The Rubber Band (Nero Wolfe Mysteries)

In all his years of detecting, the unflappable Nero Wolfe has never encountered an investigation as damnably messy as this one. For what began as a clean case of larceny quickly sank into a quagmire of blackmail and broken promises, international scandal and cold-blooded murder.

Now Wolfe and his assistant, Archie Goodwin must bridge eras and oceans to find the link between a Wild West lynching and a respected British peer. Only then can they save Wolfe's beautiful young client -- and a hotly disputed stake of a cool million dollars.

Customer Reviews:

No. 2

By A Customer - December 23, 1998

An early Wolfe, very strong plot and fun read. If not quite up to the next 10 or so efforts it is smoother than Fer-de-Lance and Stout begins to humanize Wolfe's character. I think Inspector Cramer makes his first appearance,too.

Nero Wolfe is always a good read

By darci lane - September 9, 2004

This is one of his first. I've read them all, several times each. Even tho this is not his best, Rex Stout still writes far better than most writers today. His books are very funny and the plots entertaining. Closest I've come to finding his successor is Deadly Diamonds, by Pamela Troutman.

Great Nero Wolfe - He solves two mysteries at once and never leaves his office!

By Sarah Rogers - April 10, 2011

Clara Fox is at the center of two mysteries: 1) one of her employers accuses her of stealing $30,000 of company monies and 2) she asks Wolfe to help find an associate of her deceased father and recover monies promised when he was a member of the Rubber Band.

The Rubber Band was a group of 6 men who, 40 years previously, helped an Englishman escape the law in Silver City, NV in return for possible rewards if he inherited a part of his family's wealth in the future. Time has passed. Clara has found two survivors of the band and the daughter of another. Together, the four have located the Englishman who is now a peer and extremely wealthy. They ask Wolfe to help them prevail upon the Englishman to fulfill his promise.

Before long, two men are murdered and the lives of two women, including Clara, are threatened. The two cases appear related and people are not what they seem.

This is an early Nero Wolfe, but it has all the classic ingredients. Wolfe... read more