Three Men Out

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Three Men Out
Author Rex Stout
Cover artist Bill English
Country United States
Language English
Series Nero Wolfe
Genre(s) Detective fiction
Publisher Viking Press
Publication date March 26, 1954
Media type Print (Hardcover)
Pages 181 pp. (first edition)
ISBN NA
Preceded by The Golden Spiders
Followed by The Black Mountain

Three Men Out is a collection of Nero Wolfe mystery novellas by Rex Stout, published by the Viking Press in 1954. The book comprises three stories that first appeared in The American Magazine:

  • "Invitation to Murder" (August 1953, as "Will to Murder")
  • "The Zero Clue" (December 1953, as "Scared to Death")
  • "This Won't Kill You" (September 1952, as "This Will Kill You")

Contents

[edit] Invitation to Murder

A client hires Archie to assess the matrimonial intentions of his wealthy invalid brother-in-law. When Archie finds the client dead, he tricks Wolfe into leaving the brownstone and identifying the killer before the police are called in.

[edit] The Zero Clue

Leo Heller, a probability expert who has parlayed his math skills into celebrity, tries to consult Wolfe after he calculates that one of his clients has committed a serious crime. Wolfe refuses the case, but Archie — "who is subordinate only when it suits his temperament and convenience," Wolfe later complains — agrees to explore on his own.

[edit] This Won't Kill You

Nero Wolfe honors a guest's request by taking him to a World Series game at the Polo Grounds. After the Giants are trounced by the Red Sox, members of the team are found to have been drugged — and a body is discovered in the locker room. Wolfe solves the crime without leaving the ball park.

[edit] Release details

  • 1997, USA, Books on Tape, Inc. ISBN 0736637494 July 21, 1997, audio cassette (unabridged, read by Michael Prichard)
  • 1991, USA, Bantam Crimeline ISBN 0553245473 June 1, 1991, paperback