no exception. The mystery is nice enough, there are some interesting insights into life in post-WWII America, and that's about it.

Except that it's starring Archie, man of my dreams. ( )

Two government organisations clash over the murder of one of their members. ( )

Quite a few characters to fit into this plot--very shrewd ending, though ( )

Um figurão do Departamento de Regulamentação de Preços do governo americano seria o principal palestrante do jantar promovido pela Associação Nacional da Indústria. Mas ninguém irá ouvi-lo: Cheney Boone, o orador da noite, é encontrado morto pouco antes da palestra. Como as duas instituições vivem em pé de guerra, as suspeitas logo recaem sobre os membros da ani. Fiel a seu princípio de não sair de casa, mas atento a uma boa oportunidade, o detetive Nero Wolfe é contratado para trabalhar no caso e reúne em seu escritório quase todos os principais envolvidos. Quem estava de fato interessado em apagar Cheney Boone? Com a astúcia que lhe é peculiar, Nero Wolfe decide botar seu bloco - ou melhor, seu assistente - na rua, sem prever que seus artifícios tornarão sua casa o centro das investigações. Rex Stout (1886-1975) nasceu em Indiana, nos Estados Unidos, e ganhou fama de menino-prodígio em matemática. Foi escritor freelance, contador e guia turístico.