This is Tecumseh Fox #2 (of 3).
(#1 is Double for Death, #3 is The Broken Vase.)
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:
- Amy Duncan, novice detective, niece of Arthur Tingley
- Arthur Tingley, head of Tingley's Titbits
- Philip Tingley, Arthur's adopted son
- Gwendolyn Yates
- Leonard Cliff, VP of P&B
- Dol Bonner, private detective
- Tecumseh Fox, private detective
- Nat Collins, expensive defense lawyer
- Inspector Damon
Locale: New York City
Synopsis: Amy Duncan, a novice detective, is having an on again/off again romance with Leonard Cliff, Vice President of Provisions and Beverages Corporation ("P&B"). There is a bit of conflict of interest, as P&B is trying to buy out Tingley's Titbits ("TT") , an appetizer maker headed by Amy's uncle Arthur Tingley. Amy had worked for TT prior to seeking a career as a detective.
Tingley's Titbits is having a crisis. Reports come in of adulterated product all over. The appetizers have been tainted with quinine water, which has no detrimental effect other than spoiling the taste. It is suspected the P&B may be behind this, in order to drive the value of the company down so they can purchase it cheaply.
In the middle of all that, Amy finds uncle Arthur Tingley stabbed to death in his office. She gets blood on her hand, and becomes the chief suspect due to her relationship with Cliff. The other big suspect is Arthur's adopted son, Philip Tingley. Philip has neither head nor heart for the business, preferring to work for a bohemian outfit called Womon (Work-Money) which promotes a revolutionary new money standard based upon labor, rather than gold.
Review: It is fun to read a story set in Nero Wolfe's version of New York, but without Wolfe and Archie. We see Rusterman's restaurant and learn they have a bar, Lieutenant Rowcliff, and even a mention of "Vollmer Aircraft" (remember Doc Vollmer?)
Tingley's Titbits is the perfect setting, in a dark, four story building which has been converted into a factory; having a maze of corridors and partitions, and cheap management that won't even put wall switches in for the pull-string lighting over the stairs. The atmosphere is perfect for this story.
Amy Duncan doesn't quite have the stomach for being a P.I. but she gives it a try.
This story has a small cast and despite Stout's attempts to make me think a certain person was the murderer, I was wrong. So chalk this up as a great non-Wolfe Stout.
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