The Red Box
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| Author | Rex Stout |
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| Cover artist | Winifred E. Lefferts |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Nero Wolfe |
| Genre | Detective fiction |
| Publisher | Farrar & Rinehart |
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Publication date
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April 15, 1937 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 298 pp. (first edition) |
| OCLC | 1830354 |
| Preceded by | The Rubber Band |
| Followed by | Too Many Cooks |
The Red Box is the fourth Nero Wolfe detective novel by Rex Stout. Prior to its first publication in 1937 by Farrar & Rinehart, Inc., the novel was serialized in five issues of The American Magazine (December 1936 – April 1937). Adapted twice for Italian television, The Red Box is the first Nero Wolfe story to be adapted for the American stage.
I never knew a plaguier case. We have all the knowledge we need, and not a shred of presentable evidence. Unless the red box is found—are we actually going to be forced to send Saul to Scotland or Spain or both? Good heavens! Are we so inept that we must half encircle the globe to demonstrate the motive and the technique of a murder that happened in our own office in front of our eyes? Pfui!
Wolfe and Archie investigate the death of a model who ate a piece of poisoned candy. One of the suspects begs Wolfe to handle his estate and especially the contents of a certain red box. Wolfe is at first concerned about a possible conflict of interest, but feels unable to refuse when the man dies in his office before telling Wolfe where to find the red box. The police naturally think that he told Wolfe somewhat more before dying.
This novel presents the series' first instance of a murder taking place in Wolfe's office.
The novel opens with Nero Wolfe confronted by a client, Llewellyn Frost, who is pressuring him to leave the his home to investigate a crime scene. Frost has hired Wolfe to investigate the death of Molly Lauck, a model who died after eating a poisoned Jordan almond from a box of assorted candies. Frost wants to ensure that his ortho-cousin Helen is freed from the employment of Boyden McNair, the owner of the fashion boutique where Lauck died. Wolfe reluctantly agrees to leave the brownstone after Frost produces a letter signed by the directors of the Metropolitan Orchid Show urging him to do so. Wolfe and Archie subsequently meet and discuss the matter with McNair himself, who is noticeably agitated and distressed by events.
Following this, Wolfe and Archie interview the other models who were with Lauck when she died, Thelma Mitchell and Helen Frost. They say that Lauck had stolen the box of candy as a prank, but don’t know where she got it. Although the interview is seemingly unhelpful, Wolfe is intrigued when Helen Frost indicates she knew the contents of the box despite apparently having never seen or handled it. Following the interview, Llewellyn Frost, who has romantic feelings for his cousin and believes that Wolfe intends to incriminate her, tries to terminate his contract with Wolfe, but Wolfe refuses to drop the matter without being paid his full fee. Despite the efforts of Llewellyn Frost, his blustering father Dudley, and Helen’s mother Calida, Wolfe refuses to budge.
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