Rex Stout, Trouble In Triplicate

Rex Stout, Trouble In Triplicate
Original book publication, Viking (1949)
This edition, Bantam Crime Line (1993)
© 1945; 1946; 1947

Rex Stout’s use of the novella format is almost unique (or so it seems to me).  I can find no evidence, for example, that Ross Macdonald (the creator of Lew Archer), whose first PI novel was published in the same year as this collection, ever wrote any novellas (although he did write some Archer short stories, collected in 1977’s The Archer Files: Complete Short Stories of Lew Archer, Private Investigator).  John D. MacDonald (Travis McGee) wrote at least 2 stand-alone novellas [collected in Border Town Girl in 1956) and published 2 collections of short stories [Good Old Stuff (1982) and More Good Old Stuff (1984)].  Stout published no Wolfe short stories (that I know of), but there are at least 42 Nero Wolfe novellas in 14 collections.

The stories in this collection (“Before I Die,” “Help Wanted Male,” and “Instead of Evidence”   were published immediately after World War II, and in all three there are references to the war and its aftermath.  Stout served, in his youth, in the U.S. Navy, but never in a combat situation; nonetheless, his writing reflects some sensitivity to the effects of war on those who fight it, as this exchange in “Instead of Evidence” indicates:

Goodwin:  “Don’t get excited.”
Joe Groll, foreman at the business involved:  “That’s right…I must remember that, not to get excited.  Everybody is very thoughtful.  They put you in uniform and tach you what every young man ought to know and take you across the ocean into the middle of hell, bombs, bullet, flame-throwers, your friends die right against you and bleed down your neck, and after two years they bring you home and turn you loose and tell you now remember don’t get excites.”

All three of these are first-rate Stout (and Wolfe).

In “Before I Die,” Daazzy Perrit, a gangster, wants Wolfe to pull a blackmailer off his back.  The problem is complicated by the fact that he has set her up to impersonate his daughter.  And, murders intervene.  Wolfe’s suspicions are aroused, and he sets a trap for the person he suspects. And it’s easy to miss (I’ve always felt somewhat smug about noticing it the first time I read it.)  There’s a lot of shooting in this story, especially at the climax (and in the old brownstone).

Ben Jensen, a newspaper publisher, who (apparently with some reluctance to miss out of a publishing coup) receives a death threat in “Help Wanted Male,” and seeks Wolfes help.  Which he does not get.  But when Jensen is swiftly and efficiently killed, and Wolfe receives his own death threat, he takes action.  (Archie has an appointment in DC to try to talk his way into somewhat more active military service than his mostly honorary rank of Major.  Incidentally, this indicated that this story is set before “Before I Die,” although it was published after it.)  Part of Wolfe’s strategy is to hire a body double until he can figure out what’s going on.  Believe it or not, the disarrangement of some household furniture is crucial to the solution.

“Instead of Evidence” is firmly after the war; Archie is a civilian again.  Wolfe is hired by Eugene Poor and his wife Martha to provide specific information to the police if Poos s murdered—and with a putative murderer specified.  Wolfe takes the case, as it seems to be an easy $5000 (the equivalent of about $50,000 these days).  Of course, Poor is killed—in a way that seems to me to be unique.  Wolfe fulfills his end of the bargain, providing all the information ha has been given to Inspector Cramer.  He soon begins to think things are not as they seem (unsurprisingly), and with help from Saul Panzer, gets the evidence he needs. (Which, incidentally, is why I think “Instead of Evidence” is not a good title.  There is evidence and it’s sufficient to bring the case to a conclusion.)

Another strong collection.  (I’ve been re-reading them a chapter or so at a time before I go to bed at night; each novella takes ne about a week.)