Nero Wolfe, a genius at detection, prefers gourmet food and prize-winning orchids to damsels in distress. But at the prodding of his confidential assistant, Archie Goodwin, he opens his office door to three beautiful women, who usher in three of the most intriguing cases of Wolfe's career. With them come three baffling clues -- a shoeshine, an ear of corn, and a bloodstained tie. The killers in question turn out to be virtuosi in the use of instruments -- blunt instruments, that is. This medley of malice, mayhem, and premeditated murder comes courtesy of Rex Stout, among the greatest of all mystery writers..