Three Doors to Death. Nero Wolfe Mysteries

By: Rex Stout

Narrated by: Peter Coates

Three Doors to Death is an engaging collection of three Nero Wolfe novellas by Rex Stout, each offering a thrilling mystery that highlights the skills of the iconic detective and his loyal assistant, Archie Goodwin. The stories — Man Alive, Omit Flowers, and Door to Death — bring readers into the world of high-stakes intrigue and classic detective work, showcasing Wolfe's genius for deduction and Archie's resourceful charm.

In Man Alive, Wolfe must untangle the mystery of a presumed dead man who reappears only to meet an untimely death, leaving Wolfe to solve a crime with unusual motives. Omit Flowers explores a case involving the suspicious death of a prominent businessman, where Wolfe uncovers dark secrets and complex relationships among high society figures. In Door to Death, Wolfe is reluctantly drawn out of his brownstone to assist an orchid specialist in a murder case involving deceit and unexpected danger.

With his characteristic wit, Stout crafts intricate plots filled with clever dialogue, rich characterizations, and suspenseful twists. Three Doors to Death is a satisfying collection for both long-time fans and newcomers to the Nero Wolfe series, offering a blend of humor, psychological insight, and classic detective storytelling that cements Stout's reputation as a master of mystery.

Contents:

Man Alive

Omit Flowers

Door to Death

©2025 Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing (P)2025 Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing

Great stories as usual but the British narrator was totally not suited for the job.

Three more very entertaining stories by Rex Stout about an American detective and his American right hand man. No place here for a British narrator who I’m sure would be well suited to another genre. I was so excited to find this after all this time but so very disappointed with the presentation. I really do hope this means there’ll be more to come but PLEASE get the narration right.

Nero Wolfe, but…

I wasn’t sure this was REALLY Nero Wolfe as written by Rex Stout, but it is. (The Caddy instead of a Heron Sedan was a bit of a jolt. As was the fact that Archie is the only one in the brownstone who drives… Fritz has been known to pick up beer and groceries in the past.)

The bigger jolt was the narrator. I don’t think the British accents brought anything to the stories and certainly detracted. Also the direction. The witticisms didn’t come off because the pacing was a bit too fast with no difference in cadence.

Still it was nice to listen to Wolfe stories I hadn’t heard before, so that’s a plus. This isn’t prime Wolfe, but Marco makes an appearance (even if the pronunciation of his name is strange.)

Bad choice

What numbskull (Nero Wolfe's wording) thought it would be a good idea to give Nero and Archie British accents? That was so wrong! What's more, the reader delivers every character's lines in the same voice, which makes it difficult to keep track of who is speaking. it's an injustice to a trio of pretty good stories.

distracting narrator

it's strange to listen to a British accent read Archie Goodwin. He's supposed to be from the Midwest, Iowa, and he sounds like a proper English gentleman. it's horribly distracting and unpleasant.

English accent

I might like to hear this narrator read a book set in England. Most Nero Wolf are set in New York City, and none of the characters are British. He gave them all English accents.