From a cover blurb: As any herpetologist will tell you, the fer-de-lance is among the most dreaded snakes known to man. When someone makes a present of one to Nero Wolfe, Archie Goodwin knows he's getting dreadully close to solving the devilishly clever murders of an immigrant and a college president. As for Wolfe, he's playing snake charmer in a case with more twists than an anaconda -- whistling a seductive tune he hopes will catch a killer who's still got poison in his heart. This is the very first Nero Wolfe novel that Rex Stout published. You can see the hallmarks of Wolfe's world already, Archie Goodwin, beer, food and clever villains.
Adaptations (1)
Fer-de-Lance was adapted into a 1936 film.
Meet Nero Wolfe1936 · film · 73 min · dir. Herbert J. Biberman · IMDb ↗IMDb6.1Rex Stout's portly detective prides himself on solving crimes without venturing outside his comfortable home; here he relies on others to do the legwork in pinpointing who among a number of suspects is responsible for two sudden deaths, which the authorities at first are not convinced were murders.
