Plot introduction Prisoner's Base

a young woman shortly inherit control of large manufacturing firm wants rent room in nero wolfe s house. wolfe, outraged, puts out; found murdered later night. no client in sight, wolfe not interested, archie feels responsible. first step crash meeting of manufacturer s board of directors.

the 1992 bantam edition reprints typewritten title page of rex stout s 1952 manuscript, showing book s original title dare-base. dare-base children s game, variation on tag, called prisoner s base.

title on manuscript dare-base, game played in kansas when boy, rex stout told biographer john mcaleer. publisher, harold guinzburg, said better known prisoner s base.

late 1 night, archie muses situation faced 1 of characters game — s 1 base without being tagged. tagged.