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Fer-de-Lance  By  cover art

Fer-de-Lance

By: Rex Stout
Narrated by: Michael Prichard
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Publisher's summary

When someone makes a present of a fer-de-lance - the dreaded snake - to Nero Wolfe, Archie Goodwin knows he's close to solving two apparently unrelated murders.

As for Wolfe, he's playing snake charmer in a case more deadly than a cobra and whistling a seductive tune he hopes will catch a killer with poison in his heart.

Stout fellow: listen to all of our Nero Wolfe mysteries, including classic radio programs!
©1934 Rex Stout (P)1994 Books on Tape Inc.

Critic reviews

"Fer-de-Lance is the first mystery novel ever written by Rex Stout....[it] will be welcomed by the legions of Rex Stout fans and serve as a welcome introduction to a whole new generation of mystery buffs." (Midwest Book Review)

"A 1934 period mystery that is remarkably fresh." (The Roanoke Times)

What listeners say about Fer-de-Lance

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The First Nero Wolfe Story and Arguable the Best

Great story. Great narration. Societal roles are dated, but the story is nearly 100 years old.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The genius starts here!

I have read and listened to this first work in the Nero Wolfe mysteries and I never tire of it. To be sure there are a few sentences that speak to the age of the work and definitely not PC but for me, I can overlook because of the writing, pacing and plot. Rex Stout, like his creations Wolfe and Goodwin - - - priceless.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

The first Nero Wolf novel

This first Nero Wolf novel is worth a read because this is where the series started. However, the tropes are not yet completely set. Nero and Archie are great but not yet the more fully developed personalities we know from some of the later books. Still, if you're a Nero Wolf fan you really can't live without it.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Skips throughout

I loved the story but there was constant skipping throughout.. like a record would skip

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great Story, Love the Nero Wolfe Series

Great Story, Love the Nero Wolfe Series

Could have edited the old cassette instructions out .

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Michael Prichard rocks these books!

I admit I'm on a Nero Wolfe bender--I've listened to 12 or 15 of them now and my excuse is the symbiotic relationship between Stout's text and dialogue and Prichard's reading. The pitch and pace are dead right and the vision of an earlier New York City (I gravitate to the earlier work) is wonderful. I might not have read all these books but LISTENING has hooked me!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

a digitized book on tape

The constant instructions to flip the cassette over was quite distracting. Though the story was good, that kept me from wholly enjoying it. I'd recommend you buy the book, not the audiobook.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Fer de Lence

It’s greatly done, enjoying it but you are are asking too much so be satisfied with stars & a word great

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A Classic American Mystery

The American version of Sherlock Holmes, in my opinion. So many similarities. Instead of bees, Wolfe has orchids. They both have selective memory. Wolfe knows only 3 phone numbers, Holmes knows next to nothing about astronomy. Both are, definitely, single and the only woman in each of their lives did them great wrong. Other similarities...
A great 'read '!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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My first listen

I have read all the Nero Wolfe book’s multiple times over the years, but this was my first audiobook. Michael Pritchard’s narration was excellent. I want to listen to all of them now.

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