Book Review: The Final Deduction by Rex Stout

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Strong plot that kept my interest

Cons: Weak suspect characters; Nero can be annoying at times

The Bottom Line:

Weaker characters

But plot really keeps int'rest

A strong mystery

The Ransom was Successful.  Until the Murder.

When author Rex Stout created Nero Wolfe, he created an iconic private investigator. Over the course of many books and decades, Nero solved cases from his brownstone in New York City. Quite a feat for someone who never leaves his house for business (or pleasure either, best I can tell). All his information comes from first hand interviews with the suspects or the detailed observations of Archie Goodwin, his assistant and our narrator.

When Archie Goodwin ushers former stage actress Althea Vail into Nero Wolfe's office, he assumes she will be dismissed in just a few minutes. Instead, Althea lays out a tale of kidnapping that Nero can't resist.

It seems that Althea's current husband, Jimmy Vail, has been kidnapped. Althea is more then willing to pay the ransom, but she wants to hire Nero in case something goes wrong.

The ransom payment goes fine and Jimmy returns. In fact, everything seems to be going well. Until the police call and ask Althea to identify a body. Nero has put his reputation on the line for this case, so he can't let it go. But what is really going on? Meanwhile, Nero is also hired to find the missing ransom money. Can he do that without leaving home?

Frankly, I'm not exactly sure where the title of the book comes from. This adventure, written in the early 1960's, comes in the middle of the series. It doesn't look or feel like it was designed to be a final book of any kind, either.

This is only my second outing with Nero Wolfe, and I really enjoyed it. I didn't feel at all lost coming in in the middle of the series, so if you aren't familiar with the character, you can definitely jump in here.

Nero is an interesting character. I must admit I tend to like him in spite of his harsh demeanor. He really is an egotistical snob most of the time. And his devotion to his orchids and gourmet food, while interesting, often adds to that feeling. I'm sure that Archie really helps in that regard. Since he narrates the story, we spend more time with him then with Nero. He's a smart man in his own right, yet he can't hold a candle to his boss. The characters involved in this case are a bit stereotypical, but they do serve the story well.

Now you might think a story about a man who never leaves his house would be boring. You'd be wrong. Since Archie narrates, we follow him the entire time and therefore spend as much time out of the house as in it. The plot moves swiftly from one event to another with some nice twists and family drama along the way. The solution was obvious yet so covered with red herrings I never saw it coming.

As I mentioned, the book was written in the 60's, so that makes the occasional reference dated. This is especially true of a scene where Archie has to track some people down. Now, he'd just use a cell phone to call them all. Still, outside the occasional reference or word, I had no trouble getting into the story.

Nero Wolfe is well known for his intelligence and eccentricity. Both are on amply display here. The Final Deduction is a strong mystery that will please any fan of the genre.