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Reader Reviews 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: Three Tales of Death and Deduction, July 10, 2002 Reviewer: George R. (Bob) Dekle, Sr. from Lake City, FL USA Nero Wolfe may be enjoyed through the media of print, audio, and video--in print courtesy of Bantam Books; on audio courtesy of Durkin Hayes, Radio Spirits, and Books on Tape; and on video courtesy of A&E Network. It's hard to say which way gives the most pleasure. As much as I like the A&E shows, and as much as I like Durkin Hayes' editions of the CBC radio shows, I think the best way to enjoy Nero Wolfe is in print. And the best way to enjoy him in print is in Rex Stout's novelettes. The novels are good, but the novelettes are tauter, faster-paced, and funnier. "Three Witnesses" serves up three very good novelettes. In "The Next Witness" Wolfe sits uncomfortably in a crowded courtroom, under subpoena, and waiting to give truthful testimony which he expects will materially contribute to the conviction for murder of an innocent man. What to do, what to do? Flee the courtroom, dodge the arrest warrant issued for contempt of court, and bring the real murderer to justice before the judge can bang his gavel down on a sentence of imprisonment for contempt. That sounds easy enough, doesn't it? In "When a Man Murders", a millionaire returns from the dead to retrieve the fortune which was divided among his heirs and reclaim the "widow" who has entered into a much happier second marriage. The "widow" comes to Wolfe for his assistance in obtaining a divorce from her recently resurrected spouse. Not to worry, he almost immediately dies again, but the widow's new husband is arrested for murder. Wolfe must penetrate a web of lies to determine who among the heirs had the most to gain from the millionaire's second death. In "Die Like a Dog" an improbable chain of coincidences brings Nero Wolfe together with Nero the Labrador Retriever. Together they unravel a murder mystery, reunite a couple, and retrieve Archie Goodwin's raincoat. "Die Like a Dog" and "The Next Witness" have both been televised on the A&E series.
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