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The Final Deduction by Rex Stout
Reader Reviews 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: Only 'final' for this particular case, October 27, 2002 Reviewer: M. L. Worley from Kingdom of the Mouse, United States Althea Vail, an actress who left the stage to become the trophy wife of millionaire Harold Tedder, was in time left a widow with 2 grown children. A few years ago, she acquired a trophy husband of her own - ex-standup comic Jimmy Vail. When Archie recognizes her on Wolfe's doorstep, he assumes that she's about to try to hire them for divorce evidence, and settles down to watch Wolfe throw her out. Instead, they learn that Jimmy Vail has been kidnapped, and that Althea is prepared to pay the half-million ransom demanded as the price of his return. But to hedge her bets, she wants Wolfe in reserve, to avenge Jimmy if payment doesn't bring him back alive. Wolfe and Archie aren't to investigate unless Vail is harmed, and he does return home safely - only to be found dead shortly thereafter, crushed by a fallen statue of Benjamin Franklin. A tragic accident, coupled with the murder of Mrs. Vail's secretary...and Mrs. Vail's grown son and daughter aren't interested in hiring Wolfe to investigate it, but rather to recover the ransom money, since their mother will let whichever sibling finds it first *keep* it. For once, the female characters aren't particularly sympathetic; Archie sympathizes with the son's desire to develop a spine, and can't abide the arrogant foolishness of the daughter. Saul, Fred, and Orrie are brought into play, keeping tabs on various suspects - not to expose a killer, technically - but given the fishy circumstances of the kidnapping, and of the secretary's death, they'll end up solving the murder to find the money. For another not-a-murder-investigation story (but with a wider playing field and more fun), see _Before Midnight_, where Wolfe's goal was to help salvage a contest - where the man bearing the answer sheet had been murdered, putting Wolfe squarely in Inspector Cramer's path. :) --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition
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