The Misadventures of Nero Wolfe

Starred review from February 24, 2020
The 18 pastiches and parodies in this superb anthology from Pachter (The Misadventures of Ellery Queen) honor Rex Stout’s iconic sedentary sleuth. The contributors, who include such notables as Loren Estleman and John Lescroart, succeed in emulating Archie Goodwin’s narrative voice and poking gentle fun at Wolfe’s array of idiosyncratic quirks. The standout is Lawrence Block’s “As Dark as Christmas Gets,” which offers a new case for Leo Haig, a Wolfe wannabe who keeps fish instead of orchids and dreams that his success as a detective will one day land him a coveted dinner invite to Wolfe’s home. Haig is called in by a man resembling the Mysterious Bookshop’s Otto Penzler after an unpublished Cornell Woolrich manuscript disappears during a Christmas party. Authorized pasticheur Robert Goldsborough is represented by the opening chapter of his first Wolfe novel, Murder in E Minor. Other highlights include a new translation of a French pastiche, “The Red Orchid” by Thomas Narcejac, one of the coauthors of Vertigo. This will appeal to Stout devotees and more casual fans alike.