Which fictional detective is the narrator of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe stories?

Archie Goodwin is the narrator of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe stories.

Goodwin is Wolfe’s assistant, legman and secretary, and he tells most of the stories in the first person. Wolfe is the brilliant detective who usually remains at home in his New York brownstone, while Goodwin conducts interviews, follows leads and handles practical investigations.

The arrangement creates a contrast between Wolfe’s sedentary analytical method and Goodwin’s active fieldwork. Archie also supplies humor and commentary, making him more than a neutral narrator. Readers sometimes confuse him with Dr. John H. Watson, who narrates many Sherlock Holmes stories, but Goodwin’s relationship with Wolfe is both professional and central to the series’ distinctive style.