Book Review: Archie Meets Nero Wolfe by Robert Goldsborough

Title: Archie Meets Nero Wolfe
Author: Robert Goldsborough
Publisher: Mysterious Press
Series: Nero Wolfe - prequel
Source: Library
Adult Mystery 











Let me try to explain the depths of my joy when I spotted this on the bookshelf at the library I work at:

No, really. I startled a passing librarian with my shriek and dance of joy. I had a much better reaction from one of our other co-workers, who also was quite excited about this find.

Archie Goodwin is one of my top five favorite men of mystery, if you will. I don't actually remember how I stumbled upon the Nero Wolfe series, just that someone put the second of Rex Stout's novels in my hands (The League of Frightened Men) when I was a teenager and told me to read. So read I did, and I fell in love in with Fritz and Wolfe and Archie. But mostly Archie.

If you're unfamiliar with the Nero Wolfe series, it is set in New York and starts in the early 1930's (although carries through several decades after) and follows the cases of Nero Wolfe, a private investigator. Nero Wolfe has several extreme eccentricites, including the fact that he very, very rarely leaves his brownstone home, follows a regimented schedule every day that cannot be broken, he eats very lavish meals prepared by a live-in chef (that would be Fritz), and grows orchids in a rooftop hothouse. Wolfe does not tolerate the iterruption of his schedule, his authority being questioned, his privacy being invaded, most women, most men, stupidity, business talk over dinner, and a great myriad of other situations.What he does tolerate (with or without grace) is Archie Goodwin.

Archie is Nero Wolfe's presence outside the brownstone. He serves as legs and ears and eyes while interviewing witnesses, trailing suspects, and chasing perpetrators. Archie also serves as a thorn in Wolfe's side -it's offically part of his job- to motivate his boss into taking cases so they can get paid. He's a charmer and a smooth talker; a ladies man and always a gentleman. He's savvy and street smart and he quits as many times as Wolfe fires him, but it's always an idle threat. When Rex Stout's series starts, Archie's been working for Wolfe for several years.

Rex Stout passed away in 1975, and eleven years later Robert Goldsborough had his first Nero Wolfe novel published, Murder in C Minor. With the blessing of the Stout estate, he wrote several more Wolfe and Archie mysteries. Now, he hasn't written a Wolfe book since 1994 (which for you non-instant math people like me is 19 years ago) and what better way to return to the scene than with the fan's dream: an origin story. A prequel. Hallelujah.

Archie Meets Nero Wolfe opens with Archie, fresh from Ohio, working a job as a night watchman on the docks. He's nineteen and looking for his big opportunity in the city - and winds up killing two men in self defense. He's let go from the watchman position, but impresses P.I. Del Bascom and gets taken on in the private detective's office. Archie's big opportunity comes with the Big Case. Tommie Williamson, son of a very wealthy businessman, is kidnapped and his father taps Nero Wolfe to take the case. Wolfe calls in the best detectives he knows, including Bascom who brings Archie to the table. The race is on to find the boy and find the kidnappers and to secure Archie's place in literary history.

As a longtime Archie fan, I loved this book. It was a fun trip through 1920's New York with a young, sharp Archie who relayed details to the reader with great panache and flare. As a long time mystery reader, it left something to be desired. The story moves quickly, from the small introductory mysteries that set up Archie's skills into the bigger mystery of Tommie Williamson's disappearance. There's some legitimate detective legwork, and you do get a sense for Archie unfolding the process of how he'll operate as a detective for the first time. We're also shown Orrie Cather and Saul Panzer (who are very important supporting characters in most of the Rex Stout novels) meeting Archie and how they work both with and independently of Wolfe.

Speaking of Wolfe, he's not a prevalent in the book as I was expecting, but when he was he was utterly and perfectly Wolfe. Short fuse, fabulous vocabulary, and an all seeing eye to rival Sherlock Holmes himself all wonderfully played out. It was just wasn't enough! Part of the joy of the Goodwin/Wolfe read is their exchanges and interactions and I suppose I was expecting more of them having some of those first conflicts and concessions.

Wolfe is not amused by your shenanigans.

For the most part, Goldsborough does a good job with Archie's voice. Archie is a very distinctive first person narrator. Some of the story felt like it was being told by a nineteen year old Archie and some of the story felt like it was being told by the Archie who matured over the course of several decades. However, and this might be more important, Archie is completely charming throughout. And I think that's what it is. If you're approaching this book with the intent of sinking your teeth into a meaty mystery, you may come away wanting. If you're approaching this book as a handshake, as polite introduction to one of the mystery genre's greatest men, you'll be pleasantly delighted.

So, if you like 1920's New York, cozy mysteries, classic private investigators, or already love Archie and Wolfe, you should definitely pick up Archie Meets Nero Wolfe. If you've not been to the world of Stout as of yet, I don't think I would recommend you start here. Start with The League of Frightened Men or Champagne for One and then consider hitting the prequel.

Usually I try to find out if any movie rights are associated with a book, and in this case there are not. However, Archie Goodwin was brought to life by Timothy Hutton in the A&E Nero Wolfe series which ran for two seasons 2000-2001. Timothy Hutton and Maury Chakin are Goodwin and Wolfe, respectively, and neither one of them could be more perfect for the roles. It's a great mystery series with fantastic costuming and dialogue. It's available on DVD.

Perfect Archie Goodwin is perfect.

If you speak Italian, YouTube also has episodes of the newer Italian version of Nero Wolfe. While Timothy Hutton is perfection as Archie, the Archie in those episodes is also quite wonderful.

No, I don't speak Italian.

Italian Archie is also good looking.

Yes, I'm learning Italian.

I recommend the Wolfe/Goodwin series to pretty much everyone, no matter whether you start with the original Stout or pick up Goldsborough's prequel. They're great characters you should definitely get to know.

Hope you all enjoy the upcoming St. Patrick's Day!

Don't drive spifflicated!

Gabs  

BEA Recap!

I had the great fortune to travel up to NYC last month to visit the city for the first time in my life and to attend the ever so awesome Book Expo of America.

Which just sent me a friendly reminder email to respond to their "were you REALLY there" survey.

Yes, BEA, yes I was really there.

Britney (Of I Eat Words), our co-worker Amy, and I got there on Saturday and spent a glorious madcap three days doing touristy stuff and getting to know the city. This included the Museum of Modern Art, Times Square, the ferry to Staten Island and seeing Lady Liberty and eating great food.

If you look closely you can see the Tardis. I also discovered that the subway is possibly the greatest invention mankind has ever come up with. This makes me slightly crazy, I am aware, and I am okay with this. But seriously, the subway. Dear people who built Dallas: Where were you on this? Surely that dry dirt issue could have been overcome.

Also amazing is this little place called Tea & Sympathy which is down in Greenwich Village. It's part of Little Britain, which stole our hearts as well as our stomachs. Lots of British regalia, as well as a little shop next door where you can buy imported goods. Alas, no Benedict Cumberbatch or Matt Smith sightings.

We got to see Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theater, too. (After braving the TKTS line. Recommended: levitation devices. Your feet will thank you later.) It was amazing, and definitely a Gabi-must-do-this-before-she-dies event. 

On day three we met up with the most amazing Claire Legrand and prepped for BEA. There are two rules of thumb for BEA:

1) Meet lots of awesome people.
2) Grab lots of books.

Rinse and repeat.

Also optional are visiting workshops, panels, and author signings. We went to the most awkward author panel in the history of ever, in which the moderator managed to ask virtually nothing about the topic (the evolution of young adult books) but did manage to ask really awkwardly phrased questions about the lack of ethnic diversity in the author's works. All of the authors present were very gracious about the whole ordeal, I must say, especially Jenny Han. Amy and I did go to a really fabulous workshop on hosting graphic novel events. Everyone was very knowledgeable and helpful with tips and such. One of the booksellers represented Midtown Comics, which I am sad to say we didn't get to, but it is most assuredly on my list of places to go the next time I'm in NYC.

Also: Kristin Cashore. Our faces explain the rest. We love her like a lot a lot. 

We got there for her signing line very early and fangirled accordingly. 

The most fun part of it all was getting to meet so many awesome people and hang out at BEA and in the city. So many blogs, so many awesome peeps!

It was awesome to meet Liz of Elizziebooks who does blog posts AND vlogs on her YouTube channel.

Check out the super fashionable and sweet Frankie of First Novels Club 

Bethany Larson covers books, music, and pop culture at her blog. Plus, she loves Joss Whedon and Suits. Major points for both.

It was a pleasure to meet and hang out for a bit with Kelsey of Reading or Breathing and Lindsi of Books, Sweets and other Treats!  Lindsi's blog and her bookshelf are adorable.

I met the lovely Jessica of Wastepaper Prose only briefly, but they run a blog with very nifty interviews and YA reviews.

Be sure to visit Liza at WhoRuBlog for amazing YA reviews!

Author and blogger Melissa Buell was awesome and you check out her blog and works here: Have Imagination, Will Write

And now it's time for that feeling when you know you're forgetting someone and it will strike you at approximately 4am. So, my apologies if I have forgotten! Some of my business cards went into my box of books that I shipped home from BEA. Books and bags and business cards are now...ah...somewhere in the city of New York, presumably, as what arrived in my box was a parka.

No, really. I have a parka from New York and I have no idea why it came to me.

You might notice these are not books.

My box came, with my handwriting on it, and lo, the lord of the post office laid his hand upon it, and so the pages turned into cold weather clothing. (The post office denies such a deity, but is looking into the matter.) So...luckily I managed to shove several of my goodies from BEA in my suitcase, and I'll do a In My Mailbox type thingie tomorrow for the few that survived.

But if I get a job in New York, at least I'll be prepped for winter. Holla.

Loved New York and seeing it with the most awesome travel companions and most awesome host ever, and definitely loved my first BEA experience! Here's to next year!

Booking It,
Gabi