Stop the Presses!

A Nero Wolfe Mystery (The Nero Wolfe Mysteries, Book 11)

By: Robert Goldsborough

Narrated by: L. J. Ganser

Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin have a lot of boldfaced names on their suspect list when New York’s most hated gossip columnist is murdered.

There are few people Nero Wolfe respects, and Lon Cohen of the New York Gazette is one of them. So when Cohen asks for a favor, the famously brilliant - and notoriously lazy - detective is inclined to listen. According to Cohen, someone wants to kill the Gazette’s gossip columnist, Cameron Clay. Death threats are a regular hazard for Clay, who’s hurled insults and accusations at every boldfaced name in the five boroughs. But the latest threats have carried a more sinister tone.

The columnist has narrowed his potential killers down to five people: an egomaniacal developer, a disgraced cop, a corrupt councilman, a sleazy lawyer, and his own ex-wife. But when Clay turns up dead, the cops deem it a suicide. The bigwigs at the Gazette don’t agree, so they retain Wolfe and his indefatigable assistant, Archie Goodwin, to figure out which of the suspects had the mettle to pull the trigger.

©2016 Robert Goldsborough (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Not the best, but enjoyable

The story is a little dragged out, and the result took shape well in advance, but Archie and Wolfe engage with each other amusingly, and there’s enough on the other characters to hold interest. The narrator is clear and skillful though I prefer Gansler’s version of Wolfe, as more resonant, less speedy.

Another good Nero Wolfe book

I have been reading Nero Wolfe mysteries since I was in high school; I am now a senior citizen. I thoroughly enjoyed Rex Stout’s books and also most of Robert Goldsborough’s. L. J. Ganser’s performance is usually very good! He isn’t quite as good as Michael Prichard, but he usually does a fine job. The only complaint I have about his reading is that early on in the original books, it is stated that Fritz, even though he has a Germanic name, is from the French-speaking part of Switzerland. He reads a French language newspaper. If he had an accent it would be French, not German! Michael Prichard avoided this pitfall by not giving Fritz an accent at all. I would suggest that Mr. Ganser do the same.
The only other comment I have is that thank goodness Audible saw fit to redo this book with narration by Mr. Ganser! The other fellow was terrible!!! That is how to ruin a good book! Thank you, Audible, for listening to reviewers of the previous version.