65. The Second Confession by Rex Stout (Mystery) 256 p.
This book is the second Nero Wolfe story featuring an encounter with arch-nemesis Arnold Zeck. In And Be a Villain, Zeck was merely a threatening voice over the phone, but in this book, he takes direct action against Wolfe. Still, the book ends with the status quo between the two restored, without Wolfe having to pull out all the stops and expose or destroy his enemy.
The case itself is a complex one, involving several real or suspected communists, a false confession, a love affair, the destruction of $40,000 worth of property, and a murder disguised as an accident. It’s a very good mystery—maybe my favourite Nero Wolfe mystery so far. I’m excited to read about Wolfe’s final showdown with Zeck in In the Best Families.
Pages read: 18,568
CJHill wrote, on April 28th, 2008 at 12:33 pm: