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Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe Mysteries #9
Murder in the Ball Park
A killer hiding among the crowd at a Dodgers-Giants game forces Nero Wolfe to step up to the plate in this “superb” mystery (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Archie Goodwin and Saul Panzer have ventured into the wilds of northern Manhattan to watch the Giants take on the Dodgers at the Polo Grounds. The national anthem is just winding down when Panzer spies a notable in the box state senator Orson Milbank, a silver-haired scoundrel with enemies in every corner of upstate New York. In the fourth inning, a monstrous line drive brings every fan in the grandstand to his feet—every fan save for one silver-haired senator, who has been shot dead by a sniper in the upper deck. Archie’s employer—the rotund genius Nero Wolfe—has no interest in investigating the stadium slaying, but Archie is swayed by the senator’s suspiciously lovely widow. Her husband was mired hip-deep in corruption, and sorting out who killed him will be a task far less pleasant than an afternoon at the ball park.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 28, 2014
264 people are currently reading
683 people want to read
About the author
Robert Goldsborough
45 books251 followersRobert 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
May 3, 2023
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 9th 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 to the 1950s. In this mystery, Wolfe and Archie look into the death of a politician.
*****
Polo Grounds
Archie Goodwin and his fellow private detective Saul Panzer are at the Polo Grounds, waiting for the Dodgers-Giants game to start, when they notice a conspicuous cadre of fellow spectators: New York State Senator Orson Milbank along with his publicist; campaign manager; political pollster; and intern.
When a home run in the fourth inning brings the roaring crowd to its feet, Senator Milbank keels over dead. The police determine that a sniper shot the politician, but they make little progress catching the gunman.
Milbank's wife, former Hollywood actress Elise DuVal, asks Nero Wolfe to find her husband's assassin.
When Wolfe interviews DuVal, she admits many people had a grudge against her spouse. Firstly, there are rumors about Milbank being 'cozy' with his beautiful publicist, Mona Fentress, who's married to a bad-tempered advertising executive.
Secondly, Milbank was waffling about a proposed Northern Parkway that would connect New York City with the towns to the north, and this angered both proponents and opponents of the road, including:
Franco Bacelli (anti-parkway) - Bacelli is a crime boss who doesn't want the road going through his magnificent estate. Senator Milbank NIXED the original plans for the parkway, but OKAYED an altered route that would avoid the mobster's property. Still, Bacelli is angry because he doesn't want the road at all.
Jonah Keller (pro-parkway) - Keller is a bloated obnoxious windbag who's head of the Northland Realtors Association. Keller wants the parkway because he believes it will trigger growth and new housing. Keller started a smear campaign against Senator Milbank, calling him a crime syndicate toady.
Ray Corcoran (pro-parkway) - Corcoran heads the Westchester-Putnam-Dutchess County businessmen’s group, who thinks the road will enhance business opportunities.
Howell Baxter (anti-parkway) - Baxter is head of a group that calls itself 'Citizens Looking to Enjoy Arboreal Nature' (CLEAR). Baxter called Senator Milbank a turncoat, and said he was the most infamous traitor since Benedict Arnold.
Miscellaneous wealthy residents of the suburbs (anti-parkway) - Rich people whose property contains horse farms, bridle paths, swimming pools, formal gardens, fountains, etc. don't want a road disrupting their estates.
Nero Wolfe reluctantly takes the case, and invites journalist Lon Cohen, who has encyclopedic knowledge of New York and its residents, to dinner....to pick Lon's brain. The bribe dinner includes Cape Cod clamcakes, beef braised in red wine, squash with sour cream and dill, avocado with watercress and black walnut kernels, cherry tarts, and expensive brandy.
Clamcakes
Beef Braised in Red Wine
Squash with Sour Cream and Dill
Avodcado with Waterecress and Walnuts
Cherry Tarts
Archie is sent to question Senator Milbank's staff and all the other the persons of interest, one of whom apparently hired a sharpshooter to kill Senator Milbank.
At the story's climax, Wolfe exposes the murderer in his usual style. He has Archie gather all the suspects in Wolfe's office, along with Police Inspector Cramer....who will arrest the perpetrator.
This isn't among the best Nero Wolfe mysteries, but it's always fun to visit with favorite characters in the novels. Recommended to fans of the series.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
August 27, 2016
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me 5 times? You're writing Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin novels and I just can't help myself. When I was on page 19, I actually put in my notes, "if this book wasn't about Wolfe and Archie, I wouldn't read another word." But it was about them, so I read the whole thing.
There's no attempt at all to mimic Stout, his voice, pacing, etc. And this is a good thing -- if you can't do it successfully, it just comes across as bad (a recent example in another medium is the Dan Harmon-less season 4 of Community). Goldsborough came close with Murder in E Minor, which is why it'll always be the book least likely to get him pilloried by anyone. But here he doesn't even try -- this is someone using familiar characters in his own voice, and that'd fine. I figure it's like when Sammy Hagar got to stop singing songs written for David Lee Roth and instead focus on songs written for him -- same band, but it came across very differently. When I was able to think of this as a Goldsborough novel rather than a non-Stout, it was a better experience. Not good, really, but better.
You read series to spend time with characters you like/love. That's a given -- and even when someone other than their creator is doing the telling, you can still enjoy them (see: most TV and comic series). But when they really don't seem like themselves, it's really not that fun to hang out with them. And that's the biggest problem here -- another voice, I think I could handle. If that voice got the characters right. And Goldsborough falls flat here (flatter than ever before, I think)
The book starts off with Archie and Saul at a ball game, when an important looking fellow comes in and sits a few rows ahead of them. Archie doesn't know who he is, so Saul dumps a whole bunch of information on the gentleman -- a state senator of some repute. Here I called foul for the first of many times -- Archie reads, what, two papers every morning? Or is it three? (I don't care enough at this point to do the five minutes of research it'd take to verify this). He doesn't need for Saul "The Expositor" Panzer to fill him in on all these details in an uncharacteristically verbose way. Just a shameful way to use Saul, anyway.
The middle hundred (give or take) pages were so hard to get through. Archie and Wolfe talk to the three main suspects as well as five people close to the case and Inspector Cramer. Each and every one of them gave the exact same list of suspects (obviously the suspects left themselves out) -- in the same order of likelihood -- and then each of them (including the suspects) gave nearly identical reasons why each suspect should and shouldn't be considered. It was just painful, you could practically sing along with the characters by the end. "Second verse, same as the first."
I don't want to get into specifics here, but I was less than a quarter of the way through the book when I saw the hinge on which everything turned. It was so obvious, it was annoying. I don't expect Goldsborough to be as good as Stout (rarefied company anyway), but someone who's read as many mysteries as this guy seems to have should've been better at hiding the solution.
Lastly, the dialogue was simply atrocious.
After said VIP is killed, Archie tells Saul.
Later, when asking how Archie learned something, Lily says,
I could go on, but I won't. Just one other way that Goldsborough refuses to respect the characters that made this series what it is.
When I was about halfway done with this book, I posted this to Facebook, and I think it sums things up pretty well:
Next time a Robert Goldsborough book comes out, I need as many of you as possible to whack my nose w/a rolled-up newspaper and tell me, "no."
Probably won't do any good, but it's still the humane thing to do.
There's no attempt at all to mimic Stout, his voice, pacing, etc. And this is a good thing -- if you can't do it successfully, it just comes across as bad (a recent example in another medium is the Dan Harmon-less season 4 of Community). Goldsborough came close with Murder in E Minor, which is why it'll always be the book least likely to get him pilloried by anyone. But here he doesn't even try -- this is someone using familiar characters in his own voice, and that'd fine. I figure it's like when Sammy Hagar got to stop singing songs written for David Lee Roth and instead focus on songs written for him -- same band, but it came across very differently. When I was able to think of this as a Goldsborough novel rather than a non-Stout, it was a better experience. Not good, really, but better.
You read series to spend time with characters you like/love. That's a given -- and even when someone other than their creator is doing the telling, you can still enjoy them (see: most TV and comic series). But when they really don't seem like themselves, it's really not that fun to hang out with them. And that's the biggest problem here -- another voice, I think I could handle. If that voice got the characters right. And Goldsborough falls flat here (flatter than ever before, I think)
The book starts off with Archie and Saul at a ball game, when an important looking fellow comes in and sits a few rows ahead of them. Archie doesn't know who he is, so Saul dumps a whole bunch of information on the gentleman -- a state senator of some repute. Here I called foul for the first of many times -- Archie reads, what, two papers every morning? Or is it three? (I don't care enough at this point to do the five minutes of research it'd take to verify this). He doesn't need for Saul "The Expositor" Panzer to fill him in on all these details in an uncharacteristically verbose way. Just a shameful way to use Saul, anyway.
The middle hundred (give or take) pages were so hard to get through. Archie and Wolfe talk to the three main suspects as well as five people close to the case and Inspector Cramer. Each and every one of them gave the exact same list of suspects (obviously the suspects left themselves out) -- in the same order of likelihood -- and then each of them (including the suspects) gave nearly identical reasons why each suspect should and shouldn't be considered. It was just painful, you could practically sing along with the characters by the end. "Second verse, same as the first."
I don't want to get into specifics here, but I was less than a quarter of the way through the book when I saw the hinge on which everything turned. It was so obvious, it was annoying. I don't expect Goldsborough to be as good as Stout (rarefied company anyway), but someone who's read as many mysteries as this guy seems to have should've been better at hiding the solution.
Lastly, the dialogue was simply atrocious.
After said VIP is killed, Archie tells Saul.
I don't want to be here when Inspector Cramer or, heaven forbid, his dull-witted, stuttering underling, Lieutenant George Rowcliff, shows up. Each of them would try to pin this on me somehowWhat's wrong with this? Sure, Archie might say "Inspector Cramer" here, rather than simply "Cramer," but I doubt it. But there's no way he rambles on with full name and rank of Rowcliff -- period. And that lumbering "dull-witted, stuttering underling"? Pfui. Saul knows Rowcliff. Archie might put that in his narration, but he's not going to do that in dialogue with his old pal.
Later, when asking how Archie learned something, Lily says,
Your old friend and poker-playing adversary Lon Cohen, no doubt.No. No. No. Lily's lines should sing. The banter between she and Archie should have zip. Not this tin-eared nonsense.
I could go on, but I won't. Just one other way that Goldsborough refuses to respect the characters that made this series what it is.
When I was about halfway done with this book, I posted this to Facebook, and I think it sums things up pretty well:
Next time a Robert Goldsborough book comes out, I need as many of you as possible to whack my nose w/a rolled-up newspaper and tell me, "no."
Probably won't do any good, but it's still the humane thing to do.
February 8, 2015
As a great admirer of Robert Goldsborough and his Nero Wolfe pastiches, I truly wanted to like this story. But... its red herring is a suspect so obviously villainous that he must be innocent, and is. It drops in the key clue toward the start so clumsily that it gives the game away. (I tumbled it 40,000 words before Wolfe did.) Its dialogue is unnatural: everyone speaks with perfect grammar and in the same stilted cadence. And, wholly unpardonably, it introduces a deus ex machina. Archie is being held at gunpoint by two hoodlums. Who should arrive but a friend, armed to the teeth and fortuitously equipped with handcuffs? He just happened, for no plausible reason, to be following Archie around. Lo, our hero is saved!
As Wolfe might have said: 'Phooey'.
Oh, how I yearned for a clever twist in the last scene! For a double bluff, in which the obvious villain truly was the culprit!For something worthy of Rex Stout... It was not to be. Phooey.
As Wolfe might have said: 'Phooey'.
Oh, how I yearned for a clever twist in the last scene! For a double bluff, in which the obvious villain truly was the culprit!For something worthy of Rex Stout... It was not to be. Phooey.
January 19, 2014
I've never before read a Nero Wolfe mystery and now I find I have likely been missing something. From what I have read elsewhere, Goldsborough recreates Rex Stout's world of mid-century New York quite well. All I can say is that the style, the dialogue, the characters, the plot and the Christie-like denouement all were a pleasure to read. I'll be back---whether to the original books or to Mr Goldsborough's wonderful homage follow-up writings, probably both.
An ecopy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley without promise of positive review.
An ecopy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley without promise of positive review.
September 16, 2020
I'm giving Robert Goldsborough's "Murder in the Ball Park" a marginal third star. He's standing in mostly admirably for Rex Stout and constructing new narratives for the classic detective duo of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. As a fan of Nero Wolfe for 20 years, I do appreciate the effort.
Yet while the author's "imitation" of Stout might be meant as sincere flattery, he's not nearly as talented as Rex Stout was. His "ear" for dialogue as a writer often ranges from clunky to horrifying. Whatever editor allowed some of the dialogue in this book to slip through should be smacked across the knuckles (repeatedly!) with a ruler. The attempt to provide huge, unwieldy chunks of exposition in the first few pages with a "casual" (it's anything but) conversation between Archie and Saul Panzer at the ball game is particularly painful.
Also, Goldsborough doesn't construct mysteries that are particularly difficult for the reader to solve. I had most of the solution long before the sleuths did, that's for sure.
The mystery itself seems a lot more complex than it is. A New York state senator is assassinated by a sniper in the middle of a Giants-Dodgers baseball game at the Polo Grounds, where Archie Goodwin and Saul Panzer happen to be in attendance. That puts the story in the 1949-1950 era. The main cause of animus towards the deceased senator is a roadway connecting New York City to the northern counties of the state. Some factions (including a Trump-esque developer) supported the roadway. Other factions, namely a grumpy Mafia boss, opposed the roadway. And the senator managed to upset both sides by flip-flopping and waffling on the issue.
There are suspects aplenty and a fishmongers' delight of red herrings. But, as I said, the "twist" in the tale is pretty easy to see. It's telegraphed in large strokes. I know mystery writers are supposed to try to flatter the intelligence of the reader and make them feel like they, too, are detectives. But there is a limit to that practice.
If you're a Nero Wolfe fan who is starving for new content, Goldsborough's works are an acceptable. if flawed, substitute that often give me a thrill of nostalgia for Rex Stout's excellent mysteries.
Yet while the author's "imitation" of Stout might be meant as sincere flattery, he's not nearly as talented as Rex Stout was. His "ear" for dialogue as a writer often ranges from clunky to horrifying. Whatever editor allowed some of the dialogue in this book to slip through should be smacked across the knuckles (repeatedly!) with a ruler. The attempt to provide huge, unwieldy chunks of exposition in the first few pages with a "casual" (it's anything but) conversation between Archie and Saul Panzer at the ball game is particularly painful.
Also, Goldsborough doesn't construct mysteries that are particularly difficult for the reader to solve. I had most of the solution long before the sleuths did, that's for sure.
The mystery itself seems a lot more complex than it is. A New York state senator is assassinated by a sniper in the middle of a Giants-Dodgers baseball game at the Polo Grounds, where Archie Goodwin and Saul Panzer happen to be in attendance. That puts the story in the 1949-1950 era. The main cause of animus towards the deceased senator is a roadway connecting New York City to the northern counties of the state. Some factions (including a Trump-esque developer) supported the roadway. Other factions, namely a grumpy Mafia boss, opposed the roadway. And the senator managed to upset both sides by flip-flopping and waffling on the issue.
There are suspects aplenty and a fishmongers' delight of red herrings. But, as I said, the "twist" in the tale is pretty easy to see. It's telegraphed in large strokes. I know mystery writers are supposed to try to flatter the intelligence of the reader and make them feel like they, too, are detectives. But there is a limit to that practice.
If you're a Nero Wolfe fan who is starving for new content, Goldsborough's works are an acceptable. if flawed, substitute that often give me a thrill of nostalgia for Rex Stout's excellent mysteries.
February 3, 2014
First, a word about the book cover. It is simply awful. It looks as if it took all of two full minutes to design with a complete absence of thought or creativity. This is in keeping with the rest of the Goldsborough-Nero Wolfe series reprints from Mysterious Press. They all look as if an unpaid intern were tasked with quickly tossing something together, complete with an open source stock photo, all with a budget of nothing. The result is a book cover that is wholly uninteresting and certainly not up to the past standards of Mysterious Press. Also, in this edition, there are minor typos throughout, which are listed below.
In earlier Nero Wolfe stories, Mr. Goldsborough brought Archie and Nero Wolfe up to date in present day. (at the time the 1980's and 90's) Now, he sets the sleuths back to 1950, when men still wore suit to ties to baseball games. The story itself, without going into detail, is slow moving, long winded and dialogue heavy, although the author does a decent job of emulating Nero Wolfe's pomposity for pedantic and bombastic verbosity. But, the mystery is slow to progress, and not much of a puzzler once the necessary clues are revealed.
Errors & Typos:
pp. 19 "I'm"
pp. 70 "I've"
pp. 99 "Any""
pp. 147 "as"
pp. 197 "...to join you here tonight, nine o'clock" Should be "tomorrow night"
In earlier Nero Wolfe stories, Mr. Goldsborough brought Archie and Nero Wolfe up to date in present day. (at the time the 1980's and 90's) Now, he sets the sleuths back to 1950, when men still wore suit to ties to baseball games. The story itself, without going into detail, is slow moving, long winded and dialogue heavy, although the author does a decent job of emulating Nero Wolfe's pomposity for pedantic and bombastic verbosity. But, the mystery is slow to progress, and not much of a puzzler once the necessary clues are revealed.
Errors & Typos:
pp. 19 "I'm"
pp. 70 "I've"
pp. 99 "Any""
pp. 147 "as"
pp. 197 "...to join you here tonight, nine o'clock" Should be "tomorrow night"
June 16, 2019
When Robert Goldsborough took over Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series in the mid 1980s, her brought Wolfe and his crew forward into the age of the personal computer (for the orchid germination records) without aging any of the characters. He wrote seven books, the last in 1994, before taking a break.
Wolfe and Goodwin reappeared—and met—in the 2012 prequel Archie Meets Nero Wolfe, and Murder in the Ball Park, published in 2014, drops Wolfe and his usual crew, Archie, Lily Rowan, Fritz the chef, Lon Cohen from the Gazette, and Cramer and Stebbins from the NYPD, back into the mid twentieth century, a few years after the end of World War II. The ball park in the title is the old Polo Grounds (demolished in 1964), and Goldsborough has fun with NYC baseball of the period. He also delves into what we now call PTSD and the difficulties of men returning from combat.
I know there are Stout/Wolfe purists who decry the continuation of the series, but I’m enjoying the books. I read all the Stout novels (long ago) and I think Goldsborough has done a fine job recreating the characters and atmosphere. There are five more in the series, including one published just last month, and I have four of them waiting on my Kindle. Cheers to Open Road Press for making so many mysteries, both vintage and new, available.
Wolfe and Goodwin reappeared—and met—in the 2012 prequel Archie Meets Nero Wolfe, and Murder in the Ball Park, published in 2014, drops Wolfe and his usual crew, Archie, Lily Rowan, Fritz the chef, Lon Cohen from the Gazette, and Cramer and Stebbins from the NYPD, back into the mid twentieth century, a few years after the end of World War II. The ball park in the title is the old Polo Grounds (demolished in 1964), and Goldsborough has fun with NYC baseball of the period. He also delves into what we now call PTSD and the difficulties of men returning from combat.
I know there are Stout/Wolfe purists who decry the continuation of the series, but I’m enjoying the books. I read all the Stout novels (long ago) and I think Goldsborough has done a fine job recreating the characters and atmosphere. There are five more in the series, including one published just last month, and I have four of them waiting on my Kindle. Cheers to Open Road Press for making so many mysteries, both vintage and new, available.
July 23, 2019
Robert Goldsborough does a fine job giving us this period mystery. Murder in the Ball Park takes place in the 1940's before the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants moved onto greener pastures in California. There is a little bit of baseball trivia here, but don't think this book is about baseball.
A state senator is murdered by a sniper at the ball park and Archie and Nero investigate his political and personal life to discover the murderer and who put this person up to it. I thought I had this one figured out from the get go but I was totally mistaken. Lots of suspects and well-developed red herrings led me down the wrong path. The plot is intricate and atmospherically portrays the times it was set. I enjoyed the dialogue in this book immensely. I will definitely be picking up more books by this author and the original Nero Wolfe author, Rex Stout.
A state senator is murdered by a sniper at the ball park and Archie and Nero investigate his political and personal life to discover the murderer and who put this person up to it. I thought I had this one figured out from the get go but I was totally mistaken. Lots of suspects and well-developed red herrings led me down the wrong path. The plot is intricate and atmospherically portrays the times it was set. I enjoyed the dialogue in this book immensely. I will definitely be picking up more books by this author and the original Nero Wolfe author, Rex Stout.
January 15, 2024
My favorite Nero Wolfe books (and I’ve read them all) are the ones set in the 1930s through 1950s. They were contemporary when written, but now it’s like read a historical, which is my favorite genre. In this title, Robert Goldsborough sets the story in 1949, when a murder takes place during a game at the Polo Grounds.
A controversial state senator is killed by a sniper, and the case looks unsolvable. Never fear, though, because Wolfe is on the job. The solution is something of a rabbit out of a hat but nevertheless plausible. Satisfactory.
Several of the Goldsborough audiobooks are available through Audible Plus. Also satisfactory.
A controversial state senator is killed by a sniper, and the case looks unsolvable. Never fear, though, because Wolfe is on the job. The solution is something of a rabbit out of a hat but nevertheless plausible. Satisfactory.
Several of the Goldsborough audiobooks are available through Audible Plus. Also satisfactory.
May 25, 2019
“Ball Park” is the second of (currently) seven additional extensions of the Nero Wolfe tales by Robert Goldsborough, appearing after a lapse of about 20 years since his original seven additional Wolfe stories. Most of these tales are set in more modern times, but this one, with a baseball park setting, is actually a period piece set in the late 1940’s after WWII but before the Korean conflict. It was partially meant to honor Rex Stout, an avid baseball fan.
When a murder occurs at New York’s Polo Grounds while Archie and operative Saul Panzer happen to be there watching the Giants take on the Dodgers, eventually Wolfe is hired to find the killer when Inspector Kramer and fellow cops appear stymied, despite the public heat of a state senator being the victim. Archie spends much of the plot chasing various “persons of interest”, prior to a typical closing scene in Wolfe’s office. A couple of well-placed clues were a little more obvious to many readers than in most of the novels, but nonetheless, the familiar characters and tactics make things fun almost regardless of the case at hand.
We anxiously await the coming entries in the renewed series.
When a murder occurs at New York’s Polo Grounds while Archie and operative Saul Panzer happen to be there watching the Giants take on the Dodgers, eventually Wolfe is hired to find the killer when Inspector Kramer and fellow cops appear stymied, despite the public heat of a state senator being the victim. Archie spends much of the plot chasing various “persons of interest”, prior to a typical closing scene in Wolfe’s office. A couple of well-placed clues were a little more obvious to many readers than in most of the novels, but nonetheless, the familiar characters and tactics make things fun almost regardless of the case at hand.
We anxiously await the coming entries in the renewed series.
October 4, 2025
Thank you Mr. Goldsborough for writing Murder in the Ball Park. I valued your sensitive discussion of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the impact it has on the survivors and their family members. Thank you for not shying away from issues that I believe may impact PTSD survivors and their families such as self-medication methods that include use of alcohol and drugs, lack of mental health support, lack of job and career training, and lack of connection to their community of origin once they return from military service. I value your efforts, Mr. Goldsborough, to slowly, systematically, and progressively introduce readers to social advocacy issues that I believe can impact the way we interact and support people in our daily living. Goodreads friends, Mr. Goldsborough, hits a home run.
December 7, 2023
3.75/5
The book threw me off a bit in the beginning because all the previous Nero Wolfe stories were set in the time period in which the story was written but here the story seems to have been set in the ‘50s. Aside for that I found this to be one of the better Robert Goldsborough Nero Wolfe mysteries.
The book threw me off a bit in the beginning because all the previous Nero Wolfe stories were set in the time period in which the story was written but here the story seems to have been set in the ‘50s. Aside for that I found this to be one of the better Robert Goldsborough Nero Wolfe mysteries.
January 4, 2025
Published in 2014, the story revolves around the killing of a Senator while attending a Ball game that both Archie and Saul are attending and both lended aid to the victim.
Worth the read / lisen.
Worth the read / lisen.
July 17, 2014
Nero and Archie continues...
Picture yourself back in the early 1950's. An era when the New York Giants were Kings and the shot heard round the world in the 1951 game at the bottom of the 9Th inning was the talk of the town. We're sitting in the front row seats at the Polo Grounds watching a game when a homer is hit...and another hit takes place. It's the second hit I'm speaking of that this story is centered on. A politician, state senator Orson Milbank, is shot and killed during this baseball game.
Who and why Senator Milbank was killed is the mystery. All we are given is the anger over a new road proposed to be built that will ruin much of the quiet countryside in that area. Senator Milbank's stand recently wavered on that proposal which may have angered many.
Robert Goldsborough does a masterful job re-creating the Nero Wolfe-Archie Goodwin scenario and as a lifelong fan of Nero and all that encompasses his Brownstone I am eternally grateful. I am also grateful to the family of Rex Stout specifically Barbara Stout and Rebecca Stout Bradbury for given R.G. permission to continue the Nero Wolfe series in keeping with Rex's original theme.
Excellence at his best...Nero Wolfe.
Picture yourself back in the early 1950's. An era when the New York Giants were Kings and the shot heard round the world in the 1951 game at the bottom of the 9Th inning was the talk of the town. We're sitting in the front row seats at the Polo Grounds watching a game when a homer is hit...and another hit takes place. It's the second hit I'm speaking of that this story is centered on. A politician, state senator Orson Milbank, is shot and killed during this baseball game.
Who and why Senator Milbank was killed is the mystery. All we are given is the anger over a new road proposed to be built that will ruin much of the quiet countryside in that area. Senator Milbank's stand recently wavered on that proposal which may have angered many.
Robert Goldsborough does a masterful job re-creating the Nero Wolfe-Archie Goodwin scenario and as a lifelong fan of Nero and all that encompasses his Brownstone I am eternally grateful. I am also grateful to the family of Rex Stout specifically Barbara Stout and Rebecca Stout Bradbury for given R.G. permission to continue the Nero Wolfe series in keeping with Rex's original theme.
Excellence at his best...Nero Wolfe.
July 20, 2014
Goldsborough is not Rex Stout. And his Archie and Nero are not nearly as well drawn as the originals. But I'm grateful that Goldsborough is keeping them going. The world is a better place with Archie and Nero. It really is.
November 15, 2017
Authors may die but their characters live on, and, in increasing number of cases, they live on in works written by other authors. Several authors have penned James Bond novels in the decades since Ian Fleming’s death, and Jason Bourne and Philip Marlowe soldier on as well. Among mystery fans, including myself, few detectives are as iconic and beloved as Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe, so I was appreciative (and a bit apprehensive as well) when he and Archie Goodwin found a new voice as well, in the person of Robert Goldsborough, author of a series of authorized “new” Wolfe novels. My first experience with Goldsborough has been Murder in the Ball Park, and, while this book is a decent effort, it’s by no means inspired or especially authentic seeming.
Although Goldsborough set some of his new Wolfe novels in the years following Stout’s last work, “Murder in the Ball Park” takes place in the late 1940’s, which most fans agree was the time period that produced the best of the Wolfe oeuvre, both in terms of the quality of Stout’s books and the generally appropriate period feel (that’s when the Timothy Hutton TV series is set as well). The ballpark in question is the Polo Grounds, home of the New York Giants, and Archie and Saul Panzer are there to see a midweek Dodgers/Giants game. The game is rudely interrupted when a local politician in attendance is shot and killed by a sniper positioned somewhere in the empty outfield seats. The politician’s widow offers Wolfe a bundle to investigate the case, which he eventually does, and, to no one’s surprise, eventually figures it out and unmasks the killer in a meeting with all the suspects in his office.
Fans of Wolfe and Archie will be delighted to know that almost all the series favorites appear in Murder in the Ball Park, including Inspector Cramer, Lon Cohen from the Gazette, Fritz the chef, Wolfe’s beloved orchids, and, of course, Archie’s occasional dancing partner, Lily Rowan. And, as in most of Stout’s own novels, there are suspects galore, including some political foes and the dead man’s mistress and her husband. But, while the story is in many ways traditional, it’s also clearly written with 21st century sensibilities. A key plot point involves the planned construction of a freeway through the Westchester suburbs and beyond, a project that might either encourage new business or destroy the rustic environment. That’s not something Stout wrote about, nor did he spend much time on the subject of PTSD, which rears its head in the person of a disturbed World War II vet who might be the actual sharpshooter.
Other than these clearly anachronistic storylines, the plot of Murder in the Ball Park, reads much like a Stout novel, albeit not one of the best. The familiar banter among the characters is there, as is Archie’s skill in interviewing a wide variety of witnesses, but there are no memorable interchanges and the ultimate solution to the mystery is a bit of a disappointment. Further, Goldsborough often seems a bit too eager to shoehorn almost every bit of trivia from the Wolfe canon into Murder in the Ball Park, so much so that at times I felt he had a list and was checking off various items (“mention the hours that Wolfe spends with his orchids every day”) as he put them into the manuscript. In addition, some of the characters just didn’t act right. For example, Lon Cohen helps get background information on the various suspects (which happened a good bit in the Stout novels), but he then feels compelled to remind Wolfe on multiple occasions to let him have the scoop when Wolfe breaks the case (something I can’t picture Cohen as doing).
So, assigning a rating to Murder in the Ball Park is tough. Goldsborough has clearly made a sincere effort to capture the essence of Rex Stout, and the book is well worth reading for Stout fans, although no one will mistake it for an original work. But what does work in the book, some individual scenes such as yet another classic confrontation between Wolfe and Cramer or Archie and Saul debating the respective attributes of the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers, will bring a smile to the face of Wolfe lovers anywhere. So, I will score Murder in the Ball Park, not as a home run or a strikeout, but, instead a ground rule double… 3.5 stars rounded up to four on the strength of the nostalgia value alone.
Although Goldsborough set some of his new Wolfe novels in the years following Stout’s last work, “Murder in the Ball Park” takes place in the late 1940’s, which most fans agree was the time period that produced the best of the Wolfe oeuvre, both in terms of the quality of Stout’s books and the generally appropriate period feel (that’s when the Timothy Hutton TV series is set as well). The ballpark in question is the Polo Grounds, home of the New York Giants, and Archie and Saul Panzer are there to see a midweek Dodgers/Giants game. The game is rudely interrupted when a local politician in attendance is shot and killed by a sniper positioned somewhere in the empty outfield seats. The politician’s widow offers Wolfe a bundle to investigate the case, which he eventually does, and, to no one’s surprise, eventually figures it out and unmasks the killer in a meeting with all the suspects in his office.
Fans of Wolfe and Archie will be delighted to know that almost all the series favorites appear in Murder in the Ball Park, including Inspector Cramer, Lon Cohen from the Gazette, Fritz the chef, Wolfe’s beloved orchids, and, of course, Archie’s occasional dancing partner, Lily Rowan. And, as in most of Stout’s own novels, there are suspects galore, including some political foes and the dead man’s mistress and her husband. But, while the story is in many ways traditional, it’s also clearly written with 21st century sensibilities. A key plot point involves the planned construction of a freeway through the Westchester suburbs and beyond, a project that might either encourage new business or destroy the rustic environment. That’s not something Stout wrote about, nor did he spend much time on the subject of PTSD, which rears its head in the person of a disturbed World War II vet who might be the actual sharpshooter.
Other than these clearly anachronistic storylines, the plot of Murder in the Ball Park, reads much like a Stout novel, albeit not one of the best. The familiar banter among the characters is there, as is Archie’s skill in interviewing a wide variety of witnesses, but there are no memorable interchanges and the ultimate solution to the mystery is a bit of a disappointment. Further, Goldsborough often seems a bit too eager to shoehorn almost every bit of trivia from the Wolfe canon into Murder in the Ball Park, so much so that at times I felt he had a list and was checking off various items (“mention the hours that Wolfe spends with his orchids every day”) as he put them into the manuscript. In addition, some of the characters just didn’t act right. For example, Lon Cohen helps get background information on the various suspects (which happened a good bit in the Stout novels), but he then feels compelled to remind Wolfe on multiple occasions to let him have the scoop when Wolfe breaks the case (something I can’t picture Cohen as doing).
So, assigning a rating to Murder in the Ball Park is tough. Goldsborough has clearly made a sincere effort to capture the essence of Rex Stout, and the book is well worth reading for Stout fans, although no one will mistake it for an original work. But what does work in the book, some individual scenes such as yet another classic confrontation between Wolfe and Cramer or Archie and Saul debating the respective attributes of the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers, will bring a smile to the face of Wolfe lovers anywhere. So, I will score Murder in the Ball Park, not as a home run or a strikeout, but, instead a ground rule double… 3.5 stars rounded up to four on the strength of the nostalgia value alone.
August 21, 2020
Goldsborough has taken up the reins of Stout's legacy with aplomb and verve, and he never disappoints in his portrayals of Wolfe, Archie, and the world (of different eras) in which they find themselves. In this particular instance, he missed the mark in terms of the killer's motives, and he very definitely pulled (to use the courtroom phrasing) "facts not in evidence" to support those motives. I will tell more, but it will be behind a "spoilers" divider.
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The tone of the book has all of the right feeling, the clues are dropped in the right places, and it's a fine book... until the "reveal," which -- to make the obvious pun -- really comes out of left field. I can recommend the ride, but the abrupt, mind-boggling ending feels like an intentional leaving-out of sufficient motive for the person revealed as the person behind the killing. As I wrote in the spoiler section, Goldsborough is better than that. Let's hope he doesn't do it again. (The rest of his Wolfe-ian works have led me to believe that he won't.)
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The tone of the book has all of the right feeling, the clues are dropped in the right places, and it's a fine book... until the "reveal," which -- to make the obvious pun -- really comes out of left field. I can recommend the ride, but the abrupt, mind-boggling ending feels like an intentional leaving-out of sufficient motive for the person revealed as the person behind the killing. As I wrote in the spoiler section, Goldsborough is better than that. Let's hope he doesn't do it again. (The rest of his Wolfe-ian works have led me to believe that he won't.)
January 15, 2018
Robert Goldsborough certainly knows how to write a Nero Wolfe mystery. And while this book is enjoyable and feels like a Rex Stout Wolfe novel, Goldsborough has lost a little off his fastball in the more than a decade since his last Nero Wolfe book.
To be sure, all the elements are there- the rumble of the elevator, the orchids, the peephole (hidden behind a picture of the Washington Monument, but wasn't it usually a picture of a waterfall?) and of course Nero and Archie. Nero is pitch-perfect, though with one flaw I will soon get to. Archie, however, never quite rang true to me. He was too flip and glib with his client, never serious enough. This was an Archie who seemed to be less serious than he ought to be when he ought to be. The client was not treated with enough respect, to the point of my surprise.
SPOILERS POSSIBLE FROM HERE ON
The mystery never really got going. There was never more than one motive, yet there was never a clear suspect. It wasn't that there were many potential killers, is was that there were too few. None of the suspects fit the bill. Included in the mix was a mafia boss who was so clearly not the killer that it was almost a twist that he wasn't the killer. It was so obvious he was innocent you almost expected him to be the killer. In a lesser author that would have been a cliche. I give points to Goldsborough for avoiding the cliche, but take them away for adding in this unnecessary character. He is there to do little but A- rightfully proclaim his innocence and B- add a little action to an otherwise action-less tale.
The solution of the mystery was obvious to me from too early on, and I hope obvious to you too. In fact, it was so obvious that it was glaring that Wolfe didn't see it until it was too late. Was he fixated on the dinner Fritz was preparing? Trouble with the orchids? Nope, he just misses the ridiculously obvious. This was an extremely weak mystery.
Despite the murder taking place in a long-demolished ballpark, the story feels very modern. Too modern, really. Much of the dialogue was about soldiers returning from war with PTSD (though it is never named) and how we owe them a debt and they deserve better health care and treatment. This was certainly true then as well as now but I don't recall it being a theme of most literature at the time. It certainly reads as if written with today's morals in mind. Thought it wasn't said in these exact words, the modern phrase/cliche "thank you for your service" rings throughout these pages. Certainly a worthy sentiment, but one that rings false for the era the novel is set in.
Overall, it isn't a bad read, but it is a lightweight addition to the Nero Wolfe canon.
To be sure, all the elements are there- the rumble of the elevator, the orchids, the peephole (hidden behind a picture of the Washington Monument, but wasn't it usually a picture of a waterfall?) and of course Nero and Archie. Nero is pitch-perfect, though with one flaw I will soon get to. Archie, however, never quite rang true to me. He was too flip and glib with his client, never serious enough. This was an Archie who seemed to be less serious than he ought to be when he ought to be. The client was not treated with enough respect, to the point of my surprise.
SPOILERS POSSIBLE FROM HERE ON
The mystery never really got going. There was never more than one motive, yet there was never a clear suspect. It wasn't that there were many potential killers, is was that there were too few. None of the suspects fit the bill. Included in the mix was a mafia boss who was so clearly not the killer that it was almost a twist that he wasn't the killer. It was so obvious he was innocent you almost expected him to be the killer. In a lesser author that would have been a cliche. I give points to Goldsborough for avoiding the cliche, but take them away for adding in this unnecessary character. He is there to do little but A- rightfully proclaim his innocence and B- add a little action to an otherwise action-less tale.
The solution of the mystery was obvious to me from too early on, and I hope obvious to you too. In fact, it was so obvious that it was glaring that Wolfe didn't see it until it was too late. Was he fixated on the dinner Fritz was preparing? Trouble with the orchids? Nope, he just misses the ridiculously obvious. This was an extremely weak mystery.
Despite the murder taking place in a long-demolished ballpark, the story feels very modern. Too modern, really. Much of the dialogue was about soldiers returning from war with PTSD (though it is never named) and how we owe them a debt and they deserve better health care and treatment. This was certainly true then as well as now but I don't recall it being a theme of most literature at the time. It certainly reads as if written with today's morals in mind. Thought it wasn't said in these exact words, the modern phrase/cliche "thank you for your service" rings throughout these pages. Certainly a worthy sentiment, but one that rings false for the era the novel is set in.
Overall, it isn't a bad read, but it is a lightweight addition to the Nero Wolfe canon.
November 21, 2021
This is a murder mystery by Robert Goldsborough that continues the characters created by Rex Stout, namely Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. This is the 9th book in the continued series. The murder occurs at the old Polo Grounds Ballpark where the New York Baseball Giants used to play ball before moving to San Francisco in 1957. A N.Y. State Senator is assassinated while attending a ball game between the N.Y. Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Archie Goodwin is a loyal Giants fan and he and Saul Panzer, a Dodgers fan, are attending the game. When the N.Y.P.D. fails to solve the crime in a timely manner, the new widow turns to Nero Wolfe to solve the crime.
The interest and fan loyalty in these mysteries are the characters. Mr. Goldsborough does an excellent job presenting these characters as they were created by Rex Stout. Seldom do Nero Wolfe mysteries provide you with all the clues so that if you are sharp enough and take copious notes, you’ll solve the crime before reaching the end of the book. But then, how many mystery authors provide every clue? You’ll read these mysteries because you like the characters and their characteristics. They can be eccentric at times but always unique and interesting, even the homicide detectives Cramer and Stebbins. Plus, the atmosphere created by New York City and the Brownstone house where Nero lives feels familiar and comfortable. If you feel stressed in this hectic, pandemic reality of today, take a relaxing afternoon off to revisit the private investigators working out of the brownstone on West 35 Street in New York City.
The interest and fan loyalty in these mysteries are the characters. Mr. Goldsborough does an excellent job presenting these characters as they were created by Rex Stout. Seldom do Nero Wolfe mysteries provide you with all the clues so that if you are sharp enough and take copious notes, you’ll solve the crime before reaching the end of the book. But then, how many mystery authors provide every clue? You’ll read these mysteries because you like the characters and their characteristics. They can be eccentric at times but always unique and interesting, even the homicide detectives Cramer and Stebbins. Plus, the atmosphere created by New York City and the Brownstone house where Nero lives feels familiar and comfortable. If you feel stressed in this hectic, pandemic reality of today, take a relaxing afternoon off to revisit the private investigators working out of the brownstone on West 35 Street in New York City.
September 30, 2017
Sherlock Holmes pastiches are a dime a dozen. James Bond pastiches are not uncommon thought it is more difficult to capture the tone, and they are rarely done well. Nero Wolfe is perhaps the most difficult of the lot. Though filled with obvious set pieces and the almost unchanging routine there is "tone" - a feeling of universality to a good Wolfe novel that cannot be reproduced. Even the admirable TV mysteries with Maury Chaykin and Timothy Hutton never quite nailed it. Written by an extroverted polymath they remain treasures many years since the last was written. Having said all that, Robert Goldsborough does a not bad job of reproducing them. While the outcome will never satisfy me or any other purist his mysteries are good stories, well recorded. I don't know when he decided to go back to the fifties following previous attempts to modernize Wolfe but I approve. Wolfe scowling at a computer never worked for me. In this novel an ambitious politician is shot from a distance in a baseball park. The suspects, most of them concerned about a proposed roadway, abound and include at least one nasty gangster. Wolfe is unimpressed, Archie does some of his best legwork and in the end we are presented with a satisfying story and solid entertainment. Recommended to either veteran Wolfe readers or anyone looking for a good easy reading diversion.
November 16, 2023
I read all (?) the Nero Wolfe books. They are like potato chips. You can't read just one. After a while, you get to thinking: Heck, even _I_ could write a Nero Wolfe book -- in my sleep!
So, when I learned of a sanctioned continuation of the Nero Wolfe series by another author -- someone even smarter than I am -- I assumed I would enjoy them. Lay's or generic, potato chips are potato chips.
Unfortunately, after about 3 or 4 pages, I couldn't take it. Expository dialogue misses the whole point of the Nero Wolfe mysteries. It's not about the mystery. It's about the personalities. Archie's tangy commentary on the goings-on are front and center in the genuine Nero Wolfe mysteries, and the plot is secondary. But in this one, it's pages of Archie and Saul pretending to converse but actually introducing plot points, victims, and antagonists. Painful.
I'm sure I would do worse than Mr. Goldsborough, especially in my sleep. I guess it's harder to write a Nero Wolfe Mystery than it looks.
So, when I learned of a sanctioned continuation of the Nero Wolfe series by another author -- someone even smarter than I am -- I assumed I would enjoy them. Lay's or generic, potato chips are potato chips.
Unfortunately, after about 3 or 4 pages, I couldn't take it. Expository dialogue misses the whole point of the Nero Wolfe mysteries. It's not about the mystery. It's about the personalities. Archie's tangy commentary on the goings-on are front and center in the genuine Nero Wolfe mysteries, and the plot is secondary. But in this one, it's pages of Archie and Saul pretending to converse but actually introducing plot points, victims, and antagonists. Painful.
I'm sure I would do worse than Mr. Goldsborough, especially in my sleep. I guess it's harder to write a Nero Wolfe Mystery than it looks.
March 20, 2024
There's a lot about this I enjoyed: the menus served at Wolfe's brownstone, a little more detail about Archie's relationship with Lily, a peek into Saul Panzer's apartment ... The basic plot was good, too. New York is shocked by the assassination of a state politician, in broad daylight at The Polo Grounds. There's no shortage of suspects and a major plot twist. I felt very bright for picking up on the clue that would reveal that plot twist, but I didn't correctly guess the killer. And that's part of the problem. The villain was kind of obvious, which is why I dismissed that suspect. It felt a little cheap to me. I expect more elegance in a Nero Wolfe mystery, whether written by Goldsborough or Stout.
July 5, 2025
I am amused that Nero Wolfe can call together a group of people with only 24 hours notice to assemble in his living room in downtown Manhattan at 9:00 at night -- and they all come. Nobody in the early '50's had previous engagements? Wolfe loves the drama of getting all the interested parties together to unveil which one of them is guilty. In this book of the series, a state senator is shot in the head in the middle of a baseball game. The bullet came from an empty, locked portion of the stands. Dogsbody Archie ferrets out all the relevant information and brings it home to Wolfe to make the connections and solve the case. I like the way fictional PI people talk. The white-haired, wealthy state senator is referred to as a "swell with snow on the summit." Ha.
July 17, 2025
I have always loved the Nero Wolfe mysteries, so I'm slowly working my way through these newer books written by Goldsborough. This was not one of his better works. A positive is the book is set in the 1950s, something I prefer from this author's attempts to place the characters in the 1980s (with a computer replacing Archie's typewriter). I figured out key points of the mystery and others were extremely telegraphed. Also, the dialogue at the beginning was hokey. For example, a pitcher was called "our top hurler" and Archie said, "I've seen that lovely lady's picture". Thankfully, these phrases disappeared at the book progressed.
I will continue with Goldsborough's versions of Nero Wolfe since I have enjoyed many of his other books. I do hope this was an anomaly.
I will continue with Goldsborough's versions of Nero Wolfe since I have enjoyed many of his other books. I do hope this was an anomaly.
September 20, 2021
Goldborough has lost it. Over the last year or two I read every entry in the Wolfe ouvre, in order. When I finished I thought I’d go into the Goldborough ones, of which I had already read a few.
They were pretty good, but I had never gotten the vibe that I got from Stout. But they were worth reading, anyway.
Then Goldborough took twenty years off and started them off again. The first was called “When Archie Met Nero”, a topic with which I have no interest, so I skipped it. So, this was the first one of his second iteration that I read. It was terrible. The dialogue was stilted, the plot was ridiculous, and I knew the murderer though the entire book.
I doubt I will read any more.
They were pretty good, but I had never gotten the vibe that I got from Stout. But they were worth reading, anyway.
Then Goldborough took twenty years off and started them off again. The first was called “When Archie Met Nero”, a topic with which I have no interest, so I skipped it. So, this was the first one of his second iteration that I read. It was terrible. The dialogue was stilted, the plot was ridiculous, and I knew the murderer though the entire book.
I doubt I will read any more.
February 5, 2018
Baseball, politics, & Murder....who shot the Senator?
As usual, Goldsborough’s talent shows through on another Nero Wolfe mystery! A popular state Senator is shot at a N.Y. giants game! Who killed him and why? With Archie Goodwin and Saul Panzer sitting a few seats away, it seems doubtful they and of course Nero Wolfe wouldn’t be pulled into this case! Well written, as usual, and the conclusion will throw you for a loop!
As usual, Goldsborough’s talent shows through on another Nero Wolfe mystery! A popular state Senator is shot at a N.Y. giants game! Who killed him and why? With Archie Goodwin and Saul Panzer sitting a few seats away, it seems doubtful they and of course Nero Wolfe wouldn’t be pulled into this case! Well written, as usual, and the conclusion will throw you for a loop!
March 2, 2020
The weakest of Mr Goldsborough's Wolfe stories, because the plot doesn't work. It's obvious who the murderer is from early on. And why does Archie talk as if he's been machine-translated from French? It's really odd. He is constantly facetious instead of witty, his dialogue is painful, particularly with Lon Cohen. I've enjoyed the other books in this revival series because the plots have been interesting and enjoyable, but this one? 'Fraid not.
September 28, 2020
I figured it out
For the first time ever, I beats Archie to the punch. I got The Who, the Why, and at least partly the How.
Since this is a once in a lifetime for me I will NOT share my thought process. You’re on your own.
Just be grateful that Archie is being channeled by someone who gets it.
You can read this book as a stand alone, but I suggest that you read these yarns in order, although Archie’s origin story can likewise stand alone.
For the first time ever, I beats Archie to the punch. I got The Who, the Why, and at least partly the How.
Since this is a once in a lifetime for me I will NOT share my thought process. You’re on your own.
Just be grateful that Archie is being channeled by someone who gets it.
You can read this book as a stand alone, but I suggest that you read these yarns in order, although Archie’s origin story can likewise stand alone.
March 8, 2022
Murder in the Ballpark was definitely a stronger entry in Robert Goldsborough’s continuation of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series. As with many continuation series, the original is better. Still, with this entry Goldsborough is finally beginning to get a feel for dialog and the feel of the original. For me, his was somewhere between a 3 and 3.5 star. I would have rounded up if half stars were and option.
September 27, 2024
When I acquired this book, I thought it was written by the original Nero Wolfe author, Rex Stout. As I started reading the book, I quickly realized this was an original. I found the book to be a light read and not all that engaging. The mystery solved by the protagonist was fairly straightforward so much so that I predicted the outcome about half way through the story. Unless you are a diehard Nero Wolfe fan, I do not recommend this book.
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