The Silent Speaker

I was introduced to Nero Wolfe through the amazing Nero Wolfe A&E series, so I see Maury Chaykin as Nero Wolfe and Timothy Hutton as Archie Goodwin, et al. So, after a hiatus of several years, I got a hold of And Be a Villain and liked it, so I decided to get them all so I could read them in order (from 1934 to 1975).

This one is number 11: The Silent Speaker. Set right after the war, there is still some price controls and rationing, with angry words—and murder—between a New Deal-ish agency, the Bureau of Price Regulation (BPR) and a conglomerate of some sort of big businessmen, National Industrial Association (NIA). In the struggle twixt these two entities, Stout's liberalism and adoration for big government, New Deal type show more monstrosity bleeds through to his portrayal of big business and Wolfe and Archie's characterizations. Though slightly off-putting, the story, the detective work, the mystery, are all still superbly drawn and done. Wolfe, Archie, and the other characters are all fun to follow. Another fine entry in the Wolfe oeuvre. show less

One of the better-plotted of the Nero Wolfe mysteries, and redolent of the kinds of tensions present in the immediate aftermath of World War II. The head of a government price control agency is murdered shortly before he was to give a speech to some of his fiercest opponents, and those opponents are being raked over the coals as being responsible for his murder. (Sound familiar?) Wolfe puts his finger on a key issue: where is a crucial recording that the government official made shortly before he died? It does indeed turn out to be a crucial element in the solution. As a side note, Wolfe helps out his "frenemy" Inspector Cramer, who makes an unusual gesture back to Wolfe -- a gesture that seems to strike a chord in the detective.

One of the aspects of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe that I just adore is that Wolfe's unscrupulous tendencies. He does not mind stooping to all new lows when trying to solve a case. When Cheney Boone, Director of the Bureau of Price Regulations, is murdered right before he was due to deliver a speech to the National Industrial Association, Wolfe pounces on a way to make NIA his client. Since the BPR and NIA are not exactly friendly, it is easy to pit them against each other. What better way than to accuse NIA of murder? Wolfe then finds a way to turn a $30,000 fee into an $100,000 reward along with faking a mental breakdown. As usual, it is Archie who steals the show.
Who would have predicted Nero Wolfe would come to the defense of Cramer? When show more Cramer is taken off the case Wolfe actually disapproves of the way the inspector has been treated. It is strange to not have him be the rival of a case. show less

This is one of my favorite Rex Stouts and a reasonably good place to start with the series -- one of the best of the first 15 books, and it features most of the canon's main and supporting characters. Best of all, the relationships in this book are great. This series' charm and lasting appeal comes from the characters and the relationships between them, and this book has great interactions between Archie and Wolfe, Wolfe and Cramer, Wolfe and his client, and Archie and pretty much the whole group of suspects and one-book characters.

Added bonus: the mystery is built upon the dictaphone. I remember reading this book for the first time as a teenager and being utterly bewildered by the cylinders and the weird machine they need to read them show more (which weighs a mere 60 pounds! Practically portable). So, on top of a fun read, this book comes with a bonus history of technology lesson.

Overall, this is truly a stand-out Wolfe novel, well worth reading for those new to the series. show less

The Silent Speaker (1946) (Nero Wolfe #11) by Rex Stout. I like going back to the Golden Age of the Detective Story. The authors of the time kept their mysteries neat, sweet and adult in nature. That is, the crimes were perpetrated upon adults by adults. Children might be witnesses to events leading to or away from the crime, but they were not the crime itself, as in many modern crime tales.
The Silent Speaker of the title is a government man from the Bureau of Price Regulation (BPR). He s set to speak before his agencys’nemesis, the NIA ( National Industrial Association). The rich members of the NIA hate the BPR regulators hampering the setting of whatever prices they see fit while the BPR detests the feeling of righteousness the NIA show more projects in any meeting of the two organizations.
The BPR speaker is bludgeoned just prior to speaking and each side points a finger at the other as the source of the killer. There are some missing dictation cylinders that the speaker had with him that might just point to his murderer. His secretary is the last person seen with the case containing the cylinders, but she ends up murdered also, only she is on Nero wolf’s doorstep at the time. Wolfe has already been called into the case by the NIA and is outraged at the death of the woman, more so for its location than almost any other reason.
Inspector Cramer is on the case but, as major money and the federal government are breathing down the necks of the Mayor and the D.A., he soon is bumped off the case. His replacement, Inspector Ash issues a warrant for Wolfe’s arrest, so the big man has a showdown with the city powers that be, and solves the crime.
A fun romp with Nero and Archie saving Cramer from infamy. Nero fakes a nervous breakdown to avoid being dragged downtown and it is a humorous episode for the big man. Overall this is, like just about every other Nero Wolfe story, lots of fun and a joy to read show less

Yes, this is the Archie I know and love! He's on top form in this instalment, which could be subtitled 'The one where Wolfe pretends he's having a nervous breakdown'. The mystery itself is a weird stand-off between two organisations made up of initials, but I never waste too much time trying to figure out whodunit (especially not second time around!) The fun is in the characters, and even one of the witnesses is on top form here - Phoebe Gunther, who makes Archie trip over his tongue (I still like to use her phrase, 'Oh, for the Lord's sake!' when appropriate!)

Anyway, Archie is hilarious, whether flirting with the prettier visitors to Wolfe's office or goading his boss.'This side is for the Capulets. Would you mind sitting where I put show more you?' he tells a member of one of the warring factions who has strayed into his chair. And, 'To give you an idea how tricky I am, some people look under the bed at night, but I look in the bed, to make sure I'm not already there laying for me' to a woman he's trying to charm into opening up. When he's on form, Archie is a absolute gem. Love him. show less

Eleven books in, and Stout continues to find new ways to keep the formula fresh.