Stout, Rex -- Too Many Cooks (1938)
A
The famous one with the master chefs—Stout’s masterpiece, according to COC. It’s set entirely outside the brownhouse, which means that Stout can’t rely on his usual tiresome formulae (interviews by committee, hostility to and from the police, and Wolfe sitting around doing nothing for several hundred pages). This is a strong detective story, with a good spread of suspicion, and a fairly clued least likely murderer. The clue on p. 179 that ***Liggett had a Spa uniform at his hotel*** is a genuine “Of course!”
Wolfe comes across as a genuine intellectual as well as a clever detective. Good to see his condemnation of racism, and treating black waiters as fellow human beings. Much humour—Wolfe out of routine; Wolfe manipulates murderers and chef (language and dialogue / argument as a weapon?)
Early Archie—even more obnoxious (brash and cocky—smart aleck) than in 1940s books—WWII matures him?
Nick Fuller.
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