The doorbell rang by Rex Stout

That was fun :lol: I really liked it. I was surprised, actually. I've never read anything written by Stout, this is my first, my introduction both to Stout and Wolfe, and I loved it, it was fun. It's set in New York, Wolfe lives and works at West Thirty-fifth street with his partner Archie and Fritz the fabulous cook. It starts like the stereotype of any old black&white detective fiction: Wolfe's office, a rich woman in a fur coat has come to hire him. Mrs Bruner, a widow, says that after reading the book "the Fbi nobody knows" was so impressed that bought 10.000 copies and sent them to anybody important in politics, police and newspapers. Since the book was not very nice towards the Fbi, they did not like this, and are now controlling her and her family. They are all being followed, and she doesn't like this form of harassement, and wants this illegal behaviour to stop. Wolfe can't refuse when she gives him a check for 100.000 in advance, all expenses to be added at case closed... I mean, wow, am I right? That's a lot of money now, I guess in 1965 when it was written was even more!!
The story is told by Archie Goodwin, private detective working with Nero Wolfe, or for Wolfe, that's not too clear :-)
Archie doesn't want to go against the powerful Fbi, but Wolfe can't accept to back down for fear, and also wants the money because 100.000$ in January mean he'll be able to work less the rest of the year, so he accepts the case. Apparently Wolfe doesn't like to work. It seems like he only loves orchids and good food! Anyway, it's actually Archie doing all the work because Wolfe never gets out of the office. It seems an impossible case, but some help comes from Homocide Detective Cramer. Now, I didn't know it, I had this book in the house bought before I was born, but it's actually one of the last Wolfe books, so I'm supposed to know everyone. I don't, but it clearly looks like the relationship between Cramer and Goodwin/Wolfe is not a friendly one, because Archie is shocked from his help, and even more shocked when he saw that Cramer has bought a bottle of milk just for him! Apparently he likes to drink milk, and he doesn't smoke : to hell the stereotype at this point...
Anyway, Cramer tells him that the Fbi has asked for their licenses to be revoked, but he won't allow it because he suspects the Fbi to be involved in the murder of journalist Morris Althaus. Now they have a good point to start with. What they want is some leverage to force the Fbi to accept their conditions.
They investigate Althaus' murder, well, Archie does, and he finds the identity of the true murderer: his girlfriend and also Mrs Bruner's assistant Miss Sarah Dacos. Planning accurately a trap, with the help of two actors that will gain 2.000$ each, he makes it look like the two of them are going out to Lewis Lewitt for a big dinner among other eating-experts, the ten perfectionists or something like that. The Fbi falls for it, and two agents come inside uninvited, and even if they do a good, clean job, for the police that would still be breaking and entering, so when Wolfe catches them, with the help of Archie and other collaborators Saul Panzer, Fred Durking and Orrie Cather, each of them with a gun in hand, they can do nothing but show their credentials and allow Wolfe to take them. Wolfe keeps them in order to force their boss Wragg to deal with him. The deal is : although Wolfe will not return his men's credentials (obviously), he gives his word that he won't press charges for their intrusion in his house, and will also prove that the Fbi had nothing to do with Althous' death. Wragg must stop surveillance on Mrs Bruner and her family, as well as on Wolfe and Goodwin themselves. Mrs Bruner is hearing everything in the next room. Case closed with satisfaction. Archie tells Cramer about Miss Dacos and she'll be arrested. The book ends with Wolfe and Archie discussing what expenses to include in the bill for Mrs Bruner when there's a doorbell. Archie says it's the biggest fish of all, seen in so many pictures before, but never met. They have nothing to tell him, so they don't even answer. The doorbell rang... that's the last line :-)
Well, it's not said who that is, but it's quite easy, I'd say. The biggest of all, and since it can not be the President because I guess no self-respecting American would ever ignore and insult his president like that, it must therefore be "the biggest in the Fbi", J. Edgar Hoover.
I read on the internet that "the Fbi nobody knows" was a real book and Stout took inspiration too choose the Bureau as Wolfe's opponent.
I liked this book a lot, it was fun as I said, and Archie is very charming and funny. I didn't know about him. Only Nero Wolfe's name is famous, but Archie does all the work. Wolfe thought of the trap, Archie thought of Sarah Dacos. They're both good detectives, although with very different styles. Wolfe is always grumpy, very rarely leaves his home, likes to discuss recipes with Fritz and he spends two hours a day with his orchids. Archie is sarcastic but sociable, likes to be active, drinks milk instead of smoking and is quite charming. I love the fact that when annoyed Wolfe threatens people with "Mr Goodwin will kick you out" and it's not an empty threat at all, sometimes he says that and Archie gets hold of the misfortunate and kicks him out. Wow, I guess Archie is also big enough and quite strong...
I liked Mrs Bruner too, specially when she said "I'm touched", but the fact that Archie is so charming and sarcastic is the winning point of the book.