A brick house in 35th Street, New York - best neighborhood in Manhattan. This is the home and workplace of a wholly untypical private detective: Nero Wolfe. Atypical because Nero Wolfe, contrary to regular detectives, almost never leaves his house. Wolfe does not collect physical evidence and takes no fingerprints. Just as Nero Wolfe, Hercule Poirot also relies on his grey cells, but solves his cases from the desk.

He prefers discussing with suspects in his office, because there lies the only chair that allows him to sit as comfortably as he wishes. Archie Goodwin, Nero Wolfe's assistant, is responsible for the footwork. Goodwin speaks with witnesses, tries to gather the suspects that will come for a talk to Wolfe’s place and runs errands for his bread giver.

With the findings that Archie (who has a photographic memory and can reproduce conversations word for word) collects at hand, Nero Wolfe puts the pieces together and solves the case - much to the dismay of the police.

The stories are always told from Archi Goodwin’s point of view.

Whodunit or Howcatchem

All crime stories featuring private detective Nero Wolfe are "whodunit" - novels (who did it). A serious crime is presented at the beginning of each novel - mostly it revolves around the investigation of a murder. Sometimes there is a only one victim and a murder could be assumed but has not been proven yet. Wolfe was never involved in investigations into marital affairs or bodyguards activities. The novels about Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are among the so-called "whodunit" novels, in which the reader accompanies Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin in their investigations and the gradual enlightenment of the case. The resolution is then shown at the end of the book.

Other examples of "whodunit" novels: the cases of Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple

As opposed to "whodunit" novels, the perpetrator is known from the very beginning in the "howcatchem" ones. The reader learns who committed the crime and observes the detective or investigator at work.

Examples of "howcatchem" novels: Inspector Columbo, Criminal Intent, Monk

Nero Wolfe

Because Nero Wolfe would rather occupy his time with orchids, good food, reading or thinking, it is up to Archie Goodwin to urge him to work in order to earn money.

There are about 10,000 orchids in the greenhouse on the roof of the brick house, which is currently being taken care of by gardener Theodore Horstman. Swiss chef Fritz Brenner is the one who provides Wolfe’s with his prefered delicacies, whereby Wolfe sometimes dines at Rusterman's, a posh restaurant led by Marko Vukcic. Marko Vukcic is a friend and compatriot of Wolfe’s.

He gets up at 8 o’clock and has breakfast in his bedroom. His breakfast is served by Fritz Brenner. Between 9 and 11 o’clock and from 16 to 18 o’clock, Wolfe takes care of the breeding, nourishment and care of his orchids. He must not be disturbed only in exceptional situations. Dinner is at 18 o’clock and no business is to be discussed while seating at the table. Wolfe is a beer drinker (Remmers preferred), but never in the morning.

It is one of Wolfe’s principles to never ride in a car that is not driven by Archie Goodwin. And as with all of his principles, this is not immutable, as there are exceptions. Wolfe normally hates riding the train or travelling by airplane and he regards it as incomprehensible and even death-defying to leave the house during bad weather. He even clings to the hand grips in the car (even when driven by Goodwin).

Wolfe's Cases and Clients

Because Nero Wolfe rarely leaves the house (good food and orchids are a strong incentive), clients must visit him in his office. At the end of a case Wolfe gathers all the suspects and witnesses in order to convict the offender. Wolfe does not allow his clients to decide how he should proceed in an investigation. The fees that Wolfe demands from his clients to take on a case are gigantic.

In many cases, Inspector Cramer and Sergeant Stebbins from the New York Homicide Division are present at the resolution of the case. Cramer is always seated in a red leather chair during these and other visits regarding one of Wolfe’s cases. Cramer is constantly chewing around on a cigar, which he never lights, however.

Now and again, violent controversies arise between Wolfe and Cramer, mostly when Wolfe is protecting one of the police’s suspects and the police denies his request of giving out an indication of the real culprit. Although Wolfe rarely leaves his house, he’s mostly at least one step ahead of the police.

Investigation Work

Most of his investigative work is carried out outside the house by Archie Goodwin. If additional staff is needed, Wolfe will most likely request Saul Panzer’s help, since he is his best employee. Furthermore, he sometimes uses Orrie Cather and at times private detective Dol Bonner and her collaborator, Sally Colt. Johnny Keems also belonged to his team of freelancers, but was murdered during the case  Might As Well Be Dead.

Other actors

Nathaniel Parker, attorney. When Wolfe requires an official legal representative, he employs this lawyer.

Lon Cohen, editor (later editor in chief) at the Gazette newspaper. Lon Cohen is a friend of Archie Goodwin’s. The two regularly play poker together and exchange information. This information helps Wolfe in his research and, in return, Cohen receives exclusive reports on the crimes. Archie Goodwin sometimes also visits his friend at his office.

Lily Rowan, rich heiress. She is Archie Goodwin's long-time girlfriend and made her first appearence in Some Buried Caesar. In later novels, she mostly just plays a minor role.

Nero Wolfe novels by Rex Stout (chronologically)

• 
  Fer-de-Lance (1934)


• 
  The League of Frightened Men (1935)


• 
  The Rubber Band (1936)


• 
  The Red Box (1937)


• 
  Too Many Cooks (1938)


• 
  Some Buried Caesar (1939)


• 
  Over My Dead Body (1940)


• 
  When There’s a Will (1940)


• 
  The Silent Speaker (1946)


• 
  Too Many Women (1947)


• 
  And Be a Villain (1948)


• 
  Trouble in Triplicate (1949)


• 
  In the Best Families (1950)


• 
  Murder by the Book (1951)


• 
  Triple Jeopardy (1953)


• 
  The Golden Spiders (1953)


• 
  The Black Mountain (1954)


• 
  Before Midnight (1955)


• 
  Might as Well Be Dead (1956)


• 
  If Death Ever Slept (1957)


• 
  Champagne for One (1958)


• 
  Plot It Yourself (1959)


• 
  Too Many Clients (1960)


• 
  The Final Deduction (1961)


• 
  Gambit (1962)


• 
  The Mother Hunt (1963)


• 
  A Right to Die (1964)


• 
  The Doorbell Rang (1965)


• 
  Death of a Doxy (1966)


• 
  The Father Hunt (1968)


• 
  Death of a Dude (1969)


• 
  Please Pass the Guilt (1973)


• 
  A Family Affair (1975)

Nero Wolfe novels by Robert Goldsborough

• 
  Murder in E Minor (1986)


• 
  Fade to Black (1990)


• 
  The Bloodied Ivy


• 
  The Last Coincidence


• 
  Silver Spire


• 
  The Missing Chapter

Nero Wolfe in Film and Television

• 
  1936 Meet Nero Wolfe (based on the novel Fer-de-lance)
  
  Nero Wolfe (Edward Arnold), Archie Goodwin (Lionel Stander)


• 
  1937 The League of Frightened Men (based on the novel The League of Frightened Men)
  
  Nero Wolfe (Walter Connolly), Archie Goodwin (Lionel Stander)


• 
  1960 Too Many Cooks (five part crime series)
  
  Nero Wolfe (Heinz Klevenov), Archie Goodwin (Joachim Fuchsberger)


• 
  1971 Nero Wolfe (television series, 10 episodes)
  
  Nero Wolfe \9Tino Buazzelli), Archie Goodwin (Paolo Ferrari)


• 
  1981 Nero Wolfe (television series, 14 episodes)
  
  Nero Wolfe (William Conrad), Archie Goodwin (Lee Horsley)


• 
  2001 Nero Wolfe (television series, 29 episodes)
  
  Nero Wolfe (Maury Chaykin), Archie Goodwin (Timothy Hutton)