- Case
- Help Wanted, Male
- Year Published
- 1949
- Case Introduction
- May 1944, while Wolfe and Archie were working for Army Intelligence. Somebody's sending death threats to everyone involved in the prosecution of Peter Root, including Wolfe himself.
- Notes
- Resolution
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Root's father sent the letters. Wolfe arranged the advertisement that provided the title of this story to lure Root into the open (yes, he's the guy Wolfe hired to play himself).
Characters in the case:
Fritz prepared Green-Tomato Jam, Blueberry Pie and Broiled Pork-Loin Wafers 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 calls on Carpenter to request a transfer overseas. He wants combat. Carpenter turns him down flat.
Character descriptionLieutenant General, U.S. Army, head of G-2 (intelligence). Wolfe and Archie reported to him during World War II.
Reserved notes for this case
Bodyguard hired to protect Ben Jensen. He and Jensen were murdered together.
Character descriptionAppears in Help Wanted, Male.
Worked for Cornwall and Mayer. Was Ben Jensen's body guard.
Reserved notes for this case
As Peter Root's ex-fiancee, and one who once accused Wolfe of framing Root, she is a suspect
Character descriptionEx-fiancee of Captain Peter Root. Has a lot of personality, is quick-witted, but can be a real spitfire.
Reserved notes for this caseIn the end, she rides off into the sunset with Major Emil Jensen
Trying to wangle a transfer to a combat assignment.
Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
Reserved notes for this case
Wolfe hires Hackett as a "double," to provide a decoy for the person who is trying to kill him.
Character descriptionAppears in Help Wanted, Male.
Is introduced by Wolfe to Archie as an out of work architect and a "nincompoop." Wolfe hires him to be his body double.
Reserved notes for this caseHackett turns out to be Thomas Root, the very person who wants to kill Wolfe, and who has killed Ben Jensen.
Receives a death threat. After Wolfe refuses to help him, he is murdered.
Character descriptionPublisher and politician, Archie does not like him. Neither does Wolfe.
Reserved notes for this case
Suspected by the police of killing his father, Ben Jensen, after a quarrel. Is always calm and reasonable.
Character descriptionMajor in the U.S. Army. A real hunk with a great personality and a rich baritone voice. Son of Ben Jensen, with whom he did not always see eye-to-eye.
Reserved notes for this caseLeaves at the end of the story with Jane Geer on his arm.
Wolfe, along with Ben Jensen, helped send Root to jail a few months earlier, for selling secrets. This appears to Wolfe to be connected with Jensen's murder. Wolfe has Root brought from prison to be interviewed.
Character descriptionAppears in Help Wanted, Male. He was sent to jail for offering "inside Army information" to Ben Jenson for "for political reasons."
Reserved notes for this case
All notes are spoiler notes.
Character descriptionAll notes are spoiler notes.
Reserved notes for this caseUsing the alias H. H. Hackett, he takes a job as a doorman and kills Ben Jensen and his bodyguard, Doyle. Then happens into a job in the brownstone as Wolfe's double. Is caught before he can kill Wolfe.
nero hires a man to take his place, to be killed. only to find out that the man he hired, wants to kill him.
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
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