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And Be a Villain
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Plot Summary of And Be a Villain
"   This is the first of three Nero Wolfe books that involve crime syndicate leader Arnold Zeck and his widespread operations. Zeck – Wolfe's Moriarty – telephones Wolfe to warn him off an investigation that Zeck believes will interfere with his crime syndicate. Each time, Wolfe refuses to cooperate, and anticipates that there will be consequences.

In this book, the publisher of a horse racing magazine dies of cyanide poisoning while appearing on a popular radio show.It appears that the poison was administered in a soda. The soda happens to be the major sponsor of the the show the death occurred on.

Wolfe manages to get himself hired to investigate, by a consortium consisting of the sponsors, the broadcasting company and the show itself. Wolfe pressures a fact out of a witness. This fact is unknown to the police. He turns the fact over to Lieutenant Cramer so as to enlist the assistance of his army of investigators.

"

yosef shapiro, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of And Be a Villain
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story: - 1930's-1950's
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - private investigator
Age: - 40's-50's
Eccentric/Mental: Yes
Eccentric: - eccentric
How much violence does he/she use? - a little
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Genius (really!)
Physique - quite fatty

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
United States Yes

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 1
Most similar books to And Be a Villain
The Case of the Horrified Heirs by Erle Stanley Gardner
Too Many Cooks by Rex Stout
A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie
Murder for Christmas by Agatha Christie
Southland by Nina Revoyr


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Rex Stout Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Yosef Shapiro  

SCHOLARS:
Beverly Handley  


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