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Q) I first learned about orchids from reading Nero Wolfe detective books. What can you tell me about his collection? Adam S

A) Many orchid enthusiasts cite the fictional Nero Wolfe as one of their earliest inspirations. There were 33 novels written between 1934 and 1975 by author Rex Stout and orchids were integral to many of the plots. The stories took place predominantly in New York City at Wolfe’s brownstone residence on West 35th Street in which the top floor was a large greenhouse with three temperature zones and 10,000 orchids!

The clever title of this book is designed to catch the reader’s eye but it is not to be taken literally. Most Lady Slippers don’t have a ‘scent’ and people generally consider these flowers to be interesting or unusual rather than drop dead gorgeous. But the scandal that plays out within this 242 page hardback is as addictive a read as any on a Best Seller list.