An automobile breakdown strands Nero Wolfe and Archie in the middle of a private pasture—and a family feud over a prize bull. A restaurateur’s plan to buy the stud and barbecue it as a publicity stunt may be in poor taste, but it isn’t a crime . . . until Hickory Caesar Grindon, the soon-to-be-beefsteak bull, is found pawing the remains of a family scion. Wolfe is sure the idea that Caesar is the … the murderer is, well, pure bull. Now the great detective is on the horns of a dilemma as a veritable stampede of suspects—including a young lady Archie has his eye on—conceals a special breed of killer who wins a blue ribbon for sheer audacity.
Introduction by Diane Mott Davidson
“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.
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Rex Stout is ALWAYS a great read. I’ve read all of them. Several times.
Readers of Rex Stout are able to, temporarily, mount the steps of his New York brownstone, smell Fritz’s cooking and perhaps even give the gigantic globe in the corner a spin.
The main characters, including the city of New York, are unchanging. Rex gets us cozy and friendly with Archie, Saul, Fred, Orrie, Fritz, Cramer and even Purley; Then he …
Nero Wolf is the best series ever.
A lively Nero Wolfe mystery
SOME BURIED CAESAR is one of my favorite Nero Wolfe novels. Rules are broken. We learn some of Wolfe’s background. Wolfe makes a rare mistake in his investigation. We meet Lily Rowan who intrigues Archie from the beginning.
Wolfe has left his home to exhibit albino orchids, reluctantly accepts a client in a small …
Re-reading Nero Wolfe from the beginning. It’s fun to watch the progression of the characters develop.
I thought I had read all of the Nero Wolfe books but I missed this one. It paints some important characters in a new light.
Even though this book was written around 80 years ago it holds up perfectly as it is based on characters and personal interactions, not technology. As such, it is as fresh as if it were written yesterday. In other words, Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe will never grow old!
Always have loved the characters, the orchids, the use of words, and Archie’s wit
You never go wrong reading a Nero Wolfe mystery. He keeps you guessing & whether you predict correctly or not it’s worth the read just to see what Archie will say or do next.
Loved this one. It involves a case that Nero Wolfe is not in his office for. He’s rather stranded temporarily which knowing these guys makes it rather funny. He still has his take charge attitude and it’s perfectly wonderful to watch. It is also the book wherein Archie meets his long standing friend, cohort, and dance partner.
I’m a big Wolfe …
Loved it. Early in the series. Rex Stout is a terrific storyteller. Nero and Archie are perfectly complementary characters – intellect and action. Archie meets Lily in this one – AND he outruns a bull. Nero identifies a murderer ( no surprise), but it involves a lot of bull.
Another fantastic book by Rex Stout.
One of the best Nero Wolfes.
You can’t go wrong reading anything written by Rex Stout. Try as I might, I can never figure out whodunit. Love the Archie Goodwin character, as well as Nero Wolfe and the rest of the characters and routines in the household.
The best of the Nero Wolfe series, which is saying a lot!
This surrounds the sudden death of a prized bull. There’s a murder too, but this is far and away the most unique circumstance surrounding a murder mystery that I’ve seen.
Stout had a great vocabulary. Always found words I had to look up for pronunciation and/or definition. Love the period settings as much as the chsracters
The advent of Lily Rowan, one of the best female characters in mystery fiction.