Fer-De-Lance

Fer-De-Lance is the first book in the Nero Wolfe series. It is also one of the books that is still in print. This was the first Wolfe book that I read, and after it I was hooked. I'm not sure it is the best Wolfe book, but it's a solid book, and a good starting place for the series. However, one need not start here. A person could choose any of the books as a starting place and still be able to follow all of the action and characters just fine. But, I would recommend starting here, since Fer-De-Lance introduces all of the main characters (Wolfe, Archie Goodwin, Fritz Brenner, Theodore Horstman, Fred Durkin, and Saul Panzer) and seems like a pretty standard type of Wolfe story...after this book you'll know what to expect from the others. The story opens when Wolfe is contracted to figure out who killed Carlo Maffei. This, of course, leads Wolfe on to the track of another, seemingly unrelated, murder. If Wolfe solves one murder, he solves the other. Wolfe expertly bilks a massive amount of money from the official law enforcement authorities for his trouble, which gives Wolfe, and Archie, much comfort, as the bank account was dwindling rapidly. The key to the case is a young hotel employee, who may, or may not, hold information vital to the case. After this book you'll never think of golf clubs in the same way! I bought this book at my local Borders store for five dollars and fifty cents. Here is what the cover looks like:

I find this cover interesting because at no point does the snake ever get near, or on, any bed of any sort! I also have this version of the book, which is the first Dell paperback edition. I bought it at a used book store for 4 dollars.