- Case
- Murder is no Joke
- Year Published
- 1958
- Case Introduction
- 1957 (see also "Frame-Up for Murder"). Flora Gallant seeks to hire Wolfe to investigate Bianca Voss and remove whatever hold she has on Alec Gallant, Flora's brother. Soon afterward, Bianca is found murdered in dramatic circumstances.
- Notes
- Resolution
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Bianca was still legally married to Gallant, so he couldn't marry Emmy Thorne. Emmy killed Bianca, then killed Sarah, who could connect her to the first murder.
Characters in the case:
Answers the phone when Flora calls from Wolfe's office.
Character descriptionGallant House switchboard operator.
Reserved notes for this case
Prepared Corned-beef hash with mushroom, chicken livers, white wine and grated cheese during this case.
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.
Reserved notes for this case
Archie learns more from his questioning than he does, and isn't impressed by his brainpower.
Character descriptionAssistant District Attorney
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned; Alec Gallant physically resembles him.
Character descriptionEnglish poet.
Reserved notes for this case
After reading the papers without seeing an ID on John H. Watson, Archie was tempted to call Lon with an exclusive.
Character descriptionReporter at the Gazette. Dark skin, dark brown eyes. Neat little face, slick black hair. Neatest (card) shuffler Archie knows.
Reserved notes for this case
Investigated Bianca Voss murder.
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.
Reserved notes for this case
Fielding visitors on the day Archie visited Alec Gallant Inc.
Character descriptionBusiness manager for Alec Gallant Incorporated.
Reserved notes for this case
Owns and operates Gallant design house on 54th St. Defies the fashions of Paris and Rome, and gets away with it.
Character descriptionFashion House owner, showroom on East 54th Street. One of the top three fashion designers in the world.
Reserved notes for this caseBeing blackmailed by Bianca Voss because he is still married to her and he killed her brothers after the war because they were traitors.
Hires Wolfe to find out what hold Bianca Voss has on her brother, Alec Gallant. Knowing her background, Archie found her getup during her first appearance at the brownstone something of a letdown, especially since she was dumpy and middle-aged.
Character descriptionStaff member at Gallant House. Sister to Alec Gallant.
Reserved notes for this caseShe is a good friend of Sarah Yare and has her impersonate Bianca Voss on the telephone to Wolfe to insult him so that he will take the case.
Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
Reserved notes for this case
Postponed flying over from London for fittings, so Gallant refused to finish her dresses.
Character descriptionGallant customer.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned. A Gallant customer, who (upon request) provided some background for Archie.
Character descriptionAttractive blonde. Daughter of millionaire sewer man James Rowan, owns the Bar JR ranch in Montana.
Reserved notes for this case
Assisted Inspector Cramer during Bianca Voss murder investigation. Archie runs into him unexpectedly at Alec Gallant Inc.
Character descriptionInitially an employee in N.Y. D.A.'s office. Later Cramer's man.
Detective (sergeant). Unfriendly.
Reserved notes for this case
Current love interest of Alec Gallant. Apparently approved of by Flora.
Character descriptionGallant House contacts & promotion.
Reserved notes for this caseMurdered both Bianca Voss and Sarah Yare. She persuaded Sarah Yare to pretend like she was being attacked while on the phone with Wolfe. She killed Sarah because she could implicate her in Bianca Voss's murder.
Showed up at Alec Gallant's place of business a year earlier and obviously had a hold on him. Murder victim.
Character descriptionHas an office at Gallant House and influence over Alec Gallant, but no official position in the business.
Reserved notes for this caseMet Gallant when they were both in the Resistance; he left her upon finding out that she was a traitor, but didn't divorce her. She blackmailed him, having evidence that he killed her brothers after the war, who were also traitors.
Archie used this alias when phoning the Gallant Company.
Character descriptionPartner to Sherlock Holmes.
Reserved notes for this case
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 case
Alcoholic has-been actress and murder victim who was down on her luck. Archie had previously seen her in the play Thumb a Ride and had been attracted.
Character descriptionActress. After quitting the play Thumb a Ride, the rumor was that she had become an alcoholic.
Reserved notes for this caseGallant customer for 2 years before her death and was a good friend of Flora Gallant. Flora had her impersonate Bianca Voss on the phone with Wolfe to insult him so that he would take the case. Emmy Thorne had her add the part about being attacked without Flora's knowledge.
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