Suggetions for fans of Rex Stout

I recently joined this group and I immediately noticed it's not very active at the present time. So I thought, as a new member, I'd try and get this one going a bit as I'm currently going back through my Nero Wolfe library and re-reading them.

I'll be posting frequently about the Wolfe series and specifically about the one I'm on at that time. But I wanted to immediately point out that when I began entering my library, I saw many other Rex Stout fans. But when I got to my second favorite author, Bruce Zimmerman, there was virtually no one that had read his series.

Although not like Wolfe in terms of the character being a detective, Zimmerman's "Quinn Parker" is the central character that gets caught up in and eventually solves the crimes. His character is extremely likeable and the setting is the San Francisco/Bay Area, where I spent a great many years. I would say it's a bit of a cross between Rex Stout and Dick Francis. The books are an easy follow and colorful characters. I highly recommend the 4 book series and think that fans of Nero Wolfe would truly enjoy all of them.

The 4 books, in chronological order are:

"Blood Under the Bridge"
"Thicker Than water"
"Full Bodied Red"
"Crimson Green"

Enjoy!

Hi Moovyz, glad you are reading and intending to post about the books. If you've read through the other threads, you will see we started to do that, but I for one, got side-tracked by a lot of other group reads. Looking forward to your posts and perhaps I'll join you on some of the reads.

Never heard of Zimmerman, I'll look for him and give it a shot. Does it matter if you read them chronologically?

I actually read "Crimson Green" first, and it was fine as a stand alone. But I would recommend reading them in order. If you end up enjoying the characters as much as I did, you will appreciate watching their development.

Let me know when you're ready to start, I'm in the mood to go through them again.

I'm ready for a new author myself. I'll look for these books. I spent a year on Treasure Island way back in the 60's, so maybe I'll be familiar with some of th e locales.

Thanks for the tip about Bruce Zimmerman. I shall go in search. Does anyone in the group read Henning Mankell's mysteries? His Swedish detective, Wallander, is about as different from Wolfe as he can be, but the books are quite good, and one gets as accustomed to Wallander's personality as one does to Wolfe's.

On a Wolfe fan's website I read about Lawrence Block's Chip Harrison books with a take off of Nero Wolfe. Is anyone familiar with these? The descriptions sounds pretty funny.

Moovyz - I bought two Zimmerman books today to try. I don't have the first one, hope it's O.K. to read them out of order.

Fanatastic!

It would be ideal to read them in order, but not crtitcal. Each is a stand alone if need be.

I actually read The 3rd one first. But after that, I read them in order, including that one again.

There are repreating characters in the novels. But just as Stout is a master at filling in new audiences, Zimmerman is first rate in this ability.

Let me know if you want company on a group read (you and me as the group)... I could do them again.

I'll let you know when I start, but it will be awhile, I also picked up a Laurie King book at the library, so that will be first, after I finish with my Ngaio Marsh book. I think I'm a bit of a glutton. My desires for books are greater than my shelf space and reading time!

I found a Zimmerman at the used book store yesterday. Thicker than Water - It was the only one they had. I've got several books ahead of it in my TBR list, however.

I'm sure you will both love his style.

I started reading Thicker than Water last night. Only got through the first two chapters, but I'm enjoying it so far.

In response to message #6/etrainer:
Just read your post about the Chip Harrison books by Lawrence Block. I love Block's series about Matthew Scudder and his Hit Man books, as well as a number of his short stories (some of which are tongue-in-cheek, particularly those about attorney Martin Ehrengraf, who is a wizened parody of Wolfe, in some ways), but I just couldn't get into Block's Chip Harrison books or his The Burglar Who. . .series. The humor in both series seems very forced and artificial to me. But chacun a son gout, as the farmer said when he kissed the cow!

I'm about to go onto my library's website and look for the Zimmerman books. I'm always looking for a good read. Unfortunately, though I've found lots of good books out there, few come up to the standards Stout set when he wrote the Wolfe books -- the character's command of language, the distinctive personalities of all the main players, which seem neither stilted nor artificial, but more like the quirks real people display. As you may have guessed, I'm more interested in character-driven mysteries rather than edge-of-the-seat action thrillers -- though if I can get both, I'm in heaven!

I have recommended this series on another mystery web group, but it bears repeating. The "Bug Man" books by Tim Downs. Forensic entomologist Nick Polchak is very similar to the character of Gus Grissom on the original CSI TV series, but I found Downs' third book in the series, First the Dead, about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, to be an outstanding read.

I immediately went out and read the other two books in the series, Shoo Fly Pie and Chop Shop, but I didn't think they held a candle to the 3rd book. Maybe if I had done as I was supposed to, and read them in chronological order, I would have enjoyed the first two books more, but at this point I can say that Downs' writing skills seem to improve with each book, so I am looking forward to the fourth entry in the series.

Oddly enough, I have never Googled Mr. Zimmerman.

I just did, wondering if there was another Quinn Parker mystery in the works. I thought some of you might be interested in the results...

Bruce Zimmerman (born 11 June 1952) is a U.S. novelist, screenwriter, and television producer. Among the television series which Zimmerman has worked on are Desperate Housewives, CSI: NY, K-Ville, The District, Judging Amy, Reunion, So Weird, and Street Time. He has also written a number of movies for television, including the two "Inspectors" movies for Showtime.

As a novelist, he has written four suspense novels starring Quinn Parker - "Blood Under the Bridge" (1989), "Thicker Than Water" (1991), "Full-Bodied Red" (1993) and "Crimson Green" (1994). }}}}}

This might explain why hbeen too busy to continue the series. Perhaps when you've all read them, we can send him a group email requesting more...lol!

I decided to read the Bruce Zimmerman's again, from the beginning. I'm about 1/2 way through the Nero Wolfe corpus (3rd or 4th time through) and thought I could use the break.

I also thought I would share this with others...

www.Albris.com

No, this is not spam and I don't have any ties with them. But this is how I found the 4 Zimmerman's to add to my library. The are sort of a clearinghouse for used book dealers. I was able to get some very hard to find coin books as well after my father passed away last year and left my brother and I his coins.

So if anyone had been having trouble finding books, this might be the answer. Prices are very reasonable (I actually paid .01 for one book, with slightly inflated shipping of course) and shipping varies by dealer. Combine order in the same dealers for shipping discounts.

You people are bad for my bank account. I just ordered three Wolfe novels I didn't already have (Prisoner's Base, The Mother Hunt, and A Right to Die) and now you're pointing me to other good authors and used book websites. I would be mad if I wasn't so happy!

I'm not loving Zimmerman like I love Stout, he's a bit more risqué for one thing, but I am enjoying the story.

I saw your comment and then began wondering why I do "love" Zimmerman, perhaps not as much as Stout, but clearly one of my favorites.

I've decided that Quinn Parker, the hero in Zimmerman's series, is a lot like Archie, only completely on his own. If Archie were to tell us stories of his life, without Wolfe and especially concerning his relationship with Lily Rowan, I think it would look something like this. It also explains why you find it a bit more risque' as I feel that Archie holds back a lot about his own life. We have to remember that Wolfe is the star and Stout is very careful to keep many details about Archie's life hidden so that not to take away from Wolfe's "aura".

I had never really looked at that aspect of Stout's writing before. It is truly a wonderful thing how he makes Wolfe the hero in the spotlight, with Archie content to play in the wings.

And then I realized something else I had never picked up on before. There was another very famous writer that chose this way of telling about the hero... I am astounded that this has never come to mind (perhaps it has to others) before and I now wonder if this may have been the inspiration for the Nero Wolfe character... anyone with me?

Sir Arthur Conan Dolye's Sherlock Holmes as told to us by the modest Watson.

Reply to #18/Moovyz:
There has long been literary speculation that Stout was greatly inspired by Conan Doyle's Holmes, and there are even some groups out there who fantasize that Holmes was either Wolfe's father or uncle (by the only female Holmes ever referred to simply as "the woman" -- the late, great Irene Adler (see "A Scandal in Bohemia"). For more info on this topic, read W. S. Baring Gould's Nero Wolfe of West Thirty-Fifth Street.

I've reserved three of the Zimmerman books at my local library -- that's in case I love them, so I won't have to wait to request the next books in the series.

To ninjapenguin (love the screen name, BTW): here's another site that's bad for the bank account, but one which I absolutely love -- I've gotten great deals on out of print books as well as new titles I couldn't afford at regular prices:
half.com

They have a ton of stuff, and all the sellers I've bought from (about 20, in the last few years) have been very reputable and good.

Moovyz - I see your point, but I think he is missing the razzmatazz of Archie. :) However, I do like him, as a character, very much. Also his friends, who I hope are in the other books. I did not find it unreadable at all, and intend to read the others, but I won't save them for a reread. Please don't be insulted, but I would put them (in the bizarre rating system I have) alongside the Qwilleran stories by Lillian Jackson Braun. Not that they are cozy, NOT at all! Just in their appeal to me. I find the lead character likable and interesting, the mystery done fairly well, meaning I didn't solve it right off the bat, and the setting interesting, I just don't think it had anything I would need to visit again.

Don't apologize... I thought you might enjoy them... seems you did. That's fine with me.

And yes, the characters re-appear in the others, a fact I found very enjoyable.

Can someone tell me if I've used 'whom' improperly in the above post? I cannot/will not wrap my head around the rules for using it, every time I think I understand it someone tells me language rules shift, so I try to go by sound. It sounded good when I was typing and rereading, but now I'm not so sure. I should just rephrase it like I usually do with wording I'm unsure of, but I wouldn't mind one more crack at figuring out how to use 'whom' properly.

Ha ha! Me trying to answer a grammar question!! Here goes, off the top of my head: What I remember from way back when we used to "See Jane run!", is that 'whom' is used as an object, 'who' as a subject (simplified terminology, I'm sure). Who knows for sure, and to whom to I owe an apology?

Hmmm, then according to that, would you say that I need to change it? It seems to me that I do. After a quick consultation with my daughter-the-whiz-kid about the difference between the subject and the object of a sentence (the subject performs the action, the object doesn't), it seems to me that the friends are a subject, so they, hopefully (and apparently according to Moovyz) will be appearing.

O.K., off to edit, now I just wish this would all stick in my head for more than five minutes, but at least I've always got this thread to return to. Providing I can remember which thread it's in. Sigh.

I think I'm generally right, but I expected numerous other replies putting the finer points on the question.

I'm reading the Zimmerman book now (Thicker than Water) and also enjoying the story. Parker is an appealing character - not too much of a wise guy. I hope it ends well - I'm still not able to see what's really going on there in Jamaica. I'm just over half way through.

Hey MrsLee? The easy way to remember when to use who and when whom? Rewrite the sentence to replace who/whom with he/him or they/them. So since you would say "I hope they are in the other books", you would use "who" in the sentence. We're just more used to using the third person pronouns so we know instictively which case (subject or object) to use for them. And really, it's more that the subject performs the action; the object has the action performed on/to/for them. But don't get me started on grammar or I'll go on and on!

ninjapenguin - Thank you! Someday, maybe these rules will stick in my head, though I suspect not, until then, I'll star this thread so I can find it. :)

Thanks, ninjapenguin -- you explained it beautifully and concisely!

I just finished the first two Bruce Zimmerman books -- the Quinn Parker series, and I LOVED them. They're now on my wish list to own. Thanks so much, moovyz, for recommending him.

I don't see him as an Archie type, though -- but a more down-to-earth and believable Travis McGee.

As for why I LOVE this series (I read each of the first two books at one sitting) -- well, IMHO Zimmerman is a master wordsmith. The man can write - fluently, articulately, and easily. His words just flow -- there are no strained metaphors, no awkward figures of speech, no overuse of hackneyed cliches.

Also, Quinn Parker has feelings, and is both intelligent and reflective -- but, thank goodness, without that self-conscious streak of darkness that ruins most major characters for me. There's none of this "I'm so tormented b/c of my dark, unspeakable past" garbage about Quinn. He's an ordinary guy with a wonderful set of friends -- who seem like very real people to me -- folks without the deliberate and so-artificial quirkiness that some other authors infuse into their supporting casts.

And I also love that Parker does not tackle world-ending problems -- no bioterrorist plots with super agents battling the forces of darkness with paper clips and rubber bands. No rabbits pulled out of hats, either. When Quinn or his friends get beaten up, it actually takes them days or weeks to recover. I love that.

Anyway, thank you, thank you, thank you, moovyz, for recommending this author to me.

#26

I seem to remember a very wise man once saying that we really need a gender neutral third person pronoun.

Rachel, I agree about Quinn Parker, though you expressed reasons to like the character and the story way better than I could. I've just read one so far - Thicker than Water.

By the way, some of the action takes place in the Sea Cliff neighborhood in San Francisco. The description of the house intrigued me, so I looked on Google Maps to see if the area was as described in the book. It was and there is an interesting house there on the cliffs near the Presidio and Lincoln Park. Google '300 Sea Cliff Ave San Francisco' if interested. $25 million!

Rachel - Great points, and I agree with all of them. Being in the middle of a not-so-great mystery right now only highlights it. Sometimes I can tell something works, but I don't have the terminology to say why. :) I enjoyed the dialog and actions/reactions of the characters. They seemed natural.

The book I'm reading at the moment jars me tremendously in that way. No one would behave or react the way these people do, their actions are forced on them to move the story or cloud the clues, or possibly just because the author doesn't write well. Mostly I'm reading it for the recipes, but I don't intend to buy anymore of these (sweet husband bought them for me for Valentine's day because of the titles, I'm a foodie). Since I'm bad-mouthing it, I won't say the title/author, but you may peek at my profile to find out. :)

ETA: I finished the book, it was Sticks and Scones, but it's no longer on my profile. Didn't want to malign an innocent book. ;)

Has anyone ever suggested The Hearse You Came In On and the other Hitchcock Sewell mysteries by Tim Cockey? I read the first one and enjoyed it but, I think because too many family members are morticians, it did not grab my interest the way the Wolfe books do. I can’t say anything bad about it, it was well written, the characters and the plot were interesting and it had the same light touch that Archie’s narration adds to the Nero Wolfe mysteries. It was the only series that came to mind when I started to read this thread.

I have another recommendation of a great book. It is NOT a mystery novel but I couldn't find a group about the subject: Golf.

If you sometimes stray from the Mystery category, try "The Green" by Troon Mcalliser. It's about a Ryder Cup Captain who goes out and "hires" a golf hustler to play for the U.S. Team. If you enjoy whacking the frustrating, little white ball around, or simply enjoy a great read, I highly recommend it. And if you like it, you'll be happy to know it's main character is part of a continuing series.

I'm reading The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. I think it's the closest to Archie, without his special wisecracks and affection for Wolfe, that I've read so far. I read Chandler years ago, but decided I didn't much care for him. Possibly it was because of the darkness of it all? Anyway, I'm enjoying this.

I haven't read this one, yet. But, I have seen the movie with Fred MacMurray a couple of times. Good film noir. Who ever thought that the Absent Minded Professor could play such a serious and menacing role.

Fred MacMurray was great in Double Indemnity too! I remember the shock of seeing it after only knowing him in his "nice" Disney roles. :)

Pardon me. I always get these two movies confused. Thanks, MrsLee. It was Bogie playing Philip Marlowe in the Big Sleep, and of course, MacMurray in Double Indemnity. Both great films.

I neglected to mention that the Troon McAlister books are fiction.

I've been watching "Leverage," with Timothy Hutton, lately. It struck me that the character of Nate Ford could very well be Archie Goodwin after Wolfe had died. I don't mean that anyone referred to that, just that the character's nature is very Goodwin-like. He has a strong sense of justice for the underdog, and isn't terribly particular how that justice comes about. Has anyone else seen this? What do you think, could Archie become a criminal Robin Hood figure if pushed?

MrsLee - I have never watched 'Leverage'. So I can't discuss. Disappointing that no one has replied.

I should try to watch the show. what's the premise?

Insurance investigator Nathan Ford (Hutton), has quit his job. His son died because the insurance company Ford worked for (and had saved millions of dollars for) denied his claim and therefore he did not receive the medical care he needed. A bitter man, he is recruited to work with some of the thieves he had chased in the past to "con" rich bad guys and distribute their wealth to the ones they have harmed. A sort of Robin Hood meets The Sting. It is lighthearted, and fun to watch them work together.

So in my head, Wolfe has died. Archie then marries a lovely and intriguing woman (and in fact, later in the series of Leverage, Ford's wife is played by the woman who played Lilly in the Wolfe shows!) and had a son. Because he needs a regular salary to support his family, he decides to work as an insurance investigator, etc. Plays out fine in my head. :)

Sounds like fun - I'll try to watch an episode!

etrainer, I don't know if you have Netflix, but they have season 1 on instant play there. I'm done with season 1 and now have to wrestle over the queue with my son. :)

I've been reading Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series lately. I gotta say, Harry Dresden sure reminds me of Archie in a lot of ways. He couldn't stop his wisecracks if he wanted to, his sense of honor and doing what is the right and fair thing is what drives him many instances. There isn't a Wolfe in the stories though.

Anyone here read William F. Love? His detectives are Bishop Regan and Davey Goldman. I haven't read very far, but they seem to be a Wolfe and Goodman type of team. The bishop is in a wheelchair and Goldman is a Jewish private eye who plays secretary to the bishop when work is slow. Will be interested to see just how similar the dynamics are to Stout's team.

I saw these books on my wishlist and have no idea where the recommendation came from. That's why I had to purchase one, because I couldn't remember putting them on my list! I'm thinking they must have been recommended by a fan of Stout, but I don't see the author's name in this thread. I've gotta start making a note in private comments on why I'm putting books on my wishlist. Guess I'm at that "age" now. :P

>45 MrsLee: I see someone has tagged one of the books in the series as "Nero Wolfe homage".

>45 MrsLee: MrsLee -- please let us know what you think of them. I have heard of that author before, and in reference to them being a Nero Wolfe homage. I tried to find one at the local library, but they didn't have any. But I'm certainly willing to buy them if you find them worthwhile!

>46 Crypto-Willobie: & >47 jhicks62: I'm still trying to decide if it is an homage or simply a rip off. I'll let you know when I finish the story. It is not unreadable, but I have very little time to sit and read right now.

Speaking of Wolfe homages...

http://www.nerowolfe.org/htm/tidbits/Wolfe_pastiches.htm

I had heard of some of these but certainly not all.
I did try to read the first of John Lescroart's 'Auguste Lupin' series and I agree with the assessment given above that it's not very well written -- in fact I thought it was wretched. Since Lescroart went on to become a successful and popular mystery novelist I suppose he must have gotten better.

>49 Crypto-Willobie: I might look into the Lawrence Block ones. Too bad about the John Lescroart story, I love the premise.

I did read the first August Lupin book by John Lescroart, but it was a long time ago, so apparently not very memorable.

I have to say that I am enjoying the newer pastiches by Robert Goldsborough that began with Archie Meets Nero Wolfe.

Well, I didn't love the Bishop's Revenge. Because the author could not replicate Archie and Wolfe's brand of humor, it smacked more of a rip off than an homage to me. I think he would have done better to simply come up with his own team. It wasn't unreadable, but I winced when the two main characters interacted.

Thank you, >52 MrsLee:! You saved me some time. Think I'll head back to West 35th Street...

Well, I'm sorry to have missed the start of this discussion 8 years ago -- but thanks, Moovyz, for the Zimmerman recommendation! I looked him up & was shocked to find only Blood Under the Bridge at SF's Mechanics' Library, & NO reviews (or Look Inside) on Amazon. The one review on Goodreads appears to have been cut & pasted from the Amazon product description, or vice versa (the Amazon cover pic is clearly amateur).

As a bereaved Rex Stout fan who's read all the books repeatedly, I've been disappointed by other authors' "sequels" to the Wolfe books. As you noted, >52 MrsLee: MrsLee, they may know where to put the globe & the red leather chair, but they never really get the voice, the wit. My response as a writer was to start a new mystery series starring Archie Goodwin's journalist daughter. Check out Silent Night Violent Night: a Cory Goodwin Mystery & see what you think.

>54 CarolVerburg: I'll bite, I have it on my Kindle now and will read it after I finish The Constant Gardener, which may be awhile. :)

You need to contact LT staff or something though. Although your link took me to your book page, when I tried to add the book to my library, it came up with a different book. I tried several different ways. I'm going to check the combining right now, that may be the issue.

Thanks, Mrs. Lee! I'll see what I can find out about the LT labyrinth.

One of the chapters in the mystery I'm publishing this fall (Zapped, in another series) is called The Constant Gardener. What a lovely heartbreaking book . . . like most of LeCarre's. Have you seen BBC's recent 6-part TV version of The Night Manager?

>56 CarolVerburg: I finished the book, and I hope you have more planned about Cory Goodwin! I love that her father is only referred to obliquely, and that you weren't heavy-handed about it. Have to wonder, are there copyright issues about it? I know Laurie King had some trouble with the Sayers estate when she very gently referred to Lord Peter Wimsey.

This was a fun read. I am so thankful that you are a good author, and not otherwise, because this post would have been much more awkward for me if it had been bad. ;)

I had a few quibbles, but perhaps they are more a matter of taste in mysteries. What I do know is that I enjoyed this story and the character and I was antsy at work because I wanted to get home and read it!

>57 MrsLee: MrsLee Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the book, & I really appreciated your review on Amazon, too.

I haven't been back here lately as ZAPPED, my new Edgar Rowdey Cape Cod mystery, just came off the press over the weekend & launch parties are coming up on both coasts. (All mystery fans warmly invited -- see carolverburg.com for details.)

The next Cory Goodwin mystery is quite different from Silent Night Violent Night. In Another Number for the Road, Cory's sent to France to investigate a cold case & follow a reuniting 60s rock band from a small-town Strawberry Festival to the Eiffel Tower to a nightclub near EuroDisney. I can't wait to get back to it. It should be out in late Spring.

Moovyz, I enjoyed Blood Under the Bridge & will keep an eye out for the others.

Note in another thread a recommendation of 4 mysteries in a similar voice by William F. Love.

Here's an intriguing tip from a comment on my recent revisit of The Black Mountain (in which we visit Wolfe's childhood home in Montenegro -- http://carolverburg.com,): "How Like A God, written before the creation of Wolfe and Goodwin. It’s a novel of sexual obsession written in the second person."

>60 CarolVerburg: Nice review, I hope you posted it here on LT as well. :)

I did not care for the book I read by William F. Love, but YMMV. It was not a bad read, but not a replacement.

I laughed at this comment from your blog, "Presumably that’s why my e-books from the library are dotted with distracting snail-trails." referring to notes in a volume by other readers. There have been a few books in my life which call out for notes from the reader in the margins. One of which, I shared with friends and they added their own notes. It is a treasure to me now. I have also had some great experiences in the Green Dragon group where a member/author joined us for a group read of their novel. A tricky thing, because it is intimidating to speak honestly when the author is right there, but the two in particular that I know of were wonderful.

It's been a while since I was here. Based on >57 MrsLee: I want to give Silent Night Violent Night a try.

>62 etrainer: Will be interested to hear what you think. :)

I'm reading The Garrett Files by Glen Cook right now. I think someone recommended them to me because the main character is an "Archie-like" figure. Remains to be seen. I think I would equate these more with Chandler-noir type of stories. However, there is a small part where Garrett goes to consult with someone and that someone is very Wolfe-like, I wonder if the author did that on purpose?

According to the Garrett P.I. wikipedia page the Wolfe parallels are intentional and there are parallels to other books too
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrett_P.I.#Allusions

>65 Crypto-Willobie: I'm going to wait until I've finished the first book before I read that link, but it's good to know, thanks.

I still haven't decided if I like this or not. It hasn't pulled me in yet, but neither has it pushed me away.

Has this been suggested before? i hadn't heard about it. Looks promising...

http://www.librarything.com/work/19168885/reviews/162424918

Huh. Interesting. I haven't seen that before. And the one review is from a known LT member, so not a foil. Let us know if you try it. I'm not sure whether I would enjoy it or not, I suppose it all depends on the delivery.

Just to throw in my opinion for what it's worth. I tired of the characters and stories after about the first 5 or 6. The Stout references were fun at first, but then I didn't find the characters at all compelling enough to care about them. And the solutions to the mysteries weren't all that clever. After you read the first couple, you can see them coming from a mile away.

Simply my opinion -- someone else may love them!

>68 MrsLee:
I think I ordered a cheap copy but cant quite remember. I guess we'll see if it arrives...

>67 Crypto-Willobie: >68 MrsLee:
Though of course at bottom it's a humorous take-off, it's an EXCELLENT Wolfe pastiche. In fact, I think Loren Estleman has Archie's tone and feel down so well that we should get him to do the straight Wolfe sequels instead of Robert Goldsborough.

>71 Crypto-Willobie: Well, with that recommendation, and the fact that it is $2.99 on Amazon Kindle today, I now own it! Will let you know when I read it. I'm reading rather slowly these days due to various factors.

I just bought a $50 copy of too Many Women to replace my missing copy. So $8 more for Nearly Nero seemed like a reasonable idea. MrsLee, did you ever read it?

>73 etrainer: Please tell me that was a hardcover edition of Too Many Women?

No, I haven't tried it yet. It is sitting on my tablet, in my "Read These Soon" place. Problem is, I am not in quick reading mode anymore. Takes me awhile. I think it will be my next read, but I'm reading a big, thick story by Pearl S. Buck at the moment. :)

I read the first story in Nearly Nero. Mildly amusing. I think the rest will be entertaining.

I got so far as the introduction, which I don't usually read first in a book, but I'm glad I did this one. I think it will help me to be more sympathetic to the author. Loren Estelman wrote the introduction to Fer de Lance when it was republished as a paperback in the 1990s.

This introduction made me a bit wistful and doubting of my "keep it simple" rule for my library, in that, as I have found hardcover versions of the stories (they stand up better to multiple reads), I have purged my paperbacks, many of which were those published in the 1990s with the introductions by authors I know better now than I did then. My husband bought all of them for me. Now I miss them.

Nearly Nero exceeded my expectations! The first three tales I wasn't so sure, but after that Estelman hit his stride. One might even say, satisfactory.

I haven't finished it yet, but have only read about 4 stories. Your post makes me hopeful.

Boy, it doesn't take long for a group to go dormant. This group is worth keeping active...

Indeed it is, and thank you for bringing it back to the top of my Talk page.

I'll contribute by asking if anyone here has yet read this new book: The Misadventures of Nero Wolfe? The subtitle is "Parodies and Pastiches Featuring the Great Detective of West 35th Street". I've purchased the ebook (see link to Kobo below, though I'm quite sure it's available at Amazon as well) but haven't had a chance to start reading. I hope it's not flummery. :-)

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-misadventures-of-nero-wolfe

Thanks, didn't know about that one...

And to add on to >80 rosalita:, here's a giveaway for a paperback copy: https://murder-mayhem.com/monthly-giveaway?sid=04b2bf7bfb2687c08283514e051fe72e

Only open to U.S. residents, unfortunately.

As someone who wasn't really a fan of Nearly Nero, I'm enjoying the Misadventures! I'm only about a third of the way through so far, but I like the variety included. (A little off-topic, but I'm hoping I enjoy the whole thing so I can order The Misadventures of Ellery Queen by the same editor.)

>83 jhicks62: Ah, that's good to hear! The list of authors looked very promising, but you never know.

>83 jhicks62: & >84 rosalita: Ok, one more praise of this and I will try it!

I just had a very good experience with A Study in Sherlock, a collection of short stories which were inspired by Sherlock Holmes. I don't usually enjoy most of the stories in a short story collection, but I did these. Enough that I will be seeking out a few of the contributing authors. But that has nothing to do with Nero Wolfe. :)

Checking in. I wasn't impressed with Nearly Nero. For some reason, I didn't try The Misadventures . . .

>85 MrsLee: I remember also enjoying A Study in Sherlock when it came out a few years ago!

Just read about thus:
https://avanneman.tumblr.com/threebullets?fbclid=IwAR02zgrDdiZtkqni-IfpnUMbeVW3E...

>88 Crypto-Willobie: I have an ebook copy of that but haven't read it yet. Thanks for putting it back on my radar — sometimes my e-reader resembles a black hole more than a reading device!

Has anyone watched the Italian production of the Nero Wolfe series? I'm thrilled with it after watching the first one, Fer de Lance. This actor portrayal of Nero Wolfe is the best yet IMO. Archie is too subdued in this, but I always thought Hutton was over the top. Some day maybe a version will be made with the perfect Archie.

Anyway, they stuck to the storyline very well, except it is in Rome and Wolfe has been advised to leave America for the time being. The sets are great, some differences in the house, but of course it isn't the brownstone in New York.

>90 MrsLee: Where did you watch this? I seem to remember hearing about an Italian version, but I don't think I have ever seen it.

>91 etrainer: I subscribed to a channel through Amazon Prime which has mostly foreign crime/murder mystery series. It is called MHz. The episodes are an hour and a half long, so they put in plenty of details.

>92 MrsLee: Thanks, I'll check it out.

>90 MrsLee: Having watched all but the last episode of the season, I can now say with confidence that I loved the Italian production. Archie grew on me. I think what was missing were his internal sarcastic comments, but the actor managed with facial expressions to show his doubts and amusement. The man who played Wolfe was perfect. Honestly, there were times I forgot it was in Rome in spite of the fact that they were speaking Italian! Still, the setting of Rome in the 1950s was also wonderful. I'm going to be very sad watching the last episode tonight.

I haven't paid attention to when this was made, but I'm happy to know that Nero Wolfe has enough of a fan base in Italy to make this show.