We starting an extreme situation: Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe have just been into a small car accident. The accident itself was minor with no injury coming to Nero Wolfe, Archie Goodwin or even their prized orchids that they had taken with them on their Journey. But it's still an unusual event. Nero Wolfe a man who doesn't care to leave his house, takes little interest in social events and absolutely hates entering any form of vehicle that should happen to move. Rather that be automobile, boat or God forbid a aeroplane.
Or to use a direct quote from Nero Wolfe:
I've told you, that my distrust and hatred of vehicles in motion is partly based on my plerophory that their apparent submission to control is illusory and that they may at their pleasure, and sooner or later will, act on whim*.
Yet here he is. In an automobile, outside of New York traveling upstate to an event to show off his prized orchids. An extreme circumstance to be sure. Perhaps the only other venue that would get Nero Wolfe out of his house willingly would be the opportunity the sample the finest cuisine by the most prominent and professional chefs of the era.
The problem now is that Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are stranded in the middle of the country with the nearest town being many miles away. This leaves them with only two options. Hitchhiker ride to the nearest town which Nero Wolfe is hesitant to do . are he won't go into a car that isn't piloted by Archie Goodwin. Goodwin informs him that no one's going to let him drive their car when they've seen what happened to the previous one. The second option is to head back a mile to a farmhouse so that they may telephone for the required services. It first Archie Goodwin says that he'll head off to the house and leave Nero Wolfe in the car. Nero Wolfe doesnt care for this plan, as he puts it. ''There is a dog barking!'' I won't sit in the car in the middle of nowhere with a wild dog.
So they head off to The Farmhouse a mile up from there crashed car. Only to come in contact with a man sitting on a fence with a shotgun screaming at the 2 to get lost. Nero Wolfe doesn't pay him any attention and continues on.
Only stopping when he realizes in corner of his eye a very large and ferocious looking bull.
The bull in question is named Caesar. He's a prize bull used for breeding as to create other well-to-do bovine. But at this particular moment there's nothing graceful about him. He's agitated possibly due to the high Ruckus of the screaming man with a shotgun. We get a scene of Archie Goodwin and Wolfe running in opposite directions. Goodwin to a small fence and Wolfe to a large Boulder. The Bowl decided to chase after Goodwin as he was the first to run. Which had been the plan in the first place for there isn't a chance and all the universe that Nero Wolfe would be able to outrun a basilisk lizard much less so full sized Bull.
The two are eventually rescued by a woman who happens to live on the estate. Her father owns the bull and plans to slaughter him so that he may have an outdoor banquet.
Many have considered this insane, the bowl was bought for some $45,000.
There had been plans to serve them up to about 100 people. We learn later on that this was part of a promotional stunt. The man who owns the estate with the bull is also the owner of a large chain of New York restaurants known as ''Pratterias''.
It comes off strange to begin with. For no bull even one is mighty as Caesar is worth $45,000. And the whole thing becomes even more confusing when the man who initially sold the bulll comes back demanding to repurchase him. Much to Mr. Pratt's** dismay. He had his plans for the bowl he knew that he was overpriced on it and he didn't care. He's an extremely rich man. But things become even more confusing when the competitor Son comes in and says to Mr. Pratt ''I bet you $10,000 you won't eat Hickory Caesar before the end of this week.'' Pratt's taken aback by this as he knows his barbecue is coming up only in a mere two days. And that there was nothing on Earth that would stop him from butchering that bull. So he decides to take him up on the bit. Considering it easy money. And then hires Goodwin for extra security to watch his bull. Suspicious that this man is going to try and sabotage it in a most gruesome fashion.
Only to discover later on that there's a dead body next to Caesar and it's the very man who had placed the BeT to begin with. Most people think that he got caught up trying to sabotage the bull and was killed by the bulll for his insolence . But Nero Wolfe doesn't see it this way. There's something suspicious about the whole incident and he's hired on by the Dead Boys father to investigate. Then the whole thing becomes a bit of a race against time. For Nero Wolfe though always dedicated to his case doesn't want to stay here for more than a week. He wants to win his Orchid competition and head back to New York. For he despises being away from his home for any significant amount of time.
Part of the plot involves Archie going to jail for a bit. Which I think is a part of the story that might have been added in later. For the original version of this was a shorted down manuscript, selled to a magazine back in 37.
Anyways none of that matters. It's a great Nero Wolfe book , the mystery is interesting the environment is kind of fun and of course the reactions between Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are fantastic. Still seems strange to me to have two books in a row with Nero Wolfe outside of his Brownstone apartment but then that just makes it all the more better when they return.
*And if only my own writing could hold a candle to Rex Stout, Then I would be perceived as a decent if not possible writer.
**He's the man that bought Caesar for $45,000.
Yet here he is. In an automobile, outside of New York traveling upstate to an event to show off his prized orchids. An extreme circumstance to be sure. Perhaps the only other venue that would get Nero Wolfe out of his house willingly would be the opportunity the sample the finest cuisine by the most prominent and professional chefs of the era.
The problem now is that Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are stranded in the middle of the country with the nearest town being many miles away. This leaves them with only two options. Hitchhiker ride to the nearest town which Nero Wolfe is hesitant to do . are he won't go into a car that isn't piloted by Archie Goodwin. Goodwin informs him that no one's going to let him drive their car when they've seen what happened to the previous one. The second option is to head back a mile to a farmhouse so that they may telephone for the required services. It first Archie Goodwin says that he'll head off to the house and leave Nero Wolfe in the car. Nero Wolfe doesnt care for this plan, as he puts it. ''There is a dog barking!'' I won't sit in the car in the middle of nowhere with a wild dog.
So they head off to The Farmhouse a mile up from there crashed car. Only to come in contact with a man sitting on a fence with a shotgun screaming at the 2 to get lost. Nero Wolfe doesn't pay him any attention and continues on.
Only stopping when he realizes in corner of his eye a very large and ferocious looking bull.
The bull in question is named Caesar. He's a prize bull used for breeding as to create other well-to-do bovine. But at this particular moment there's nothing graceful about him. He's agitated possibly due to the high Ruckus of the screaming man with a shotgun. We get a scene of Archie Goodwin and Wolfe running in opposite directions. Goodwin to a small fence and Wolfe to a large Boulder. The Bowl decided to chase after Goodwin as he was the first to run. Which had been the plan in the first place for there isn't a chance and all the universe that Nero Wolfe would be able to outrun a basilisk lizard much less so full sized Bull.
The two are eventually rescued by a woman who happens to live on the estate. Her father owns the bull and plans to slaughter him so that he may have an outdoor banquet.
Many have considered this insane, the bowl was bought for some $45,000.
There had been plans to serve them up to about 100 people. We learn later on that this was part of a promotional stunt. The man who owns the estate with the bull is also the owner of a large chain of New York restaurants known as ''Pratterias''.
It comes off strange to begin with. For no bull even one is mighty as Caesar is worth $45,000. And the whole thing becomes even more confusing when the man who initially sold the bulll comes back demanding to repurchase him. Much to Mr. Pratt's** dismay. He had his plans for the bowl he knew that he was overpriced on it and he didn't care. He's an extremely rich man. But things become even more confusing when the competitor Son comes in and says to Mr. Pratt ''I bet you $10,000 you won't eat Hickory Caesar before the end of this week.'' Pratt's taken aback by this as he knows his barbecue is coming up only in a mere two days. And that there was nothing on Earth that would stop him from butchering that bull. So he decides to take him up on the bit. Considering it easy money. And then hires Goodwin for extra security to watch his bull. Suspicious that this man is going to try and sabotage it in a most gruesome fashion.
Only to discover later on that there's a dead body next to Caesar and it's the very man who had placed the BeT to begin with. Most people think that he got caught up trying to sabotage the bull and was killed by the bulll for his insolence . But Nero Wolfe doesn't see it this way. There's something suspicious about the whole incident and he's hired on by the Dead Boys father to investigate. Then the whole thing becomes a bit of a race against time. For Nero Wolfe though always dedicated to his case doesn't want to stay here for more than a week. He wants to win his Orchid competition and head back to New York. For he despises being away from his home for any significant amount of time.
Part of the plot involves Archie going to jail for a bit. Which I think is a part of the story that might have been added in later. For the original version of this was a shorted down manuscript, selled to a magazine back in 37.
Anyways none of that matters. It's a great Nero Wolfe book , the mystery is interesting the environment is kind of fun and of course the reactions between Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are fantastic. Still seems strange to me to have two books in a row with Nero Wolfe outside of his Brownstone apartment but then that just makes it all the more better when they return.
*And if only my own writing could hold a candle to Rex Stout, Then I would be perceived as a decent if not possible writer.
**He's the man that bought Caesar for $45,000.
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