Nero Wolfe, an avid orchid collector, a great gourmet, a beer lover and a great detective, almost never leaves the house. He unravels all the crimes based on the facts collected by Archie Goodwin, his charming, ironic assistant with an excellent memory. “After waiting for the man to settle down in a red leather chair, I walked to my desk, turned around to face the visitor and turned a friendly, but not too enthusiastic look at him. The lack of enthusiasm was partly due to a poorly tailored $39.95 suit that could use some ironing and a stale $3 shirt, although it wasn't just the cheap clothes. No, everything was fine with the man’s long, thin face and high forehead, but he clearly did not look like a man capable of significantly improving Nero Wolfe’s bank balance...”