Character descriptionDistrict Attorney of Westchester County. Archie says, " . . . he wasn't a bad guy."

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Character descriptionMaster chef in Wolfe's kitchen, has a small apartment in the basement. (In "Fer-De-Lance," his apartment is across from the plant room, not in the basement.) Swiss; native French speaker, served in WWI. Uninterested in murder, except whether a client is in the offing; gets anxious about household finance when Wolfe isn't working. Doesn't like to talk while cooking. Changes to his old slippers at 9 pm because of "things left on his feet by the war to remember it by". Implied he was a member of the Swiss Alpine Patrol during WWI.

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Character descriptionSecond in line behind Saul Panzer when Nero and Archie need extra manpower.

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Character descriptionLocal tough.

Reserved notes for this caseMember of Zeck's organization -- probably a C.

Character descriptionInspector with NYPD, Homicide. Has tolerate / hate relationship with Wolfe. He respects Wolfe, but is greatly irritated by his eccentricities. Habitually chews (but rarely lights) cigars. Notably, Cramer lights a cigar in Wolfe's office during "Instead of Evidence" in which the murder weapon is an exploding cigar! First name is given as Fergus one time, but generally accepted as Lionel. Had a son in the Army Air Corps during WWII. Archie has called Mrs. Cramer on the phone more than once to reach the Inspector at home. Archie's favorite alias for him is "the man about the chair" or "any name with a double "d", e.g., Mr. Judd". At no time is Inspector Cramer ever referred to in the books as "Lionel T." Cramer; his first name is given as "Fergus" in "Where There's a Will." There is a lone later reference to him as L.T.C. (The Silent Speaker), but never Lionel. Stout's biographer, John McAleer, asked Stout to explain the "Fergus"/"L.T.C" discrepancy; Stout replied: "No significance. Laziness. I didn't bother to check on whether he already had a first name. Of course, all discrepancies in the Nero Wolfe stories are Archie Goodwin's fault." (from "Royal Decree; Conversations with Rex Stout) He is featured in a book by Stout called Red Threads, first published 1939, tracking down a killer with a young fashion designer. There is no reference to Nero Wolfe.

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Character descriptionSecretary to Sarah Rackham.

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Character descriptionHired hand used by Wolfe and Archie when extra manpower is needed. Not the best, but can tail better than anybody but Saul. The favorite "irregular" after Saul - Fritz: "I'm glad it's Orrie instead of Saul or Fred"; Archie: "Such a chore for Saul or Fred of course, but I didn't like doing it for Orrie."; Mr Wolfe: "He doesn't have the dignity of a man who has found his place and occupies it, as you have, Fred." Bald, burly, 5'10, 190 lbs; moves like a bear. Married with four children. Archie: "You can trust him to hell and back."

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Character descriptionHead of the Westchester county detectives. Archie describes Dykes as, ". . . neither friend nor enemy. Most of the enforcers of the law, both in and out of uniform, in the suburban districs, have got an inferiority complex about the New York detectives, either public or private, but Dykes was an exception. He had been a Westchester private eye for more than twenty years, and all he cared about was doing his work well enough to hang onto his job, steering clear of mudholes, and staying as honest as he could."

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Character descriptionBeautiful daughter-in-law of Sarah Rackham. Widow -- husband Matthew Cartwright died in WWII.

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Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.

Reserved notes for this caseAsks Lily Rowan for help in Wolfe's project. Works with Wolfe to set up Zeck. In the climactic showdown with Zeck, Archie tackles him and ties him with cord. Goodwin sets a gun within reach of Barry Rackham who uses it to kill Zeck.

Character descriptionVice president of big New York bank Metropolitan Trust Company.

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Character descriptionOlder man. Wolfe's orchid nurse. Lives in small cubbyhole on the roof with the plants. First mentioned in ch. 3 of "Fer-de-lance" - Archie sometimes hears him shouting at Wolfe in the mornings.

Reserved notes for this caseSent, with the orchids, to Lewis Hewitt's for the duration. Spilled the beans to Cramer.

Character descriptionDog breeder at Hillside Kennels. Cousin of wealthy Sarah Rackham, and accompanies her when she meets with Wolfe.

Reserved notes for this caseMurdered Sarah Rackham. Killed dog he raised in order to get away with it. Wolfe exposes Leeds in the office after Zeck is handled.

Character descriptionSecretary at Naylor-Kerr, Inc.

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Character descriptionLieutenant in the New York State Police. Unfriendly. Archie says of Noonan, ". . . He was fitted out at birth for a career as a guard at a slave-labor camp . . ."

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Character descriptionTop hired hand Nero and Archie look to for manpower. Hosts regular Thursday night poker game at eight pm at his apartment in Brooklyn. Rust-colored hair, 5'7, 145 lbs, big nose and flat ears. In the "Rubber Band" (ch. 6) Archie tells us that Panzer has a photographic memory when it comes to faces.

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Character descriptionStatesman -- state assemblyman. gay

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Character descriptionMarried to wealthy Sarah Rackham, ten years his senior. Played football at Yale, worked on Wall Street until the war, became a major, and married in 1946.

Reserved notes for this caseInherits much money when wife Sarah Rackham dies and is a suspect in her stabbing. He is not guilty of her murder -- but guilty of another. Rackham killed a woman named Delia Montrose in New York three years before; Zeck got a hold on Rackham when he threatened to expose him, and brought Rackham into the Zeck organization as an illegal gambling liaison to the wealthy. When Wolfe (Roeder) and Goodwin give him the opportunity, Rackham shoots Zeck to death in his fortress.

Character descriptionWealthy, neurotic wife of Barry Rackham; sensitive about her unattractive appearance.

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Character descriptionGangster recently moved to New York from the West Coast.

Reserved notes for this caseIt will never be settled whether or not Archie recognizes that Pete Roeder is Nero Wolfe -- who has lost 117 pounds and looks like a 16th century prince of Savoy named Philbert. Wolfe insists Archie never had an inkling.

Character descriptionAttractive blonde. Daughter of millionaire sewer man James Rowan, owns the Bar JR ranch in Montana.

Reserved notes for this caseQuickly deduces that Roeder is Nero Wolfe. Enjoys the distinction of being the only woman in New York to have necked with Nero Wolfe ("He has a flair"). Travels to Norway with Archie once the case is concluded.

Character description"He was one of only two men whom Wolfe will call by their first names, apart from employees," Archie relates as he introduces Marko in "Too Many Cooks." A boyhood friend from Montenegro, Marko is welcome to address Wolfe by his first name, and he dines monthly at Wolfe's house. One of the Fifteen Masters, Marko is the great chef of Rusterman's restaurant in New York -- one of the few places Wolfe will dine away from home.

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Character descriptionMaster detective. Genius. Estimated weight: 1/7 ton. Carries a large platinum watch in his vest pocket. Sends a check every month to his mother in Budapest ("Fer-de-lance, ch. 13)..

Reserved notes for this caseGoes to Texas to establish his disguise. Uses debt owed by non-reputable man of prominence in Los Angeles to enter criminal underworld. Wolfe (now alias Pete Roeder) establishes a good reference in LA, and goes to New York to infiltrate Zeck's organization. Becomes a D (I.e. a top level lieutenant close to Zeck). Makes cotact with Archie to help with a plan to have Zeck killed.

Character descriptionCriminal mastermind. Wolfe's arch nemesis. First made himself known to Wolfe in June 1943.

Reserved notes for this caseWolfe vanishes from the brownstone, and out of the story, for a period of several months. He spent this time losing a lot of weight and growing a beard so as to be unrecognizable to Zeck upon his return. Wolfe traveled to California, where he designed and implemented an illegal scheme to catch Zeck's attention, and become one of the mastermind's inner circle. Killed by Barry Rackham as planned by Wolfe and Goodwin.