And Be a Villain

A murder before a studio audience on a radio broadcast means a high-profile case and a $20,000 paycheck, both important to Nero Wolfe, who needs to boost his bank account quickly to pay for his luxurious living. Reading in Archie Goodwin's first-person voice, Michael Prichard gives the narration a touch of noir tone but keeps the emphasis on Rex Stout's witty dialogue as the wise-guy sidekick. His Nero Wolfe is suitably commanding as he belittles and deceives to get the truth from a gallery of dishonest suspects. Fans also will want to hear IN THE BEST FAMILIES, which resolves the battle with crime boss Arnold Zeck that is set up here. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine