- Case
- Poison a la Carte
- Year Published
- 1960
- Case Introduction
- April 1958. The Ten for Aristology met on April 1st for their annual dinner. This year it was prepared by Fritz Brenner and special guests included Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. During the first course, blinis with sour cream, Vincent Pyle complained of sand in the sour cream. When the fish service arrived he excused himself and left the table. Two hours later he was dead of arsenic poisoning. Fritz was disconsolate and Wolfe was irate.
- Notes
- Resolution
-
Carol Annis served the poisoned blinis to Pyle because he refused to marry her. Vincent Pyle spent his time sexually harassing actresses while playing 'theatrical angel'.
Characters in the case:
Goddess of youth - cupbearer to the gods. The servers at the Ten for Aristology dinner were referred to as 'hebes'.
Character descriptionMythological Greek goddess.
Reserved notes for this case
One of the five suspected servers. Hair the color of corn smut just before it starts to turn. Assigned to Shriver but served Dart. Says she has no sense of humor; gives Archie a cold shoulder.
Character descriptionServer at Ten for Aristology dinner.
Reserved notes for this caseThe murderer. She poisoned Pyle because he refused to marry her.
Fritz prepared Blinis with Sour Cream, Green-Turtle Soup, Flounder Poached in White Wine, Mussel and Mushroom Sauce, Roast Pheasant, Suckling Pig, Chestnut Croquettes, Salad with Devil's Rain Dressing and 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
The Ten for Aristology dinner is held annually on April 1st, his birthday.
Character descriptionJean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826) was a French lawyer and politician, who, as the author of "The Physiology of Taste" ("Physiologie du Goût"), gained fame as an epicure and gastronome. He served as a deputy to the Estates-General during the French Revolution (1789). His name is mis-spelled Brilliat-Savarin in "The Red Box."
Reserved notes for this case
Worked for the agency that supplied the 'servers' for the Ten for Aristology dinner.
Character descriptionModel agency.
Reserved notes for this case
One of the five suspected servers. Redhead with milky skin. Assigned to Pyle but served Wolfe.
Character descriptionServer at Ten for Aristology dinner.
Reserved notes for this caseShe and Norah Jaret arranged for Purley Stebbins to listen in on the conversation with the five suspects and Archie.
Tried to stop Wolfe from preaching after the arrest of the murderer.
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
Turned down a big offer from Hollywood.
Character descriptionActor, member of the Ten for Aristology.
Reserved notes for this case
Tall, self-made blonde, with a wide lazy mouth. She was in the john when the serving began and insists that all the blinis were gone when she approached the serving table.
Character descriptionServer at Ten for Aristology dinner.
Reserved notes for this case
Passes the time by seeing if he can get the phone numbers of all ten servers, to prove a point to Fritz about his charm for young women.
Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
Reserved notes for this case
Millionaire orchid fancier - founder of Ten for Aristology.
Character descriptionOrchid grower.
Reserved notes for this case
One of the five suspected servers. Deep dark eyes, dark velvet skin, wavy silky hair darker than either skin or eyes, rare and special. Assigned to Wolfe but served Kreis.
Character descriptionServer at Ten for Aristology dinner.
Reserved notes for this caseBut on further acquaintance, Archie doesn't care for her disloyalty to her colleagues. She came to Wolfe's office to confess that she had stabbed Pyle a few months earlier when he tried to take advantage of her. She offered to help uncover the murderer if Wolfe would keep her secret. She arranged for a meeting with the five suspects and Archie.
Pronounced victim dead of arsenic poisoning at Ten for Aristology dinner.
Character descriptionPhysician.
Reserved notes for this case
One of the five suspected servers. Green eyes and dimples. She says the earrings were a present from Sir Laurence Olivier. :) Assigned to Kreis but served Schriver.
Character descriptionServer at Ten for Aristology dinner.
Reserved notes for this caseShe and Peggy Choate arranged for Purley Stebbins to listen in on the meeting between the five suspects and Archie.
Member of the Ten for Aristology.
Character descriptionChairman of the board of Codex Press, member of the Ten for Aristology.
Reserved notes for this case
Asked for Fritz's recipe for the fish.
Character descriptionCorporation lawyer, member of the Ten for Aristology.
Reserved notes for this case
Assisted Fritz Brenner at the Ten for Aristology dinner then assisted Wolfe solve a murder.
Character descriptionChef at Rusterman's.
Reserved notes for this caseHe called each of the five suspected servers telling them that he had seen them take the second plate and tried to arrange for a meeting with them at a John Piotti's Italian Restaurant.
Assisted Fritz Brenner at the Ten for Aristology dinner.
Character descriptionRusterman Maitre d'hotel.
Reserved notes for this caseHe and Zoltan tried to hire Wolfe to solve the murder quickly because the publicity was hurting the restaurant.
One of the five suspected servers. Throaty voice, assigned to Adrian Dart, but served Hewitt.
Character descriptionServer at Ten for Aristology dinner.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned. Gave earrings to Nora Jaret.
Character descriptionEnglish actor. Shakespearean film roles included Henry V (in his youth) and King Lear (near the end of his career).
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned by Archie.
Character descriptionWolfe's lawyer -- the only lawyer Wolfe ever sent orchids to. A bachelor who plays bridge on winter Sundays. (Appears as "Henry" Parker in The Squirt & the Monkey and The Golden Spiders.)
Reserved notes for this case
Owned and operated the Italian Restaurant where Zoltan arranged to meet the five suspects.
Character descriptionRestaurant owner.
Reserved notes for this caseWolfe arranged for the table to be tapped.
Served Zoltan and the suspect Spaghetti Anchovy.
Character descriptionWaitress.
Reserved notes for this case
Doesn't care for flowers with spots and streaks. Poisoned with arsenic.
Character descriptionHead of a Wall Street brokerage firm, member of the Ten for Aristology, theatrical angel.
Reserved notes for this case
Server at the Ten for Aristology dinner.
Character descriptionServer at Ten for Aristology dinner.
Reserved notes for this case
Took Archie 8 minutes to get him stuttering.
Character descriptionLieutenant in NYPD. Has antagonistic relationship with Archie and Wolfe.
Reserved notes for this case
Host of the 1958 dinner of the Ten for Aristology, at his home on 11th west of 5th Ave.
Character descriptionShipping magnate; member of the Ten for Aristology.
Reserved notes for this case
Was invited by Peggy Choates and Norah Jaret to listen in on the conversation between Archie and the five suspects.
Character descriptionInitially an employee in N.Y. D.A.'s office. Later Cramer's man.
Detective (sergeant). Unfriendly.
Reserved notes for this caseHe and Archie hid in Piotti's kitchen listening to the conversation between Zoltan and Carol Annis.
New Jersey cheesemaker, supplied the cheese for the Ten for Aristology dinner made to Fritz Brenner's specifications.
Character descriptionCheese maker.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned.
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.
Reserved notes for this case
Attended the dinner because Fritz was making 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
Meals in the case:
(no meals are currently in the NWD for this story)
Orchids in the case:
(no orchids are currently in the NWD for this story)
Quotations in the case:
(no quotations are currently in the NWD for this story)