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BEYOND
WOLFE
What
is the crazed, fanatical Nero Wolfe fan to do after devouring the final story?
Wait several months and re-read all seventy-two cases? Well, yes, but what after
that? Fear not. I have a few suggestions.
1.
The Robert Goldsborough Books. Okay,
they are not Rex Stout, but what is? I know that a lot of Wolfe fans have harsh
judgments about these pastiches, but they can be good fun if taken for what they
are. They are an earnest attempt at recreating the world of the old brownstone.
The titles are: Murder in E Minor, Death
on Deadline, The Bloodied Ivy, The Last Coincidence, Fade
to Black, Silver Spire and The Missing
Chapter.
2.
The Chip Harrison Mysteries. These
novels by Lawrence Block are not that well known by Wolfe fans, which is
unfortunate. They are a scream. Part pastiche, part homage, part parody—you
can enjoy these novels on many levels. They are also good mysteries. There are
four Chip Harrison mysteries. I haven’t read the first two, I must confess.
They deal with young Chip Harrison before he meets and works for Leo Haig. The
final two are the ones that are of interest to rabid Wolfenistas. They are, Make
Out for Murder and The Topless Tulip
Caper. You see, Leo Haig believes that Nero Wolfe is an absolutely real
detective. He feels that if he uses Wolfe’s methods and creates a name for
himself, one day the phone will ring and Archie Goodwin will invite him to dine
at Wolfe’s table. He can eat Fritz’s food and Wolfe will proclaim to Haig,
“Satisfactory.”
Instead of raising orchids, Haig breeds tropical fish. He hires young
Chip Harrison to be his assistant and write up his cases just like Goodwin. Haig
also wants Chip to move into his place. Chip thinks Haig is insane.
I highly recommend these novels. In a recent interview, Lawrence Block
said he might write another one. Let’s hope he does.
3.
The Zero Effect. This
movie was not a big success in theaters but has found an audience on home video.
It should interest Wolfe fans. The writer/director, Jake Kasdan, has obviously
been influenced heavily by Rex Stout. Whether it is accidental or a deliberate homage,
I’m not sure. The main character, Daryl Zero, (Bill Pullman) is reclusive
detective who is eccentric beyond belief. His assistant, Steve Arlo, (Ben
Stiller) is a lawyer and front man. You see, Zero never meets with his clients.
He infiltrates his client’s lives under various disguises. When not on a case,
he never leaves his home, eats only tuna fish, drinks Tab and composes
unintelligible rock songs. His assistant is completely fed up with his insane
boss. Zero is hired to stop a blackmail scheme and find a pair of keys. One
thing he cannot do is to convince his assistant to write up his cases, so he is
forced to do it himself. How can someone be the world’s greatest detective
without the world knowing about it? This movie is not liked by everyone but,
what is? — As an aside, the general public in this country do not have a good
feel for the mystery form. I blame it on all those insipid cop shows that ran
for years on TV. And, don’t get me started on lawyer shows where the hero
lawyer makes the murderer confess without giving any clues to the audience!
Thank goodness for PBS and A and E, who are keeping mysteries alive. — Anyway,
I recommend The Zero Effect.
4.
Son of Holmes. This
early John Lescroart novel is based on the idea that Nero Wolfe was the son of
Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler. The story takes place during the ‘early’
years of Wolfe’s career when he was a spy in Europe. I hesitate to say more
about it because I haven’t read it. It is out of print and difficult to find.
I had it in my hands once in a bookstore but I “cheaped” out and thought I
could wait till it was on sale. Drats.
5.
Nero Wolfe Radio Shows with Sidney Greenstreet. These old radio shows are available for sale on the Web. When I get
around to ordering some, I’ll review them here.