Too Many Cooks (Nero Wolfe #5) by Rex Stout

The fifth novel in the Nero Wolfe series finds Wolfe and his secretary/chauffer Archie Goodwin on a rare trip away from the brownstone on West 35th Street in New York City. Beyond his detective work, Wolfe is also something of a foodie. Given his girth and exuberance for eating, this is not surprising. Here, his culinary know-how earns him an invitation to a gathering of fifteen of the world’s most famous chefs. And of course, there will be a murder. This time, it’s one of the attendees, an irascible man who is literally stabbed in the back, likely by one of his peers. 

A side note: The story is set in 1938, a time of less-than-palatable racism. It can be an uncomfortable reading experience from today’s perspective, but readers must recognize the times for what they were. I’ve heard more than once that these novels, in general, are racist but I think it’s important to differentiate an accurate depiction of the era from purposeful prejudicial writing. In fact, the author, Rex Stout works to demonstrate how wrong these prejudices truly are, as evidenced by this comment from Nero Wolfe:

    “The ideal human agreement is one in which distinctions of race and color and religion are totally disregarded; anyone helping to preserve those distinctions is postponing that ideal…"

I’ve been wanting to read more of this series ever since I read book number one, Fer-de-Lance. I thought that one was OK but felt it was probably not the best of what the series had to offer. I searched through various top-10 lists and found that this one, Too Many Cooks was listed on every single one. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has made me a fan of Nero Wolfe, Archie Goodwin, and of course Rex Stout. The mystery elements were excellent, as expected, and those who enjoy brilliant detectives should like it too. Happily, there is a nice amount of humor sprinkled throughout, as well.

And so, another lengthy series has been added to my ever-growing TBR list… Sigh.