This note contains spoilers for the book.

This is one of the better books, with one of the worse covers.

In particular, I really like the conceit of having the male and female obvious suspects each think the other did it, and lie through their teeth, perhaps to their own destruction, to cover that up. Of course actually neither one did it, though one of them was framed for it.

Archie does think highly of the woman, although he clearly feels that not being confident her friend didn't murder her husband was a lapse in judgement on her part. But he doesn't expect that much from women.

Once again, the body count is fairly high -- the original murder, Wolfe's sometime employee Johnny Keems, and two others including a maid. If you ever get the feeling you're a character in a Nero Wolfe story, take precautions!