Fer-de-Lance

By: Rex Stout

Narrated by: Michael Prichard

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

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)

Very Rough Audio

Thus was recorded poorly from a book on cassette. There are numerous dropped words and delays when the cassette flips. it really needs a full rerecording.

The first story about my favorite fat detective

If you have never met Nero Wolf and Archie Goodwin this is a good place to start. As all of Rex Stouts mysteries this is a fine tale with a chance to meet fun characters. After you get to know the main characters in this series you begin to enjoy the humor of the interplay between Wolf an Archie as these two incompatibles form an outstanding detective team. I recommend all Nero Wolf mysteries.

This story is dated

Hummm - not terrible - think of it as retro. I won't purchase more from this author.

This is special and different.

Unexpected things happen.

The author’s mind is quirky - like he comes from another place. I’m frequently chuckling and smiling over the dialogue or what somebody does. So many authors sound alike when it comes to mysteries. Rex Stout is different. I would read more mysteries if they were like this.

The author began writing the Nero Wolfe series in 1934. Nero Wolfe is an extremely obese man who doesn’t like to leave his home. He is an eccentric genius. Archie Goodwin works for him and does the investigating, errands, and running around.

This is the first book in the series. They can be read as stand alones.

The audiobook narrator Michael Prichard was good.

Genre: PI mystery

Pre WWII Elegance and Ambience

My norm is to look for long books -- give me 30 or 40 hrs and I'm quite happy. This book is 8 and 1/2 hrs. I bought it because a reviewer I follow gave it very high praise. I'm so glad I did.

The economy of words in this book borders on elegant, no long phrases that are redundant or empty of impactful information (I love Clancy, but, just saying ...). There is a density to this book that makes the short length completely beside the point.

Prichard complements the book's ambience wonderfully well with his narration and character portrayals. Very real feel of the mid-1930's in NE America.

I loved this whole book, so why only 4 stars for the story? Every once and a while a clue is introduced with the clear sense that the reader had already been acquainted with this information -- those came out of the blue periodically. Definitely not a major deterrent; more like small road bumps.

If you love a good mystery with Christie like sleuthing, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.

Michael Prichard is a perfect match for Archie.

Would you consider the audio edition of Fer-De-Lance to be better than the print version?

Yes. When I read Nero Wolfe stories, I hear Michael Prichard's voice. His delivery is far better than mine. It's not the same experience without him.

What other book might you compare Fer-De-Lance to and why?

The Nero Wolfe / Michael Prichard combination is in a class by itself. The only books I might compare this to are other titles in the series.

What about Michael Prichard’s performance did you like?

The pace and timing of his reading, the wonderful voices he creates for the characters, especially Wolfe, and the clear distinction he makes among the characters.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The American Watson and Holmes

Ignore audio quality issues - buy this book

This book was missing from Audible for some time, and having listened to it, I assume this was because of significant if intermittent audio quality issues, in particular words occasionally missing from the middle of a sentence. However, if this is the best version of this audio now available, this should not be a reason to exclude this selection. It’s the first book in the series as read by Michael Prichard, and as such it is irreplaceable in any condition. Get it. It is an amazing and entertaining listen, and I’m so glad it was made available again.

Too bad the tape glitches remain

I had all the Rex Stouts on cassett and loved them. I hate that I bought them again and did not get an improved experience. Instructions are still included to turn the tape over in Audible. Why?Tape skips and clicks are also present, as are the repeated sentences at side ends, too. Disappointing. The story and reader are still excellent.

Excellent mystery

It’s easy to see why new Nero Wolf became a popular mystery character. The story is very well written such that I find it difficult to stop listening too. Well the storyline is intriguing and entertaining, the clues are not so obscure that you can’t figure out parts of it as it goes along thus keeping the listeners mind fully engaged.

Great book, but pops and drops annoying

This is the first Nero Wolfe novel I have listened to and at first I found the narration off-putting. The narration seemed a little bland for the characters, but the more I listened, the more I enjoyed the narration. By the end, I was fully engaged. Of course the characters are unique, quirky, and fun. The story is interesting and the mystery is not stupid. This is the first Nero Wolfe novel and the characters are not quite as interesting as in later novels, but this was an excellent listen.

Unfortunately this recording has a number of pops, drops, and distortion, not too bad, but distracting and not up to the normal Audible quality.