Too Many Clients
From A Book of Quotations
Too Many Clients
The following is a review by me on this book and I have tried not to insert any spoilers but I have no idea what is considered spoilers. Read at your own risk!
Once again the impending doom of the depleted bank balance looms over the Brownstone household. So when the President of Continental Plastic Products shows up at the door claiming he is being followed to a compromising place, Archie, with his usual impulsiveness, accepts the job of discovering the culprit. Yet when the president turns up dead at the mysterious address to which he claimed he was being followed to, things end up getting really sticky. As the investigation delves deeper, Wolfe and Archie will end up with too many clients and not at all a favorable possibility of receiving pay from either.
Yet another wonderful treasure in the Nero Wolfe corpus, as our favorite detective and his handsome assistant unravel the mystery that leads them into the promiscuous love life of the victim. With the discovery of a gaudy love nest and several perturbed mistresses, the story does not disappoint in humor and quirky antics. The wit of Stout’s writing becomes apparent in the tongue and cheek dialogue between the characters, whether it be the naïve but dependable Fred Durkin or the shrewd newspaper hound Lon Cohen. Whether one enjoys the whodunit aspect of the series, there is no doubt that the comedic imagination of Rex Stout is always appreciated. Through all the clients that Archie meets up with during the investigation, it is clear that the scenes will leave you laughing by the end of each chapter. When Wolfe and Archie end up having to keep the love nest a secret from their friends and foes the police, things become a delightful race to solve the mystery as you expect Cramer or Stebbins to come blustering in on our detectives at any moment!
Of course, the hilarity isn’t the only aspect of the story that draws our attention, but also the character building subtleties that we have all grown to adore. Archie becomes personally interested in helping his very own pair of clients, which spurs on the chivalrous heart of our favorite detective hero! Wolfe’s understated paternal influence over his assistant becoming an obvious impact upon Archie’s dexterity guided by experience. Too Many Clients shares this insightful look into the private lives of these two very mulish characters in only a way Rex Stout could weave it; of which no Nero Wolfe novel could ever be complete without.
In the end of this wonderful novel the question is will the fat genius be able to balance his client’s interests, diverting the police, and solving the murder to a satisfactory conclusion? The reveal will not leave you disappointed, and you will find yourself enjoying every page until the very end!
--Goodwingrad 21:25, 18 December 2007 (CET)
