Death on Deadline

Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe Mysteries #2

by Robert Goldsborough

Rex Stout fans will relish this book, a whodunit in the authentic style of Stout's classics. Nero Wolfe and his sidekick, Archie Goodwin, are back again--this time, to solve the murder of a nasty newspaper magnate whose death has been labeled a suicide.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Detective, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Historical Mystery

185 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Robert Goldsborough is an American author of mystery novels. He was born in 1937 and grew up in the Chicago area. Although he worked for 45 years for the Chicago Tribune and Advertising Age, he first came to prominence in the 1980s with the publication, with the approval of the estate of Rex Stout, of his Nero Wolfe mystery Murder in E Minor. Written privately for his mother back in 1978, shortly after the death of Stout, creator of the Wolfe stories, the novel received a Nero Award.

Six other Nero Wolfe books followed from Goldsborough, all favorably received. However, more recently he has turned his attention to creating books with his own characters, beginning with Three Strikes You're Dead, a novel set in pre-war Chicago, and starring Steve Malek, a reporter for the Tribune.

Series:
* Nero Wolfe Novels by Robert Goldsborough
* Snap Malek Mystery

Reviews

[TXGAL1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are at it again.

Another mystery presents itself and Wolfe and Goodwin swim against the tide of accepted thought by everyone else involved to bring the truth to bear.

Will the duo prove their hypothesis or will they have missed the plot this time?

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an unusual Nero Wolfe mystery in two important aspects.
It is not written by Rex Stout (see a very “complete” explanation in the book’s preface)
It involves Wolfe entering a “situation” without any expectation of compensation.

As usual, there are a lot of suspects and more than one is considering hiring Wolfe.
"“Hey, where is it written that you have to like your client?” I asked. His answer was a shrug, which was more than I expected."

The timeframe of this story is more modern than previous: "Having established that, I turned to the germination records Theodore had left for me and began entering them on file cards, vowing to nag Wolfe again for a personal computer so we could cut down on all the paperwork orchid growing entails."

The mystery is solid and the tale is entertaining.
An excellent continuation by Goldsborough

[John Yeoman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, this novel does it! Goldsborough trots out the familiar tropes - Wolfe's irascibility, Archie's backtalk, the stagey denouement scene à la Poirot, etc - but this time his craft work is excellent. My fingers itched to annotate every paragraph. Seamless scene transitions, inventive body language, plus a thousand creative ways to say 'S/he scowled'. And a last-chapter twist that's genuinely a surprise. It works.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death On A Deadline (hardcover) by Robert Goldsborough.

I've been a Nero Wolfe (and Archie) fan for years and Robert Goldsborough makes it possible for me to never stop loving this fantastic duo. If you've never had the pleasure of reading the continuation of N. W. by Robert Goldsborough may I encourage you to start here.
The first Nero hears of a possible newspaper take over is from Lon Cohen of the Gazette. Lon, a reporter for the Gazette for many years, is appalled at the idea that Ian MacLaren has set his eyes on making the Gazette his own. MacLaren has earned the reputation of being the owner of multiple scandal sheets offering the sleaziest of articles as their main attraction.
The only person more horrified at this possible take over is Nero Wolfe himself! Then the owner, Mrs. Harriet Haverhill, pays Wolfe a visit with her right hand man Elliot Dean. Shortly after this visit a suicide takes place. Suicide! Never says Nero! It's murder! And now Nero Wolfe sets out to prove just that!

Easily 5 stars.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gazette, employer of Wolfe's friend, newsman Lon Cohen, is on the verge of a hostile takeover by a news baron who will turn it into a sleaze rag. Wolfe steps into the battle and makes himself very unwelcome after the takeover turns deadly.

Read twice

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the Scottish owner wants to turn his American newspaper into a sex tabloid , newspaper reporter turns to Nero Wolfe for help. When the American major shareholder dies in an apparent suicide things get dicey.

[Lady Wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s always fun to visit Nero and Archie at the brownstone. The plot here is rather sparse and would make a better novella than novel.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
I am slowly starting to acclimate to the changes in the characterization of these beloved characters.
The mystery wasn't that good and it felt like there was a bit too much filler but it definitely was a setup from the first novel.

[Laurie Hoppe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Robert Goldsborough/Nero Wolfe, and it was really good in a lot of ways. All the little things that I've always loved about the series (Archie cracking wise, even as he drinks milk; Wolfe's rigid schedule; "flummery"; Fritz' meals, etc.) are here and I realize they aren't little in their impact on my enjoyment. Every few pages I felt like saying, "Oh, old friends! How I've missed you!"

The story itself is more modern than your typical Wolfe fare. Ian McLaren is clearly modeled on Rupert Murdoch. Archie is nagging Wolfe for a home computer. So clearly, with Goldsborough at the helm, Wolfe isn't like my other series fave, Grafton's Kinsey Milhone, who was frozen in a single decade.

The weakest part of the book was the mystery itself. I guessed whodunnit, not because I'm brilliant but because the villain is painted with such a heavy, dark brush. And there's no way Wolfe could have figured it out without a big help from Sgt. Cramer, who swoops in a bit too conveniently.

But still, I enjoyed my time with this book. Enormously.

[Bryan Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second Nero Wolfe book by Goldsborough. The introduction told how he wrote it for his terminally ill mother who was sad at the idea of not reading any more Nero Wolfe books after Stout's own death. So Goldsborough wrote her one, and then followed it up with this second one.

The discrepancies in this one verses the first one bothered me more. Archie drinks a lot more than before. Wolfe forgot twice he had emptied a beer bottle, and once that Fritz was out of the house. The voice Goldsborough has for Fritz is the weakest of the characters being continued. Fritz simply mopes in this story when I think Stout would have portrayed him as having more sensitivity for what is going on in the household. The worst though is Wolfe forgetting something. One time might have been ok to show how rattled he was by the circumstances but by the third forgetting I was irritated that was happening and didn't believe it was true to Wolfe any more.

My other complaint about this story is that the whole premise of the plot, involving a hostile takeover of a newspaper, could have been circumvented by simply having the principle offer to ONE of five other people to buy their shares for the takeover price. Even if the principle would be opposed to the idea, it should have at least been mentioned if for no other reason to put a lampshade on it. I can think of no reason why Wolfe would not suggest that course of action at once after meeting the principle since it would have solved the papers problem in one swoop.

So I'll continue reading these, but I was disappointed that the second one was not as good as the first.

[Kay Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second entry in Goldsborough's continuation of the Nero Wolfe tales, published in 1987. I think Goldsborough has done a good job of capturing the flavor of Rex Stout's work while bringing the characters forward in time (although not in age, but of course Archie and Wolfe didn't age in the forty years that Stout wrote about them, either). The mystery involves a suicide that may not be and a Murdochian newspaper mogul. This book includes a long introduction by a friend of Stout's, largely approving of Goldsborough's efforts and explaining some of the continuity. If you devoured Stout's novels back in the day, you'll enjoy Goldsborough's.

[Diane Shearer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s good, I enjoyed it, though the mystery is rather sparse and there are so many characters I had a hard time keeping them all straight. Even so, I can’t give it five stars because of two aspects that differ greatly from the original books. Firstly, I don’t like it being set in such (relatively) modern times. Archie wants a PC? No, I just can’t wrap my head around that. In my head Archie wears a double breasted wool suit with suspenders , a pocket handkerchief, a fedora, and a carnation in his lapel. Secondly, the relationship between Wolfe and Archie is portrayed as adversarial. I don’t remember that being the case. I always saw their relationship as sort of father/son or Uncle/favorite nephew. Of course they irritate each other but there is a great deal of respect and affection. The contrasts between the two has always been humorous and adds a great deal to the enjoyment of the stories. Archie is young and has never left New York. Wolfe is old and has a mysterious military past in Montenegro during WWII. Wolfe never leaves the house. Archie can’t stay home. Wolfe drinks beer. Archie drinks milk. Wolfe can’t stand women. Archie is a chick magnet who falls in love with a different girl in every book. He loves to go dancing. Here he is in a long term affair with a rich society dame. Boring. Mostly what these books are doing for me is leading me to reread the originals, but I’m resisting because once I start I won’t be able to stop and it will consume my reading time. I have too many books unread between the library app and KU.

[CatBookMom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this one as much as the others from this author. Maybe just one too many in close sequence.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty impressive imitation of Rex Stout, though I did guess who dunnit with this one; the real Stout always managed to trick me.

[JulieAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it twice I loved it so much.

[Adam Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Robert Goldsborough's 2nd Nero Wolfe novel began poorly but improved to mediocrity by the end.

Wolfe is concerned that a Scottish newspaper baron with a reputation for sensationalism will purchase the Gazette, Wolfe's long time ally and source of information. Wolfe sets out to prevent it. However, when one of the principals in the Gazette is killed and everyone else thinks its suicide, Wolfe concludes that it's actually murder and sets out to prove it.

The book has one upside. Compared to the last book, Goldsborough's Wolfe reads in a more Wolfian manner based on the books Wolfe read.

The first third to half of the book is carnival of flummery. To start with, Goldsborough brings partisanship into the book. Notice, I send partisanship, not politics. In finding out about the misdeeds of the news tycoon, Wolfe learns from Lon Cohen that McLaren's papers have consistently endorsed Republicans and Wolfe expresses disapproval and expresses his disapproval of endorsing Republicans and includes this as a talking point in his full page New York Times ad. (more on that in a bit.)

Politics is nothing new to Wolfe's world. Wolfe books include anti-Communism, anti-McCarthyism, concern about civil liberties, and civil rights. Even individual political figures such as J Edgar Hoover, Joe McCarthy, and Richard Nixon. However, in each of those cases, he was upset about their specific action. Wolfe never expressed loathing of an entire political party in Stout's work.

Of course, a progressive could argue that the Republican Party of Stout's age was more diverse and the modern version was more uniformly wrong by Wolfe's standards. However, this case is never made. Rather, Wolfe is presented as a partisan with unexplained animus against a political party that won 49 states in the 1984 elections. And this animus was never actually raised again and had no relevance to the plot. Indeed, had Goldsborough merely had Wolfe object to shotty journalism, the story would have lost nothing and he wouldn't have violated the Wolfe character.

Beyond partisanship, Wolfe's scheme of putting a full page ad in the New York Times was dumb. Doubtless, Goldsborough remembered the countless times Wolfe placed display ads in the paper, but never a full page ad for something that really didn't need it. The point of the full page ad was to get public attention so Wolfe could meet with people involved with the Gazette and the attempt to sell it to prevent the sale to McLaren. However, Wolfe could have run a smaller ad, or given his notoriety sent in an op-ed and saved the money. In addition, we get to read the ad and it's dull and sounds nothing

Archie is even more vapid when he bets Wolfe $10 that the Times won't publish the ad. Given that Archie has read The Times for years, this was just a stupid bet and it's unbelievable Archie would have proposed it. Like most attempts to reconstruct the Wolfe-Archie magic in this book, this one fails.

Goldsborough also has mixed success at updating Archie and Wolfe to the 1980s. On one hand, it's reasonable to imagine that Archie would want a personal computer and Wolfe not wanting to do it. Stout's Wolfe objected to buying newer cars and buying Archie a new typewriter. However, in one lazily written scene where Wolfe shows respect to a woman, Archie wished he had a VCR so he could record the moment. However, as he was not watching this on TV, he really meant he wished he had a video camera.

The mystery itself was decent but forgettable. There was no suspect, client, or interview in this story that was memorable. Wolfe did no stunning act of showmanship. There was no big surprise twist in the investigation. It was bland and the solution we were presented strained credulity.

The best thing about this novel for the person who has read Stout's Wolfe is that it truly makes you appreciate all the little touches Stout put in that make reading his Nero Wolfe stories so memorable. One thing this book made me notice was the way that Stout chose dinner conversations. Stout's Wolfe talked about a wide variety of topics from agriculture to histories of the ancient world, to obscure scientific questions, and anthropology. I never knew what exactly Wolfe was talking about, but I felt like this was the type of thing a well-read genius would discuss. Unfortunately, Mr. Goldsborough's line of conversation for Wolfe seems far more limited with him mostly talking politics, political books, American history, and sports. Yes, Nero Wolfe discusses whether College athletes should be paid at the dinner table in this book creating the feeling that this is what the average reader of the New Yorker discusses around the dinner table.

Still, I admit being eager to see Wolfe hold a confab and name a murderer when I got to that part of the book. Goldsborough's book allows you a chance to see Wolfe and Archie in action. If you can past all the flummery and just think about better Nero Wolfe stories, you may enjoy this book more than I did.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Nero Wolfe is a legendary fictional private investigator created by Rex Stout. When Stout died, the series was continued by Robert Goldsborough. This is the 2nd Nero Wolfe book by Goldsborough, and - like the rest of the series - can be read as a standalone.

Nero Wolfe is an eccentric, obese private detective who lives and works in a brownstone in New York City. Wolfe almost never leaves his house; spends four hours a day tending his orchids; has a chef who prepares delicious gourmet meals; loves beer; and would rather read books than take new cases.



Wolfe employs Archie Goodwin as his assistant, legman, and gadfly - a smartmouth who prods Wolfe to 'go to work' when the bank account is running low.



Stout's original Nero Wolfe books are set in the 1930s but this story is updated by several decades. Thus Archie talks about needing a home computer to keep up with the orchid germination records and he mentions the New York Jets football team.

In this mystery, Wolfe and Archie look into a questionable homicide.

*****

As the story opens, Archie's friend Lon Cohen - a journalist for the highly respected New York Gazette - is out of sorts.



Lon confides he's worried because Scotsman Ian MacLaren - a sleazy scandal-mongering newspaper baron - is trying to get control of the Gazette.



The Gazette is currently owned by the Haverhill family, and matriarch/manager Harriet Haverhill owns 34 percent of the shares.



The rest of the shares are split among three MacLaren offspring, with a few shares belonging to the paper's publisher and lawyer.



MacLaren has made a VERY GENEROUS offer to the minority shareholders, and if they sell, the Scotsman will get control of the Gazette. The fear is that MacLaren will then turn the paper into a sensationalist supermarket tabloid.





Nero Wolfe, who reads the Gazette every day, is appalled by the notion of MacLaren owning the newspaper. So Wolfe takes out out a full page add in the New York Times, at a cost of $32,000 (about $190,000 today). In the ad, Wolfe castigates MacLaren and asks respectable publishers to step up.



Wolfe's ad sets off a hullaballoo, and before long all the shareholders of the Gazette, as well as Ian MacLaren himself, are trooping through Wolfe's office. Most of them loudly complain about Wolfe's interference.



Soon afterward, one of the Gazette shareholders is shot dead, and the police rule it a suicide. Wolfe disagrees, and insists - very publicly - that the victim was murdered.



Wolfe is determined to expose the killer, and he instructs Archie to examine the crime scene and to 'invite' the suspects to the brownstone to be interviewed.



Wolfe also employs Saul Panzer, a very capable free-lance operative, to help with the inquiries.



While all this is going on Wolfe still sticks to his usual schedule: tending to his orchids, enjoying scrumptious meals, reading books, drinking beer, and so on.



Once all the clues have been assembled, Wolfe employs his genius intellect to pinpoint the killer. As usual, Wolfe then invites all the suspects - as well as Police Inspector Cramer and Sergeant Purley Stebbins - to his office.





Wolfe then exposes the culprit and the cops take the miscreant away.

The Nero Wolfe books have always been formulaic, and luckily for fans of the series, author Robert Goldsborough has the formula down pat. I like these books and recommend them to Nero Wolfe fans.

For fun, these are some of the yummy dishes mentioned in the book.

Braised Pork Fillets


Salmon Mousse


Mushroom and Celery Omelet


Oyster Pie


You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com

[Diane K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have enjoyed this book much more, but it includes something that really irritated me, and spoiled my reading. I note that a previous reviewer had also brought it up.

Rex Stout, by and large, kept things fairly quiet where politics were concerned. Yes, he did come out strongly about Communism at a time when that was a major concern, and also about zealous anti-Communist witch-hunting. He also showed Wolfe overwhelmed with fury at Richard Nixon--but then, people of every extant political party were doubtless equally outraged. No doubt there are many articles floating around out there, written by Wolfe Pack members and others, deducing Wolfe and Archie's political inclinations, based on their actions and things they said in various books, such as THE SILENT SPEAKER. The fact remains that Stout never addressed the matter directly. It has no bearing on solving mysteries, after all.

Goldsborough does.

Wolfe literally shudders with disgust at the very idea of MacLaren's newspapers endorsing the Republican party. He then publishes that fact in his full-page advertisement, as part of his list of MacLaren's journalistic "crimes". Wolfe (Stout's Wolfe) would not do anything so stupid. He would know that publishing such a view would infuriate and alienate a large number of readers who would otherwise find his letter intriguing. And if Goldsborough had written the response more accurately, Archie would never have been able to keep up with the phone calls. The phone would have been ringing off the hook all day and probably all night as well. The brownstone would have been smothered beneath the letters it received; angry letters, death threats from the radical element, as well as gleeful endorsements from the other side--and a host of bizarre suggestions from THEIR radical element.

If Goldsborough had created these characters, he would have been welcome to give them whatever beliefs he pleased, and express them in whatever manner he saw fit. But I do not believe that he had any right to put his own agenda in Wolfe's mouth. And even if he sincerely believed that these were Stout/Wolfe's feelings on the matter, he should have abided by the Master's policy: "Keep things low-key on such subjects as Politics, Religion, and the Great Pumpkin."

Apart from that general obnoxiousness, it was a nifty plot. Lon Cohen and the Gazette have been so much a part of Wolfe's world that it was marvelous to get a background peek. (I do wonder if the show "Lou Grant" gave him some ideas.) It made sense that Wolfe would respond to a threat to the newspaper that had helped him so much over the years. It did seem strange, though, that when the victim died, a powerful, strong-minded woman determined at whatever cost to stop MacLaren's takeover, absolutely no one but Wolfe doubted that it was anything but suicide.

An odd thing, at least with my edition: the introduction is presumably written by John McAleer, friend and writer of Rex Stout's biography. The "voice" sounds like him, and some of the information parallels things I've read by him elsewhere (such as in DEATH TIMES THREE). Yet I have to say "presumably" because...he didn't sign it. ??? No doubt various casual readers were left wondering who the heck the stranger was at the beginning of the book!

[Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good continuation of the Nero Wolfe mystery series, initially brought to mystery lovers by the author Rex Stout. Robert Goldsborough captures the characters as originally presented. Neo Wolfe is wise and urbane; Archie Godwin, the narrator, is slick, dapper and clever. Likewise, all the other recurring characters, such as Lon Cohen, Saul Panzer and Inspector Cramer, continue as portrayed by Rex Stout. That’s important because these mysteries are character driven stories. If you enjoy the Nero Wolfe mysteries, it’s because of the characters. They become like old friends to you and you will continue to read additional stories to see what your friends are up to again. I say this because, similar to the Sherlock Holmes stories where Sherlock doesn’t tell Watson everything he knows, Nero doesn’t tell Archie everything he knows. So, clues are withheld from the reader, which prevents you solving the crime too early. But in both series, you tolerate this exclusion of clues because you enjoy the characters and their methods for solving crimes. In this book, a thinly disguised Rupert Murdoch type character is trying for a hostile corporate takeover of Wolfe’s favorite newspaper, the New York Gazette. In the process of negotiating the price of outstanding stock shares, an important stockholder dies. Was the death a murder, or suicide? Nero Wolfe gets to the bottom of that question.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's pure escapism, but this ink-stained wretch can't help himself when it comes to stories about newspapers. And this is an old one, published in 1987.
Fans of Nero Wolfe will appreciate how author Robert Goldsborough has kept alive the character Rex Stout created, including the introduction which genuflects to the originator of the great solver of mysteries.

[Moira Shepard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well done. Goldsborough definitely captures Archie's voice in this continuation of the adventures of Nero Wolfe. Great characters, well-turned plot, and a fine finale. Looking forward to reading more!

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any Nero Wolf lover has to say thank you much to Robert Goldsborough for continuing to bring the detective, sidekick Archie Goodwin and the brownstown to life.
This is the second of all the titles Goldsborough has produced.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in a while, Nero Wolfe is motivated to adopt a mission that makes him change his modus operandi. When Stout was writing, Wolfe decided to enlist in the army to fight Nazis and another time he decided to leave not just his precious home, but the entire United States to avenge the murder of a friend. This time, he is driven to abnormal behavior by the threat of a tabloid-esq publisher buying the New York Gazette. He spends more than $30,000 without a client or a crime to try and stop the takeover and the reader is deep into the story before a crime (murder, of course) is even committed.

Despite the unusual behavior on Wolfe’s part, this book reads like classic Rex Stout. Wolfe will not be deterred and when the murder gives him a more traditional path to achieve his ends, he grasps hold and pushes his investigation to a very satisfying ending.

The only thing that might be a little off in this novel is Inspector Cramer. After reading a couple dozen of Stout’s novels, I expect him to show up and yell at Wolfe a bit more than he does in this book. But that only occurred to me after I finished reading. It didn’t detract from my enjoyment of a superb tale.

If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.

[Wanda Boyer M.C., Ph.D., RCC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Mr. Goldsborough for continuing the Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe tradition with Death on Deadline while maintaining the consistency of the Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe world. This includes reminding the reader about Wolfe’s values including following a consistent schedule; maintaining loving orchid care routines; upkeep for the beloved brownstone, food expenses, and pay for his beloved and talented super sleuths Archie, Saul, Fred, and pay for Fritz the chef par excellence, and Theodore Horstmann purveyor and protector of all that is orchid related; and his ethical and responsible work with Inspector Cramer to serve and protect. I believe this novel does an excellent job of conveying additional Nero and Archie values such as their respectful valuing of guests indicating that “ a guest is a jewel, resting on a cushion of hospitality” (Goldsborough, 1987, page 80 of 603). The expression of these and other values and a view of Archie and Wolfe living in the 1980’s is sure to bring a smile on your face as a reader! Step back in time and enjoy the comfort and graciousness of an Archie and Nero mystery.

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
"Intuition is the partner of introspection."
The second book in the triumphant return of Nero Wolfe, large, lazy and lover of orchids, who, whilst rarely leaving his comfortable brownstone home, still solves large crimes (for an even larger fee) with the very able assistance of Archie Goodwin.

Robert Goldsborough's reincarnation of Wolfe and his household is so close to Rex Stout's original as to be enjoyed by all. This time, when a major shareholder in the Gazette newspaper apparently commits suicide under pressure from an hostile takeover bid, Wolfe will not believe that she would ever had killed herself despite no one actually benefiting from her death.
Nicely performed by L.J.Ganster, a most enjoyable six plus hours, a free download through the Audible Plus programme.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goldsborough has done an amazing job capturing Stout's stories and cadence. This book is no different. In it, Lon Cohen relates to Archie that his newpaper might soon be under new leadership. The new owner is a right-wing magnate who is more concerned about sales than about the truth.
The current owner inherited from her husband, but only a little over a third of the shares. Her stepson, stepdaughter, and nephew all own chunks as well as her lawyer and the current editor. While some of them are guaranteed to work with her, she's going to have to work on others. Either way, she's going to fight the takeover. At least, until she ends up dead of an apparent suicide. Wolfe doesn't believe it and is on the case.

[Panu Mäkinen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harvoin toinen kirjailija on onnistunut jatkamaan kirjasarjaa niin hyvin kuin Robert Goldsborough Rex Stoutin aloittamaa Nero Wolfe -sarjaa. Goldsborough on tavoittanut alkuperäisten kirjojen tyylin ja pitäytyy siinä uskollisesti. Tapahtumat tosin sijoittuvat 1980-luvun New Yorkiin, jonne on turhan pitkä harppaus 1930-luvulta, jolloin sarjan ensimmäiset kirjat ilmestyivät. Goldsborough’n Nero Wolfe -dekkarit tarjoavat silti yhtä nautinnollisen lukukokemuksen kuin alkuperäistekijänkin tarinat.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the Kindle version yonks ago in 2014, going by the Amazon purchase date. I’m beginning to revisit several Golden Age authors and their extraordinary characters. Yes, I know Robert Goldsborough wrote this, but Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are among my favorite characters. I’ll probably re-read or listen to all Wolfe/Goodwin audiobooks.

This time, I listened to narrator L.J. Ganzer’s superb voice-acting. As I recall, this was a 3.5 stars Kindle read, bumped up to 4 stars. L.J. Gander’s interpretation convinced me that this book was a 4 stars read/listen.

[Virginia Tican · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is better than the first book I read by Goldsborough on Nero Wolfe. One question though, why did Nero Wolfe not include Harriet Haverhill's secretary when he asked for a round~up of all the players and/or usual suspects the first time around when her presence is imperative given her role as a conduit between Harriet and the rest of the Gazette's Board and Staff?... and the the outside world for that matter? Other than the aforementioned, this was still a good read.