Nero Wolfe, a passionate orchid collector, a gourmet, a lover of beer, and a great detective, practically never leaves his home. He solves all crimes based on facts gathered by Archie Goodwin—his charming, ironic assistant with an excellent memory. Nero Wolfe is approached by a man who asks him to find his son, who left home eleven years ago. The prodigal son is found quite quickly, but he is found in prison, where he is serving time for a murder charge. And Wolfe must prove his innocence.