Product Description

Out of all of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries, Rubber Band stands out as one of the most intricate. The normally unflappable detective is brought on to investigate what appears to be a clean case of larceny, but soon it turns into a quagmire of blackmail and broken promises. Crossing eras and oceans, Wolfe and his trusty assistant Archie Goodwin must find the link between a lynching and a respected British peer. At stake is the life of Wolfe's beautiful young client and a million dollars.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #825442 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-06
• Formats: Audiobook, CD, Unabridged
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 6
• Binding: Audio CD

Review
"The Rubber Band by Rex Stout is a complete and unabridged mystery starring Nero Wolfe and his faithful sidekick, Archie Goodwin. Wolfe, who died in 1975 at age 89, wrote stories that hold up remarkably well. In this, which involves the American West and the British nobility, we have Wolfe's tongue-in-cheek exercise program developed to comply with his physician's edict that he must lose weight: dart throwing. Michael Prichard, who has pretty much become the voice of Archie Goodwin, reads. Recently, he was named by Smart Money magazine as one of audio's "Top 10 Golden Voices." -- The Arizona Daily Star

"It is always a treat to [hear] a Nero Wolfe mystery. The man has entered our folklore." -- The New York Times Book Review

"Nero Wolfe, the fat detective of Rex Stout's novels, towers over his rivals...he is an exceptional character creation." -- The New Yorker

"Rex Stout...raised detective fiction to the level of art. He gave us genius of at least two kinds, and a strong realist voice that was shot through with hope." -- Walter Mosley

From the Publisher
6 1.5-hour cassettes

About the Author
Deceased

Customer Reviews

No. 2
An early Wolfe, very strong plot and fun read. If not quite up to the next 10 or so efforts it is smoother than Fer-de-Lance and Stout begins to humanize Wolfe's character. I think Inspector Cramer makes his first appearance,too.

Nero Wolfe is always a good read
This is one of his first. I've read them all, several times each. Even tho this is not his best, Rex Stout still writes far better than most writers today. His books are very funny and the plots entertaining. Closest I've come to finding his successor is Deadly Diamonds, by Pamela Troutman.

Take the Pledge of the Rubber Band
Rubber Coleman got his nickname by always seeming to bounce back after being knocked down in a fight. [Why did this remind me of Bill Clinton??]

Rex Stout bounced back from The League of Frightened Gentlemen with this one - the first of a few of his which jumped off Manhattan Island and recounted a tall tale of the old West. The League scared some of his early readers, I think: it was too ethereal and high-concept.

The Rubber Band shoots from the hip, by sharp contrast. Since Rex had traveled the whole United States by this time, and had spent considerable time in the West, his background should at least lend credence to the accuracy of this story.

However, like some of the reviews below assert, its actual credibility is really thin. I won't say more, since the book is enjoyable despite its flaws, but don't expect Fer de Lance, and...

...you won't be disappointed.