Nearly Nero: The Adventures of Claudius Lyon, the Man Who Would Be Wolfe

The conceit of this disappointing collection from Edgar-finalist Estleman (the Amos Walker series) is solid enough. A lazy, wealthy Brooklynite, who idolizes Rex Stout’s detective Nero Wolfe, renames himself Claudius Lyon and hires Arnie Woodbine as an assistant, just because Arnie’s name sounds like the name of Wolfe’s leg man, Archie Goodwin. Arnie, an ex-con, misses no opportunity to steal from his boss, who, finding orchids too much to handle, has settled for growing tomatoes when not playing amateur sleuth. While Stout fans may be amused by the 11 short stories, one original to this volume, the caricatures and the humor aren’t at the level of, say, Lawrence Block’s hilarious Leo Haig and Chip Harrison series (The Topless Tulip Caper, etc.). By contrast, Estleman’s characters, mysteries, and deductions are slight, with the solutions to the puzzles often obvious and repetitive, such as the whereabouts of a poetry contest winner. (May)