This is not a book to give to someone who hasn't read a large number of Nero Wolfe novels. The 'mystery' portion of the plot is almost incidental, and primarily involves receiving messages, travelling to a place, and things happening. But the plot is very much a background to the spectacle of Wolfe and Goodwin both out of their comfort zones, a glimpse into the world where Wolfe apparently grew up, and the sheer difficulty of a very fat detective trying to sneak across a mountain.If you weren't a settled fan of the books, I suspect this story would be abysmal, but for Wolfe aficionados it's a fascinating ride.
