Too Many Cooks by Rex Stout
Review by Matt B. (BuffaloSavage)
Consulting detective Nero Wolfe must leave his beloved brownstone in New York City in order to deliver the keynote address at a meeting of master chefs. One of masters has a sausage recipe that Nero has been seeking for decades so this allure tempts him to the Kanawha Spa resort in Marlin County, West Virginia. A wicked chef who steals recipes, jobs and wives ends up the murder victim, presenting us with a virtual locked room mystery. Nero investigates .
One stand out scene is when Nero speaks to a group of black cooks and waiters. To persuade them to open up, he delivers Stout’s enlightened (for the late 1930s) views on social justice. He is so effective that he persuades a college student to speak up and tell what he witnessed in the murder room – a white man in blackface due to burnt cork.
This was the fifth novel in the series. To my mind, it shows that after the first 3, which were very long in the golden age tradition, Stout was starting to tighten up his plotting. His sentences are still lengthy, with copious phrases and clauses. Stout did like hard words too, such as “coquine” instead of “naughty” or “sassy.” Taking Nero out of the brownstone, of course, lends itself to ‘fish out of water’ situations.
Highly recommended despite the time-bound attitudes.
Keep those great reviews coming, Matt! Thank you !