It is clear that what Nero Wolfe is afraid of concerning women is in himself. Wolfe says in Over My Dead Body, "I used to be idiotically romantic. I still am, but I've got it in hand." And later in the same book, "I have skedaddled, physically, once in my life, from one person, and that was a Montenegrin woman." In Too Many Cooks he says, "Not like women? They are astounding and successful animals. For reasons of convenience, I merely preserve an appearance of immunity which I developed some years ago under the pressure of necessity." If Wolfe has issues with members of the opposite sex, isn't he, in this regard at least, little different from most of us? That he takes his fear to the extreme of an aversion is merely consistent with his grandiose nature, and that he can state the reasons for this aversion strongly and literately is not, de facto, sexism. We, however, from our superior perspective of 1995 enlightenment, can recognize his foolish position for what it is, for we ourselves are above it, right? Speak up, I can't hear you!

In any event, if you've read Death of a Doxy before, welcome back. If not, you're in for a treat. As Nero says, I wish you well.

–Sandra West Prowell

Chapter 1

I stood and sent my eyes around. It's just routine, when leaving a place where you aren't supposed to be, to consider if and where you have touched things, but that time it went beyond mere routine. I made certain. There were plenty of things in the room – fancy chairs, a marble fireplace without a fire, a de luxe television console, a coffee table in front of a big couch with a collection of magazines, and so forth.