Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout
Fer-de-Lance is the first in the series of Nero Wolfe books, written by Rex Stout between 1934 and 1975. When I first found out about Nero Wolfe, the books were much harder to get in the UK. As a result, I ended up reading them out of order. I've decided to review them in chronological order. This book is a strong opener for getting a feel for genius private detective Nero Wolfe and his legman Archie Goodwin. The reader is also introduced to other main, recurring characters, such as Fred Durkin, Fritz Brenner and Saul Panzer. A murder goes unrecognised due to the victim dropping dead on a golf course with no obvious way that he could have been anything other than natural causes. However, the disappearance of the brother of a friend of Fred Durkin's wife soon has Wolfe and Archie on the case. Fer-de-Lance is one of my favourite stories. It sets the scene and pace for the others that follow. The story is well-paced without skimping on detail. Like Watson for Sherlock Holmes,