The ninth collection of Nero Wolfe novellas by Rex Stout, published in 1957.
The collection opens with "A Window for Death," where English teacher David R. Fyfe wishes to hire Wolfe to investigate the death of his brother Bertram to determine if the case should be brought to the police. As Bert suffered from pneumonia before his death, natural death is suspected; however, Wolfe's attention is drawn to empty hot water bags found at the crime scene by Paul Fyfe, David and Bert's brother. The Fyfes suspect Johnny Arrow, Bert's business partner, who claims an arrangement that leaves their mining business to him, but Wolfe's focus remains closer to home, his curiosity focused on the hot water bags and - of all clues - missing ice cream.
In "Immune to Murder," Wolfe and Archie are not at home, having traveled to O. V. Bragan's Adirondacks hunting lodge to cook trout for foreign ambassador Theodor Kelefy. Kelefy's country holds oil reserves, and American oil industry captains and politicians are present to engage in the negotiations in the comfort of a hunting lodge. But while Wolfe cooks the freshly-caught trout, Archie finds the body of Assistant Secretary of State David M. Leeson along a riverbank. Faced with obstructive country police and the desire to go home, Wolfe takes a personal affront to his honor and uses it to solve the case, relaying his findings not only to the crowd at the lodge, but to the United States Secretary of State.
Lastly, "Too Many Detectives" sees Wolfe and Archie summoned to Albany by the New York Secretary of State as part of an investigation into wiretapping by state private detectives, including Theodolinda "Dol" Bonner and Sally Colt. Wolfe testifies that he had been engaged by a man calling himself Otis Ross to tap his phone, believing his secretary was leaking information, but ended the tap when he discovered the client was not really Ross. The client is found dead in another meeting room, strangled, and identified as William Donahue. After Wolfe and Archie make bail after a material witness arrest, Archie is left with little to do while the other detectives assemble as many operatives as possible to investigate Donahue's connections.
"Immune to Murder" was adapted as the series finale of A Nero Wolfe Mystery, featuring Giancarlo Esposito as Ambassador Kelefy.
Tropes in this work: (Tropes relating to the series as a whole, or to the characters in general can be found on Nero Wolfe and its subpages.)
- Contrived Coincidence: Each of the subpoenaed detectives — including Wolfe and Archie — had dealings with the victim, a conman who tricked them into surveilling various individuals under false pretences. Subverted; Wolfe realises that the chances of such a coincidence are astronomically impossible, and that the real murderer is on the panel they are testifying before, behind the conman's actions, and trying to set up the detectives present for the murder.
- Could Say It, But...: Amsel won't outright confirm the identity of the man he was asked to illegally wiretap (and probably did wiretap despite claiming that he turned down the job), claiming his memory is no good on the subject. Still, he says that since a specific person being the man Amsel was asked to wiretap would fit so well with Wolfe's theory, he should take it for granted.
- The Dandy: Archie's dapper dressing comes in handy when rough-and-ready uranium miner Johnny Arrow asks him about the suit he was wearing when they first met, and Archie spends a good bit of time bringing the man up to speed on dressing well, including what type of hat is appropriate to wear when.
- Defeat Means Friendship: Hot-headed man's-man uranium miner Johnny Arrow is notably friendly and respectful to Archie after Archie bests him while breaking up a physical altercation in Wolfe's office. He frequently comments that Archie "gave [him] quite a squeeze" and before the story's end, the two are swapping good-natured quips about Anne Goren, the attractive nurse that both are interested in, and Archie is advising Johnny about the good places to get men's clothes in New York.
- Diplomatic Impunity: The crux of "Immune to Murder." Too bad for Ambassador Kelefy — American law can't touch him, but his own home country says You Have Failed Me.
- Every Man Has His Price: In "Immune to Murder", Wolfe says that everyone has their price, but his is well beyond anyone who might want to bribe him.
- Great Detective: Harland Ide is considered this in-story in "Too Many Detectives."
- My Greatest Failure: Harland Ide feels deeply ashamed about how he was manipulated into spying on a prominent industrialist and is reluctant to discuss the matter.
- Spoiler Title: The title "Immune to Murder" will immediately tip off modern readers once they learn that a foreign ambassador is heavily involved with the plot, due to increased popularity of the Diplomatic Impunity trope.
- Token Evil Teammate: Steve Amsel to the impromptu alliance of detectives, although "shady" might apply better than "evil."
