Rex Stout's twenty-third Nero Wolfe novel, published in 1960.
Thomas Yeager, head of Continental Plastics, hires Archie to keep him from being followed that night to a house on 82nd Street. When Yeager never shows, Archie learns two things: Yeager's body has been found in a construction site on 82nd Street, and the man who hired him was not actually Yeager. Investigating the house, Archie learns that the top floor was used as Yeager's love nest and the man had multiple mistresses. Wolfe and Archie soon go from a phony client to an abundance of them, with the corporation, Yeager's wife, Yeager's mistresses, and the superintendent of the house all wish to hire Wolfe to bend the investigation to their wishes. Meanwhile, the murderer may not be content with one victim....
A Nero Wolfe Mystery adapted Too Many Clients as part of their second season.
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.)
- Blackmail Backfire: It gets Maria Perez killed.
- Chekhov's Gun: The newspaper photograph of the Continental Plastics dais, with Archie initially used to identify that his client was not actually Thomas Yeager. The picture also identifies Benedict Aiken by image and name; Maria had a copy, which is how she knew that Aiken was inside the house on the night of Yeager's murder.
- Leave Behind a Pistol: Wolfe has Benedict Aiken write out a confession, omitting mention of Yeager's love nest, and mail it to the brownstone before shooting himself, thereby satisfying the corporation's request as a client by keeping them from association with that room.
- Politically Correct History: In regards to the A Nero Wolfe Mystery adaptation. The original novel seems to have Archie approve of a man who, after he learns his wife has been cheating on him, severely beats her (although he might be being mocking or sarcastic). When presented with the same situation in the TV adaptation, Archie is visibly angered and disgusted at the man and concerned for the wife.
- Seemingly-Wholesome '50s Girl: The demure, modestly-dressed Maria Perez, with whom Archie is immediately smitten but with noticeable pride in her face. That pride led her to blackmail, and the blackmail led to her murder.
- Sexy Secretary: Julia McGee, Yeager's secretary, was also one of his mistresses.
