Bitter End by Rex Stout
Bitter End is a Nero Wolfe novella. I picked it up for the Kindle when it was available for free. I think Amazon intended it to be an introduction to Nero Wolfe as a character, and having met Nero and Archie, readers would seek out other books. Good marketing strategy.
In this edition, Bitter End is paired with a short story that does not feature Nero Wolfe. That is a bit disappointing, and a bit of false advertising, in my opinion. While it never says that the short story, On the Line, features Nero Wolfe, it doesn’t say it does not either, so readers can get the idea that both stories in the volume do feature the famous detective.
Bitter End is a good story and a fun read. I wasn’t sure of the murderer until Wolfe’s revelation so that was good. And it was a fun adventure with Archie, though I think almost all the adventures with Archie are fun.
It’s a quick read and definitely worth it. According to other sources, this story is available in a volume of Nero Wolfe short stories, but whether you read it like that or as the one-off single I did, it is absolutely worth the time. Short stories like this are perfect for reading while in waiting rooms or in line at the post office.
I debated my rating for this book. I loved the Nero Wolfe novella. But I was disappointed by the short story. And the advertising lead the reader to think both featured Nero Wolfe. It was this perceived deception that lowered my rating more than the writing, plot or other literary concerns.
One Bear’s Opinion: Three Glasses of Iced Tea poured from a bottle with Fig Netwons
Happy Reading Everyone,
Oliver
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