Archie Goes Home

Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe Mysteries #15

by Robert Goldsborough

Archie Goodwin leaves Manhattan for the Midwest to find out who put a bullet into a banker.

Archie Goodwin’s aunt Edna is about to lure him away from his work at Nero Wolfe’s New York brownstone. After a phone call, he heads off to Ohio, where the president of Farmer’s State Bank and Trust, an elderly widower, has died in an apparent suicide. But Archie’s aunt has expressed nagging suspicions—which only grow stronger when someone takes a shot at a local reporter who wrote about the case.
 
It wouldn’t be a small town without some gossip, and Archie soon hears the whispers: romantic intrigues, a possible paternity case, a ruined business. While reconnecting with his aging mother—and fending off his nagging aunt—Archie tries to untangle a web of grudges, scandals, and murder.
 
From Nero Award winner Robert Goldsborough, this is a brand-new novel in the series created by Rex Stout, starring one of the world’s most beloved detectives and his equally engaging sidekick.
 
Archie Goes Home is the 15th book in the Nero Wolfe Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
 

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 19, 2020

About the author

Robert 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

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long ago I got on the Nero Wolfe train. By 1980, I had read almost all of them. Rex Stout was able to work some interesting things into what was, basically, a formulaic plot. Archie Goodwin was always out in the world gathering information while Nero Wolfe (when he could be bothered to work) would put it together and out the murderer.

"Wolfe may have put it best when I told him once that I had some ideas about a case on which we were working. His response: “Your head full of ideas? Even my death by violence is not too high a price for so rare and happy a phenomenon as that.” I should have been insulted, but I wasn’t. He was right, and I have long since become aware that my role in our operation is not as a thinker but as a man of action."

Why should I be reading Goldsborough’s “authorized” extension of the series? Mostly because I was intrigued by the possibility of learning more of Goodwin’s “backstory.” In this novel, Archie is persuaded, with Wolfe’s blessing, to answer his aunt’s beckoning and leave New York City for his Ohio home town where she suspects foul play in the suicide of a prominent local citizen.

Once there we get some nicely conceived details to Archie’s early life and that of his family. As in most of these novels, Archie stirs the pot and upsets many of the locals.

"“Public nuisance? Just what does that charge entail?”
“That is left to my discretion, as well as to the discretion of the local justice of the peace.”
“Am I free to leave?”
“No one is stopping you,” Blankenship said with a grim expression. “But I repeat my warning, Mr. Goodwin. You are very close to wearing out your welcome in this community, at least in the eyes of the police department. I have no personal animosity toward you, but I really hope we do not have occasion to meet again.”"

There are some nicely conceived twists and turns but Goldsborough doesn’t break from the format (and that’s probably fine with most readers.)

3.5*

[♪ Kim N · Rating 2 out of 5]

Archie goes home to Ohio to investigate the death of a local bank president. The police believe it's suicide but Aunt Edna, who knows all the town gossip, is convinced it's murder. The story starts well but soon becomes repetitive. The cast of suspects is interviewed and reviewed over and over and over again. Not much investigating gets done and Archie is pretty much stuck until Nero Wolfe and Saul Panzer show up. (Wolfe is invited by Archie's mother and Saul is the only person other than Archie who can be trusted to get him to Ohio safely.) The denouement is good, but accounts for only about 4 of the 200+ pages in the book. On the plus side, I did like meeting Archie's mom.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very bland and mediocre effort with Wolfe only getting a cameo in the story.
2.5/5

[Siobhain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Archie and Nero are growing on me, and I think I like how Mr. Goldsborough writes the stories better than Rex Stout. This was a fun read in which Goldsborough has filled in some of the backstory of Archie, and we get to know his delightful mother while Archie attempts to solve a mystery on his own in his home town. Unfortunately, it takes Nero Wolfe making the unforeseen and unexpected drive to Ohio to put all the pieces together. I don't mean unfortunately because I am opposed to Nero Wolfe but because I was rooting for Archie to figure it out on his own. I was tempted to rate this 4 stars because I really did enjoy it and I figured out who the murderer was which is a first for me for a Nero Wolfe book. I also like that I felt like each character came to life and was distinguishable from the others. In the end though, I give it a 3++. I loved Nancy Drew as a kid, but now I'm just not as much of a fan of the formulaic solving of mysteries or the never-aging detective. If you are a Nero Wolfe fan and want to know more about Archie's background, you will love Archie Goes Home.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a Nero Wolfe fan and since Rex Stout passed away years ago, Goldsborough is the only game in town. His books get mixed reviews from me-- some are closer to my view of the characters than others. This is one of the better ones, in my view anyway. Most of the action takes place in Archie's home town where we meet his mother and aunt, so this is all new territory-- nothing to compare it to, which may account for some of my enjoyment. It's a decent mystery as well. Only quibble is that Goldsborough tends to make his characters eschew contractions, which reminds me more of Wolfe's speech patterns. I especially noticed it in Archie's mother. Anyway, a good little book about a 3.7

[Teri-K · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not much of a plot, and the dialogue was awful! So stilted and unreal sometimes I had trouble making myself read it. Here's a sample, Archie's mother talking to him when he arrives for a long-awaited visit. "How is your own health? You seem as though you never age, a trait you probably got from your father, who always looked younger than his years." Sure, that's how I talk to my own kids. lol In fact, I'm not sure why I finished it, as usually I DNF books like this.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook

[CatBookMom · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe I'm too harsh. Admittedly, I haven't read any of the more-recent Goldsborough versions of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin's iconic stories from Rex Stout, though I have re-read some of Rex Stout's books in the last 6 mos. I did read one or two of the early Goldsborough pastiches, and bought the one about "how Archie met Nero." That was longer ago than I recalled.

I saw this and thought it would be interesting backstory to Archie, his Ohio roots and all. Not so much. I couldn't make it to the 2nd chapter; the writing was stilted, so very far unlike the snappy bits from Rex Stout.

[Abibliofob · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you never tried any of Rex Stout or Robert Goldsboroughs books about Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, then shame on you. They are literary masterpieces and should be obligatory reading. This one is very special because we get to know some of Archies background and where he comes from and we get to meet some of his kin. The book is as usual well written and filled with witty dialogu and humor. Ther is as usual a problem to solve and meals to eat. This is also one of those rare occasions when Nero Wolfe travels...

[Randee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something was off about Archie Goodwin’s character.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read all of the late Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series twice, and that’s a lot of books. Never once have I been bored by a story. Each felt fresh and new and none were repetitive. Robert Goldsborough has continued the series with the blessing of Stout’s estate and he has received awards for his Nero Wolfe novels. I’ve read all but two of Goldsborough’s Wolfe novels and I have tried to be fair about my reviews because I know it must be extremely difficult to take on the work of another writer and try to emulate the characters, the story, the style, the plot intricacies, and etc. plus having to please a loyal and loving audience of the original creator’s work. So far, I haven’t enjoyed Goldsborough's books. but I have found something in each to like. But this particular book is my least favorite. Like all the books in the continuation of this series, it is bloated, stuffed with repetition, and that alone is annoying. I can still see both Wolfe and Archie in my mind, as well as the other characters that filter into these stories, and yet it always feels as if something is off. Aside from the fact that this should have been a short story rather than a novel, I found the tone extremely irritating. Archie going home and staying with his mom and putting up with his aunt in Ohio could have been a great idea. But somehow this did not feel like a Nero Wolfe book at all, even though Wolfe is referred to five or six times throughout in a sentence or two because he is not there and no one is even conferring with him by phone. Only at the end do we get Wolfe’s presence and the usual way he brings all of the suspects together, which in this case seems particularly unrealistic. I also wonder why the characters are speaking so formally. I think even people in Ohio in the past used contractions when they spoke, especially in a family. There’s not much I liked about this novel. I was glad we got to the end when Wolfe is able to solve the case, but it wasn’t an exciting climatic tale and it certainly didn’t leave me feeling the urge to buy another book.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following a successful performer's act has got to be one of the most difficult things a person can do. Robert Goldsborough has had the semi-thankless task of following in the footsteps of the late Rex Stout for a number of years. Stout created Nero Wolfe-Wolfe and his right hand man Archie Goodwin are among my favorite fictional characters, and Goldsborough has continued to spin tales of Archie and Nero for fifteen novels. This cannot have been easy-the Wolfe Pack is a demanding audience of fans who, like Wolfe himself, want everything to be just so. When I first started to read mysteries I was around twenty-six and had grown tired of the (un)holy triumvirate of fantasy, science-fiction, and horror genres I had been reading exclusively for over a decade. Rex Stout was one of the authors I chose to experience first when I took up reading mysteries-a decision I have never regretted. So of course I have quite a bit of affection for the author and his creations. Archie Goes Home takes the boy out of the city, returning Archie to his Ohio roots as he becomes embroiled in a murder investigation. Fish out of water stories can be a really fun trope to explore but we are not treated to a lot of that as Wolfe really does not come into play until near the end of the book, and of course Archie is operating in his home town. (No this is not a spoiler-knowing Archie and Nero what else did you think was going to happen?) My big problems with this book? The dialogue is stiff-everyone talks formally and so even the conversations between Archie and his mother seem stilted. Also (redacted) folded too easily during the big reveal-it seemed unrealistic. It was still nice to see Archie, Nero and the redoubtable Saul Panzer back in the saddle.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this novel, Goldsborough came up with a wonderful idea to let Archie Goodwin shine and prove that he really is a great detective in his own right, and then piddled it away. Archie is harassed by his aunt to come home for a visit and prove that a local wealthy and well-hated businessman didn’t commit suicide. Archie didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about the “case” in the beginning, but he quickly gets engaged with the investigation and starts to irritate people, which always makes the reader think that he is on the right track. The local law enforcement starts to warn him that he can’t interfere with their investigations—even though they have declared the case a suicide and stopped investigating. There are plenty of reasons to suspect foul play. For roughly three-quarters of the book, Archie is working his way toward cornering the murderer (even though he has no idea who the culprit might be). And then Nero Wolfe shows up and solves the case.

I can’t tell you how disappointing this was. Yes, it’s technically a Nero Wolfe novel, but this was Archie’s case and I wanted him to solve it and then have a nice scene in the end where he tells Wolfe about it and Wolfe points out some clue that he missed early on which would have let him solve the case faster. Instead, Wolfe comes and solves the case. Archie had gathered all the clues but couldn’t put them together to identify the murderer. I found that a very disappointing ending to an otherwise entertaining book. I think that after 47 Rex Stout books and now 15 Robert Goldsborough books, Archie deserved to solve one on his own.

[Kay Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Archie Goes Home is the latest entry (the fifteenth) in Robert Goldsborough’s Nero Wolfe series. This outing, set around 1960, sends Archie to Ohio to visit his mother after he gets a call from his gossipy Aunt Edna. Edna suggests that Mrs. Goodwin has health problems, but Archie soon discovers that’s just a ploy to get him to look into a local death. The earnest Chief of Police has ruled the death of the president of the local bank a suicide, but Aunt Edna doesn’t agree. Neither does an ambitious young female reporter on the local paper.

Archie soon discovers that quite a few people around his old home town had reason to dislike the banker, but were any of them angry enough to kill him? Archie has all the information he can gather, but when it comes to sifting through all that and coming up with a solution, no one comes close to Nero Wolfe.

Fortunately all it takes is a nudge from Mrs. Goodwin to bring Wolfe to the rescue—yes, by car, driven by Saul Panzer. With the team together, of course, the mystery is soon solved. An unusual but fun addition to the series.

[Michael Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently Archie's mom is a regular visitor to New York. Nero Wolfe enjoys her company and has her stay at his brownstone. Fritz has taught her secrets in the kitchen. Saul Panzer likes her and so does Horstman since she loves the orchids. So some phone calls from his aunt draws attention to troubles back home. Wolfe has no current case, no direct money worries and suggests that Archie might find out the truth of some of his aunt's revelations by actually going home to see his mother in person. Upon his arrival he finds mom in good health but the aunt's story of murder and mystery the real issue. So he stumbles around, gets in a little trouble and finds no real solution to the murder case. About to return to New York he opens the door and finds Nero Wolfe on his mom's doorstep. Panzer had hinted, Nero had surmised and low-and-beyond he faces his motor vehicle demons to ease his curiosity and travels to Ohio. A slow and somewhat boring tale concludes with the usual gathering of suspects and the Archie trilogy comes to an end.

[Janie P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked It More Than I Expected

I’m glad that the Author in his Author’s Notes set the record straight as to how to describe his most recent books, namely, a backstory. I missed whatever novella(s)(must have been a novella because I’m read all of the Nero Wolfe full length books) referred to his siblings, his father, and his mother’s visits to New York. This book revolves really for the most part around his mother. I could quite easily be mistaken but I thought I remembered Wolfe criticizing Archie for his criticism of someone whose mother mother had died, reminding him of how he had been upset when HIS mother died. I may he off the grid with this “memory”, so… Mr. Goldsborough writes Archie’s mother in a totally pleasing way. She’s a very independent, self-sufficient and gracious lady. The other characters in this story, except perhaps one or two, are not only unlikable but not very nice. I had part of the whodunit right but not the reasons, etc. The reveal is pretty standard Wolfe, just a different atmosphere. Recommend it for dyed in the wool Nero Wolfe fans.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's nice to see Archie Goodwin return to his family home in southern Ohio, and meet his mother and his gossipy Aunt Edna. Edna lured him home by telling him of the curmudgeonly banker who was said to have committed suicide, which she doesn't believe for a minute. Soon enough Wolfe turns up at the Goodwin family door, tempted to come and help Archie with an intransigent mystery. Only two problems: for it to remain a mystery, Archie, Saul (along to drive Wolfe), the local police chief, and Wolfe himself, for an inordinate length of time, miss an obvious pointer to the killer, and the prose is surprisingly bad. You can read aloud a page of Rex Stout's prose, even when Wolfe is being his most pedantic, and it sounds like real people talking. Reading aloud a page of this would leave you dissolved in giggles.

[Gary Randolph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third Nero Wolfe mystery by Robert Goldsborough that I have read. This one was good but a bit of a disappointment.

Part of the problem lies in the premise. Archie tackles a case on his own back home in Ohio. But a Nero Wolfe book with Nero Wolfe back in New York and missing in action for most of the first 60% isn't really a Nero Wolfe book. Besides, Archie is at his best playing off Wolfe, so we don't get the best Archie either.

My other nit to pick is that the motives of each of the main suspects are discussed over and over again. I understand that some repetition helps the reader keep everyone and everything straight. But after a while it's time to quit plowing the field and let something grow.

Despite those nits, the mystery as finally revealed is logical, fresh, and satisfying.

[William Dury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Archie gets a call from his Aunt Edna in his little midwestern (Ohio?) hometown regarding the suspicious suicide death of local banker. Why Archie decided he needed to go home to visit, I can’t recall, but he drops in to see his Mom and check out the crime. A local, suitably attractive young female crusader journalist raises questions in the local paper and is convinced that the banker died at the hands of his dead wife’s former caregiver. Archie doesn’t agree with the caregiver theory but doesn’t buy the local police chief’s suicide theory either. Is it a spoiler to say that Wolfe appears late in the proceedings to solve the crime? I kind of think it is, because a little voice in the reader’s head asks, “I wonder if Wolfe is gonna show up to solve this thing.” Spoiler alert. He does.

[Marj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Archie Goodman, assistant to Nero Wolfe, is subtly nudged by his Aunt Edna to return home to Ohio, to visit his mother, although she is not having any problems. His first impulse was to stay in New York and wait for his mother's planned visit in the fall, but with Nero's encouragement, he decides to drive to Ohio and make the visit.
He discovers his Aunt's real motive is to get him to investigate the death of a disliked banker, although the police are sure the death was a suicide. He decides to check out the death, and ends up agreeing with his gossip-prone aunt that the death was not self-inflicted.
The story was interesting, and there were several unexpected happenings during the investigation.
I was not totally surprised by the ending, but it took me most of the book to get to that point.

[Joe McMahon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve tried several of these, and you know, they’re *fine*.

They’re plotted well, the writing is solid, and the characters are handled well. Getting to meet Archie’s mom — awesome. Pretty solid mystery, and Wolfe ends up out of the house again.

But it’s just a little bit stiff and self-conscious. Archie doesn’t use contractions when my ear tells me he would. Wolfe is handled well, but his personal style and manner overshadow the other characters, and they all sound a bit like Wolfe. Wolfe isn’t as uncomfortable and tetchy as he usually is when he’s not home. The solution is Wolfean...but not quite as brilliant as the original.

It’s still a nice little fix for Stout addicts, but it’s not the original.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a dyed in the wool Rex Stout fan, but my obsession with Nero Wolfe and Archie still allows room for Goldsborough’s addition to the Wolfe canon. Somewhat begrudgingly, I admit.

The fun aspect of this book was the opportunity to meet Mrs. Goodwin, Archie’s mother. I dont want to disclose too many aspects of the story, but she is intelligent, sensitive and sensible, and may be emerging as one of the very few women that Nero Wolfe can stomach in his home or kitchen. She was definitely a high point in this novel.

The low point was the limited appearances of Wolfe in this book. It was Archie’s story. And, I love Archie. But, his character really emerges in his sparring with Wolfe. . . And, that was missing in this book.

[Tim Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a fun novel. Archie Goodwin returns to his small Ohio hometown at his aunt's urging to investigate a questionable death. All the classic Nero Wolfe elements are present - Archie doing the legwork, an unhappy constubalory, and the grand finale with Nero Wolfe revealing the killer in a gathering of all the suspects. Thanks to Robert Goldsborough for continuing the Nero Wolfe series after the death of Rex Stout many years ago. Mr. Goldsborough has remained true to the original series and given us more depth to some of the minor characters, in this instance Saul Panzer and Archie's mother. I listened to the audiobook and the fact that L.J. Ganser does such a great job with the various voices makes listening a real treat. Most satisfactory.

[Bmj2k · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book as a breezy change of pace from the usual pattern of Nero Wolfe stories. However, I do have to say that the book felt like at least 2/3 repetition, as the same descriptions of the same suspects were repeated over and over and over, adding nothing new each time. And speaking of adding nothing new, the small-town sheriff was little more than a politer version of Inspector Kramer. All that aside, it was a nice read, and having Archie's mother as a major character was a nice addition, even if there was also a lot of repetition of how she likes to shop with Lily Rowan, studied Fritz's cooking, etc. etc. over and over. And lastly, don't try to solve this one yourself, as there is no way you can see the solution coming.

[Phil Voelker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a big Nero Wolfe fan since the 80s when I worked at a downtown library. I also enjoyed watching the A&E TV series with Timothy Hutton as Archie.

I had no idea that Robert Goldsborough wrote new Nero Wolfe books until I found the audiobook, Archie Goes Home, on Libby.

When Archie’s Aunt Edna convinces him to return to his hometown in Ohio, he has leave New York to gather clues related a suspicious death, in the little town where he grew up.

It was cool to get some Archie backstory, We not only saw the town he grew up in, but met his mom and learned about his family. There are a lot of suspects in the case, but Goldsborough’s writing makes all the characters easy to track. If you are a Nero Wolfe fan, I think you’ll enjoy this book. The writing style is a little more modern than the original Rex Stout books, but the pace and humor make it a winner.

[Arliss · Rating 2 out of 5]

I needed a palate cleanser between finishing The King’s Evil and finishing Cloud Cuckoo Land. Archie Hoes Home served this purpose. It’s between a 2 and a 2.5 star for me, so not a strong addition to the series. It would have been considerably more interesting had Archie interacted with his hometown in the way most of us do when we have been too long away. That he treated the place he grew up just like any other town made the book boring. That his mother was just another woman with whom he never really talks in a meaningful way was incredibly disappointing. The mystery was only average. I expected more from Goldsborough.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been on my TBR list for a few years, but I’m glad I bought the audiobook. I thoroughly enjoyed narrator L.J. Ganser’s superb voice-acting abilities, which increased my appreciation. And likely influenced the stars I awarded.

I liked Archie launching a solo investigation and chuckled at the scrapes he got into. However, as I read, I was always thinking about Nero Wolfe’s eventual appearance as the Deus ex machina. I chuckled at the thought of Saul Panzer acting as a burr, which is usually Archie’s job.

[Mike Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a long fan of the Nero Wolfe series as far back as when Rex Stout was still writing. Robert Goldsborough has kept the series alive, and, in the tradition and style of Stout.

This volume fills in some of the backstory of Archie Goodwin, Marjorie Goodwin, Archie's mother, and Nero Wolfe. My only disappointment was that I finished too quickly and I'm looking forward for Goldsborough's next volume.

[Daniel Schwarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent look at where Archie came from. It would have been interesting if he had met some childhood acquaintances from his youth in Chillicothe, instead of only his mother and aunt being the people who knew him from his past.

I also appreciated the unusual incidence of Archie investigating on his own, instead of reporting to Wolfe every other chapter. An interesting variation on the usual pattern of a Nero Wolfe mystery.

[Debra A. Rankin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too Many Unanswered Questions

Did not enjoy this book at all. Give it a 2 rating, but thinking is should have been a 1. There were too many unanswered questions. The main question being whether the wife was murdered or not. What was the real relationship between the nurse and husband and what was the relationship between the husband and the girl at the bank? Not worth reading.