An “excellent” novel that goes back to 1920s New York to reveal how the famed detective first met his incomparable sidekick (Publishers Weekly, starred review). In 1930, young Archie Goodwin comes to New York City hoping for a bit of excitement. In his third week working as a night watchman, he stops two burglars in their tracks—with a pair of hot lead slugs. Dismissed from his job for being … Dismissed from his job for being “trigger-happy,” he parlays his newfound notoriety into a job as a detective’s assistant, helping honest sleuth Del Bascom solve cases like the Morningside Piano Heist, the Rive Gauche Art Gallery Swindle, and the Sumner-Hayes Burglary. But it’s the kidnapping of Tommie Williamson, the son of a New York hotel magnate, that introduces Goodwin to the man who will change his life.
Goodwin knows there’s only one detective who can help find Tommie: Nero Wolfe, the stout genius of West Thirty-Fifth Street. Together, they’ll form one of the most unlikely crime fighting duos in history—but first Goodwin must locate Tommie and prove that he deserves a place by Wolfe’s side.
In this witty story about the origin of a legendary partnership, Robert Goldsborough gloriously evokes the spirit of Nero Wolfe’s creator, bestselling author Rex Stout, and breathes new life into his beloved characters.
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The Nero Wolfe books are the best every written.
New to Nero Wolfe, or returning oldster, a must read for all fans.
Love it!
If you are a Nero Wolfe fan, this “prequel” is an excellent addition and BTW helps understand the relationship the two characters build and how they came to have it.
In 1930, 19 year old Archie gets a job with a private investigator, Del Bascom. Archie helps Del to solve a couple cases and proves himself, but times are hard. Nero Wolfe the most famous sleuth hires Del to help on a kidnapping. Del takes Archie along and Mr. Wolfe likes how Archie handles the case. After Del can’t use Archie any more, Wolfe …
If you are a Rex Stout and Nero Wolfe fan you will enjoy reading about how Wolf and Archie Goodwin met and teamed up. It is a fun prequel to all of those wonderful Wolf and Goodwin books.
Hard to believe that Rex Stout didn’t write this. Robert Goldsborough has really nailed Stout’s style.
If you can’t have Rex Stout but miss him, this is a small fix.
The backstory of a great series!
Having read several Nero Wolfe mysteries, I was interested to get an insight into the beginning of the relationship between Wolfe and Archie. Well done!
Liked it very much.
It’s a plausible back story for Archie!.. The tone of the original is about 95% as snappy, and I enjoyed the reading trip anyway.:)
I have always enjoyed Nero Wolfe books and liked how this book took the reader back to the early days of Archie and Nero.
God for Nero Wolfe fans. Kept the characters in line with what Rex Stout wrote.
A fun read
Book was easy read ,fun , if a fan of Nero Wolfe-I am
I loved the old Nero Wolfe books. This is a great continuation.
I reviewed this before, but I will take enough time to say that this series is a great bet for any fans of the original Nero Wolfe mysteries. I will happily read nother offering I. The same vein from this author.
A nice addition to the Nero Wolfe collection.
Not perfect, but close enough. Fans will enjoy seeing their old friends.
Big Nero Wolfe fan!!!!