Wednesday, March 16, 2016

The Silent Speaker, Rex Stout

I read Nero Wolfe books between other books; they are a palate cleanser for my brain. I liked this one a lot, because Archie is in a rotten mood for most of it (there's a pretty girl who's smart and who he actually likes). When Archie's in a bad mood he's unbearably sarcastic and obnoxious, which I love. The scene in this one where he talks a woman into going on a date with him by insisting he's not to be trusted and she'd be an idiot to go with him is classic. There is a twist after the twist, as well, which is always fun in these books.

As a kid I thought Inspector Cramer was a bad guy and dreaded him showing up. As an adult I am awfully fond of him, and clearly so are Wolfe and Archie, although they hate to say so. It's nice that my critical reading skills have improved since I was reading these by the armful in the Large Print section of the library.

Grade: B

#24 in 2016

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