In this double helping of classic Nero Wolfe mysteries, Stout presents the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth and his trusty man-about-town, Archie Goodwin, with a pair of delectable murders that no connoisseur of the whodunit could possibly resist.BLACK ORCHIDS Not much can get Wolfe to leave his comfortable brownstone, but the showing of a rare black orchid lures him to a flower show. Unfortunately, the much-anticipated event is soon overshadowed by a murder as daring as it is sudden. It's a case of weeding out a cunning killer who can turn up anywhere--and Wolfe must do it quickly. Because a second case awaits his urgent attention: a society widow on a mailing list of poison-pen letters leading to a plot as dark as any orchid Wolfe has ever encountered.THE SILENT SPEAKERWhen a government power broker scheduled to speak before an influential group of millionaires turns up dead, Nero Wolfe grudgingly takes the case--even as his own financial affairs teeter toward ruin. Soon a second victim is discovered, a missing stenographer's tape causes a panic, and a dead man speaks, after a fashion. As the business world demands answers, the great detective baits a trap to net a killer worth his weight in gold.

    Anthology of detective and/or crime short stories.

    But when Inspector Herschman calls on Spike for assistance in discovering the murder of Lina Lee, secretary at the Penton Press, that is exactly what happens. But which of the many tangled love affairs uncovered by Spike in the course of his investigation, will provide the key to the murder? And what is the significance of the purple onion discovered so incongruously in the dead woman's bedroom? Originally published in 1941, this is the last in Harriette Ashbrook's series of murder mysteries featuring Spike Tracy.

    For the past five years, Emily Case has lived in Italy as companion to a wealthy aristocrat. She tells Sarah an incredible tale of being entrusted with a package by a stranger dying of a stab wound. Soon afterward, on the train to London, Sarah discovers the selfsame package in her own handbag. The next day, she learns Emily has been murdered.   The police are asking all potential witnesses to come forward, but Sarah is afraid to lose her position as secretary to the president of the New Psychical Society. Then she makes an alarming discovery. Forced to rely on a seductive stranger she isn’t sure she can trust, Sarah must outwit someone who will do anything to retrieve the contents of the mysterious package . . . someone who has killed before and won’t hesitate to strike again.   Beloved crime writer Patricia Wentworth layers romance, adventure, and gothic intrigue in this exciting thriller.

    

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    Anne Horton's cousin is murdered on a foggy night following a dinner party.