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Book Review By Yosef Shapiro
The Golden Spiders by Rex Stout

The Golden Spiders is a Nero Wolfe mystery. Wolfe is an eccentric genius. He is very fat and rarely ventures forth from his home to physically investigate. He has a select group of detectives in his employ that gather facts and evidence for him to analyze.

His main assistant is Archie Goodwin. Archie is a hard boiled detective. He is the leg man and provides many humorous moments throughout the series.

In this story, a little boy comes in and tries to hire Wolfe. He indicates that he saw a woman in a car stopped at a traffic light. She was wearing gold spider earings. She mouthed to him " help get the police." The boy takes doen the plate number of the car and brings the information to Wolfe.

He wants Wolfe to help and does not trust the police. Wolfe calls in the plate number and gives no other details to the police.

The next day, the boy is run over. Wolfe takes this personally and wants to find the boy's killer.

Wolfe discovers who the passanger in the car is. She will not give him any information. She too ends up dead. She is a major benefactor to a non profit organization that helps illegal aliens resolve their legal issues.


Plot & Themes
Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
descript. of violence and chases - 30 %
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10 %
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 0 %
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 40's-50's
Ethnicity/Race
Unusual characteristics:

Setting
United States Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
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