What do you think?
Rate this book
Nero Wolfe #10
Not Quite Dead Enough - a Nero Wolfe Novella
Two Nero Wolfe novellas for the price of one! The first is "Not Quite Dead Enough" which came out in 1942 and lent its name to the collection, and the second is "Booby Trap" from 1944.
The background for both is the the American war effort in WW2. The U.S. army wants Nero Wolfe urgently, but the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth refuses the call to duty. It takes his perambulatory confidential assistant, Archie Goodwin, that's now Major Goodwin if you please, to titillate Wolfe's taste for crime. The two malevolent morsels deal with a corpse that won't rest in peace and a sinister 'accident' involving national security. So as Goodwin lays the bait on the wrong side of the law, Wolfe sets a trap to catch a wily killer. Or two?
"It's always a treat to read a Nero Wolfe mystery. The man has entered our folklore." (The New York Times)
Librarian's note: this entry is for the two novella collection, and also for "Not Quite Dead Enough" on its own (characters, settings, etc.). There is a Goodreads entry elsewhere for "Booby Trap" where such information can be found.
The background for both is the the American war effort in WW2. The U.S. army wants Nero Wolfe urgently, but the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth refuses the call to duty. It takes his perambulatory confidential assistant, Archie Goodwin, that's now Major Goodwin if you please, to titillate Wolfe's taste for crime. The two malevolent morsels deal with a corpse that won't rest in peace and a sinister 'accident' involving national security. So as Goodwin lays the bait on the wrong side of the law, Wolfe sets a trap to catch a wily killer. Or two?
"It's always a treat to read a Nero Wolfe mystery. The man has entered our folklore." (The New York Times)
Librarian's note: this entry is for the two novella collection, and also for "Not Quite Dead Enough" on its own (characters, settings, etc.). There is a Goodreads entry elsewhere for "Booby Trap" where such information can be found.
187 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 7, 1944
434 people are currently reading
913 people want to read
About the author
Rex Stout
831 books1,028 followersRex Todhunter Stout (1886–1975) was an American crime writer, best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the detective genius from 1934 (Fer-de-Lance) to 1975 (A Family Affair).
The Nero Wolfe corpus was nominated Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon 2000, the world's largest mystery convention, and Rex Stout was nominated Best Mystery Writer of the Century.
The Nero Wolfe corpus was nominated Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon 2000, the world's largest mystery convention, and Rex Stout was nominated Best Mystery Writer of the Century.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
January 30, 2023
You get two Nero Novellas for the price of one in this.
The stories were both written and take place during WWII.
The first was Not Quite Dead Enough.
This one is shocking in that Nero Wolfe goes on a diet in the hopes of joining up with the army and killing himself some Nazis.
Major Archie Goodwin is called in to convince his old boss that the Army's intelligence agencies need the talents connected to his brain not his body, but Wolfe isn't moved.
It's shootin' Nazis or nothing!
That leaves Archie no choice but to get creative.
He tries to find a case that will interest Wolfe in using his mind and then promptly gets himself arrested for murder - on purpose. Of course, Wolfe isn't going to let Archie hang, so he has no choice but to involve himself.
Lily Rowan, Archie's sometime companion, is up to her neck in this one and I loved the back and forth between these two.
The story had some pizazz to it! I'm not very far into my journey with Rex Stout's characters, but I hope there are more like this out there.
The second story was Booby Trap.
Archie and Nero work for some of the higher-ups to find out if corporate secrets are being taken advantage of during wartime by some unscrupulous people.
And then DEATH BY GRENADE happens.
Was it an accident, suicide, or something more sinister?
Ok, for whatever reason that one bored me. I must have had to rewind and back up about a million times while listening to it because my mind just wandered off over and over and over.
I'm still calling this a win, though, because the first story makes me think I'm going to find a lot to like in the rest of the books.
The stories were both written and take place during WWII.
The first was Not Quite Dead Enough.
This one is shocking in that Nero Wolfe goes on a diet in the hopes of joining up with the army and killing himself some Nazis.
Major Archie Goodwin is called in to convince his old boss that the Army's intelligence agencies need the talents connected to his brain not his body, but Wolfe isn't moved.
It's shootin' Nazis or nothing!
That leaves Archie no choice but to get creative.
He tries to find a case that will interest Wolfe in using his mind and then promptly gets himself arrested for murder - on purpose. Of course, Wolfe isn't going to let Archie hang, so he has no choice but to involve himself.
Lily Rowan, Archie's sometime companion, is up to her neck in this one and I loved the back and forth between these two.
The story had some pizazz to it! I'm not very far into my journey with Rex Stout's characters, but I hope there are more like this out there.
The second story was Booby Trap.
Archie and Nero work for some of the higher-ups to find out if corporate secrets are being taken advantage of during wartime by some unscrupulous people.
And then DEATH BY GRENADE happens.
Was it an accident, suicide, or something more sinister?
Ok, for whatever reason that one bored me. I must have had to rewind and back up about a million times while listening to it because my mind just wandered off over and over and over.
I'm still calling this a win, though, because the first story makes me think I'm going to find a lot to like in the rest of the books.
August 17, 2019
This book yokes together two long WW II era novellas featuring Major Archie Goodwin, specialist in domestic counter-intelligence.
In the first novella, "Not Quite Dead Enough," The U.S. government wants Wolfe to work with Archie on counter-intelligence too, but instead Wolfe is avoiding all brain work, immersed in dieting and weight-training, determined to transform himself into a lean, mean Nazi killing machine. The Pentagon wants Archie to talk Wolfe some sense, but to no avail. Then a friend of Lily Rowan's is murdered, and Archie gets an idea: if he implicates himself in the crime, Wolfe will be compelled to return to work!
The second novella, "The Booby Trap," involves Wolfe and Major Goodwin in a case of industrial espionage concerning a new top secret form of grenade.
Not the very best Wolfe, but entertaining.
January 9, 2018
An other great Nero Wolf mystry.
November 30, 2022
Looking at the title, I didn't realize this pairs two novellas. And, frankly, I didn't read the description carefully or I might have realized it. They are perfectly paired. In the title story, we learn that Archie is a Major in the army and that Wolfe has decided to do some training in an effort to slim down and become fit. (That would be a funny sight indeed!) Archie has been ordered to get Wolfe to investigate a suspicious death which had already been deemed either an accident or suicide. It's Wolfe - we can be pretty certain it was murder.
In the second story, titled Booby Trap, Archie is still in uniform. This story is the natural outcome and sequel of the first, so the less said here the better.
Though short, both are good. The book itself is about 190 pages and each story is about the same length. But they were too short to feel invested in even trying to see where they would lead. I wouldn't have missed this for anything, but I cannot come up with more than 3-stars.
In the second story, titled Booby Trap, Archie is still in uniform. This story is the natural outcome and sequel of the first, so the less said here the better.
Though short, both are good. The book itself is about 190 pages and each story is about the same length. But they were too short to feel invested in even trying to see where they would lead. I wouldn't have missed this for anything, but I cannot come up with more than 3-stars.
December 1, 2018
This volume is comprised of two novellas which take place during World War II. Neither of which was Rex Stout at his best. In the introduction John Lutz indicates Stout was very busy so that may be an explanation. Or perhaps he was not at his best with the short format. That being said it is not a bad book and it is always fun to visit Wolfe's brownstone on West 35th Street in New York City. Part of what makes these books so enjoyable is the two main characters. Nero Wolfe is heavy and prefers to stay at home and read, grow orchids, and eat gourmet food prepared by his personal chef ... Fritz Brenner. Archie is younger, a ladies man, and enjoys dancing. That and their age difference can lead to some personality clashes. Archie usually has to urge Wolfe to do some work when the bank account starts getting low. Or in this case when Uncle Sam wants you!
Not Quite Dead Enough : In the first novella Archie is a Major with Army Intelligence. When the story opens he has been summoned to Washington where he is asked to go to New York and convince Wolfe to help the Army. It seems as though Wolfe has refused to speak to the Army brass that have attempted to recruit him. Archie agrees as long as there is something in it for him. Say a promotion to Colonel. Lily Rowan shows up on the same flight from D.C. to NYC and in a seat next to Archie. She wants Archie's help too. A friend of hers, Ann Amory, is very disturbed about something and Lily thinks she needs a good detective. When Archie returns to the brownstone on West 35th Street he is shocked to find that not only is Wolfe not at home but that he is in training to fight Nazi's. He and Fritz are walking twice a day and subsisting on prunes, lettuce, and tomatoes. Realizing that it is Wolfe's brains that the Army is interested in he decides that the only solution is to get Wolfe to take a case. The Ann Amory case. Archie goes to the boarding house where Ann lives and it is more like a nut house than a boarding house. Next thing you know Ann winds up strangled with her own scarf and Wolfe reluctantly is drawn into the case when Archie is arrested. Fritz cleans and dusts the office, Wolfe sits back in his custom made chair and thinks things out, the suspects are gathered together in Wolfe's office where Wolfe will reveal the true identity of the murder to Inspector Cramer who as usual is angry and lost (he also we learn has a son).
Booby Trap : Archie is still in the Army, still a Major, but he is now assigned to assist Wolfe in Army work. Wolfe is now meeting with Army officials on a regular basis. He is going to them rather than forcing the Army to come to him. When the story opens Wolfe and Archie are on there way to one of these meetings. Archie has a pink grenade prototype that he had been given. He was keeping it in his bedroom in Wolfe's brownstone. Wolfe needless to say does not want a grenade in his home. At their meeting Archie returns the grenade prototype to his superior who puts it in his desk (after checking the pin). When Wolfe and Archie arrive at the Army headquarters for the next meeting they get off on the wrong floor which is a good thing because said grenade explodes and Archie's superior officer is killed. Of course it was murder. This is all about industrial espionage and those who are trying to profit from the war. Thankfully in this situation Wolfe was there to stop it.
IMHO if you enjoy Nero Wolfe this book was okay. Not great. If you have never read a Nero Wolfe story before you may want to check out one of the other books first.
Not Quite Dead Enough : In the first novella Archie is a Major with Army Intelligence. When the story opens he has been summoned to Washington where he is asked to go to New York and convince Wolfe to help the Army. It seems as though Wolfe has refused to speak to the Army brass that have attempted to recruit him. Archie agrees as long as there is something in it for him. Say a promotion to Colonel. Lily Rowan shows up on the same flight from D.C. to NYC and in a seat next to Archie. She wants Archie's help too. A friend of hers, Ann Amory, is very disturbed about something and Lily thinks she needs a good detective. When Archie returns to the brownstone on West 35th Street he is shocked to find that not only is Wolfe not at home but that he is in training to fight Nazi's. He and Fritz are walking twice a day and subsisting on prunes, lettuce, and tomatoes. Realizing that it is Wolfe's brains that the Army is interested in he decides that the only solution is to get Wolfe to take a case. The Ann Amory case. Archie goes to the boarding house where Ann lives and it is more like a nut house than a boarding house. Next thing you know Ann winds up strangled with her own scarf and Wolfe reluctantly is drawn into the case when Archie is arrested. Fritz cleans and dusts the office, Wolfe sits back in his custom made chair and thinks things out, the suspects are gathered together in Wolfe's office where Wolfe will reveal the true identity of the murder to Inspector Cramer who as usual is angry and lost (he also we learn has a son).
Booby Trap : Archie is still in the Army, still a Major, but he is now assigned to assist Wolfe in Army work. Wolfe is now meeting with Army officials on a regular basis. He is going to them rather than forcing the Army to come to him. When the story opens Wolfe and Archie are on there way to one of these meetings. Archie has a pink grenade prototype that he had been given. He was keeping it in his bedroom in Wolfe's brownstone. Wolfe needless to say does not want a grenade in his home. At their meeting Archie returns the grenade prototype to his superior who puts it in his desk (after checking the pin). When Wolfe and Archie arrive at the Army headquarters for the next meeting they get off on the wrong floor which is a good thing because said grenade explodes and Archie's superior officer is killed. Of course it was murder. This is all about industrial espionage and those who are trying to profit from the war. Thankfully in this situation Wolfe was there to stop it.
IMHO if you enjoy Nero Wolfe this book was okay. Not great. If you have never read a Nero Wolfe story before you may want to check out one of the other books first.
December 26, 2016
Not Quite Good Enough.
If you've never read a Nero Wolfe, do not start here. Go back to the library and find something else. Otherwise you will be so turned off you'll never read another, and that really would not do.
I know Stout made a living by his pen at a time when everyone had to contribute to the war effort or risk being branded a "Com Symp" or worse...in fact Wolfe deals with these things in other stories. But these two novellas show he didn't enjoy the writing of them. He doesn't even take care of details. This is only No. 10, so Archie isn't quite as tall as he was later. How could one of his "old" sweaters be big enough for Wolfe, even after several weeks of salad and"walking fast", even if he strained the buttons to tearing point?
The only amusing aspect of the title yarn is the fact that the boarding house (called by one of its inmates "a bughouse") is on Barnum Street. Does that mean it is a real circus, or was Stout quoting the famous line attributed to P. T. Barnum, "There's a sucker born every minute"? Stout was quite capable of that sort of irony.
The rest of that novella is just...odd. I got tired of hearing Wolfe speak of "killing Germans", though one could postulate (if one cared enough) that he was hoping to relive his youthful passion as a maqui in his Montenegran mountain home. Or something. The story itself was hugely unconvincing--was that a real motive for murder? And can you really hunt hawks at night?
As for "Booby Trap", the less said about that novella the better. I'm sure there was a point in there somewhere; most likely the author's paycheck. It felt rushed and bland and unloved.
These two stories were never filmed. There's a clear and cogent reason for that.
August 3, 2010
This installment in the series always leaves me feeling...eh. It's not like I don't enjoy parts of it, but it's not Stout at his best. A lot of it feels forced actually, as if Stout felt compelled to write something in support World War II and just couldn't find a way to work it into the series naturally.
Let me say upfront, I don't blame Stout for falling a little flat here--while he wrote this he was working a lot to support FDR and the war effort through various means. If you haven't read McAleer's biography of Stout, I'd highly recommend it, particularly over this period. It makes sense that he wasn't at his best here.
Like Black Orchid, Not Quite Dead Enough is made up of two novellas. In the first, we are introduced to Major Archie Goodwin, of Army intelligence. He's sent to NYC to recruit his once and future boss to the effort. Wolfe's far more interested in joining the infantry (see the quote below), and has given up the detective business and his assorted comforts and indulgences in order to train. The description of his training and his appearance at this time are worth the effort alone.
Archie uses a case that his long-time friend, Lily Rowan, was trying to get him involved with to rekindle Wolfe's dormant detective skills as a way to move him from his focus on the infantry to intelligence. The case isn't that interesting, really, but there are some fun characters.
The second novella, Booby Trap shows us the Major acting as Wolfe's handler while he acts as a civilian consultant to the intelligence service. In this particular instance, Wolfe gets to play to his strength, dealing with a couple of murders of Intelligence officers investigating some fraudulent arms sales. I find it disappointing, really, but I do read it occasionally.
My lukewarm feeling toward these stories carries over to the quotes I jotted down:
Not Quite Dead Enough
[Wolfe speaking:] "I am going to kill some Germans. I didn't kill enough in 1918."
Wolfe pronounced a word. It was the first time I had ever heard him pronounce an unprintable word, and it stopped me short.
Booby Trap
"Indeed," I said. That was Nero Wolfe's word, and I never used it except in moments of stress, and it severely annoyed me when I caught myself using it, because when I look in a mirror I prefer to see me as is, with no skin grafted from anybody else's hide, even Nero Wolfe's.
[Wolfe speaking:] "Archie. I submit to circumstances. So should you."
Let me say upfront, I don't blame Stout for falling a little flat here--while he wrote this he was working a lot to support FDR and the war effort through various means. If you haven't read McAleer's biography of Stout, I'd highly recommend it, particularly over this period. It makes sense that he wasn't at his best here.
Like Black Orchid, Not Quite Dead Enough is made up of two novellas. In the first, we are introduced to Major Archie Goodwin, of Army intelligence. He's sent to NYC to recruit his once and future boss to the effort. Wolfe's far more interested in joining the infantry (see the quote below), and has given up the detective business and his assorted comforts and indulgences in order to train. The description of his training and his appearance at this time are worth the effort alone.
Archie uses a case that his long-time friend, Lily Rowan, was trying to get him involved with to rekindle Wolfe's dormant detective skills as a way to move him from his focus on the infantry to intelligence. The case isn't that interesting, really, but there are some fun characters.
The second novella, Booby Trap shows us the Major acting as Wolfe's handler while he acts as a civilian consultant to the intelligence service. In this particular instance, Wolfe gets to play to his strength, dealing with a couple of murders of Intelligence officers investigating some fraudulent arms sales. I find it disappointing, really, but I do read it occasionally.
My lukewarm feeling toward these stories carries over to the quotes I jotted down:
Not Quite Dead Enough
[Wolfe speaking:] "I am going to kill some Germans. I didn't kill enough in 1918."
Wolfe pronounced a word. It was the first time I had ever heard him pronounce an unprintable word, and it stopped me short.
Booby Trap
"Indeed," I said. That was Nero Wolfe's word, and I never used it except in moments of stress, and it severely annoyed me when I caught myself using it, because when I look in a mirror I prefer to see me as is, with no skin grafted from anybody else's hide, even Nero Wolfe's.
[Wolfe speaking:] "Archie. I submit to circumstances. So should you."
April 22, 2025
Not Quite Dead Enough
It's WWII and Archie is on leave from the military. The higher ups want Wolfe to take on an investigation but have failed miserably to get his attention. Archie promises he can handle it, but his confidence slips when he returns to the familiar brownstone and finds out what's been going on in his absence. In addition to Wolfe's antics, this story shows an interesting side to the relationship between Archie and Lily Rowan.
Booby Trap
Wolfe is now working as an investigator for the army and Archie is assigned as his "handler". This is a case of industrial espionage and illegal arms sales involving a prototype pink grenade.
It's WWII and Archie is on leave from the military. The higher ups want Wolfe to take on an investigation but have failed miserably to get his attention. Archie promises he can handle it, but his confidence slips when he returns to the familiar brownstone and finds out what's been going on in his absence. In addition to Wolfe's antics, this story shows an interesting side to the relationship between Archie and Lily Rowan.
Booby Trap
Wolfe is now working as an investigator for the army and Archie is assigned as his "handler". This is a case of industrial espionage and illegal arms sales involving a prototype pink grenade.
November 8, 2025
This is a great one- two stories that take place during WW2- and some of the funniest and most memorable characters of the series. Also, the first appearance of a truly competent woman- it’s interesting to see how his writing of women evolves over the 25-30 years he wrote these.
February 1, 2021
Two stories set during World War 2 while Archie is a Major in the US Army. The first story features the return of Lily Rowan. In both stories Wolfe spends time outside of his home.
September 18, 2019
One of the fun things about the Nero Wolfe stories is the glimpse it provides into 1930's and 40's America. New York City specifically. This glimpes is really emphasized in the books written during World War II. In previous stories they had made mention of troubles in Europe, and fascists, and even Hitler but it was clearly a problem over the sea.
In this collection of two mysteries the common thread is the USA entering the war. Archie has entered the army as an able bodied man, but he is given a special assignment. Nero is desperate in his romaticism to also join the army and go "shoot some germans". He is so desperate that he has quit eating gormet food and has begin a training regimine.
Fortunately for us all, Archies assignment is to get Nero to work with his brain on army intelligence business. And he manages to complete that assignment but not after a twisting murder mystery where Lilly Rowan is one of the primary suspects and someone in Nero's household is arrested and thrown in jail. The dialog between Archie and Lilly is again one of the high points of the story. They clearly like each other but are so stubbornly independant that they verbally taunt each other.
The second story is also set in the war, and is, in my opinion, the weaker of the two stories, but they are both fun reads.
It is interesting to note that the author Rex Stout was extremely patriotic and hosted three different war time radio broadcasts and participated in numerous patriotic promotions.
In this collection of two mysteries the common thread is the USA entering the war. Archie has entered the army as an able bodied man, but he is given a special assignment. Nero is desperate in his romaticism to also join the army and go "shoot some germans". He is so desperate that he has quit eating gormet food and has begin a training regimine.
Fortunately for us all, Archies assignment is to get Nero to work with his brain on army intelligence business. And he manages to complete that assignment but not after a twisting murder mystery where Lilly Rowan is one of the primary suspects and someone in Nero's household is arrested and thrown in jail. The dialog between Archie and Lilly is again one of the high points of the story. They clearly like each other but are so stubbornly independant that they verbally taunt each other.
The second story is also set in the war, and is, in my opinion, the weaker of the two stories, but they are both fun reads.
It is interesting to note that the author Rex Stout was extremely patriotic and hosted three different war time radio broadcasts and participated in numerous patriotic promotions.
July 19, 2019
In this Nero Wolfe mystery, it is World War II and Archie Goodwin is in the military as a major in the Army intelligence. He has been asked to enlist Wolfe on a serious matter. No one has been able to get through to Wolfe. Archie finds out that he wants to enlist as a combat soldier so he and his personal chef are in “training”. Archie has to divert Wolfe to use his talent for the country. He hooks Wolfe first by helping solve the mystery of the woman found dead. Then in the 2nd story, “Booby trap”, he handles the matter that the army wants solved.
These mysteries are fun to read and especially the interactions between Archie and Wolfe and Archie’s comments on people and events. This is a great mystery series.
These mysteries are fun to read and especially the interactions between Archie and Wolfe and Archie’s comments on people and events. This is a great mystery series.
May 31, 2019
Not Quite Dead Enough was great, but Booby Trap kept me at the end of my seat. I haven't read it before. I thought I had exhausted the canon, but this was quite the surprise.
It reminded me of the thrill of discovering Rex Stout when I was young, and then had the stories changed by watching the excellent tv series by Timothy Hutton. He did a wonderful job, even perfectly recreating the apartment. This was an 'enhanced' experience.
This was a truly pleasant surprise.
It reminded me of the thrill of discovering Rex Stout when I was young, and then had the stories changed by watching the excellent tv series by Timothy Hutton. He did a wonderful job, even perfectly recreating the apartment. This was an 'enhanced' experience.
This was a truly pleasant surprise.
May 30, 2010
Neither a novel nor a collection of short stories Not Quite Dead Enough is made up of two novelettes: Not quite dead enough and Booby Trap. Neither has the tight writing of a short story and yet both feel rather bloated. Stout needs to explain what Wolfe and Goodwin do during the war. The first story explains how their wartime setup comes to be and the second shows them at work. Both suffer from extremely obvious solutions and in neither case is the denouement satisfactory. The first requires Lily Rowan to carry the idiot ball and the second requires members of the military to do so.
October 30, 2020
This is another one with two novellas, connected only by the fact that Archie is now in the Army, so he's not there to keep Wolfe in line. The mysteries are interesting, but I still like book-length ones better.
December 9, 2024
The Second World War has come to 454 West 35th Street in Rex Stout’s tenth entry in his series of Nero Wolfe mysteries. Now a major in the United States Army, Archie Goodwin is ordered by the head of Army Intelligence to enlist the services of his former boss, Nero Wolfe. Yet when Goodwin returns to New York, he discovers that the challenge is a formidable one, For while Wolfe is willing to serve, he is training himself to do so as an ordinary soldier, forcing Goodwin to exploit a murder to in order to get the famous detective to do instead what he does best.
This serves as the premise for the first of the pair of novellas that make up Stout’s collection. It’s a story that features Goodwin at his finest, as he brilliantly exploits an unexpected situation in order to manipulate Wolfe into resuming his profession, this time on the behalf of the war effort. That the second story, in which Wolfe and Goodwin are brought in to investigate the recent death of an intelligence officer in New York, doesn’t quite measure up to it is hardly a criticism of it. Together, the twin tales show how successfully Stout adapted his most famous characters to current events, as the duo transition almost seamlessly from their prewar investigations to dealing with the very different circumstances of wartime America. Not only is it a great artifact of wartime fiction, but it spotlights Stout’s adaptability as a writer, even under the most extraordinary circumstances.
This serves as the premise for the first of the pair of novellas that make up Stout’s collection. It’s a story that features Goodwin at his finest, as he brilliantly exploits an unexpected situation in order to manipulate Wolfe into resuming his profession, this time on the behalf of the war effort. That the second story, in which Wolfe and Goodwin are brought in to investigate the recent death of an intelligence officer in New York, doesn’t quite measure up to it is hardly a criticism of it. Together, the twin tales show how successfully Stout adapted his most famous characters to current events, as the duo transition almost seamlessly from their prewar investigations to dealing with the very different circumstances of wartime America. Not only is it a great artifact of wartime fiction, but it spotlights Stout’s adaptability as a writer, even under the most extraordinary circumstances.
November 8, 2018
Fabulous
Nero Wolfe is one of the most entertaining detectives I have ever read. The stories are always intriguing and never boring.
Nero Wolfe is one of the most entertaining detectives I have ever read. The stories are always intriguing and never boring.
March 23, 2025
I enjoyed this rather short novella featuring Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. In this short tale, Goodwin is back from the military and preparing for a two week furlough. He’s been tasked with getting Nero Wolfe back in the business of solving crime. Wolfe, for his part, decides he wants to join the military to kill Germans in WWII, so he embarks on a training regimen that lasts perhaps two months, but ends when Archie finds a way to get Wolfe back into action. The story is rather simple and not terribly compelling, but what I did enjoy in this one was the banter between Wolfe and Goodwin, which always has me in stitches and smiling to myself throughout. I just love these two characters, particularly Archie. I can’t explain this guy. He’s just such a clever smart aleck and it’s hilarious to read his dialogue.
Anyhow, I love all these novels and will continue to read them until I finish the very last one.
Anyhow, I love all these novels and will continue to read them until I finish the very last one.
September 19, 2016
Another two-in-one book, like Black Orchids before it. This time, the unifying thread is not Wolfe's rare flora, but his work for the United States Army during World War II. In 'Not Quite Dead Enough', Archie, now a major and working in domestic counter-intelligence, is sent to recruit Wolfe's help with various military intelligence issues. To Archie's surprise, Wolfe is neither reading in his office nor up playing with his orchids, but is in fact 'training' to join the Army as a soldier so he can kill some Germans. Archie is flabbergasted, and must figure out a way to convince Wolfe that he is far more useful to the Army as a brain than as a soldier. The trouble is, any argument would require Wolfe to use his brain, and it appears that he simply will not do so. So Archie sets out to use the only hook left--Wolfe's ego. Before long, Archie himself is a murder suspect, and Wolfe is faced with the ignominy of having his former assistant tried for murder ... unless Wolfe can figure out whodunit.
As for the second story, well, with a title like 'Booby Trap', you probably already have a pretty good idea of what happens. Wolfe is now working for the Army in an investigative capacity. There have been accusations that some of the technologies and inventions and whatnot that have been temporarily turned over to the Army to aid in the war ware in fact being stolen and sold to private competitors. So far, one officer investigating these allegations has died by falling--or jumping, or being pushed--out a window. When another officer is blown to bits by a grenade that detonates in his office, Wolfe must determine whether it was an accident, suicide, or murder. And of course, it wouldn't hurt to figure out who the murderer is, either ...
The first story here is much stronger than the second. In addition to the entertaining sight of Wolfe 'exercising'--to say nothing of his new diet and habit of using the orchid rooms as his own private sauna--we get to see Archie in uniform, a likable damsel in distress, and Lily Rowan throwing a nasty temper tantrum. The picture we get of Miss Rowan's temperament and her relationship with Archie across the various books is absolutely fascinating. They are both extremely independent, competent, and quite intelligent, and, most of the time, they know exactly what the relationship is and what it isn't. It's true that Lily here is the jealous party, but the fact remains that Archie is clearly attached enough to her to keep her around despite her idiosyncrasies, so there's clearly some strong attraction on his part.
Also, there are racing pigeons, two crazy old ladies, and a rather surprising murder. It's fun, is what I'm saying.
The second story certainly raises an interesting wartime problem that really has nothing to do with the politics of the war. And presumably, it's still a wartime problem. I imagine the U.S. government still asks private companies to loan the use of various technologies and innovations, and those companies who accommodate such requests must face the risk that their confidential corporate secrets will be leaked to their competitors. Still, aside from this admittedly interesting idea, the story itself is a bit of a dud, and Wolfe's big 'trap' seems ... less than impressive. There is some sparkle in Archie's interactions with Sergeant Dorothy Bruce, but beyond that, the cast is pretty dull--including the murderer.
Definitely worth reading, if only for the first story. Prichard does a decent job with the narration, so the audiobook is a legitimate alternative to the paperback if you're into that sort of thing.
As for the second story, well, with a title like 'Booby Trap', you probably already have a pretty good idea of what happens. Wolfe is now working for the Army in an investigative capacity. There have been accusations that some of the technologies and inventions and whatnot that have been temporarily turned over to the Army to aid in the war ware in fact being stolen and sold to private competitors. So far, one officer investigating these allegations has died by falling--or jumping, or being pushed--out a window. When another officer is blown to bits by a grenade that detonates in his office, Wolfe must determine whether it was an accident, suicide, or murder. And of course, it wouldn't hurt to figure out who the murderer is, either ...
The first story here is much stronger than the second. In addition to the entertaining sight of Wolfe 'exercising'--to say nothing of his new diet and habit of using the orchid rooms as his own private sauna--we get to see Archie in uniform, a likable damsel in distress, and Lily Rowan throwing a nasty temper tantrum. The picture we get of Miss Rowan's temperament and her relationship with Archie across the various books is absolutely fascinating. They are both extremely independent, competent, and quite intelligent, and, most of the time, they know exactly what the relationship is and what it isn't. It's true that Lily here is the jealous party, but the fact remains that Archie is clearly attached enough to her to keep her around despite her idiosyncrasies, so there's clearly some strong attraction on his part.
Also, there are racing pigeons, two crazy old ladies, and a rather surprising murder. It's fun, is what I'm saying.
The second story certainly raises an interesting wartime problem that really has nothing to do with the politics of the war. And presumably, it's still a wartime problem. I imagine the U.S. government still asks private companies to loan the use of various technologies and innovations, and those companies who accommodate such requests must face the risk that their confidential corporate secrets will be leaked to their competitors. Still, aside from this admittedly interesting idea, the story itself is a bit of a dud, and Wolfe's big 'trap' seems ... less than impressive. There is some sparkle in Archie's interactions with Sergeant Dorothy Bruce, but beyond that, the cast is pretty dull--including the murderer.
Definitely worth reading, if only for the first story. Prichard does a decent job with the narration, so the audiobook is a legitimate alternative to the paperback if you're into that sort of thing.
August 23, 2024
This novella is set during WWII, and the middle-aged Wolfe has inexplicably decided that he must make himself physically fit to be a soldier (i.e. lose a lot of weight). Archie (now Major Goodwin of the US Army) must go to extraordinary lengths (such as framing himself for murder) to jar Wolfe out of the foolish notion that he can serve his country better with his body than with his mind.
Once jarred, Wolfe solves a couple of murders, the first necessary to exonerate Archie and the second involving something about shenanigans with military contracts, actually not very interesting except that it involves a grenade. I was enjoying the story until the ending for the villain, which was both unpleasant and implausible.
These are fun because of Archie's voice - full of sarcasm, complaints, and reluctant admiration - and because of the setting. Stout kept his stories contemporary over the decades (1934-1975), bringing his characters forward in time but keeping them the same age.
Once jarred, Wolfe solves a couple of murders, the first necessary to exonerate Archie and the second involving something about shenanigans with military contracts, actually not very interesting except that it involves a grenade. I was enjoying the story until the ending for the villain, which was both unpleasant and implausible.
These are fun because of Archie's voice - full of sarcasm, complaints, and reluctant admiration - and because of the setting. Stout kept his stories contemporary over the decades (1934-1975), bringing his characters forward in time but keeping them the same age.
July 16, 2019
Not Quite Dead Enough actually contains two novellas; the first one providing the title for the pair. The second novella is called Booby Trap. The two stories are linked only by the time period, as they both take place, and were published, during World War 2.
In the first, Archie has, of course, joined the Army, being the quintessential American boy who loves hot dogs and apple pie, washed down with two glasses of milk. He arrives home at the brownstone to an earth-shattering discovery: Nero Wolfe is in training because he desires to be in the Armed Forces. He and Fritz both are dieting and exercising! The Army wants to consult with him, which is why Archie is on leave, but Archie has to get himself incriminated for murder to get Wolfe to abandon his working out and begin using his brain again.
The second story involves unmasking a traitor. A pink grenade is featured, as is a WAC that Archie both admires and fears, if he were being honest. Both novellas are very interesting as period pieces, even more so than usual. Inspector Cramer and Sgt. Stebbins appear, but in cameo roles rather than actively investigating murders.
A recipe with an interesting name is mentioned in the final chapter: Roast Duck Mr. Richards. I had to google that one. 😁
In the first, Archie has, of course, joined the Army, being the quintessential American boy who loves hot dogs and apple pie, washed down with two glasses of milk. He arrives home at the brownstone to an earth-shattering discovery: Nero Wolfe is in training because he desires to be in the Armed Forces. He and Fritz both are dieting and exercising! The Army wants to consult with him, which is why Archie is on leave, but Archie has to get himself incriminated for murder to get Wolfe to abandon his working out and begin using his brain again.
The second story involves unmasking a traitor. A pink grenade is featured, as is a WAC that Archie both admires and fears, if he were being honest. Both novellas are very interesting as period pieces, even more so than usual. Inspector Cramer and Sgt. Stebbins appear, but in cameo roles rather than actively investigating murders.
A recipe with an interesting name is mentioned in the final chapter: Roast Duck Mr. Richards. I had to google that one. 😁
February 25, 2013
Lily Rowan can't stand the state of affairs since Archie joined the Army. He's not paying any attention to he! He wants to go into combat! The spoiled woman follows him on his stateside postings! Finally to Archie's disgust, he is given his marching orders: he is to manage Nero Wolfe, in NYC, for the duration. What's a guy gotta do to get a chance to die for his country? You'll find out what lengths Lily will go to to get her man's attention in "Not Quite Dead Enough". Bonus material: Nero Wolfe's diet and workout plan. LOL
March 1, 2023
Another entry in the Nero Wolfe series which is actually two novellas rather than a single novel.
In both, Archie is now in the military (WW2). In "Not Quite Dead Enough", Archie is taken from his normal duties and assigned to the task of getting Wolfe to agree to take a case for the army. Lily Rowan is chasing Archie and inadvertently provides Archie with the lever he needs to complete his assignment.
In "Boobytrap", Archie is now permanently assigned to Wolfe and Wolfe is regularly consulted by the military.
In both, Archie is now in the military (WW2). In "Not Quite Dead Enough", Archie is taken from his normal duties and assigned to the task of getting Wolfe to agree to take a case for the army. Lily Rowan is chasing Archie and inadvertently provides Archie with the lever he needs to complete his assignment.
In "Boobytrap", Archie is now permanently assigned to Wolfe and Wolfe is regularly consulted by the military.
January 2, 2013
Another two story in one book. The title is for the first story, which could be summed up as murder reveals another murder. A sad story but one that seemed innocent at first and was used to get Wolfe back into normal working order. The second is Wolfe working to discover wrongdoing and a murderer within the military. This story reveals a lot about the mindset of the time... and both Archie and Wolfe show great patriotism.
November 16, 2018
Even if there wasn’t two good mysteries, this book would be worth reading just to see Nero Wolfe not being Nero Wolfe. Archie is in the army and Wolfe had decided he wants to enlist as a common soldier so he can kill German so he’s given up beer and fine dining to—brace yourself—exercise. Yet the army wants Wolfe solving national security problems for them and Archie has to figure out how to get Wolfe back to being Wolfe. This one’s a lot of fun.
February 5, 2019
"There was that little twist to a corner of her mouth, so slight that it had taken me a year to get onto it, that was there when she was betting the stack on four spades with nothing but a six of clubs in the hole."
Even if I have read all Nero Wolfe mysteries, most of them more than once, I still have fun reading them; nothing has changed since the mid-1960s when I first met the sedentary genius of detection and his intrepid and debonair sidekick Archie. The novels have many features that I like: solid and engaging prose, interesting secondary, non-recurring characters, and small volume. Yes, Mr. Wolfe is a caricature, basically a cartoonish character, and the setup of the usual denouement in the detective's office is a heavy cliché, yet Archie's persona and the overall charm of the stories compensate for the weaknesses.
Not Quite Dead Enough (1942) is one of the earlier installments in the series. Uncharacteristically, the volume combines just two novellas (usually there are three). The events in both of them happen during World War II and Archie Goodwin is in fact Major Goodwin in the U.S. Army. The first novella begins when Major Goodwin is called to report to the Chief of Army Intelligence. The military needs the great detective's help and Archie is supposed to persuade him to agree. Meanwhile Mr. Wolfe and Fritz (the live-in cook) are exercising, dieting (!!!) and preparing to join the Army to help the war effort.
If the hilarious premise of Mr. Wolfe dieting is not enough, we have more: the story involves pigeons, squirrels, and there is even a mention of "dead hawk business." And to top the craziness, Archie has to try hard to get arrested in a murder case. Clever denouement nicely rounds up this charming novella.
The second novella, titled Booby Trap, is no match in quirkiness, but also has its good points. The story begins when Archie is carrying a live grenade out of Mr. Wolfe's brownstone. I hope this is not much of a spoiler even if we all know the "Chekhov's Gun" principle, with which the author toys here. In a continuation of the first novella, Nero Wolfe is helping the military intelligence officers investigate the death of one of their own. Perhaps the most interesting element of the story is the presence of Sergeant Dorothy Bruce, a member of the Women's Army Corps. 77 years ago women in the military were not that commonplace yet the author considers it completely normal (as opposed to Mr. Wolfe). An uncharacteristically brutal denouement concludes the story.
Good first story and satisfactory second one combine to provide a nice read.
Three stars.
Even if I have read all Nero Wolfe mysteries, most of them more than once, I still have fun reading them; nothing has changed since the mid-1960s when I first met the sedentary genius of detection and his intrepid and debonair sidekick Archie. The novels have many features that I like: solid and engaging prose, interesting secondary, non-recurring characters, and small volume. Yes, Mr. Wolfe is a caricature, basically a cartoonish character, and the setup of the usual denouement in the detective's office is a heavy cliché, yet Archie's persona and the overall charm of the stories compensate for the weaknesses.
Not Quite Dead Enough (1942) is one of the earlier installments in the series. Uncharacteristically, the volume combines just two novellas (usually there are three). The events in both of them happen during World War II and Archie Goodwin is in fact Major Goodwin in the U.S. Army. The first novella begins when Major Goodwin is called to report to the Chief of Army Intelligence. The military needs the great detective's help and Archie is supposed to persuade him to agree. Meanwhile Mr. Wolfe and Fritz (the live-in cook) are exercising, dieting (!!!) and preparing to join the Army to help the war effort.
If the hilarious premise of Mr. Wolfe dieting is not enough, we have more: the story involves pigeons, squirrels, and there is even a mention of "dead hawk business." And to top the craziness, Archie has to try hard to get arrested in a murder case. Clever denouement nicely rounds up this charming novella.
The second novella, titled Booby Trap, is no match in quirkiness, but also has its good points. The story begins when Archie is carrying a live grenade out of Mr. Wolfe's brownstone. I hope this is not much of a spoiler even if we all know the "Chekhov's Gun" principle, with which the author toys here. In a continuation of the first novella, Nero Wolfe is helping the military intelligence officers investigate the death of one of their own. Perhaps the most interesting element of the story is the presence of Sergeant Dorothy Bruce, a member of the Women's Army Corps. 77 years ago women in the military were not that commonplace yet the author considers it completely normal (as opposed to Mr. Wolfe). An uncharacteristically brutal denouement concludes the story.
Good first story and satisfactory second one combine to provide a nice read.
Three stars.
August 14, 2021
Two short stories in which fictional characters become part of the war effort during World War II. From what my father said about this time, readers of fiction began to expect this. Comic strip characters joined the army. (Dad said that "Li'l Abner" did not because its creator, Al Capp, want to give readers some relief from the war.)
In both stories, we see Archie already in the service as an officer. Nero Wolfe struggles on at home apparently trying to reduce his "great girth" to be able to enlist. Archie spends much of the first book trying to persuade his former boss to use his "great brain" to solve mysteries for the government.
The best part of both stories, to me, was the picture Mr. Stout drew of New York in the 1940s. Rationing is discussed. The cook apparently makes a delicious meal out of eggplant and lard. Gas, too, is rationed as Archie thinks of the bit of gas they use for what appears to be a pointless drive. Every other person has some connection to the military or an important reason not to be. Distances are covered by trains.
RECOMMENDED for the setting over the mystery.
In both stories, we see Archie already in the service as an officer. Nero Wolfe struggles on at home apparently trying to reduce his "great girth" to be able to enlist. Archie spends much of the first book trying to persuade his former boss to use his "great brain" to solve mysteries for the government.
The best part of both stories, to me, was the picture Mr. Stout drew of New York in the 1940s. Rationing is discussed. The cook apparently makes a delicious meal out of eggplant and lard. Gas, too, is rationed as Archie thinks of the bit of gas they use for what appears to be a pointless drive. Every other person has some connection to the military or an important reason not to be. Distances are covered by trains.
RECOMMENDED for the setting over the mystery.
June 13, 2022
This book contains two novellas, Not Quite Dead Enough and Booby Trap. They were written and are set during World War II, which is interesting. Archie is now an Army Major and Wolfe is trying to get himself in shape to kill Germans. Not Quite Dead Enough is at least as interesting for how Archie gets the reluctant Wolfe to take the case as for the case itself. Booby Trap is interesting for openly acknowledging the existence of war profiteering. It also has Wolfe dispensing his own eyebrow-raising form of rough justice for the second time, as he did in the previous book, Black Orchids. Stout and Wolfe seem to have lost confidence in the US justice system in the 1940s.
December 10, 2017
Two novellas set during WWII find Archie in the army but still working along side of Wolfe. Not much Cramer or the usual supporting cast but still highly enjoyable. Wolfe’s continued hatred of Germans was a nice touch as was his plan to join the army. Stout’s mysteries are not who dunnits but rather vehicles to spend time with the characters. This edition acquits this goal quite nicely.
January 30, 2023
A re-read. The setting: Archie is in the military, and the war (WWII) was clearly on Stout's mind. Stout served as the president of the US Government's 'War Writer's Board' and he was clear busy; these stories are not his best. Still, Stout, even when not at his best, delivers some entertaining times with Wolfe and Archie.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews