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)

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.

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.

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.

Skips throughout

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

Great Story, Love the Nero Wolfe Series

Great Story, Love the Nero Wolfe Series

Could have edited the old cassette instructions out .

poor technical

For a book recorded so recently it has static and deleted words throughout. Despite this it is well performed and a good story.

good read

good read, good pace. enjoyed the character development. will definitely read another Nero Wolfe novel.

This is the first book in the series

This was written before tv; however it is like a television pilot. It is close to other books in the series but isn’t fully developed. Tropes which become standard in future books aren’t developed here. Additionally the book is somewhat like a snapshot of the time in which it was written. It demonstrates the values of its age which are occasionally jarring to modern sensibilities. However, despite that it’s definitely worth a read. It’s not my favorite in the series but if you have listened to all of them it’s definitely worth a listen. Additionally, Michael Pritchard is the perfect reader for this series. He makes the words live. His performance alone is worth the price of the books in this series.

Good start for Nero Wolfe

I have decided to start back through this fantastic series, with Prichard's great reads. This first Nero Wilfe novel has a somewhat different feel, as Stout had not established as thoroughly his feel for Nero.

A very interesting mystery, showing off Wolfe's almost psychic abilities to smell out something that no one else notices. Some good characters. Pacing felt a bit off, especially at the end, but not enough to detract from a fine story.

The First

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes

Which character – as performed by Michael Prichard – was your favorite?

Michael Pritchard's voicing is wonderful, and he does Archie Justice.

Any additional comments?

This was a wonderful first entry into the series. The characters were well developed making you want to learn more about them. The narration was Wonderful. Some minor Technical glitches. Overall will listen to it again and again.