The Death of the Double

Rex Stout, the creator of the famous cycle of detective stories about Nero Wolfe, a great gourmet, passionate lover of orchids, and one of the greatest detectives ever described in literature, this time entrusts the investigation of convoluted crimes to... private detective Tecumseh Fox, Westchester County, New York. In a secluded forest cottage, the body of Ridley Thorpe, a financier with an impeccable reputation, is found. Andy Grant, who visited Thorpe's estate the day before the murder and was the first to discover the body, is accused of the crime. Nancy Grant, Andy's sister, turns to Tecumseh Fox to clear her brother of the charge of manslaughter. Fox takes on the investigation ("The Death of the Double"). It's very bad for business when someone unknown adds quinine to a bank with quality products. Private detective Amy Duncan takes on this case, but she is soon removed from the investigation. Before this, Amy's car accidentally collides with Fox's car — fortunately, without serious consequences — and the girl shares her suspicions with the detective regarding who is responsible for the spoilage of the products. Amy believes the culprits are the owners of a company that competes with her uncle's company, Arthur Tingley. The girl goes to visit her uncle and finds him dead in his own office... ("Bad for Business"). It all started with a violin. Tecumseh Fox's friend, a former violinist, persuades the private detective to participate in a charity event to purchase a valuable instrument for young virtuoso violinist Yan Tusar. Fox is not a fan of music, but together with his friend, he goes to Carnegie Hall to listen to Yan's performance. The concert goes unfortunately wrong, and apparently, the violin is to blame. When after the concert Fox and his companion rush backstage to comfort Yan, they discover the violinist dead — he shot himself in front of witnesses, and the violin went missing in the commotion ("The Broken Vase").