The Red Box by Rex Stout (1936)

 

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About the author: Rex Stout (1886 – 1975) was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. His best-known characters are the detective Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin, who were featured in 33 novels and 39 novellas between 1934 and 1975. (wikipedia). (bibliography)

Major characters:

• Miss Molly Lauck, poisoned prior to story.  Model at Boyden McNair Inc (BMN)
• Llewellyn Frost, theatrical producer, Wolfe's client
• Dudley Frost, Llewellyn's father
• Mrs Edwin (Calida) Frost, Llewellyn's Aunt Callie
• Miss Helen Frost, Calida's daughter, Llewellyn's cousin, model at BMN, "the sylph"
• Miss Thelma Mitchell, model at BMN, "the blonde"
• Boyden McNair, president of BMN
• Mrs. Lamont, assistant at BMN
• Perren Gebert, a hanger on with no visible means of support

Locale: New York City

Synopsis: This is a story of two boxes. Box #1 (brown) is a candy box which contained poisoned chocolates, and caused the death of Molly Lauck prior to the beginning of the story. Box #2 (red) is Boyden McNair's, head of a fashion design company which employed Molly Lauck as a model.

Theatrical producer Llewellyn Frost hires Nero Wolfe on a two-part job: find out who poisoned Molly Lauck, and convince his cousin, Helen Frost, to leave their employ. Boyden McNair had taken a special liking to Helen, and treated her as a daughter.

Wolfe interviews Boyden McNair. McNair suddenly leaves the topic of Molly Lauck to state, to Wolfe's surprise, that he has made a will and it names Wolfe executor of his estate. He is lalso eaving him his red box. He is about to tell where the red box is, pauses to take aspirin for his headache, and falls dead - poison victim #2, and right before Wolfe's eyes no less.

From McNair's description of the red box, it appears it contains the solution to the killings; but the red box cannot be found - even by Wolfe's operatives. Inspector Cramer wants the box also, but Wolfe is adamant that it became his property upon the death of McNair. The race is on to find the box.

Review:

This is an early Wolfe (#4) and he is a kindler, gentler sort than in later stories; and is even talked into leaving his house on business. He even cooperates courteously with Inspector Cramer.

It was not clear to me:

1. Why Llewellyn wanted to find Molly's killer in the first place - why did he care?
2. Why is Llewellyn in tight with Boyden McNair Inc., as he was a theatrical producer and didn't work there, but always seemed to be hanging around there despite all the disdain he showed for the place, calling it a "hellhole"?

I enjoyed the story, and the search for the red box kept the excitement up until the end, since no one knew where it was or what was in it. Wolfe's little trick with the box was an effective surprise. The ultimate event that followed the opening of the box was very similar to endings in the Philo Vance /  S. S. Van Dine stories which were being written during the same time period. 

Also see this review by Bev Hankins on My Reader's Block.