The Brownstone House of Nero Wolfe

Boston and Toronto: Little Brown & Co, 1983. Stated first edition. 8vo. Hardcover 8-1/2" x 5-3/4" Brown paper covered boards. 178 pp. Book is in fine condition./Dust jacket has tiny pinhole in front panel along joint to spine. Otherwise, a crisp, clean, tight fine dust jacket.. Ken Darby is a renowned Hollywood musical director, composer, and lyricist, whose best known credit is The Wizard of Oz. The biography of a house? Keep in mind that this is the brownstone house of Nero Wolfe, the elephantine sleuth, gourmand, genius and master of seven languages. His attitude toward physical activity (he hates it) and in fact his aversion to any form of work has endeared him to his countless fans, but it also confined him primarily to his brownstone. He accepted cases only in order to maintain his elegant brownstone, and he solved them in his brownstone. Ken Darby, one of Wolfe's most avid fans, became quite attached to the brownstone house, as any loyal fan would. As a last tribute to the house, no longer home to Nero Wolfe, Darby set out to tell its full story. He tracked down Archie Goodwin, Wolfe's confidential assistant, who also, you will recall recorded the myriad cases solved by Nero Wolfe. Archie enthusiastically contributed copious notes, which Darby now presents to us. These notes, of course, quote generously from the Wolfe canon, providing a wonderful journey through corridors and favorite cases. If description of architectural details and interior design is not enough, the plans of each floor, from Fritz's basement to the elaborate orchid rooms on the roof, will fill in the spaces. You will relive past cases with a new eye to the placement of a vase (remember Help Wanted, Male?) or the placement of a bedroom closet (remember A Family Affair?). And any of the little discrepancies that may have nagged you in the past will be resolved. Why, for instance, did three different pictures camouflage the peephole into Nero Wolfe's office? We promise you that in this book, the brownstone house of Nero Wolfe, perhaps the most important character in his mysteries, will come to life.