NERO WOLFE: A
PRIMER
- Heavy-set
- Owns a private detective agency; occasionally helps Wolfe
- If Death Ever Slept: Eats breakfast with Wolfe in his
bedroom
- Second Confession, The: Helps Archie & Saul blackjack
Louis Rony
- Too Many Detectives: She & Sally Colt help Wolfe
solve this case
- Attractive
- Carmel-colored eyes
- Long lashes
- Owns a private detective agency (only female employees);
occasionally helps Wolfe
- Bitter End (Death Times Three): Sick in bed 3 days
- Disguise for Murder (Curtains for Three): Tackles a
murder suspect in the hall
- Doorbell Rang, The: Cooks dinner
for the 10 for Aristology at home of Lewis Hewitt
- Eeny Meeny Murder Mo (Homicide Trinity): He and Archie
irritated that Wolfe is too lazy to
take care of his soiled
tie
- Golden Spiders, The: Angry that Wolfe refuses to eat an
altered dish of starlings
- In the Best Families: Works for Marko Vukcic at
Rusterman’s restaurant while Wolfe is away
from home
- Not Quite Dead Enough: He & Wolfe exercise daily at a
dock to lose weight & join U.S. army
- Poison a la Carte (Three at Wolfe’s Door): Cooks dinner
for the 10 for Aristology
- Always tells
Archie to be careful
- Does not keep
rye bread in Wolfe’s home
- Does not work
on Sunday
- Eats his dinner
at 9:00 p.m.in kitchen
- Impatient
people ringing the doorbell anger him
- Never asks who
is at the front door
- Never fries
potatoes
- Never opens
Wolfe’s beer bottle
- Owns 294
cookbooks
- Swiss chef to
Wolfe
- Thinks Wolfe
should have his daughter over to eat
- Family
Affair, A: Brings a bomb to kill Saul Panzer; Commits suicide on Wolfe’s
doorstep;
Murders 3 people
- Final
Deduction, The: Receives $2,000 bonus from Wolfe’s client
- If Death
Ever Slept: Substitutes for Archie in Wolfe’s office
- Crew cut
- Husband of Jill
Cather
- Private
investigator who often helps Wolfe
- Square jaw
- Wants Archie’s
job
- Weapon: S&W
.38
- Womanizer
- Second
Confession, The: Prints an expose of communists (Wolfe wrote the articles)
- Big feet
- Enjoys
Wolfe’s Remisier brandy
- Often eats
dinner at Wolfe’s home
- Sharp,
skeptical gray eyes
- Bitter End
(Death Times Three): Angry that Archie left murder scene with a suspect;
Posts a
policeman inside Wolfe’s home to watch an
injured suspect
- Death of a
Demon (Homicide Trinity): Wolfe makes Cramer look incompetent
- Disguise for
Murder (Curtains for Three): Seals Wolfe’s office & has his “nose
wiped” by
Wolfe as a result
- Doorbell
Rang, The: Secretly meets Archie to warn Wolfe against FBI & to ask
Wolfe’s help
in investigating why FBI ordered him off a
murder investigation (He even bought milk for
Archie); Smiles twice while Wolfe relates
how he caught FBI agents breaking into his home
- Frame-up for
Murder (Death Times Three): Listens at alcove “hole”
- Home to
Roost (Triple Jeopardy): He & FBI learn that Wolfe offered a bribe to a
suspect
- In the Best
Families: Attempts to hit Archie in Wolfe’s office; Buys Archie milk &
meets him
secretly; Tells Archie to have Wolfe “lay
off” Arnold Zeck (afraid Wolfe will be killed)
- Kill
Now--Pay Later (Trio for Blunt Instruments): Wolfe initiates law suit
against Cramer &
others for slandering a client
- Man Alive
(Three Doors to Death): Interrupts Wolfe at lunch & calls him a liar
- Method Three
for Murder (Three at Wolfe’s Door): Slapped in Wolfe’s office by female
cabbie
- Murder is No
Joke (And Four to Go): Listens to murder confession at alcove “hole”
- Please Pass
the Guilt: Asks for a trade of information with Wolfe because he is
desperate to
solve the murder
- Silent
Speaker: Booted off the Cheney Boone case until Wolfe gets him reinstated;
Gives an
orchid to Wolfe as thanks for helping him
- Squirt and
the Monkey, The (Triple Jeopardy): Almost cancels Archie & Wolfe’s
detective
licenses
- Always wears a
battered felt hat
- Big red face
- Bulky
- Burly
- Calls Archie by
his first name only when in a rare good mood
- Gruff voice
- Never
indecisive
- Occasionally
drinks beer in Wolfe’s office
- Often hurls
cigar at Archie’s waste basket--only entered the basket once
- Police
inspector at Manhattan Homicide West
- Smoked
cigarettes/cigars in early stories
- Stand up without
using hands on a chair
- Uses a cigar to
calm himself (does not smoke them)
- Death of a
Doxy: Wounded in the leg (rifle shot) while protecting a witness
- Doorbell
Rang, The: Helps catch FBI agents breaking into Wolfe’s home
- Final Deduction,
The: Receives $2,000 bonus from Wolfe’s client
- Golden
Spiders, The: Archie saves him while held captive by Lips Egan
- Bald spot
- Clumsy
- Drinks beer
because Wolfe does, even though he does not like it
- Father of Elaine Durkin
- Husband of Fanny Durkin
- Never wastes
money
- Private
investigator who often helps Wolfe
- Round face
- Trustworthy
- And be a
Villain: Gets “Gazette” to write an editorial criticizing Wolfe
- Assault on a
Brownstone (Death Times Three): Cracks the wrist of a murderer
- Before I Die
(Trouble in Triplicate): Shot at but not wounded--shoots his pistol in
return
- Bitter End
(Death Times Three): Attacked by 2 suspects; Carries injured client from
scene of
a murder
- Black
Mountain, The: Travels by air & sea with Wolfe to Italy & Montenegro
to avenge
Vukcic; Kills two Albanians & a Russian
agent; He & Wolfe see Wolfe’s birthplace
- Blood will
Tell (Trio for Blunt Instruments): Murderer mails necktie to Archie
- Booby Trap
(Not Quite Dead Enough): Major in Army intelligence
- Bullet for
One (Curtains for Three): Involved in horse chase/murder arrest in Central
Park
- Champagne
for One: Attends stilted dinner for wayward girls; He is the only obstacle
for
police to claim that a murder was suicide
- Christmas
Party (And Four to Go): Fakes a marriage proposal to irritate Wolfe
- Cop-Killer,
The (Triple Jeopardy): Client almost breaks Archie’s back in a surprise
attack
- Death of a
Doxy: Discovers corpse while working for Orrie Cather; Saul helps Archie
search
corpse for clues
- Death of a
Dude: Archie is guest at Lily’s ranch in Montana; He & Wolfe are made
special
investigators for Montana D.A.
- Die Like a
Dog (Three Witnesses): Brings Labrador retriever to rile Wolfe in his
office
- Disguise for
Murder (Curtains for Three): Wounded/almost killed by Mrs. Carlisle while
he
follows Wolfe’s instructions to expose a
murderer
- Doorbell
Rang, The: Bounces ill-mannered murder suspect from Wolfe’s office; Helps
catch
FBI agents breaking into Wolfe’s home
- Eeny Meeny
Murder Mo (Homicide Trinity): He and Fritz irritated that Wolfe is too lazy
to
take care of his soiled tie
- Family
Affair, A: His detective’s licence is suspended
- Fer-de Lance: Gives $1,000 to Anna Fiore; Hits Corbett, lawyer in Westchester County district
attorney’s office
- Final Deduction, The: He & Wolfe hide at Dr.
Vollmer’s home overnight; Receives $5,000 bonus
from Wolfe’s client;
tapes Althea Vail’s confession to murder
- Fourth of July Picnic (And Four to Go): Flees with Wolfe
to Saul’s home, as Wolfe fears being
arrested; Helps Saul
wrestle down a murderer
- Gambit: Scuffles with a murder suspect
- Golden Spiders, The: Gunfight in a garage as he rescues
Fred from capture & torture
- Help Wanted, Male (Trouble in Triplicate): He &
Stebbins fight Peter Root in Wolfe’s home
- Immune to Murder (Three for the Chair): Reels in large
trout even after discovering a corpse
(did not want to lose the
fish)
- In the Best Families: Becomes a “B” in Arnold Zeck’s
organization; FBI offers him a job; Goes
to Norway on a trip with
Lily; Starts his own detective agency--Annabel Frey hires him
- Instead of Evidence (Trouble in Triplicate): Threatens to
resign because Wolfe is lazy
- Invitation to Murder (Three Men Out): Stages attack on
himself over telephone so that Wolfe
will arrive at Theodore
Huck ‘s apartment & solve a murder
- League of Frightened Men, The: Drugged by Dora Chapin
- Method Three for Murder (Three at Wolfe’s Door): Angry
with Wolfe & quits his job; helps
female cab driver &
friend avoid a murder rap
- Might as well be Dead: He & Saul strip a dead woman
to acquire hidden evidence
- Mother Hunt, The: He and Archie skedaddle from Cramer
& stay at client’s home
- Murder by the Book: Entertains 10 women at Wolfe’s to
elicit clues in murder case; Travels by
air to Los Angeles on
this case
- Murder is Corny (Trio for Blunt Instruments): Arrested as
murder suspect because a dumb
blonde implicates him;
Fights 2 suspects
- Next Witness, The (Three Witnesses): Hides overnight at
Saul’s home with Archie; Subpoenaed
as state witness, but
becomes a fugitive by leaving the court with Wolfe
- Not Quite Dead Enough: Major in Army intelligence; Sets
himself up as a murder suspect to force
Wolfe back to work
- Please Pass the Guilt: Tricks Wolfe into staying on this
case
- Poison a la Carte (Three at Wolfe’s Door): Stebbins
arrests him for obstruction of justice
- Prisoner’s Base: Asks to help Cramer; Attempts to solve
murder case by himself until he is
arrested & himself
becomes Wolfe’s client; Buys Stebbins a dinner; Tears up a paycheck because
Wolfe was rude;
Volunteers to help police under Cramer’s supervision
- Red Box, The: Slaps assistant district attorney Frisbie
in Wolfe’s office
- Rubber Band, The: Throws 2 policemen out of Wolfe’s home;
shoots Anthony Perry in shoulder
- Second Confession, The: Arranges to blackjack Louis Rony;
Clawed in face by Mrs. Sperling;
Drinks doped bourbon at
Sperling house; Hosts a party for women at Wolfe’s home (Fritz cooks
the meal); Slaps Paul Emerson
& roughs up his wife; Smokes cigarettes; Flies to Los Angeles on
this case
- Silent Speaker: Fell in love with Phoebe Gunther; Hits Don O’Neill once & ejects him from
Wolfe’s home
- Some Buried Caesar: Chased by bull; Crashes car into tree
on the way to flower display at upstate
New York fair; Spends
time in county jail & organizes a prisoner’s union
- Squirt and the Monkey, The (Triple Jeopardy): Almost
loses detective license because client
lied about he & Wolfe
to police; Arrested on Sullivan act; Furious that someone took his pistol;
Slams client into a wall
- This Won’t Kill You (Three Men Out): Corrupt druggist
corners his niece & Archie, threaten-
ing them with acid
- Too Many Detectives: Called to Albany, New York; He &
Wolfe arrested as material witnesses
- Too Many Women: Fights/defeats Harold Anthony outside of
Wolfe’s home
- When a Man Murders (Three Witnesses): Fights with murder
suspect
- 5' 11" tall
- Always cleans his desk before sleep
- Always looks for tails (automatic reflex)
- Always looks twice at people from Brooklyn
- Always sleeps well & Quickly
- Baseball fan; favorite team is New York Giants
- Best punch: a right fist to the kidney
- Big brown eyes
- Born in 1914 (as mentioned in Too Many Women); born in
Canton, Ohio
- Cars he drives (Wolfe buys them): Heron sedan
- Dislikes beer
- Dislikes being awakened by a ringing telephone
- Dislikes carrying a briefcase
- Dislikes crack-lovers
- Dislikes dressing fast
- Dislikes fireplaces
- Dislikes it when Wolfe withholds information from Archie
- Dislikes men named Eugene
- Dislikes one-handed driving, except on rare occasions to annoy
Wolfe
- Dislikes other people sitting at his desk
- Dislikes women who cling or cannot keep up while walking with
him
- Does not get real satisfaction reading books
- Does not hang up the telephone on people
- Does not use elevator in Wolfe’s home except to accompany
someone
- Drinks gin fizz
- Drinks orange juice in the morning to wake up
- Eats breakfast in kitchen while Fritz cooks; reads newspaper
while he eats
- Enjoys fishing
- Enjoys getting Lt. Rowcliff to stutter
- Enjoys searching a room for clues
- Enjoys taking walks
- Excellent memory & reporter
- Excellent observer
- Excellent typist
- Fast walker
- Gets tired of eating shad roe
- Good at tailing people
- Good pool player
- Greatest satisfaction is doing a job well
- Handsome
- Has 2 brothers and 2 sisters
- Impatient
- Impulsive
- Intrepid
- Likes a case that he can diagram
- Likes caviar
- Listens to music at the “Cupboard”
- Lower part of his spine tingles at the mention of murder
- Major in army intelligence during World War II
- Maneuvers Wolfe into cases
- Needs 8 hours of sleep each night
- Never crows
- Never naps
- Nicknamed “Escamillo” by Lily Rowen
- Often sits on front stoop steps to watch neighbor boys play ball
- Once had a job guarding a NYC pier before working for Wolfe;
fired after he shot/killed 2 men
- Once had 22 stitches in his side, caused by a knife wound
- Only allows himself intentional rudeness
- Only chauffeur Wolfe really trusts
- Only studied 2 weeks at college; said it was childish
- Owns the furniture in his bedroom
- Parents died when he was young
- Parks car so he can leave without backing up (quick getaway)
- Patient waiter, especially while tailing someone on a case
- Patrician nose
- Pistol: Grisson .38; Marley .22; Marley .32; Farger snub nose;
Worthington .38 serial number
63092T;
- Prefers living in the city
- Raises one eyebrow, which annoys Wolfe
- Realizes that he cannot use logic on women
- Rules: 1. Carry a pistol when on a murder case
2. Have pistol in pocket when a killer may be present
- Seats murder suspect nearest him
- Sends rare orchids weekly to Lily Rowen
- Sharpens pencils to annoy Wolfe
- Small nose
- Smokes cigarettes in early stories--not in later ones
- Sunday is his day off, unless on a case; Wolfe gives him 2 days
off for working on Sunday
- Superlative dancer
- Takes a long time to wake up
- “Too conceited to be seduced into perfidy”, according to Wolfe
- Types fast and loud to annoy Wolfe
- Unable to relax while on a murder case
- Usually goes out Tuesday evenings
- Wakes up in a morning fog
- Wine makes him yawn
GORE,
BILL:
- Private investigator who helped Wolfe in early stories
- Black Orchids: Gave black orchid plants to Wolfe
- Doorbell Rang, The: Held dinner (Ten for Aristology)
- Estate on Long Island
- Likes to act
- Rich orchid
grower & friend of Wolfe
HOMBERT,:
- NYC police commissioner
- Door to
Death (Three Doors to Death): Returns home to help his critically ill
mother
- In the Best
Families: Works for Lewis Hewitt while Wolfe is away from home
- Archie does not
like him
- “Baby’s” Wolfe
- Character like
“sour milk”
- Does not work
on Sunday
- Skilled in
caring for orchids
- Sleeps in a
room near the plant rooms
- Sunday is his
day off
KEEMS,
JOHNNY (John Joseph):
- Might as well be Dead: Was murdered while on a Wolfe case
- Private
investigator who often helped Wolfe in early stories
- Self-important
- Slick hair
- Smug
- Strides
- Wants Archie’s
job
- Young
- NYC prosecutor
- Worked at Rusterman restaurant
- Before I Die
(Trouble in Triplicate): Helps shoot murderer in Wolfe’s office
- Counterfeit
for Murder (Homicide Trinity): Fights with two counterfeiters
- Death of a
Doxy: Helps Archie search corpse for clues
- Door to
Death (Three Doors to Death): Conducts an illegal search for Wolfe
- Doorbell
Rang, The: Helps catch FBI agents breaking into Wolfe’s home
- Final
Deduction, The: Receives $2,000 bonus from Wolfe’s client
- Fourth of
July Picnic (And Four to Go): Hosts Archie & Wolfe in his home; Helps
Archie
wrestle down a murderer
- Might as
well be Dead: He & Archie strip a dead woman to acquire hidden evidence
- Next Witness,
The (Three Witnesses): Hides Wolfe & Archie overnight at his home;
Provides
Wolfe with wide array of food
- Prisoner’s
Base: Sent to Peru for documents/information about murderer
- Second
Confession, The: Helps Archie & Dol Bonner blackjack Louis Rony
- When a Man
Murders (Three Witnesses): Flies to South Carolina for information
- Big ears
- Dodgers baseball fan
- Excellent memory, tailer & poker player
- Hosts Thursday
night poker game at his home; Archie usually attends
- Husky voice
- Narrow face
- Owns two buildings in Brooklyn
- Plays classical
piano music; has grand piano at home (top floor of apartment on East 38th St.)
- Private investigator
who often helps Wolfe
- Rust-colored hair
- Short (5' 7"); 140 lbs
- Wears old brown
suit and faded cap
- Wolfe’s lawyer
- Sometimes eats
at Wolfe’s home
- Death of a
Dude: Hosts Archie & Wolfe at her Montana ranch
- In the Best
Families: Kisses Wolfe as she pretends to be his girlfriend; Takes Archie
on a trip
to Norway
- Not Quite
Dead Enough: Suspected of murder
- Rodeo
Murder, The (Three at Wolfe’s Door): Sponsors a dinner & roping contest
at her
NYC apartment
- Some Buried
Caesar: First meets Archie, while a bull in an upstate New York pasture
attacks
he & Wolfe
- Archie’s steady
girlfriend/lover
- Blonde
- Blue eyes
- Flirt
- Millionaire
- Owns a ranch in
Montana
- Penthouse on 63rd
Street, NYC
- Plays piano
- Pretty
- Before
Midnight: Slapped by woman in Wolfe’s dining room
- Please Pass
the Guilt: Receives an official police reprimand for discussing a murder
investiga-
tion with his sister
- Prisoner’s
Base: Pushes himself inside Wolfe’s home & arrests him as a material
witness
- Red Box, The:
Executes a search warrant for Clara Fox in Wolfe’s home
- Twin brother of Diana Copes
- Dislikes Archie
and Wolfe
- Handsome
- Hates private
investigators
- Sneers
- Stutters when
angry
- NYC D.A.
- And be a
Villain: Laughs in derision when Archie asks where his clients are
- Cop-Killer,
The (Triple Jeopardy): Female murder suspect falsely accuses him of
trying to
kill her
- Father Hunt,
The: Wolfe orders
Stebbins to leave his home.
- Golden
Spiders, The: Listens to
conversation while at alcove “hole”
- Help Wanted,
Male (Trouble in Triplicate): He & Archie fight Peter Root in Wolfe’s
home
- Poison a la
Carte (Three at Wolfe’s Door): Arrests Archie for obstruction of justice;
Helps
catch murderer; Listens in hiding while
Archie interrogates girls
- Prisoner’s
Base: Archie buys him a dinner of fried clams at Louie’s
- Always has a
hoarse voice
- Always prefers
speaking with Archie rather than Wolfe
- Always sits in
yellow chair rather than the red leather one in Wolfe’s office
- Big body &
ears
- Big bony face
- Favorite food
is fried clams at Louie’s
- Gold tooth
- No sense of
humor
- Pig-bristle eye
brows
- Drinks beer
with Wolfe when visiting in the evening
- Leaves places
abruptly
- Long legs (in Please
Pass the Guilt)
- Narrow jaw
- Often doctors
someone for Wolfe, usually in Wolfe’s office
- Once sewed 22
stitches in Archie’s side, caused by a knife wound
- Short legs
- Black
Mountain, The: Murdered by Peter Zov (Wolfe & Archie avenge his death)
- Omit Flowers
(Three Doors to Death): Pressures Wolfe into taking a case as a favor to
him
- Too Many
Cooks: Travels to Kanawha Spa, West Virginia, with Wolfe
- Born in
Montenegro & fought with Wolfe in underground movement there
- Disheveled hair
- Excellent chef
- Ex-husband of
Dina Rossi
- One of three
people who call Wolfe by his first name
- Owner of
Rustermann’s restaurant
- Tall
- Usually visits
Wolfe on a Sunday afternoon to shoot pool
- Wolfe’s best
friend since boyhood in Montenegro
- And be a Villain: Arnold Zeck warns Wolfe to be careful
on the case; Rare time that he gives all
facts about a case to
Cramer
- Assault on a Brownstone (Death Times Three): Personally
slams door in Cramer’s face;
Treasury agent searches
Wolfe’s home for counterfeit money
- Before I Die (Trouble in Triplicate): Wolfe accepts Dazy
Perrit case because he is desperate to
get some meat; Named
executor of Perrit’s estate
- Before Midnight: Leaves his home to work on this murder case
- Bitter End (Death Times Three): Furious after eating
poisoned liver pate & determined to find
the culprit
- Black Mountain, The: Anna Britton, Wolfe’s adopted
daughter, murdered; Brings murderer
to NYC aboard a ship;
Identifies Marko Vukcic’s murdered body in the morgue; Rode in taxi &
walked 5 blocks; Travels
by air & sea with Archie to Italy & Montenegro to avenge Anna &
Vukcic; Shot at by Peter
Zov; He & Archie see Wolfe’s birthplace; He & Archie sleep in a
haystack
- Black Orchids: Arranges it so that W.G. Dill kills
himself vice Wolfe & others; Goes to flower
show to “drool” over
black orchids; Two women sleep in Wolfe’s home
- Blood will Tell (Trio for Blunt Instruments): Skips plant
session to disclose murderer’s identity
- Booby Trap (Not Quite Dead Enough): Compelled to
leave home often on business for U.S.
government (tolerated as his contribution to the war); Lets John Shattuck have a hand grenade, to
facilitate his suicide in Van Cortlandt Park,
NYC
- Bullet for One (Curtains for Three): All clients arrested
sometime during this case; Two suspects
slug each other in his
office
- Champagne for One: Kicks female suspect in her face; Must
unravel the murder of a prostitute’s
daughter
- Christmas Party (And Four to Go): Dressed as Santa Claus
at a Christmas party so that he can
view Archie’s fiancée
- Cop-Killer, The (Triple Jeopardy): Helps 2 illegal
immigrants because one was his barber;
Leaves home “for a
haircut” to solve a murder
- Cordially Invited to Meet Death (Black Orchids): Furious
because Cramer takes a dinner guest
from his home; Sends 8
black orchids to Bess Huddleston’s funeral; Woman helps Wolfe & Fritz
make corned beef hash
(Wolfe allows her to put her arm around his waist as they work)
- Death of a Demon (Homicide Trinity): Client arrested on
murder charge; Wolfe makes Cramer
look incompetent
- Death of a Doxy: Impressed with a night club singer in
his home; Female witness stays at Wolfe’s
home; Wolfe, Archie, Fred
& Saul vote to help Orrie, who was arrested for murder
- Death of a Dude: Flies to Lily’s ranch in Montana to
help Archie; Travels in rain to interview
murder suspects; Wolfe
& Archie are made special investigators for Montana D.A.
- Die Like a Dog (Three Witnesses): Skedaddles from his
office when a woman cries; Solves the
case so that he can keep
a Labrador retriever
- Disguise for Murder (Curtains for Three): Refuses food to
police in his home & eats in front
of them (furious that
Cramer seals his office after a murder committed there)
- Door to Death (Three Doors to Death): Chased out of
county by police Lt. Lon Noonan; Takes
murder case because Sybil
Pitcairn called him Nero; Tramps through snowy woods at night;
Travels to upstate New
York to entice Andrew Krasicki into his employ while Theodore is ill
- Doorbell Rang, The: Breaks orchid schedule & leaves
home on business; Refuses to answer
doorbell when FBI
director comes to see Wolfe; Sets trap to catch FBI agents breaking into his
home
- Easter Parade (And Four to Go): Hires sneak thief to
steal orchids from a woman’s chest
- Eeny Meeny Murder Mo (Homicide Trinity): Female suspect
escapes from Wolfe’s home by
jumping out the front
room window; Furious that his tie became a murder weapon; Hugs a woman
tightly to keep himself
alive
- Family Affair, A: His detective’s licence is suspended;
Leaves his home on business; Tells
Cramer to shut up
- Father Hunt, The: Wolfe orders Stebbins to leave his home; Wolfe spends 3 days as
guest at
Hewitt estate on Long
island
- Fer-de Lance: Kills fer-de lance snake with beer bottle
- Final Deduction, The: He & Archie hide at Dr.
Vollmer’s home overnight
- Fourth of July Picnic (And Four to Go): Breaks plant
schedule to speak with a source of infor-
mation; Coerced into
giving a speech on Long Island; Flees his home in fear of being arrested;
Stages expose in Saul’s
home
- Gambit: Burns a new dictionary which he thought was
offensive; Client stays at Wolfe’s home
- Golden Spiders, The: Determined to expose culprit who
murders those seeking his help; Refuses
to eat starlings because
Fritz changed the recipe without Wolfe being consulted; Sets precedence
in working before
breakfast
- Gun with Wings, The (Curtains for Three): Arranges for
Cramer to arrest his clients as material
witnesses
- Help Wanted, Male (Trouble in Triplicate): Angry that
Cramer comes with a search warrant;
Hires Peter Root to
masquerade as Wolfe--unaware that Root planned to murder him; Rejects
$5,000 from Emil Jensen
- Home to Roost (Triple Jeopardy): Drunk woman pats his
head & pours scotch in his beer; Two
women smack it out in his
office; Offers bribe to a suspect
- If Death Ever Slept: Takes case to teach Archie a lesson;
“Opens the bag” for Cramer
- Immune to Murder (Three for the Chair): Agrees to cook
trout for foreign ambassador &
Assistant U.S. Secretary
of State in Adirondack Mountains lodge; Refused bribe of emerald ring
- In the Best Families: Arranges Arnold Zeck’s death;
Becomes a “D” in Zeck organization; Kisses
Lily Rowen as she
pretends to be his girlfriend; Leaves
home 4 months & loses weight to fight
Zeck; Receives warning
from Zeck (sausage tear gas bomb); Used Zeck’s telephone to have Fritz
prepare dinner (after
Zeck was killed in his own office at Wolfe’s instigation)
- Instead of Evidence (Trouble in Triplicate): “Flees” from
his office to get away from Conroy
Blaney
- Invitation to Murder (Three Men Out): Speechless when he
learns that Archie staged an attack
on himself over telephone
so that Wolfe will solve a murder at Theodore Huck ‘s apartment
- Kill Now--Pay Later (Trio for Blunt Instruments):
Daughter of Wolfe’s bootblack sleeps in
his home for protection;
Initiates lawsuit against Cramer & others for slandering a client
- League of Frightened Men, The: Rides in a taxi driven by
Dora Chapin
- Man Alive (Three Doors to Death): Compelled to serve as a
witness in Jean Daumery’s trial
- Might as well be Dead: Has woman stay in his home to
avoid being murdered
- Method Three for Murder (Three at Wolfe’s Door): Offers
to assist Archie for half of client’s
fee in order keep Archie
in his employ
- Mother Hunt, The: He and Archie skedaddle from Cramer
& stay at client’s home; So angry after
a second murder that he
throws a jacket at Archie
- Murder is Corny (Trio for Blunt Instruments): Saves
Archie & himself from a carton bomb by
breaking his orchid
schedule
- Next Witness, The (Three Witnesses): Exposes blackmail/phone
answering service; Held under
arrest at court; Hides
overnight at Saul’s home with Archie; Subpoenaed as state witness, but
becomes a fugitive by
leaving the court on a quest for murder evidence
- Not Quite Dead Enough: He & Fritz exercise daily at a
dock to lose weight & join U.S. army
- Omit Flowers (Three Doors to Death): Compels Mrs. Whitten
to sleep in spare bedroom (with
daughter, Phoebe Landy);
Laughs in tribute of Archie’s ability to get murder suspects to visit his
office; Takes case for
free as a favor to Marko Vukcic
- Over My Dead Body: Violates his plant schedule to help his adopted daughter
- Please Pass the Guilt: Furious with a client who lies to
him; Murderer brings suitcase bomb to
Wolfe’s home; So stymied
that Wolfe decides to pull out of the case & write off his expenses
- Plot it Yourself: Has a bellowing fit upon learning that
another murder occurs before he can spring
a trap; Leaves his office
to attend a meeting with clients; Swears off drinking beer & eating meat
until he can unmask a
murderer
- Poison a la Carte (Three at Wolfe’s Door): All employees
at Rusterman’s restaurant offer to
hire Wolfe; Does not go
to his morning session in the plant rooms; He & Archie eat with 10 for
Aristology (food served
by lovely maidens in stolas)
- Prisoner’s Base: Lt. Rowcliff pushes himself inside
Wolfe’s home & arrests him as a material
witness; Sends Saul to
Peru to obtain documents/information about murderer; Victim attempted
to stay at Wolfe’s home
for 1 week (as paying guest)
- Red Box, The: Goes to Boyden McNair office on business;
becomes executor of McNair estate
- Rodeo Murder, The (Three at Wolfe’s Door): Cowboy smacks
suspect in Wolfe’s office; Eats
blue grouse dinner at
Lily’s apartment; Forced to stop female suspect who pulls a gun on Archie
in Wolfe’s office; Two
cowgirls fight in Wolfe’s office
- Rubber Band, The: Exercises 15 minutes daily by “hurling
javelins” (throwing darts) in his office;
Hides Clara Fox in his
home while Cramer executes a search warrant; Shot in the left arm by
Anthony Perry
- Second Confession, The: Arnold Zeck has men machinegun
the plant rooms as a warning to
abandon the case; Solves
murder with help from Communist Party USA member; Succeeds in
getting Paul Emerson’s
radio show canceled; Travels to Sperling home after his home is attacked
- Silent Speaker: Gets so angry that he forgets to order
beer; Goes to police headquarters under a
material witness warrant;
Pretends to have a nervous breakdown to avoid seeing police; Slap the
face of inspector Leonard
Ash
- Some Buried Caesar: Soaks county cop with orchid sprayer
- Squirt and the Monkey, The (Triple Jeopardy): Almost
loses detective license because client
lied about he &
Archie to police; So furious that he works on a murder case during his morning
plant session
- This Won’t Kill You (Three Men Out): Compelled to take
French guest to a baseball game
- Too Many Clients: Withholds vital information from police
- Too Many Cooks: Shot in the cheek by Raymond Liggett
while Archie & Wolfe stay as guests at
Kanawha Spa, West
Virginia
- Too Many Detectives: Called to Albany, New York; He &
Archie arrested as material witnesses
Murderer attempts to
frame Wolfe for the murder
- When a Man Murders (Three Witnesses): Female client
kisses him on cheek as thanks
- Where There’s a Will: Leaves home to help U.S. Secretary
of State; Leaves scene of a murder
so that he can eat dinner
at home
- Window for Death, A (Three for the Chair): Two men fight
in Wolfe’s office
- Zero Clue, The (Three Men Out): Cuts dinner short &
reads police files while eating; Victim left
clue in pencils atop his
desk
- 5' 11" tall (once said to be 5' 8" tall); seventh of a
ton in weight (272 pounds)
- Age: 56 years old
- Always annoyed when told,
“Go to hell”
- Always curt when standing up
- Always forgets a handkerchief to wipe foam after drinking beer;
Archie keeps a supply in his desk
just for this purpose
- Always gruff when seated on a small chair
- Always keeps $5,000 in emergency reserve (office safe)
- Always sociable with good food
- Answers most letters
- Ate blue grouse once at Lily Rowen’s home
- Banks at Continental Bank& Trust Co.
- Beer signal is 2 short & 1 long buzz
- Believes eating is important when having troubles
- Believes an open fire stultifies mental processes
- Bookmarks: thin strip of ebony; thin strip of gold
- Breakfast routine begins at 8:00 a.m.
- Brown eyes
- Burns books that he considers subversive--a cookbook and
Webster’s New International Dic-
tionary
- Calls Archie “Mr. Goodwin” when excited & no one else is
there
- Charged a male client $1,000 extra for using “contact” as a verb
- “Childish trick” he uses: drops beer bottle in wastebasket,
pretending to stay with his daily beer
quota (but he keeps the
bottle cap)
- Counts bottle caps every Tuesday
- Daily counts beer bottle caps & puts them in his desk drawer
(1 day’s worth)
- Dislikes being call “boss”
- Dislikes coarse talk, especially from a woman
- Dislikes eating from a tray except for breakfast
- Dislikes getting a tip of information from women
- Dislikes
lawyers
- Dislikes more
than 6 people together for a meal
- Dislikes people
eating while wearing a hat
- Dislikes pipes
- Dislikes a pug
nose on a woman
- Dislikes purple
- Dislikes
quoters
- Dislikes radio
& TV, but uses them occasionally; enjoys turning them off
- Dislikes seeing
a hungry person in his home
- Dislikes seeing
a woman pleased
- Dislikes seeing
police remove people from his office
- Dislikes sound
of a pencil sharpener & loud typewriter
- Dislikes
thinking without being paid
- Dislikes using
telephone
- Dislikes women
who take charge
- Dislikes
uncertainty
- Dislikes
vinegar on food
- Does not allow
himself to get upset before a meal
- Does not drink
beer before lunch
- Does not know
much street slang
- Does not put
cream in coffee when he is in a good mood
- Does not talk
business while eating a meal
- Does not talk
much when riding in a car or walking
- Dog-ears a book
unless it is worthy of his gold bookmark
- Eats breakfast
at a small table near his bedroom window if it is a sunny day--otherwise he
eats
in bed
- Eyes wide open
indicate: 1. Indifference/bored; 2. Irritation
- Favorite color
is yellow
- Fears all
machines, especially for transportation
- Gold bottle
opener (present from Marko Vukcic)
- Hangs up
telephone abruptly
- “Hard to rile
at breakfast”
- Hates jellied consommé
- Hates to work
- Intolerable when he smirks
- Introduces Fritz to those who eat his food
- Keeps $5,000 cash reserve in office safe
- Kitchen is the only place where he will tolerate a small seat
- Lets Archie answer telephone during a meal if it is from a
female client
- Licks foam off his lips when company is not present
- Likes foam on his upper lip from drinking beer
- Likes good rugs
- Likes to eat shad roe
- Likes to show how intelligent he is
- Likes to use the alcove “hole”
- Lips twitch when amused or fiercely indignant
- Looks bigger when obnoxious
- Morning routine:
1. Says “Good morning,
Archie”
2. Puts fresh orchids in
a vase on his desk
3. Looks at mail
4. Rings for beer
5. Checks pen to see if
it functions
- Murmurs when angry
- Never carries money
- Never gloats over an exposed murderer
- Never sells orchids
- Never sleeps early
- Never too flabbergasted to speak
- Occasionally exercises by throwing darts in his office (dart
board later moved to his bedroom)
- Occasionally plays pool as exercise
- Occasionally whistles softly
- Once married to a woman from Montenegro
- Orchid schedule: Monday-Saturday 9:00-11:00 a.m. & 4:00-6:00
p.m.
- Owns a home in Cairo, Egypt
- Polite to those who like his office
- Pulls at his vest when ready to eat
- Quickly exits a room when a woman cries
- Rarely sleeps before midnight
- Relapse types (refuses to discuss a case):
1. Stay in bed & not
see anyone
2. Discuss food with
Fritz & eats in the kitchen
- Rereads books when depressed
- Respects Cramer’s abilities
- Sharpens his penknife once a week
- Sleeps with bedroom window open
- Slow reader
- Snores
- Speaks 8 languages (Albanian, Bari, English, French, Hungarian,
Italian, Spanish, Serbo-Croat,);
Once spoke Arabic
- Spends 20 minutes per week looking at advertisements
- Takes longer to eat when job progress is slow
- Thinks all fainting is a woman’s act
- Thinks gin drinkers are barbarians
- Trustee of Rusterman’s restaurant after Marko Vukcic is murdered
- Uses a black silk bed coverlet & yellow sheets
- Uses both hands to grip his desk prior to standing up
- Uses the same tone of voice for men & women
- Watches TV so that he can enjoy turning it off
- Wears yellow pajamas
- When he & Cramer are on friendly terms, Wolfe says Archie
vice Mr. Goodwin
- Wiggles a finger more than usual when he is wrong
- Will listen to business at breakfast, but not during other meals
- Will not charge food/drink at his home as a business expense
- Will not fold a newspaper while he reads it
- Will not sell orchids
- Will not use air conditioners because he distrusts machines
- Will not use telephone in bed
WOLFE’S HOME--Brownstone at 918 West 35th
Street, Manhattan, New York City
- Layout of
his 1st floor--Right-hand
side of front door: front room; bathroom; office; alcove
Left-hand side: clothes rack/closet;
elevator; dining room; kitchen
- Telephone
number is Protor 5-5000
(Address was 902 West 35th St.
in Murder by the Book)
ARCHIE’S
BEDROOM & BATH:
(Click to View: Archie Floor Plan)
- Archie’s
furniture: big bed; carpet; desk; 3 chairs
- Gong alarm
under bed to warn of intruders into Wolfe’s bedroom
- Located on 2nd
floor
- Wall pictures:
Lion’s head; Mount Vernon; nude girl (in his bathroom); photo of parents;
woods
BACK YARD:
- Back stairs
lead to kitchen door
- Surrounded by
8' fence; gate opens into an alley
FRITZ’
BEDROOM & BATH:
- Exit through
small hall in front that has a tiny vestibule under the front steps stoop; iron
gate
& grill
- Located in
basement; 3' below street level, facing West 35th Street
FRONT ROOM
& HALL:
- 1st door on
left as you enter Wolfe’s home
- 6 velvet
cushions on sofa
- 7 steps to
front door stoop
- At least 4
chairs
- Bathroom shared
between this room and office; doors open to both rooms
- Connecting door to Wolfe’s office
- Large as
Wolfe’s office
- One chair in
hall
GREENHOUSE:
(Click to View: Floor Plan)
- Big chair in
potting room
- Over 10,000
orchid plants
- Vestibule;
Orchid rooms (warm--tropical, medium--intermediate, cool); Potting; Theodore’s
bedroom
KITCHEN &
HALL:
- Alcove in hall
near kitchen; listening “hole” at eye level (behind office wall painting)
- Backdoor opens
to small yard & back fence door (opens into alley)
NORTH ROOM:
- Guest bedroom
located on 2nd floor--below Archie’s bedroom
OFFICE:
- 2nd
door on left as you enter Wolfe’s home
- 8 lights (3 for
bookshelves; ceiling; Near globe; on Archie’s desk; on Wolfe’s desk; on wall
behind Wolfe)
- Archie’s wooden
desk
- Bathroom shared
between office and the front room
- Bookcases hold
over 1,200 books
- Cabinets
- Cherry wood
desk is Wolfe’s
- Connecting door
to front room
- Couch against
wall near Archie (left side of him)
- Custom-built
brown leather Brazilian Mauro chair is Wolfe’s favorite
- “Dunce’s chair”
(aka the red leather chair); faces a window
- Engraving of
Brillat-Savarin on wall
- Feraghan rug
- Files
- Holbein
reproduction on wall
- Keraghan rug
- Large 3' globe
in a stand near the red leather chair
- Magazine &
newspaper rack
- Mirror (4' x 6')
in back of Archie’s desk
- Normally seats
8 people--4 on a couch
- Old-fashioned
2-ton safe
- Oriental
alabaster bowl
- Picture of
Sherlock Holmes on wall behind Archie’s desk
- Picture on wall
hides an eaves dropping hole
- Red leather
chair (aka Dunce’s chair) is reserved for the most important visitor; called
Dunce
chair by Archie after Wolfe made a dunce of
district attorney Fletcher Anderson in Fer-de-
Lance
- Small
Massaranduba wood stand near red leather chair
- Tape recorder
rarely used
- TV & radio
- Wall maps
- Wall pictures:
Coal miner; Shakespeare by Jepeshy; Socrates
- Wall safe
located behind a picture
- Wolfe’s large
wooden desk is located in corner by window
- Yellow chair is
to Archie’s right hand (near globe); it faces Wolfe
- Yellow couch
& drapes
POOL ROOM:
- Big chair on a
platform (for Wolfe when he watches Archie & others shoot pool)
- Full-size pool
table
- Located in
basement
SOUTH ROOM:
- Guest bedroom
located on 3rd floor--above Wolfe’s bedroom; Left-hand side from
elevator
- Can listen to
sounds in this room from a bug located in the kitchen cupboard
- Twin beds
STORE ROOM:
- Located in basement
WOLFE’S
BEDROOM:
(Click to View: Wolfe Bedroom;
Wolfe Floor Plan)
- Bed has yellow
sheets & black silk coverlet
- Gong alarm
(door & floor areas) was installed because someone once stabbed Wolfe while
he
was in bed; alarm sounds in Archie’s room
(under his bed)
- Located on 2nd
floor--below the South bedroom
- Small table
& reading lamp
- Tapestry chair
