History Literature / InTheBestFamilies

* ShesGotLegs: Archie describes one of his clients (who wanted him to ClearMyName for corporate espionage) as having “a nice voice and good legs.”

** Archie also never explicitly reveals the only five people he completely trusts to not have some kind of connection to or involvement with Arnold Zeck. Assuming that Wolfe and Archie themselves can be taken for granted (though it is also never specified whether Archie's list is inclusive of or is in addition to the two), then Saul, Fritz and Theodore are other likely candidates, though not guaranteed ones given how [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness sharp and cagey he becomes around them]] after Wolfe vanishes. Cramer is notably ''not'' on the list, though given his role in the series -- not to mention the fact that he comes the closest he ever has to taking a swing at Archie when the subject is rather tactlessly raised, it can be presumed that he isn't in fact on Zeck's payroll. Archie does hire Saul, Fred and Orrie to help him at one point, but he notably never brings up any indication of what he and Wolfe are up to regarding Zeck in front of them. [[spoiler: Given how she becomes the SecretKeeper, however, it's safe to assume that the five does include Lily Rowan.]]

* HiddenDepths: There are some unexpected signs that Wolfe is a bit of a dog lover in this book; at the end, when delivering TheSummation, he seems particularly outraged that as part of the plan the killer brutally murdered a dog as well.

** Archie also never explicitly reveals the only five people he completely trusts to not have some kind of connection to or involvement with Arnold Zeck. Assuming that Wolfe and Archie can be taken for granted (though it is also never specified whether Archie's list is inclusive of or is in addition to himself and Wolfe), then Saul, Fritz and Theodore are other likely candidates, though not guaranteed ones given how [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness sharp and cagey he becomes around them]] after Wolfe vanishes. Cramer is notably ''not'' on the list, though given his role in the series -- not to mention the fact that he comes the closest he ever has to taking a swing at Archie when the subject is rather tactlessly raised, it can be presumed that he isn't in fact on Zeck's payroll. Archie does hire Saul, Fred and Orrie to help him at one point, but he notably never brings up any indication of what he and Wolfe are up to regarding Zeck in front of them. [[spoiler: Given how she becomes the SecretKeeper, however, it's safe to assume that the five does include Lily Rowan.]]

* KickTheDog: Practically literally, and in a crucial plot fashion. [[spoiler:Calvin Leeds stabbed the dog he gave Sarah Rackham after murdering her to make it look like she was the victim of an attack. This backfires on him when Wolfe points out that not only could no one else have killed the dog second, as the knife was left in the dog's body. Additionally, the fact that the dog limped all the way to his home and growled when Leeds approached him was clear proof that the dog was identifying the person who betrayed and attacked him.]]

* OutOfGenreExperience: This novel is more of a noirish crime thriller than the usual murder mysteries common to the rest of the series. It is pretty obvious who committed the murder from the very moment that it happens, and the real challenge being crippling the criminal organization seeking to obstruct justice, meaning that most of the book is framed around a tense battle against a powerful criminal organisation with the heroes being unaware of who to trust. [[spoiler:Partially subverted at the end with the reveal that it wasn't Barry Rackham but Calvin Leeds who murdered Sarah.]]

** Archie also never explicitly reveals the only five people he completely trusts to not have some kind of connection to or involvement with Arnold Zeck in some way, though it presumably includes himself and Wolfe (although he might have meant five people besides them), with Saul, Fritz and Theodore being other likely candidates, though not guaranteed ones given how [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness sharp and cagey he becomes around them]] after Wolfe vanishes. He does hire Saul, Fred and Orrie to help him at one point, but he notably never brings up any indication of what he and Wolfe are up to regarding Zeck in front o them. [[spoiler: Given how she becomes the SecretKeeper, it's safe to assume that the five also includes Lily Rowan.]]

* ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies: Seen in practice when Wolfe cuts off ties with everyone. Archie had been expecting this, based on the previous books, but is caught by surprise and left hurt that Wolfe includes him in this as well.

** Zeck himself shows off the full brunt and force of his organization. Archie notes that during their previous encounters, Zeck had given Wolfe some leeway due to the murders Wolfe was investigating having been members of Zeck's organization. This time, prime suspect Barry Rackham is one of Zeck's men, and Zeck is a lot more ruthless.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Ben Dykes, who is more diligent than Cleveland Archer or Con Noonan (although still skeptical of Archie at times), and Inspector Cramer of course.
* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Pretty much all of Zeck's bodyguards and organisation clears out the split second they learn [[spoiler:that he's dead and they failed prevent a gun from being smuggled in]], as clearly no one wants to be the first to explain the situation to someone else and subsequently face any wrath as a result.

** Archie also never explicitly reveals the only five people he completely trusts to not have some kind of connection to or involvement with Arnold Zeck in some way, though it presumably includes himself and Wolfe (although he might have meant five people besides them), with Saul, Fritz and Theodore being other likely candidates, though not guaranteed ones given how [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness sharp and cagey he becomes around them]] after Wolfe vanishes. He does hire Saul, Fred and Orrie to help him at one point, but he notably never brings up any indication of what he and Wolfe are up to regarding Zeck. [[spoiler: Given how she becomes the SecretKeeper, it's safe to assume that the five also includes Lily Rowan.]]

* DidNotThinkThisThrough: Barry Rackham intended to leave Zeck's employment immediately on inheriting his wife's millions, and made a big show of cutting ties. Unfortunately, he failed to take into account the fact that ruthless crime lords like Arnold Zeck rarely let their employees go on their own terms, and that one of Zeck's primary ''modus operandi'' is blackmail. The result is that when he encounters him months later, he's a paranoid wreck living in terror of either working for Zeck or having to face his wrath.

** Archie also never explicitly reveals the only five people he completely trusts to not have some kind of connection to or involvement with Arnold Zeck in some way, though it presumably includes himself and Wolfe (although he might have meant five people besides them), with Saul, Fritz and Theodore being other likely candidates (though it's not necessarily a given, considering how [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness uncharacteristically sharp he becomes with Fritz and Theodore]] after Wolfe vanishes) and isn't shown particularly confiding in Saul throughout the book. [[spoiler: Given how she becomes the SecretKeeper, it's safe to assume that the five also includes Lily Rowan.]]

** Wolfe reveals that Rackham first got involved with Zeck due to blackmail over a woman he killed in a hit and run (implied to be deliberate), but it's never revealed why he killed that woman.
** Archie also never explicitly reveals the only five people he completely trusts to not have some kind of connection to or involvement with Arnold Zeck in some way, though it presumably includes himself and Wolfe, with Fritz and Theodore being other likely candidates (though it's not necessarily a given, considering how [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness uncharacteristically sharp he becomes with them]] after Wolfe vanishes). [[spoiler: Given how she becomes the SecretKeeper, it's safe to assume that the five also includes Lily Rowan.]]

** Archie also never explicitly reveals the only five people he completely trusts to not have some kind of connection to or involvement with Arnold Zeck in some way, though it presumably includes himself and Wolfe, with Fritz and Theodore being other likely candidates (though not automatically so, given how [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness how sharply he starts treating them]] after Wolfe vanishes). [[spoiler: Given how she becomes the SecretKeeper, it's safe to assume that the five also includes Lily Rowan.]]

** Archie also never explicitly reveals the only five people he completely trusts to not have some kind of connection to or involvement with Arnold Zeck in some way, though it presumably includes himself and Wolfe, with Fritz and Theodore being other likely candidates. [[spoiler: Given how she becomes the SecretKeeper, it's safe to assume that the five also includes Lily Rowan.]]

* BreakingTheHaughty: When Archie meets Barry Rackham early in the novel, he finds a smug, preening GoldDigger. Months later, after his wife is murdered and he's unsuccessfully tried to leave Zeck's employment only to miscalculate exactly how easy and painless for him that would be, Archie finds Barry has become a nervous wreck.

Wolfe and Archie are hired by the wealthy Sarah Rackham to investigate the spending of her younger husband Barry. A tear gas bomb and a threatening phone call let them know that Rackham is associated with the crime lord Arnold Zeck. Despite Wolfe and Archie’s efforts, Mrs. Rackham is murdered, with her husband inheriting everything. With no obvious avenues of investigation left, and a growing certainty that (after three such encounters in three years) Zeck is no longer a threat he can afford to ignore, Wolfe vanishes without a trace. He leaves behind a stunned household to make their own way for months before Wolfe returns, determined to bring down Zeck and solve the murder.

* ProperlyParanoid: Zeck’s influence and vast reach is fully felt here, with Archie emphasizing how out of the three thousand people he knows in New York there are only five who he is completely sure have no connections to Zeck.[[note]]He'd said there were ten in [[Literature/TheSecondConfession]], so either Stout goofed or Archie's paranoia is kicking in.[[/note]] A scene where Archie’s one-time cellmate Max Christy delivers a thinly veiled message from the crime lord also stands out. He also practically accuses Inspector Cramer of being a part of Zeck's organisation when Cramer tries to warn him and Wolfe off going up against him, though he does lampshade the paranoia in this case and acknowledge that he'll readily offer an apology to Cramer if he should turn out to be wrong.

* TheUnReveal: Wolfe reveals that Rackham first got involved with Zeck due to blackmail over a woman he killed in a hit and run (implied to be deliberate), but it's never revealed why he killed that woman.

* ParanoiaFuel: Zeck’s influence and vast reach is fully felt here, with Archie emphasizing how out of the three thousand people he knows in New York there are only five who he is completely sure have no connections to Zeck.[[note]]He'd said there were ten in [[Literature/TheSecondConfession]], so either Stout goofed or Archie's paranoia is kicking in.[[/note]] A scene where Archie’s one-time cellmate Max Christy delivers a thinly veiled message from the crime lord also stands out. He also practically accuses Inspector Cramer of being a part of Zeck's organisation when Cramer tries to warn him and Wolfe off going up against him, though he does lampshade the paranoia in this case and acknowledge that he'll readily offer an apology to Cramer if he should turn out to be wrong.

* TheClan: Sarah’s family, given the mention of many more distant relatives she left money to.
* TheConfidant: Calvin Leeds to Mrs. Rackham, being the only person she confided her visit to Wolfe too.

The finale of the so-called Zeck Trilogy, Wolfe and Archie are hired by the wealthy Sarah Rackham to investigate the spending of her younger husband Barry. A tear fas bomb and a threatening phone call let them know that Rackham is associated with the crime lord Arnold Zeck. Despite Wolfe and Archie’s efforts, Mrs. Rackham is murdered, with her husband inheriting everything. With no obvious avenues of investigation left, and a growing certainty that (after three such encounters in three years) Zeck is no longer a threat he can afford to ignore, Wolfe vanishes without a trace, leaning a stunned household to make their own way for months before Wolfe returns, determined to bring down Zeck, and solve the murder to boot.

* AlmostDeadGuy: An animal example. The first inkling of Sarah Rackham's murder is when her guard dog drags itself to Leeds' home nearby while Archie is there, while dying of a stab wound.

* BreakingTheFellowship: Wolfe apparently fleeing town in the aftermath of Sarah's murder seems to tear apart the Household and the rest of the circle, [[DownplayedTrope although they do maintain some contact]]. Archie is left without a sense of purpose for a while, then starts working independently. Fritz goes to work at Rusterman's. Theodore takes a job caring for Wolfe's orchids at Lewis Hewitt's estate. The smaller scope and expense account for Archie's new cases keeps him form working with Saul Fred and Orrie is much. And Inspector Cramer furiously cuts ties with them after Archie asks whether a friendly warning he gives is from Zeck.
* TheBusCameBack: Teased in an ambiguous way. Archie says he went on a vacation to Europe with a woman whose name has appeared in one of his earlier stories (and who doesn’t appear to be Lilly) but never says who.

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:The epilogue mentions that Leeds hanged himself in prison]].

* FakeoutMakeOut: Wolfe and Lily, when she pretends to be [[spoiler:the mistress of his alter ego]].

** Take note of the description of Pete Roeder, Arnold Zeck's number two, when he first shows up. [[spoiler: In particular, note how he is described in terms that suggest he's lost a lot of weight recently...]]
** Wolfe demonstrates an unexpected affinity for dogs in this book, tearing into the killer not just for the murder of Sarah Rackham, but for their remorseless and cold-hearted murder of her dog as well, which seems to particularly outrage him. In the short story "Die Like A Dog", published 1954, Archie will be surprised to discover that Wolfe is willing to keep a dog in his house.

* GoldDigger: There is no one who doesn’t think Barry Rackham married Sarah for her money (including Sarah herself, who is very insecure about her looks). Archie also mentions a job he took try gin to pry a rich man's son lose form a "blonde sharpie".

* IncrediblyObviousTail: Archie recruits Saul, Fred and Orrie to be this just to rattle Barry’s nerves.
* InheritanceMurder: Sarah Rackham’s death is pretty obviously this. [[spoiler:Although it was her cousin after his inheritance and not Barry who did the actual killing]].
* InsuranceFraud: Archie mentions breaking one case related to this while Wolfe was gone, and notes that he "nearly got my skull cracked," in the process.

* KickTheDog: Practically literally, and in a crucial plot fashion. [[spoiler: Calvin Leeds stabbed the dog he gave his cousin after murdering her to make it look like she was the victim of an attack. This backfires on him when Wolfe points out that not only could no one else have approached either of them without being attacked, as the dog was clearly shown to be aggressive and protective, but the fact that the dog limped all the way to his home and growled when Leeds approached him was clear proof that the dog was identifying the person who betrayed and attacked him.]]
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:At the end of this book Arnold Zeck becomes the first recurring character to bite the bullet since Colonel Ryder from the short stories]].

** Zeck himself shows off the full brunt and force of his organization. Archie notes that during their previous encounters, Zeck had given Wolfe some leeway due to the murders Wolfe was investigating having been members of Zeck's organization. This time it's the murderer whose one of Zeck's men and he's a lot more ruthless.

** The exact details of the complex operation that Pete Roeder [[spoiler: aka Nero Wolfe]] planned and executed on the west coast are never revealed, but it appears to require the cooperation of a man with access to millions of dollars (no doubt precisely to ensure that Barry Rackham is tied up in it).

** Archie is knocked on his butt when Wolfe suddenly ups and vanishes, reacting with uncharacteristic sharpness to both Fritz and Theodore and uncharacteristic paranoia to Inspector Cramer (not entirely without cause, since Archie has no idea as to the depth of Zeck's influence over the police department), seems listless and directionless without Wolfe to give him orders and spends most of his day hanging around the office waiting for him to show up, and at one point spends an afternoon driving aimlessly around New York. He finally gets starts getting back on even keel when Sarah Rackham daughter-in-law asks her to investigate her murder independently of Wolfe, which gives him the idea of setting up his own agency.
** Wolfe himself is driven to extremes by the eventuality of coming into direct conflict with Arnold Zeck, fleeing his house and [[spoiler: setting up a new, criminal identity on the west coast in order to infiltrate Zeck's organisation, losing lots of weight in the process]].
* OutOfGenreExperience: This novel is more of a noirish crime thriller than the usual murder mysteries common to the rest of the series. It is pretty obvious who committed the murder from the very moment that it happens, and the real challenge being crippling the criminal organization seeking to obstruct justice, meaning that most of the book is framed around a tense battle against a powerful criminal organisation with the heroes being unaware of who to trust. [[spoiler:Partially subverted at the end though, with the reveal that it wasn't Barry Rackham but Calvin Leeds who murdered Sarah, although Rackham might have been an accomplice]].
* ParanoiaFuel: Zeck’s influence and vast reach is really felt here, with Archie emphasizing how out of the three thousand people he knows in New York there are only five who he is completely sure have no connections to Zeck (this is a goof, considering in the previous book he'd said there were ten during the speech Archie is recounting). A scene where Archie’s cellmate (after the local police hold him overnight for questioning) in jail delivers a thinly veiled message from the crime lord also sends out. He also practically accuses Inspector Cramer of being a part of Zeck's organisation when Cramer tries to warn him and Wolfe off going up against him, though he does lampshade the paranoia in this case and acknowledge that he'll readily offer an apology to Cramer if he should turn out to be wrong.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Ben Dykes (compared to Archer and Noonan) who is more diligent (although still skeptical of Archie at times) and Inspector Cramer of course.
* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Pretty much all of Zeck's bodyguards and organisation clears out the split second they learn [[spoiler: that he's dead and they failed prevent a gun from being smuggled in]], as clearly no one wants to be the first to explain the situation to someone else and subsequently face any wrath as a result.
* ShesGotLegs: Archie describes one of his clients (who wanted him to ClearMyName for corporate espionage) as having “a nice voice and good legs”.
* SkewedPriorities: At least, certainly a reflection of Wolfe's priorities; upon orchestrating Zeck's and Barry Rackham's respective downfalls [[spoiler: and deaths]] and the annihilation of Zeck's empire, the very first thing Wolfe insists on doing -- before even calling the police -- is calling Fritz to ensure he can be at home to cook Wolfe dinner as soon as Wolfe returns. Wolfe justifies it by pointing out that he's ''earned'' it:
-->'''Archie''': Now? For God's sake, ''now''?\\
'''Wolfe''': Yes. A man has a right to have his satisfactions match his pains.

* SuitWithVestedInterests: District Attorney Archer is very hesitant to lift a finger against Barry after he inherits his wife millions, although he can't bring himself to actively ignore genuine leads.

* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:Barry guns down Zeck after Wolfe blackmails Zeck into agreeing to turn him over]].

* UndercoverCopReveal: A variant when [[spoiler:Archie is brought to meet one of Zeck's lieutenants and finds out that its Wolfe! Having lost weight and gone undercover with Zeck in the months he's been missing]].

* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:Wolfe inflicts one on Leeds by rubbing in how he killed a dog which he'd trained and raised as part of the scheme to kill his cousin]].

** Take note of the description of Pete Roeder, Arnold Zeck's number two, when he first shows up. [[spoiler. In particular, note how he is described in terms that suggest he's lost a lot of weight recently...]]

* OutOfGenreExperience: This novel is more of a noirish crime thriller than the usual murder mysteries common to the rest of the series. It is pretty obvious who committed the murder from the very moment that it happens, and the real challenge being crippling the criminal organization seeking to obstruct justice, meaning that most of the book is framed around a tense battle against a powerful criminal organisation with the heroes being unaware of who to trust. [[spoiler:Subverted at the end though, with the reveal that it wasn't Barry Rackham but Calvin Leeds who murdered Sarah, although Rackham might have been an accomplice]].

* ItsNotYOuItsMyEnemies: Seen in practice when Wolfe cuts off ties with everyone. Archie had been expecting this, based on the previous books, but is caught by surprise and left hurt that Wolfe includes him in this as well.

* OutOfGenreExperience: This novel is more of a battle against organized crime than an investigation, with it being obvious who committed the murder from the very moment that it happens, and the real challenge being crippling the criminal organization seeking to obstruct justice. [[spoiler:Subverted at the end though, with the reveal that it wasn't Barry Rackham but Calvin Leeds who murdered Sarah, although Rackham might have been an accomplice]].
* ParanoiaFuel: Zeck’s influence and vast reach is really felt here, with Archie emphasizing how out of the three thousand people he knows in New York there are only five who he is completely sure have no connections to Zeck (this is a goof, considering in the previous book he'd said there were ten during the speech Archie is recounting). A scene where Archie’s cellmate (after the local police hold him overnight for questioning) in jail delivers a thinly veiled message from the crime lord also sends out.

* EpicFail: Archie notes that he “fell flat on my face” during one freelance job which involved trying to pry a rich man's son loose for a potential GoldDigger.

* GoldDigger: There is no one who doesn’t think Barry Rackham married Sarah for her money (including Sarah herself, who is very insecure about her looks),

* ParanoiaFuel: Zeck’s influence and vast reach is really felt here, with Archie emphasizing how there are less than ten people in Wolfe’s life who he is fully convinced are trustworthy in the struggle. A scene where Archie’s cellmate in jail delivers a thinly veiled message from the crime lord also sends out.

* BerserkButton: Cramer is furious when Archie questions about whether or not a warning he’s given could be because Cramer is a DirtyCop.

* BestFriendsInLaw: Mrs. Rackham has a close relationship with the widow of her son, [[OutlivingOnesOffspring who died in World War II]].

* InheritanceMurder: Sarah Rackham’s death is pretty obviously this. [[spoiler:Although it was her cousin after his inheritance and not Barry who did the killing]].

* MundaneMadeAwesome: Archie provides a description of a lot of freelance jobs he does while Wolfe is gone and while none are too glamorous (save for one insurance faired case where he “nearly got my skull cracked”) he notes how he manages to make more money than he did while working for Wolfe.

-->'''Archie:''' Now? For God's sake, ''now''?\\
'''Wolfe: Yes. A man has a right to have his satisfactions match his pains.

* BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork: [[spoiler:Wolfe manipulates Baryr into shooting Zeck, and Barry himself is then shot by Zeck's bodyguards]].
* BerserkButton: Cramer is furious when Archie questions about whether or not a warning he’s given could be because Crame is a DirtyCop.

* TheBusCameBack:Teased in an ambiguous way. Archie says he went on a vacation to Europe with a woman whose name has appeared in one of his earlier stories (and who doesn’t appear to be Lilly) but never says who.

* EpicFail: Archie notes that he “fell flat on my face” during one freelance job which involved trying to pry a rich mans son loose for a potential GoldDigger.

* IncrediblyObviousTail: Archie recruits Saul,Fred and Orrie to be this just to rattle Barry’s nerves.

* ParanoiaFuel: Zeck’s influence and vat reach is really felt here, with Archie emphasizing how there are less than ten people in Wolfe’s life who he is fully convinced are trustworthy in the struggle. A scene where Archie’s cellmate in jail delivers a thinly veiled message from the crime lord also sends out.

* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:Wolfe inflicts one on Leeds by rubbing in how he killed a dog which he'd trained and raised as part of the scheme to kill his cousin]].

* LetsGetDangerous: The lengths Wolfe goes to in order to break Zeck are incredibly out of character, requiring an enormous amount of sacrifice and risk.
* MildlyMilitary: Implied with Barry, given Sarah observing that he only rose two ranks through the army n nearly four years of war.

* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:Barry guns down Zeck after Wolfe blackmails Zeck into agreeing to turn him over]].