Character descriptionWriter.

Reserved notes for this caseArchie found Santa Claus' gloves left with 'Here and Now' in his room as a message.

Character descriptionInterior designer, who can talk baseball with Archie and archeology with Wolfe.

Reserved notes for this caseMurdered via poison placed in the bottle of Pernod kept in his office for personal use.

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

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

Reserved notes for this case

Character descriptionOne of the good guys.

Reserved notes for this caseNero Wolfe in a Santa suit; he attends the party in this guise to learn firsthand about Archie's relationship with a woman

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

Character descriptionBottweill contact woman. A very good dancer.

Reserved notes for this caseMurdered Bottweill, who (after stringing her along with promises for a year) had become engaged to Cherry Quon.

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."

Reserved notes for this case

Character descriptionAssistant District Attorney.

Reserved notes for this case

Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.

Reserved notes for this caseThe license is a forgery, arranged as a favor to Margot to help pressure Bottweil into following through on his promises of marriage. Archie never intended to show it to Wolfe, until Wolfe got uppity.

Character descriptionUsed periodically by Nero Wolfe for leg work.

Reserved notes for this case

Character descriptionBottweill Workshop Manager.

Reserved notes for this case

Character descriptionOrchid grower.

Reserved notes for this caseWolfe cancelled his trip in order to check out Margot, due to the marriage license hoax.

Character descriptionBottweill angel.

Reserved notes for this caseThinks of Bottweil as something she has bought and paid for; she is the only one who doesn't realize he's involved with Margot.

Character descriptionSon of Edith Jerome.

Reserved notes for this case

Character descriptionBottweill Business Manager.

Reserved notes for this case

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.

Reserved notes for this case

Character descriptionBottweill receptionist, very beautiful; part Chinese, part Indian, part Dutch.

Reserved notes for this caseThe only person to identify Santa Claus. Threatens to reveal the identity of Santa Claus if Wolfe doesn't help pin the murder on Margot; claims that she herself had just become engaged to the victim.

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

Reserved notes for this case

Character descriptionInitially an employee in N.Y. D.A.'s office. Later Cramer's man. Detective (sergeant). Unfriendly.

Reserved notes for this case

Character descriptionEnglish orchid hybridizer.

Reserved notes for this case

Character descriptionBeauty Contest

Reserved notes for this caseMargot: "You wouldn't marry Miss Universe if she came on her knees with a billion dollars." Archie: "I dare her to try it."

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