11 SEPTEMBER 1959, Page 27

Champagne for One. By Rex Stout. (Collins, 10s. 6d.) Rather

slight and pretty improbable but. as always, very readable adventure of Nero Wolfe's, with Archie Goodwin sure that the girl he'd watched drink a glass of champagne and drop dead hadn't poisoned herself, and Nero Wolfe. who wasn't, of course, there (who'd look after the orchids?), proving how right Archie was, and thus infuriating the cops.