Over My Dead Body: Rex Stout

Over My Dead Body is the 7th book in the Nero Wolfe series, published in 1940 in book format. Nero Wolfe is a genius, a lover of orchids and fine food, who supports himself (and his household) as a private detective. Archie Goodwin, the narrator of the stories, is both his assistant and a private investigator, and he does most of the legwork. They live in a New York brownstone and share the house with Theodore, the plant expert, and Felix, Wolfe's cook.

Many (but not all) of the Nero Wolfe mysteries follow a formula, although the outcome is never predictable. The formula is this (in very simple terms): there is a new case which often starts with a lesser crime or problem: theft, or a missing person, or just a search for some information. A murder occurs. The case gets more complicated, Archie detects under the direction of Wolfe. Often the police get involved and resent Wolfe's interference. In the end, they are all called together in Wolfe's office and the culprit is revealed.

Over My Dead Body is unusual in the Nero Wolfe series because it centers on a woman who claims to be Nero Wolfe's long-lost adopted daughter. The story was published after the war in Europe had started but the U.S. was not yet involved and it involves international intrigue. And in this book we get a peek at some of Wolfe's background and his activities in Montenegro when he was a young man.

A young woman from Montenegro, Carla Lovchen, comes to Wolfe's house asking for his help. She and a friend are living in the US and work in a studio teaching fencing and dancing. Recently the friend has been accused of stealing diamonds from one of the clients. Wolfe refuses to take the case and Carla leaves, but Archie and Wolfe get another visit later that morning from an FBI agent, who asks if Wolfe is an agent for foreign nationals. Carla returns in the afternoon, announces that the friend accused of theft, Neya Tormic, is Wolfe's adopted daughter, and insists that Wolfe represent her in the matter of the theft. Wolfe sends Archie to the dance / fencing studio to check the situation out. There is a murder at the studio while he is there and it is possible that Neya could have committed the crime.

Wolfe is not convinced that the young woman is actually his adopted daughter. Yet he feels a responsibility to come to her aid until he can resolve the truth of her claims.

This is just the basis for the story, and it gets more complex as it goes along. It is most interesting for the puzzle of whether Wolfe's adopted daughter is still alive and if this woman is actually who she claims to be. What is the international intrigue that is actually going on?

When I come back to each Nero Wolfe story for a re-read, it is not the overall story that I remember but special set pieces in the book that stood out for me. In this case, there are at least two scenes that I remember very fondly.  One is a very brief scene where Archie escapes from the dance studio by going through a couple of courtyards, over a tall fence, and through a restaurant, ostensibly looking for his missing cat. Later, there is a clever ploy where Archie has Carla masquerade as a bellboy to escape the police who are looking for her... so that his boss can talk with her first.

This is not one of the top mysteries in the Nero Wolfe series, in my opinion, but I found many things to like about it. As usual.

I love the Avon paperback cover with the lovely unclothed lady, but I don't know exactly how the illustration fits into the story. And I am glad I had another edition to read, because the print was tiny and faded.

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Publisher:  Pyramid Books, 1964. Orig. pub. 1940.
Length:     191 pages
Format:     Paperback
Series:      Nero Wolfe, #7
Setting:     New York City
Genre:       Mystery
Source:     I purchased my copies.