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Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe Mysteries #7
The Missing Chapter
When a loudmouthed author gets silenced, Wolfe looks for the triggerman. The gun was fired close to Charles Childress's head, and his were the only fingerprints on it, forcing the police to conclude that the author committed suicide. But his friends know this is impossible, because Childress loved himself far too much. He had just begun attracting fame, writing new mysteries starring the iconic Sergeant Barnstable, and he had bright hopes for the future. His publisher hires corpulent genius Nero Wolfe to determine who cut Childress's career short, and the detective finds no dearth of suspects.
Among the many who may have wanted the wordsmith whacked are his agent, his editor, a corrupt book reviewer, and an enraged legion of Barnstable devotees. With the help of his indefatigable assistant, Archie Goodwin, Wolfe takes a look at those closest to the arrogant, argumentative author, hoping to decide which of Childress's associates merely hated him, and which would have been willing to kill.
Among the many who may have wanted the wordsmith whacked are his agent, his editor, a corrupt book reviewer, and an enraged legion of Barnstable devotees. With the help of his indefatigable assistant, Archie Goodwin, Wolfe takes a look at those closest to the arrogant, argumentative author, hoping to decide which of Childress's associates merely hated him, and which would have been willing to kill.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1993
383 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
About the author
Robert Goldsborough
45 books248 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 90 reviews
February 5, 2021
Mr. Vinson is a publisher who wants Nero Wolfe to find the murderer of one of his authors, Charles Childress.
"You may want to heed one of Mr. Dickens’s passages and let sleeping dogs lie.”
Vinson’s jaw dropped. “I must tell you that I’m shocked,” he snapped. “Here a murder has been committed, and you, who have solved so many killings through the years, suggest that I merely look the other way!”
“At the risk of incurring your displeasure, I remain unconvinced that a murder has been committed,” Wolfe replied evenly."
Wolfe (no surprise) takes the case and Archie Goodwin (his “man of action” and our narrator) is tasked with gathering the information that would show: a) that the deceased did not commit suicide; and, b) which of the many people who interacted with him had a motive for murder. This allows Goldsborough to give the reader a full picture of Wolfe’s universe, eccentricities and regular “cast members.” Because of this, no previous knowledge of this series is necessary.
However, those who are familiar with the books written by Rex Stout will appreciate the care exercised by Goldsborough and his self-deprecating humor. The plot permits (if not encourages) this because Childress was brought in to continue the series upon the death of the previous author.
"Wolfe replied dryly. “My current schedule does not allow for the reading of detective fiction, let alone its so-called continuation by a second author.”"
And
"This is not worth a tithe of what I paid.”
“How can you judge? You almost never read fiction, or so you have told me more than thrice.”
He leaned back in his reinforced chair. “In earlier years, long before I came to appreciate fully the value of each hour of one’s existence, I indeed read fiction—on rare occasions even detective fiction. I state that with neither apology nor regret, although my time of course would have been more wisely spent rereading Aristotle and Montaigne. But by any standard, this”—he held up Childress’s book and shook it—“is abysmal. As much as it pains me to say so, I must agree with Mr. Hobbs’s acerbic assessment. The characterizations are nugatory, the writing sophomoric, the plotting transparent, the outcome already predictable.”"
Plenty of twists and turns before Wolfe gets to gather all the suspects together. I’m happy to say that I found it (in Wolfe’s terminology) “satisfactory.”
"You may want to heed one of Mr. Dickens’s passages and let sleeping dogs lie.”
Vinson’s jaw dropped. “I must tell you that I’m shocked,” he snapped. “Here a murder has been committed, and you, who have solved so many killings through the years, suggest that I merely look the other way!”
“At the risk of incurring your displeasure, I remain unconvinced that a murder has been committed,” Wolfe replied evenly."
Wolfe (no surprise) takes the case and Archie Goodwin (his “man of action” and our narrator) is tasked with gathering the information that would show: a) that the deceased did not commit suicide; and, b) which of the many people who interacted with him had a motive for murder. This allows Goldsborough to give the reader a full picture of Wolfe’s universe, eccentricities and regular “cast members.” Because of this, no previous knowledge of this series is necessary.
However, those who are familiar with the books written by Rex Stout will appreciate the care exercised by Goldsborough and his self-deprecating humor. The plot permits (if not encourages) this because Childress was brought in to continue the series upon the death of the previous author.
"Wolfe replied dryly. “My current schedule does not allow for the reading of detective fiction, let alone its so-called continuation by a second author.”"
And
"This is not worth a tithe of what I paid.”
“How can you judge? You almost never read fiction, or so you have told me more than thrice.”
He leaned back in his reinforced chair. “In earlier years, long before I came to appreciate fully the value of each hour of one’s existence, I indeed read fiction—on rare occasions even detective fiction. I state that with neither apology nor regret, although my time of course would have been more wisely spent rereading Aristotle and Montaigne. But by any standard, this”—he held up Childress’s book and shook it—“is abysmal. As much as it pains me to say so, I must agree with Mr. Hobbs’s acerbic assessment. The characterizations are nugatory, the writing sophomoric, the plotting transparent, the outcome already predictable.”"
Plenty of twists and turns before Wolfe gets to gather all the suspects together. I’m happy to say that I found it (in Wolfe’s terminology) “satisfactory.”
January 5, 2019
Roughly a decade after Rex Stout's death ended the Nero Wolfe series of books, Robert Goldsborough was hired to continue the series. There are two distinct eras of Goldsborough's books. Early Goldsborough runs from 1986 (Murder in E Minor) to 1994 (The Missing Chapter). Late Goldsborough begins in 2012 (Archie Meets Nero Wolfe) and continues to (as of this review) 2018 (The Battered Badge).
Early Goldsborough is far superior. The seven books of that corpus, of which The Missing Chapter is the last, hew very closely to Stout in tone and setting. The books are contemporaneous with their publication. For example, Archie prints out a check register from his PC; and, New York's distressing crime rate, very high in the early 90s, is frequently mentioned. Archie, the narrator of the books, sounds much like Archie. Wolfe sounds like Wolfe. Late Goldsborough is a different story, but that will have to be another review.
Thus, I thoroughly enjoyed The Missing Chapter. I slipped easily into the cadences and rhythms of Archie's patter and Wolfe's erudition. All the necessary filigrees are there, updated to 1994. (Archie notices a big screen TV! Wolfe has to get a new elevator!) The characters are intriguing (though there's far too little of Cramer and Stebbins), and the acerbity you associate with a murder investigation flows throughout. There's even a little bit of scandalous behavior, but the language is always clean. Archie never repeats the more vulgar language he hears.
The plot is reasonably tight, though the hints at the murderer seem a tad too obvious, but there's enough misdirection to hide what's in plain sight if you're not paying attention. My only knock on the book is the subject matter. The victim is the continuator of a popular detective series. It's hard to read the book and not feel like you're reading a sensationalized autobiography of Goldsborough as the continuator of Nero Wolfe. One even wonders if the pressure of continuing this beloved series is what led to the 18-year break between this book and Archie Meets Nero Wolfe.
If you are a long-time reader, as I am, of the Stout books, The Missing Chapter is a worthy addition to the Nero Wolfe canon. If you've come more recently to the Goldsborough books, you may find this book surprising in its deftness, and a welcome entryway to the older Wolfe books.
Early Goldsborough is far superior. The seven books of that corpus, of which The Missing Chapter is the last, hew very closely to Stout in tone and setting. The books are contemporaneous with their publication. For example, Archie prints out a check register from his PC; and, New York's distressing crime rate, very high in the early 90s, is frequently mentioned. Archie, the narrator of the books, sounds much like Archie. Wolfe sounds like Wolfe. Late Goldsborough is a different story, but that will have to be another review.
Thus, I thoroughly enjoyed The Missing Chapter. I slipped easily into the cadences and rhythms of Archie's patter and Wolfe's erudition. All the necessary filigrees are there, updated to 1994. (Archie notices a big screen TV! Wolfe has to get a new elevator!) The characters are intriguing (though there's far too little of Cramer and Stebbins), and the acerbity you associate with a murder investigation flows throughout. There's even a little bit of scandalous behavior, but the language is always clean. Archie never repeats the more vulgar language he hears.
The plot is reasonably tight, though the hints at the murderer seem a tad too obvious, but there's enough misdirection to hide what's in plain sight if you're not paying attention. My only knock on the book is the subject matter. The victim is the continuator of a popular detective series. It's hard to read the book and not feel like you're reading a sensationalized autobiography of Goldsborough as the continuator of Nero Wolfe. One even wonders if the pressure of continuing this beloved series is what led to the 18-year break between this book and Archie Meets Nero Wolfe.
If you are a long-time reader, as I am, of the Stout books, The Missing Chapter is a worthy addition to the Nero Wolfe canon. If you've come more recently to the Goldsborough books, you may find this book surprising in its deftness, and a welcome entryway to the older Wolfe books.
August 7, 2020
This was again one of the best of the non-Rex Stout Nero Wolfe books. This one is especially fun since the whole premise was based on an author who was picked to continue writing mystery stories after a more famous author died. It was presumably written with Goldsboroughs own experience in mind. I'm sure he had fans of the origial who were thrilled by the continuation and fans of the original who think the new one an impostor ruining everything they love.
In addition the portrayal of the publishing and writing business seemed very vivid as if that was also being pulled directly from first hand experience. I enjoyed the plotting of this one and I think he captured the voices of Archie and Nero very well. In addition as if he had been listening to all my complaints all along in my reviews Nero waited in the kitchen while all the guests arrived and only entered the office once the gathering was complete.
I don't know why that bugged me so much but it really did and I was gratified to see it corrected for this book. Things like that annoyance of mine were gently poked fun at during the book and I was able to laugh at seeing myself in the complaints the author character had made about his fans. All in all this one was satisfying and fun.
Goldsborough has a number of other books that are prequels of a sort. They deal with the adventures of Archie before joining with Nero Wolfe. Given my experience of the last two Wolfe books I will probably look someday at picking up those.
In addition the portrayal of the publishing and writing business seemed very vivid as if that was also being pulled directly from first hand experience. I enjoyed the plotting of this one and I think he captured the voices of Archie and Nero very well. In addition as if he had been listening to all my complaints all along in my reviews Nero waited in the kitchen while all the guests arrived and only entered the office once the gathering was complete.
I don't know why that bugged me so much but it really did and I was gratified to see it corrected for this book. Things like that annoyance of mine were gently poked fun at during the book and I was able to laugh at seeing myself in the complaints the author character had made about his fans. All in all this one was satisfying and fun.
Goldsborough has a number of other books that are prequels of a sort. They deal with the adventures of Archie before joining with Nero Wolfe. Given my experience of the last two Wolfe books I will probably look someday at picking up those.
January 6, 2013
I started reading the Nero Wolfe books by Rex Stout years ago. A friend and I found them in a Half Price Books store, and we bought all the ones on the shelf, divided them up, and exchanged them when we had finished reading them. For a long time we both looked out for other books in the series that we didn’t have. It wasn’t until this past Cyber Monday that I discovered that Robert Goldsborough had continued the series and written eight additional Nero Wolfe novels, including a prequel telling the story of how Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe met. Needless to say I immediately texted my friend and asked her if she knew about these new books; she didn’t, and we both engaged in some internet commerce that day. I read Murder in E Minor first, which is the first in Goldsborough’s series and seems to pick up two years after the final Nero Wolfe novel published during Stout’s lifetime—A Family Affair. Now I have just finished The Missing Chapter, which is the seventh of the eight (and the last one, really, since the eighth book is the prequel). The book was an interesting read, but I wouldn’t say it was as good as the first by Goldsborough.
For anyone not familiar with Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, here’s a bit of context. Nero Wolfe is an infamous private detective who lives in a brownstone on Thirty-Fifth Street in New York City and commands “exorbitant” fees for his investigative services. He rarely leaves home, and on the fourth floor of the brownstone are the plant rooms for the numerous species of Wolfe’s prized orchids, which are one of his chief delights. Wolfe spends the hours between 9 and 11 and 4 and 6 in the plant rooms daily without fail (except on Sundays), and he gets to the plant rooms by elevator (which happens to break down completely in this novel). His other chief delight is food—he has a live-in cook, Fritz Brenner, who makes gourmet meals for Wolfe. Wolfe refuses to allow any discussion of business during meals. He takes breakfast in bed while wearing his yellow pajamas, and when he’s doing the “brain work” to solve the crime, his lips push in and push out. He’s a man of many idiosyncrasies and few words, which is one of the reasons we require Archie Goodwin in the story. The stories are told in first-person through Archie’s point of view. While Wolfe is your prototypical Great Detective of Golden Age Detective Fiction, Archie is the man of action. He, too, is a private detective, but he’s worked for Wolfe for years as a kind of private secretary/right-hand man and does all the leg work, reporting his findings back to Wolfe. One of the things that amused me about this novel is that Archie is asked if he’s a hardboiled detective or if he’s ‘urbane.’ It ends up that he’s urbane, thus reminding the reader that the novel itself is in the Golden Age tradition. I’ll come back to this point later, but the main thing is that in my opinion, Goldsborough has done a wonderful job of capturing and remaining true to the characters of Wolfe and Goodwin as Stout created them.
The plot of this novel revolves around the death of a detective fiction writer, Charles Childress. Childress (like his creator) has continued a series of detective fiction novels after the death of the series creator. As the story unfolds, readers learn that some people praised Childress’ new novels in the series while others thought they were terrible. We get the opinions of the suspects who are also part of the book world—his publisher, his editor, his agent, and a vicious newspaper literary critic—and a lot of what they say is couched within the discourse surrounding detective fiction as a literary genre—such as suspects, plots, the detective, etc. Even Wolfe himself articulates one of the criticisms within that discourse when he summarily dismisses detective fiction and assures us that Tolstoy’s place in the canon is safe. It all makes the novel an example of metafiction—it’s about the murder of a writer who has continued a beloved series of detective fiction written by a writer who is continuing a beloved series of detective fiction. Like I said before, the novel is very conscious of itself as following the Golden Age tradition. At one point, we are reminded of one of the main rules of detective fiction—that the novel itself is a puzzle, and that in the spirit of ‘fair play’ readers must be given all the clues they need in order to be able to solve the puzzle. It also talks of red herrings, and there are plenty of those in this novel. Another notable aspect of the novel is that one of the accusations leveled against Childress by his editor is that his plots are too thin and the suspects are too obvious. As I was reading The Missing Chapter, I thought that the plot was a little thin. Now that I have read the entire book, I have to wonder if Goldsborough did this on purpose and that it is just another part of the metafiction. If so, I think the novel definitely succeeds on that level.
The thing I have enjoyed about The Missing Chapter and Murder in E Minor is that they feel updated but familiar. The Missing Chapter makes a host of pop culture references, including references to Leno and Letterman, and Archie makes use of personal computers. Still, if you want to sample this new series of Wolfe novels, I would recommend starting with Murder in E Minor. The Missing Chapter is fine, but it’s not compelling and I had a hard time getting invested in the story. I still want to read the other books in Goldsborough’s series, but I may have to lower my expectations.
For anyone not familiar with Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, here’s a bit of context. Nero Wolfe is an infamous private detective who lives in a brownstone on Thirty-Fifth Street in New York City and commands “exorbitant” fees for his investigative services. He rarely leaves home, and on the fourth floor of the brownstone are the plant rooms for the numerous species of Wolfe’s prized orchids, which are one of his chief delights. Wolfe spends the hours between 9 and 11 and 4 and 6 in the plant rooms daily without fail (except on Sundays), and he gets to the plant rooms by elevator (which happens to break down completely in this novel). His other chief delight is food—he has a live-in cook, Fritz Brenner, who makes gourmet meals for Wolfe. Wolfe refuses to allow any discussion of business during meals. He takes breakfast in bed while wearing his yellow pajamas, and when he’s doing the “brain work” to solve the crime, his lips push in and push out. He’s a man of many idiosyncrasies and few words, which is one of the reasons we require Archie Goodwin in the story. The stories are told in first-person through Archie’s point of view. While Wolfe is your prototypical Great Detective of Golden Age Detective Fiction, Archie is the man of action. He, too, is a private detective, but he’s worked for Wolfe for years as a kind of private secretary/right-hand man and does all the leg work, reporting his findings back to Wolfe. One of the things that amused me about this novel is that Archie is asked if he’s a hardboiled detective or if he’s ‘urbane.’ It ends up that he’s urbane, thus reminding the reader that the novel itself is in the Golden Age tradition. I’ll come back to this point later, but the main thing is that in my opinion, Goldsborough has done a wonderful job of capturing and remaining true to the characters of Wolfe and Goodwin as Stout created them.
The plot of this novel revolves around the death of a detective fiction writer, Charles Childress. Childress (like his creator) has continued a series of detective fiction novels after the death of the series creator. As the story unfolds, readers learn that some people praised Childress’ new novels in the series while others thought they were terrible. We get the opinions of the suspects who are also part of the book world—his publisher, his editor, his agent, and a vicious newspaper literary critic—and a lot of what they say is couched within the discourse surrounding detective fiction as a literary genre—such as suspects, plots, the detective, etc. Even Wolfe himself articulates one of the criticisms within that discourse when he summarily dismisses detective fiction and assures us that Tolstoy’s place in the canon is safe. It all makes the novel an example of metafiction—it’s about the murder of a writer who has continued a beloved series of detective fiction written by a writer who is continuing a beloved series of detective fiction. Like I said before, the novel is very conscious of itself as following the Golden Age tradition. At one point, we are reminded of one of the main rules of detective fiction—that the novel itself is a puzzle, and that in the spirit of ‘fair play’ readers must be given all the clues they need in order to be able to solve the puzzle. It also talks of red herrings, and there are plenty of those in this novel. Another notable aspect of the novel is that one of the accusations leveled against Childress by his editor is that his plots are too thin and the suspects are too obvious. As I was reading The Missing Chapter, I thought that the plot was a little thin. Now that I have read the entire book, I have to wonder if Goldsborough did this on purpose and that it is just another part of the metafiction. If so, I think the novel definitely succeeds on that level.
The thing I have enjoyed about The Missing Chapter and Murder in E Minor is that they feel updated but familiar. The Missing Chapter makes a host of pop culture references, including references to Leno and Letterman, and Archie makes use of personal computers. Still, if you want to sample this new series of Wolfe novels, I would recommend starting with Murder in E Minor. The Missing Chapter is fine, but it’s not compelling and I had a hard time getting invested in the story. I still want to read the other books in Goldsborough’s series, but I may have to lower my expectations.
January 11, 2023
This is the second book I’ve read in the continuation of the Nero Wolfe novels. The first book I read was a real dad but I felt that I should give the author a second chance. This story is a lot better, the plot tighter, and the characters distinguishable. The only thing I didn’t like about this novel which I didn’t like about the other one as well is that it’s so wordy. The original novels were crisp and tight. Wolfe rarely spoke until the tie-up at the end. Archie was a clever speaker in a clippy, stylish 1930s/40s manner. I miss the originals but I understand it must be difficult to imitate such a terrific writer as Stout.
November 22, 2017
Robert Goldsborough is no Rex Stout. Well, he obviously isn't, but then the heart wants what it wants. And I prefer my Archie and Wolfe as Stout imagined them.
March 19, 2024
The deceased — a writer who took over a series of well-loved mysteries after the death of the original author. Cantankerous. Eccentric. Maybe manic depressive. Maybe just a jerk. Hopefully not a self-depiction by our current author. If so, a bad end is in his future — murder made to look like suicide.
The setting — Nero’s brownstone, an oasis of calm in a vaguely depicted 90s New York. (Visits to Indiana and New Jersey included). This is a world of exceptional cuisine. Don’t read on an empty stomach. And don’t read at the dinner table.
The suspects — The usual array of angry agents, book editors, fiancées, best friends, and cousins with benefits.
The mystery — ok, not spectacular. Since the setting and food is vividly described, the so so murderous goings on are not a distraction.
The verdict — like Nero’s elevator, creaky and in need of replacement, but still serviceable this time around. Wisely, Wolf and Archie were never brought into the world of the internet. 3.5 stars rounded up.
The setting — Nero’s brownstone, an oasis of calm in a vaguely depicted 90s New York. (Visits to Indiana and New Jersey included). This is a world of exceptional cuisine. Don’t read on an empty stomach. And don’t read at the dinner table.
The suspects — The usual array of angry agents, book editors, fiancées, best friends, and cousins with benefits.
The mystery — ok, not spectacular. Since the setting and food is vividly described, the so so murderous goings on are not a distraction.
The verdict — like Nero’s elevator, creaky and in need of replacement, but still serviceable this time around. Wisely, Wolf and Archie were never brought into the world of the internet. 3.5 stars rounded up.
January 29, 2021
This is definitely better than Silver Spire, though it would be hard not to be. The premise is clever: art imitates life with the mystery author reviving a beloved literary investigator to mixed reviews of the reading audience. Unfortunately, Mr. Goldsborough rides that gag into the ground, digs it up, and rides it into the ground again slightly northeast of the first location. But it does have a couple of solid moments: the updating of the elevator is enjoyable and almost poignant (an impressive feat for an elevator), and Archie has some good lines including a jab at Wolfe needing to unbottle his true feelings while he (Wolfe) is railing against the hack fiction writing of the victim. Theodore even gets a line in this one (though we're still not quite sure why Mr. Goldsborough makes Theodore and Archie so hostile to each other).
The title is certainly the most clever of this first Goldsborough run of 7, since once you know it's about an author you naturally think you know what the title must be referring to, until Wolfe subtly sneaks it in through a different, even metaphorical, door.
It has its flaws, of course, and those are what make the gimmick for this story a bit more awkward than likely intended. So much of this book, like many by Mr. Goldsborough, is Archie bopping around and talking to people and nothing happening. True, many of Stout's books have the same thing, but here we get conversation after conversation which goes nowhere. Wolfe does actually interview a couple people this time, which is rather rare in these RG books, but it doesn't come to anything, either. just a lot of red herrings until the ending of "oh, really, that's who and why?" which seems rather forced, but at least it has some merit, even if somewhat surprising.
Still, it's a good swan song for Mrs. Goldsborough, or, at least it was for 18 years until he picked the series up again and has now done 15 or so as of this writing. We'll find out how good those are, I suppose - at least I don't have to wait 18 years to find out.
The title is certainly the most clever of this first Goldsborough run of 7, since once you know it's about an author you naturally think you know what the title must be referring to, until Wolfe subtly sneaks it in through a different, even metaphorical, door.
It has its flaws, of course, and those are what make the gimmick for this story a bit more awkward than likely intended. So much of this book, like many by Mr. Goldsborough, is Archie bopping around and talking to people and nothing happening. True, many of Stout's books have the same thing, but here we get conversation after conversation which goes nowhere. Wolfe does actually interview a couple people this time, which is rather rare in these RG books, but it doesn't come to anything, either. just a lot of red herrings until the ending of "oh, really, that's who and why?" which seems rather forced, but at least it has some merit, even if somewhat surprising.
Still, it's a good swan song for Mrs. Goldsborough, or, at least it was for 18 years until he picked the series up again and has now done 15 or so as of this writing. We'll find out how good those are, I suppose - at least I don't have to wait 18 years to find out.
November 19, 2022
The Missing Chapter (1993) ( R. Stout’s Wolfe Mystery #7) by Robert Goldsborough. This is the seventh entry to the Nero Wolfe canon written by Mr. Goldsborough and it is a welcome addition. In this read the author has fun at his own expense. As faithful Stout readers know, the writing duties were passed on to Mr. Goldsborough by Stout’s estate. So far he has not let the readers down, producing book after book of material that is on a par with Mr. Stout’s writing.
In this book a writer is dead. The writer had been continuing a beloved mystery series so there are plenty of people, both for and against this action, willing to kill for their literary hero. The death is called suicide by the police and there is no reason to doubt that finding. But the writer’s publisher has doubts about the verdict and asks Wolfe to look into it. The case involves a fairly large cast of characters including feuding editors and critics, a girl friend who leads a cold air to the proceedings, and other writers who knew the dead man.
A highlight of the book is the trip to Indiana that Goodwin must abide in order to dig into the writer’s past. A New York boy out in the corn fields is certainly a fish out of water, but Archie aquits himself in style.
The journey to the solution has plenty of turns and a few red herrings, but the truth shines through at last. This book is well worth the time spent on the read.
In this book a writer is dead. The writer had been continuing a beloved mystery series so there are plenty of people, both for and against this action, willing to kill for their literary hero. The death is called suicide by the police and there is no reason to doubt that finding. But the writer’s publisher has doubts about the verdict and asks Wolfe to look into it. The case involves a fairly large cast of characters including feuding editors and critics, a girl friend who leads a cold air to the proceedings, and other writers who knew the dead man.
A highlight of the book is the trip to Indiana that Goodwin must abide in order to dig into the writer’s past. A New York boy out in the corn fields is certainly a fish out of water, but Archie aquits himself in style.
The journey to the solution has plenty of turns and a few red herrings, but the truth shines through at last. This book is well worth the time spent on the read.
February 19, 2025
3.5 stars
Nero Wolfe is a legendary fictional private investigator created by Rex Stout. When Stout died, the series was continued by Robert Goldsborough. This is the 7th 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 1990s, and the characters have personal computers, watch David Letterman, etc. In this mystery, Wolfe and Archie look into the death of a writer - a character who seems to be inspired by Robert Goldsborough himself.
*****
Charles Childress is a 'continuator', a novelist who carries on writing Darius Sawyer's 'Sergeant Barnstable mysteries' after Sawyer dies.
Some Barnstable fans love the books and others examine every word with a fine tooth comb to ferret out any differences from Sawyer's original series.
Childress is a boastful, arrogant, irascible fellow who dumps his editor Keith Billings for making 'capricious changes' to Childress' manuscripts;
fires his agent Franklin Ott for not negotiating an 80 percent raise with the publisher;
and fumes against book critic Wilbur Hobbs for penning bad reviews of Childress' mysteries.
Childress even goes public with his ire, excoriating the agent and editor in the influential Manhattan Literary Times. Childress goes so far as to accuse critic Hobbs of being on the take, of accepting gifts and money to write rave reviews.
Childress seems to have better luck with the fairer sex, since he's engaged to beautiful Debra Mitchell.....
....and is cordial with fellow author Patricia Royce, whom he allows to use his laptop on occasion.
When Childress is found dead in his Greenwich Village apartment with a bullet in his head, the police mark it as a suicide. However Childress' publisher Horace Vinson believes the writer was murdered, and Vinson hires Nero Wolfe to ferret out the culprit.
Wolfe and Archie interview all the persons of interest, and the editor, agent, and critic all admit they disliked Childress, but insist they didn't kill him. As for the women, Childress' fiancée Debra and his colleague Patricia Royce point fingers at each other.
Archie even takes a trip to Childress' home town in Indiana, to see if anyone there wanted the writer dead. This excursion unearths another possible suspect, a woman who feels Childress done her wrong.
As all this is going on, the elevator in Wolfe's brownstone, which the detective uses to ascend to the orchid greenhouse on the roof, breaks. The lift must be replaced, and the attendant banging and clatter annoy Wolfe no end.
Of course Wolfe exposes the murderer in his usual style, by gathering all the suspects in his office, along with Police Inspector Cramer and Sergeant Purley Stebbins, and announcing who done it.
The plot is engaging enough, but a big part of the series' fun lies with Archie's snarky remarks and the delicious meals served by Wolfe's Swiss chef Fritz Brenner (you'd better not call him a Frenchman 🙂).
The yummy dishes include things like cassoulet de castelnaudary, flounder poached in white wine, and papaya custard.
Cassoulet de Castelnaudary
Flounder Poached in White Wine
Papaya Custard
I enjoyed the book and recommend it to Nero Wolfe fans.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
December 22, 2019
Another light and easy read...not a bad mystery for a holiday weekend from work. But hardly earth-shattering, life-changing great literature.
I liked this plot line better than the "Silver Spire", which was my first introduction to the Nero Wolfe character. It was less transparent, and until the last two chapters, I didn't have a grasp on the killer. I got there before the book did, but the ending was profoundly more satisfying.
At first, I thought using the death of a "continuator" was a clever trope for a writer serving in just that capacity. By the end though, that trope seemed to weaken the plot. Writers who pick up a famous series to continue it have never, to my knowledge, become famous in their own right. And some of this plot hinges on the victim being well known and having some power in the publishing world. I just couldn't buy that so many people in publishing were so affected by an article penned by such an author.
In my review of the "Silver Spire", I skewered the writer on the overdone dialogue tags and the overweening focus on women's looks. Those weaknesses are less evident here, but there were still moments of awkward writing: a woman "purrs" an entire paragraph of dialogue? How would that even sound? On the whole, the writing here was a little better.
But here's my biggest problem: I just don't like Nero Wolfe's character...or the narrator's for that matter. They are both pretentious: every meal has to be 5 star dining (described intricately), a trip to *gasp* Indiana is a trip into the wilds, yadda, yadda, yadda. Wolfe doesn't really DO anything remarkable or astounding beyond order people around. The obsession with orchids being "concubines" but having a problem with women in the brownstone makes him even more freakish and misogynistic.
The plot lines of both of the books I've read have some of the same weaknesses: the revelation of the murderer comes at the end in a rushed final chapter, and characters are arrested by the police on supposition alone. There's never any real tangible evidence, just Nero Wolfe's incredible brain power and his ever tipping his head a quarter of an inch (which apparently invokes powerful human truths). And yet...the murderer ends up serving a life term (based on WHAT!?)
As a neophyte to the Nero Wolfe series and with experiences reading only the "continuator's" version, I have to entertain the possibility that the original series may have left the writer with little room to fix these weaknesses (perhaps this is just par for the course?). However, as Wolfe quips in this book, "Pfui. Tolstoy's niche in the pantheon remains secure." I think I'll go read Tolstoy and quit trying to read this particular series.
I liked this plot line better than the "Silver Spire", which was my first introduction to the Nero Wolfe character. It was less transparent, and until the last two chapters, I didn't have a grasp on the killer. I got there before the book did, but the ending was profoundly more satisfying.
At first, I thought using the death of a "continuator" was a clever trope for a writer serving in just that capacity. By the end though, that trope seemed to weaken the plot. Writers who pick up a famous series to continue it have never, to my knowledge, become famous in their own right. And some of this plot hinges on the victim being well known and having some power in the publishing world. I just couldn't buy that so many people in publishing were so affected by an article penned by such an author.
In my review of the "Silver Spire", I skewered the writer on the overdone dialogue tags and the overweening focus on women's looks. Those weaknesses are less evident here, but there were still moments of awkward writing: a woman "purrs" an entire paragraph of dialogue? How would that even sound? On the whole, the writing here was a little better.
But here's my biggest problem: I just don't like Nero Wolfe's character...or the narrator's for that matter. They are both pretentious: every meal has to be 5 star dining (described intricately), a trip to *gasp* Indiana is a trip into the wilds, yadda, yadda, yadda. Wolfe doesn't really DO anything remarkable or astounding beyond order people around. The obsession with orchids being "concubines" but having a problem with women in the brownstone makes him even more freakish and misogynistic.
The plot lines of both of the books I've read have some of the same weaknesses: the revelation of the murderer comes at the end in a rushed final chapter, and characters are arrested by the police on supposition alone. There's never any real tangible evidence, just Nero Wolfe's incredible brain power and his ever tipping his head a quarter of an inch (which apparently invokes powerful human truths). And yet...the murderer ends up serving a life term (based on WHAT!?)
As a neophyte to the Nero Wolfe series and with experiences reading only the "continuator's" version, I have to entertain the possibility that the original series may have left the writer with little room to fix these weaknesses (perhaps this is just par for the course?). However, as Wolfe quips in this book, "Pfui. Tolstoy's niche in the pantheon remains secure." I think I'll go read Tolstoy and quit trying to read this particular series.
December 18, 2017
I can't love these modern setting books. He does some of the stories pretty well for not being Rex Stout but one of the things I liked about the original books was the setting. He's messed that up and it feels wrong. There is no rule saying fictional characters have to age or time has to pass, he could have stayed in the past forever. And he should have.
I thought the premise about there being a writer who took over a beloved character after the original writer died was kind of a cheap shot. Too much explaining about how hard the writer tries to keep the spirit of the original and he's only human you know so he can't be perfect. Just sounded like he was responding to his critics. I haven't read the Goldsborough books in order and the first couple I read were really good. If you didn't know it wasn't Stout you probably wouldn't have noticed. Then I read one the other day, The Bloodied Ivy, that was like a laundry list of Wolfe cliches. It was like he tried to cram in as many Wolfeisms as possible whether they fit or not. I notice it more now, although the 2 books I've read since then where nowhere near as bad. This one was a good story, I would have normally given it 4 stars, but the stuff that mirrored real life was just too much.
I thought the premise about there being a writer who took over a beloved character after the original writer died was kind of a cheap shot. Too much explaining about how hard the writer tries to keep the spirit of the original and he's only human you know so he can't be perfect. Just sounded like he was responding to his critics. I haven't read the Goldsborough books in order and the first couple I read were really good. If you didn't know it wasn't Stout you probably wouldn't have noticed. Then I read one the other day, The Bloodied Ivy, that was like a laundry list of Wolfe cliches. It was like he tried to cram in as many Wolfeisms as possible whether they fit or not. I notice it more now, although the 2 books I've read since then where nowhere near as bad. This one was a good story, I would have normally given it 4 stars, but the stuff that mirrored real life was just too much.
October 25, 2021
This is another installment in the author Robert Goldsborough series of Nero Wolfe mysteries that keeps alive the legendary detective and mystery series created by Rex Stout. These are primarily character driven mysteries. You won’t find new ground being broken in forensic science in these novels. Instead, you’ll find the familiar cast of characters that you’ll enjoy being with once again. The dialogue is great and the characters are faithful to the personas Rex Stout gave them. This murder mystery is solved based upon examining human emotions and characteristics, not fingerprints or ballistics tests or violent confrontations with suspects. In this case, an author has been murdered, although the police initially conclude it was death by suicide. It’s a fine read as clues are slowly revealed by the investigated legwork of Archie Goodwin and interpreted by Nero Wolfe. So, sit back and relax while you enjoy reading a mystery plot with several twists and turns before all is revealed by Nero Wolfe.
September 3, 2022
I appreciate the Nero Wolf books written by Robert Goldsborough, continuing the Rex Stout mystery series. My dad read all of them and shared them with me. My daughter is also a big Nero Wolf fan. We both have a collection of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolf books, and have enjoyed Robert Goldsborough’s continuation of the Nero Wolf series. The Missing Chapter is a good one. The main story line is about the death of an author who takes up the writing of a popular mystery series after the original author passes away (similar to Mr. Goldsborough continuing Nero Wolf after the passing of Rex Stout). If you are a fan of Nero Wolf books you will like this one. If you are new to Nero Wolf, I hope you enjoy it. All the series main Characters are in the story: Nero Wolf, Archie, Saul, Felix, Theodore, Lon Cohen, Inspector Cramer, Purle Stebbins, and Lily Rowan, plus the characters involved in this mystery. Follow the clues . . .
August 9, 2019
I didn't know that anyone had "continued" the Nero Wolfe mysteries after Stout's death. But here he is, having completed several. The Missing Chapter features the death of another "continuator" - author who continues a series after the original author died.
Goldsborough does a decent enough job with Archie and Wolfe. I note that Archie now has a long-time girlfriend, which is perhaps a nod to the times. In Stout's novels Archie was always after the dame of the moment. We simply don't have that here. So I give him credit for that.
Although the story hangs together fairly well it seems too simple. And I didn't feel any real satisfaction in reading it. This may be simply because I am past Nero Wolfe in general, along with his gastronomical and botanical fixations, or it may be that Goldsborough doesnt quite bring what is needed to the table.
Goldsborough does a decent enough job with Archie and Wolfe. I note that Archie now has a long-time girlfriend, which is perhaps a nod to the times. In Stout's novels Archie was always after the dame of the moment. We simply don't have that here. So I give him credit for that.
Although the story hangs together fairly well it seems too simple. And I didn't feel any real satisfaction in reading it. This may be simply because I am past Nero Wolfe in general, along with his gastronomical and botanical fixations, or it may be that Goldsborough doesnt quite bring what is needed to the table.
November 28, 2021
I grew up reading the Rex Stout Nero Wolfe novels and they hold a special place in my reading memory. As a bookseller, I was mystified when author estates started selling the rights to new authors to continue a series. (the first I recall was for V. C. Andrews.) so I started reading Robert Goldsborough reincarnation of the Nero Wolfe series with trepidation, but I was surprised to find the books faithful to the originals. I particularly liked this one for its post-modern/meta plot where the victim is an author who has been hired to continue a detective series. All the familiar characters- Wolfe, Archie, Cramer, Fritz, Horstmann, and Saul Panzer- go through their paces and Wolfe gathers everyone of the suspects together to reveal the murderer. Just fun to read new entries in the canon.
June 19, 2023
This was my first book that I have read in the Nero Wolfe series. I enjoyed it. No violence (other than the original suicide or murder) that needed to be solved. A cerebral detective novel. This was my first opportunity experience with the Nero Wolfe character. Nero is a corpulent, self-described "genius" who loves his orchids, his food and his books. He is not a patient man, does not suffer fools gladly and is very possessive of his time. Archie is the gumshoe who does most of the investigative work.
I enjoyed the humor, the clever wordsmithing and insights of Archie. This was a mystery that one could only solve by following all the leads in the book. The ending was clever and I did not see it coming. Out of the five or six major suspects, the murderer turned out to be the person I would suspect least.
I hope to read more of this series both from this author and from Rex Stout.
I enjoyed the humor, the clever wordsmithing and insights of Archie. This was a mystery that one could only solve by following all the leads in the book. The ending was clever and I did not see it coming. Out of the five or six major suspects, the murderer turned out to be the person I would suspect least.
I hope to read more of this series both from this author and from Rex Stout.
November 4, 2018
Rating between 3 and 3.5
I am not a follower of Nero Wolfe series by Rex stout but I remember reading reviews by fans saying these continuations were not very good at the time of publication.
It is at least 10 years since I read any of the Stout originals and I have a vague memory that the last time I tried one I found it slow going.
However for me I found the novel well written , easy to read, characters drawn well and generally interesting. The narrator Archie Goodwin was a pleasant voice to listen to.
The plot was quite slim however and the evidence/denouement felt quite circumstantial to me. A fair play story it most definitely was not.
So overall a good read which passed the time nicely and I will look out for any of the remaining Wolfe novels by the same author.
I am not a follower of Nero Wolfe series by Rex stout but I remember reading reviews by fans saying these continuations were not very good at the time of publication.
It is at least 10 years since I read any of the Stout originals and I have a vague memory that the last time I tried one I found it slow going.
However for me I found the novel well written , easy to read, characters drawn well and generally interesting. The narrator Archie Goodwin was a pleasant voice to listen to.
The plot was quite slim however and the evidence/denouement felt quite circumstantial to me. A fair play story it most definitely was not.
So overall a good read which passed the time nicely and I will look out for any of the remaining Wolfe novels by the same author.
September 27, 2025
Thank you Mr. Goldsborough for writing “The Missing Chapter” A Rex Stout Novel. Specifically, I appreciated your sensitive description of how Archie respectfully interacts with a woman filled with fear. You do a beautiful job describing her fear as being demonstrated by a wide-eyed and expressionless stare. As Archie interacts with this character you describe how he creates a safe space for her by sitting side by side but some distance apart, silently watching highway traffic with her, waiting until she felt comfortable enough to speak, and after she has spoken looking straight ahead and nodding silently to non-verbally and non threateningly validate her words. I valued your sensitive depiction of humane communication between Archie and a woman of strength and courage.
My GoodReads friends I believe that you will be charmed by Mr. Goldsborough’s thoughtful dialogue and respect for hardworking courageous women as I am. This is an excellent read!
My GoodReads friends I believe that you will be charmed by Mr. Goldsborough’s thoughtful dialogue and respect for hardworking courageous women as I am. This is an excellent read!
September 28, 2020
An Authorbiography?
In this yarn the victim is an author continuing a series by a beloved author of mysteries.
There ‘seems’ to be some parallels here to our current intrepid Archie scion. Dare I say that there is are some very personal observations going on?
Is so, Mr. Goldsboro, you have nothing to be concerned about. Your work is first rate. My only question would be, are you channeling Rex Stout, or are you his reincarnation?
At any rate I look forward to every book that you and Archie pen together.
I didn’t figure out hoodunnit until Wolf told me. The clues were there, but I was clueless.
In this yarn the victim is an author continuing a series by a beloved author of mysteries.
There ‘seems’ to be some parallels here to our current intrepid Archie scion. Dare I say that there is are some very personal observations going on?
Is so, Mr. Goldsboro, you have nothing to be concerned about. Your work is first rate. My only question would be, are you channeling Rex Stout, or are you his reincarnation?
At any rate I look forward to every book that you and Archie pen together.
I didn’t figure out hoodunnit until Wolf told me. The clues were there, but I was clueless.
January 28, 2021
I loved the Nero Wolfe mysteries by Rex Stout when I first read them, but as I started to re-read them recently I found them very dated. In particular, the characterization of women bothered me and interfered with my enjoyment of the books. (There was nothing totally offensive, it was just characteristic of the culture at the time in history when the books were written.) I had forgotten that Goldsborough had picked up the franchise. Reading this gave me back the pleasure of being in the company of Archie/Wolfe/Fritz/etc. Its not quite as good as Rex Stout's writing, but is good enough for me to enjoy .
May 26, 2018
I read my way through the entire canon of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books back in the day, and I've been thoroughly enjoying Goldsborough's new ones; in my opinion he keeps the flavor of the originals while bringing them slowly up to date (this one has Archie using a PC, while an author toils on a word processor--haven't seen any cell phones yet). The Missing Chapter is particularly amusing as Archie and Wolfe investigate the murder of a "continuator," an author producing new books in a series after the death of a popular mystery writer.
December 8, 2022
Lookit, if you read this you knew what to expect. It's 60% formula, but oh, what a good formula it is.
This one's meta-meta. As well as making it about a series "continuator," Goldsborough works in a lecture about how a mystery novel should be constructed.
The plot is only OK, but who cares? Goldsborough has captured and slightly modernized the Stout/Goodwin style of snark and description.
I continue to wonder how the suave, urbane Archie who dates Lily Rowan turns into Jethro Clampett in Wolfe's eyes. It's great.
Enjoyable. Of course it was.
This one's meta-meta. As well as making it about a series "continuator," Goldsborough works in a lecture about how a mystery novel should be constructed.
The plot is only OK, but who cares? Goldsborough has captured and slightly modernized the Stout/Goodwin style of snark and description.
I continue to wonder how the suave, urbane Archie who dates Lily Rowan turns into Jethro Clampett in Wolfe's eyes. It's great.
Enjoyable. Of course it was.
June 29, 2017
The Missing Chapter
It is somewhat surprising that Goldsborough chose the death of a continuator (one who continues writing a series after the original author has died) as the subject for this book since he himself has chosen to continue Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe series.
One of the problems I had with this book is that Goldsborough is dragging Archie and Nero into modern times with PCs but then the language has stayed more in tune with the 40s.
It is somewhat surprising that Goldsborough chose the death of a continuator (one who continues writing a series after the original author has died) as the subject for this book since he himself has chosen to continue Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe series.
One of the problems I had with this book is that Goldsborough is dragging Archie and Nero into modern times with PCs but then the language has stayed more in tune with the 40s.
September 6, 2018
This was a good effort and much stronger than some of Goldsborough's other Nero Wolfe mysteries. The plot was a little self-indulgent on the author's part but I'll let him poke fun at himself. The climax of the story did little to surprise me and I felt much of the novel was a giant red herring ascribing (far fetched?) motives to as many people as possible. Nevertheless, the characterizations are strong and true to Stout's vision. An enjoyable, if highly flawed, read.
January 22, 2021
I read the original Rex Stout Nero Wolfe mysteries a long time ago, but always enjoyed the cases of the orchid growing detective and his “legs” and narrator, Archie Goodwin. This is the first of the series that has been continued by Goldsborough that I have read. Overall I think he is quite successful in writing the characters and the dialogue rings true. I gave this 3 stars only because I found that the plot and most of the”suspects” didn’t really hold my interest.
February 21, 2021
There's actually a lot to like about this book. The writer is clever and the approach is fun and unique. Unfortunately the story tends to plod and though there are quite a few suspects none of them is particularly interesting nor do they give off much menace. The author is a little too cute for his own good and as a result any possible tension gets lost in the shuffle. Not bad, but lacking that certain something that sets apart a really good mystery.
June 23, 2021
Not of a book
Reading Rex Stout or Robert Goldsborough, makes me happy. I love watching how Nero and Archi get things solved although I always seem to be missing an important piece till Nero lays it all out. That doesn't stop me from having an enjoyable time hopping into the story into another world, If you have not read these books escape into their world and see!
There were quite a few good choices for murderer in this story.
Reading Rex Stout or Robert Goldsborough, makes me happy. I love watching how Nero and Archi get things solved although I always seem to be missing an important piece till Nero lays it all out. That doesn't stop me from having an enjoyable time hopping into the story into another world, If you have not read these books escape into their world and see!
There were quite a few good choices for murderer in this story.
September 9, 2022
This time Goldsborough enmeshes Wolfe in the world of publishing when he’s asked to prove that an unpopular writer didn’t commit suicide. I’ll bet this was a fun book for Goldsborough to write as he plays with a world that he must know very well—even poking some fun at himself along the way.
The mystery is solid and the reason for the crime touched my heart. The victim is no saint and while no one deserves to be murdered, I certainly wish the jury would have gone easy on this killer.
The mystery is solid and the reason for the crime touched my heart. The victim is no saint and while no one deserves to be murdered, I certainly wish the jury would have gone easy on this killer.
March 17, 2019
One of Goldsborough’s Better Nero Wolfe Pastiches
None of Robert Goldsborough’s Nero Wolfe follow-on novels are bad, but some capture the flavor of Rex Stout’s writing and characters better than others. Usually, the contemporary novels are less faithful than the historical ones (I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the idea of technophobe Nero Wolfe actually allowing a personal computer into his home!) - in this case, though, I think he gets the flavor right.
None of Robert Goldsborough’s Nero Wolfe follow-on novels are bad, but some capture the flavor of Rex Stout’s writing and characters better than others. Usually, the contemporary novels are less faithful than the historical ones (I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the idea of technophobe Nero Wolfe actually allowing a personal computer into his home!) - in this case, though, I think he gets the flavor right.
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