Full House

Rating:
Summary: Omnibus edition of 5 unrelated cases
Review: This omnibus edition of THE LEAGUE OF FRIGHTENED MEN, AND BE A VILLAIN, and CURTAINS FOR THREE contains 5 rather than 3 cases, like its sibling omnibus FIVE OF A KIND, because CURTAINS FOR THREE is itself a collection of 3 short stories: "The Gun with Wings" (1948), "Bullet for One" (1948), and "Disguise for Murder" (1950).

The selection of titles is an odd assortment. For more detailed discussion of the individual works herein, see reviews of the 3 separate books; no changes were made to include them here. They have few points in common, not even being 3 back-to-back books in publication order. While they're no worse here than taken separately, this omnibus edition provides no added value.

THE LEAGUE OF FRIGHTENED MEN (1935) was the 2nd Wolfe book, and first appeared in installments that summer in _The Saturday Evening Post_ as FRIGHTENED MEN. Wolfe's strict schedule and so on weren't rigidly enforced until several books into the series, and Archie's character has rough edges that will be smoothed as he has time to develop.

Years ago, before the Crash, a gang of young Harvard students crippled Paul Chapin in a hazing accident. Ever since, they've watched over him out of guilt, although he was never likeable; even his fiancee jumped at the excuse of his accident to break their engagement. (She even added insult to injury by marrying one of his tormentors, although she wouldn't see it that way - Chapin's *very* self-contained.) But in spite of the pitying non-friendship of the self-styled "League of Atonement", Chapin has managed to make a life and a career for himself; he's now a successful and controversial author.

Now various accidents(?) have struck down apparently random members of the League, and they're finally giving Chapin some respect - they believe he's finally taking his revenge, and as a group, they want to engage Wolfe to make it stop. (Archie privately calls them the "League of the White Feather" rather than the name in the title of the book, being far from impressed. Handing someone a white feather used to be one way of accusing the person of cowardice.)

AND BE A VILLAIN (1948) was the 13th Wolfe book, and the first of his recorded brushes with his nemesis, Arnold Zeck. The story would more logically be grouped with the other two Zeck books, and in fact this was done years after the publication of FULL HOUSE with the omnibus TRIPLE ZECK. AND BE A VILLAIN is one of the cases in which Wolfe drums up a little business rather than waiting for clients to come to him - in this instance, after Archie fills out Wolfe's form 1040.

Archie always referred to this case in later years as "the Orchard case". Cyril Orchard died from drinking a poisoned glass as a guest on the Madeleine Fraser show - not only during a live broadcast, but during a live commercial for the product in question. *Ouch*. It's no wonder that when Wolfe sends Archie to Madeleine Fraser suggesting that she hire him, her network and the sponsors' council fall over themselves asking why he didn't come to them *first*. As usual when Wolfe has corporate entities as clients, they're facing a publicity disaster of magnitude one, and their *real* concern is to handle *that*; solving any murder or murders is a side issue. And as usual, this brings up potential conflicts of interest.

CURTAINS FOR THREE (1951) was the 18th Wolfe book, but the individual stories were first published in magazines.

"The Gun with Wings" (1948) was found beside the body of Albert Mion, one of the Met's top tenors, and a matching bullet was found through the roof of his mouth - an apparent suicide. His widow and her would-be fiancee - the Gazette's music critic - can't help suspecting each other of murder, and want Wolfe to uncover the truth. Some of the characters' attitudes make this a period piece.

"Bullet for One" (1948) is a case saddled with timetables: the victim was shot while riding through Central Park, and was seen by a mounted patrolman only half an hour before his horse came in riderless. Leavening the usual dryness of timetables, however, we have not only a snakepit of motives among the 6 main suspects, but Cramer's reaction to Wolfe within range of a high-profile case, and the mounted patrolman, who can give Archie a run for his money in the smart-aleck department.

"Disguise for Murder", a.k.a. "The Twisted Scarf", "The Affair of the Twisted Scarf" (1950) is one of several occasions when a murder takes place not only on the premises of Wolfe's brownstone, but in the office. In this instance, the victim was one of the few personable young women who came to call when Wolfe opened the plant rooms to the Manhattan Flower Club for an afternoon. Not only did Archie notice Cynthia before her death - she asked for a meeting with Wolfe, frightened after recognizing someone she thought was a murderer among the other guests. Finding her dead after she trusted him to help her made this a bit personal for Archie; Cramer's sealing the office as a crime scene made it personal for *Wolfe*. :)

Rating:
Summary: Omnibus edition of 5 unrelated cases
Review: This omnibus edition of _The League of Frightened Men_, _And Be a Villain_, and _Curtains for Three_ contains 5 rather than 3 cases, like its sibling omnibus _Five of a Kind_, because _ Curtains for Three_ is itself a collection of 3 short stories: "The Gun with Wings" (1948), "Bullet for One" (1948), and "Disguise for Murder" (1950).

The selection of titles is an odd assortment. For more detailed discussion of the individual works herein, see reviews of the 3 separate books; no changes were made to include them here. They have few points in common, not even being 3 back-to-back books in publication order. While they're no worse here than taken separately, this omnibus edition provides no added value.

_ The League of Frightened Men _ (1935) was the 2nd Wolfe book, and first appeared in installments that summer in _The Saturday Evening Post_ as _Frightened Men_. Wolfe's strict schedule and so on weren't rigidly enforced until several books into the series, and Archie's character has rough edges that will be smoothed as he has time to develop.

Years ago, before the Crash, a gang of young Harvard students crippled Paul Chapin in a hazing accident. Ever since, they've watched over him out of guilt, although he was never likeable; even his fiancee jumped at the excuse of his accident to break their engagement. (She even added insult to injury by marrying one of his tormentors, although she wouldn't see it that way - Chapin's *very* self-contained.) But in spite of the pitying non-friendship of the self-styled "League of Atonement", Chapin has managed to make a life and a career for himself; he's now a successful and controversial author.

Now various accidents(?) have struck down apparently random members of the League, and they're finally giving Chapin some respect - they believe he's finally taking his revenge, and as a group, they want to engage Wolfe to make it stop. (Archie privately calls them the "League of the White Feather" rather than the name in the title of the book, being far from impressed. Handing someone a white feather used to be one way of accusing the person of cowardice.)

_And Be a Villain_ (1948) was the 13th Wolfe book, and the first of his recorded brushes with his nemesis, Arnold Zeck. The story would more logically be grouped with the other two Zeck books, and in fact this was done years after the publication of _Full House_ with the omnibus _Triple Zeck_. _And Be a Villain_ is one of the cases in which Wolfe drums up a little business rather than waiting for clients to come to him - in this instance, after Archie fills out Wolfe's form 1040.

Archie always referred to this case in later years as "the Orchard case". Cyril Orchard died from drinking a poisoned glass as a guest on the Madeleine Fraser show - not only during a live broadcast, but during a live commercial for the product in question. *Ouch*. It's no wonder that when Wolfe sends Archie to Madeleine Fraser suggesting that she hire him, her network and the sponsors' council fall over themselves asking why he didn't come to them *first*. As usual when Wolfe has corporate entities as clients, they're facing a publicity disaster of magnitude one, and their *real* concern is to handle *that*; solving any murder or murders is a side issue. And as usual, this brings up potential conflicts of interest.

_Curtains for Three_ (1951) was the 18th Wolfe book, but the individual stories were first published in magazines.

"The Gun with Wings" (1948) was found beside the body of Albert Mion, one of the Met's top tenors, and a matching bullet was found through the roof of his mouth - an apparent suicide. His widow and her would-be fiancee - the Gazette's music critic - can't help suspecting each other of murder, and want Wolfe to uncover the truth. Some of the characters' attitudes make this a period piece.

"Bullet for One" (1948) is a case saddled with timetables: the victim was shot while riding through Central Park, and was seen by a mounted patrolman only half an hour before his horse came in riderless. Leavening the usual dryness of timetables, however, we have not only a snakepit of motives among the 6 main suspects, but Cramer's reaction to Wolfe within range of a high-profile case, and the mounted patrolman, who can give Archie a run for his money in the smart-aleck department.

"Disguise for Murder", a.k.a. "The Twisted Scarf", "The Affair of the Twisted Scarf" (1950) is one of several occasions when a murder takes place not only on the premises of Wolfe's brownstone, but in the office. In this instance, the victim was one of the few personable young women who came to call when Wolfe opened the plant rooms to the Manhattan Flower Club for an afternoon. Not only did Archie notice Cynthia before her death - she asked for a meeting with Wolfe, frightened after recognizing someone she thought was a murderer among the other guests. Finding her dead after she trusted him to help her made this a bit personal for Archie; Cramer's sealing the office as a crime scene made it personal for *Wolfe*. :)