Robert Goldsborough (writer)

Robert Goldsborough
Born Robert Gerald Goldsborough
October 3, 1937
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Occupation Writer, journalist
Genre Detective fiction
Spouse Janet Elizabeth Moore
(January 15, 1966–)
Website
robertgoldsborough.com

Robert Gerald Goldsborough (born October 3, 1937, Chicago, Illinois) is an American journalist and writer of mystery novels. He worked for 45 years for the Chicago Tribune and Advertising Age, but gained prominence as the author of a series of authorized pastiches of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe detective stories, published from 1986 to 1994. The first novel, Murder in E Minor, received a Nero Award. In 2005 Goldsborough published Three Strikes You're Dead, the first book in an original series of period mysteries featuring Chicago Tribune reporter Steve (Snap) Malek.

Biography

Robert Goldsborough was born October 3, 1937, in Chicago, the son of architect Robert Vincent Goldsborough and Wilma (Janak) Goldsborough. He grew up in the Chicago area and attended Northwestern University, receiving bachelor's and master's degrees (1959, 1960) from the Medill School of Journalism.[1]

Journalism

After a year of reporting for the Associated Press, Goldsborough went to work for the Chicago Tribune as a reporter (1960–1963). From 1963 to 1966 he served as assistant editor of the newspaper's Sunday magazine and TV Week, which he edited from 1966 to 1967. He was assistant to the features editor (1967–1971) and editor (1971–1972), and was named Sunday editor (1972–1975) and editor of the Sunday magazine (1975–1982). In 1982 he joined Advertising Age as editor, and became the magazine's special projects director in 1988.[1] He retired in December 2004.[2]

Nero Wolfe

Goldsborough gained national renown in the 1980s with the publication — approved by 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.

"As the one who extended the life of Rex’s Stout’s famed private eye Nero Wolfe with seven novels in the 1980s and ’90s, I got both praise and derision — praise from readers who were glad to have more tales of Wolfe and his loyal right-hand, Archie Goodwin, and derision from those who either lamented that 'you haven’t got it right' or who felt fictional characters should be allowed to die with their creators," Goldsborough wrote in 2011.[3]

Goldsborough resumed his Nero Wolfe series with Archie Meets Nero Wolfe (a prequel to Stout's novels) in 2012, followed by 2014's Murder in the Ball Park.

Snap Malek

In 2005 Goldsborough turned his attention to creating books with his own characters, beginning with Three Strikes You're Dead, a mystery set in pre-war Chicago, featuring Steve (Snap) Malek, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. In February 2006, Three Strikes You're Dead was named Best Historical Mystery at the eighth annual awards banquet of Love is Murder.[4] Terror at the Fair (2011), the fifth book in the Snap Malek series, received the Lovey Award in 2012.[5]

Bibliography

Nero Wolfe novels

  1. Murder in E Minor. New York: Bantam Books, April 1986, ISBN 0-553-05123-7
  2. Death on Deadline. Bantam Books, May 1987, ISBN 0-553-05193-8
  3. The Bloodied Ivy. Bantam Books, August 1988, ISBN 0-553-05281-0
  4. The Last Coincidence. Bantam Books, December 1989, ISBN 0-553-05383-3
  5. Fade to Black. Bantam Books, November 1990, ISBN 0-553-07060-6
  6. Silver Spire. Bantam Books, November 1992, ISBN 0-553-07237-4
  7. The Missing Chapter. Bantam Books, January 1994, ISBN 0-553-07241-2
  8. Archie Meets Nero Wolfe. MysteriousPress.com/Open Road, November 2012, ISBN 1-453-27097-3
  9. Murder in the Ball Park. MysteriousPress.com/Open Road, January 2014.

Snap Malek novels

  1. Three Strikes You're Dead. Laurel, Maryland: Echelon Press, 2005, ISBN 1-59080-424-4
  2. Shadow of the Bomb. Echelon Press, 2006, ISBN 978-1-59080-351-6
  3. A Death in Pilsen. Echelon Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-59080-531-2
  4. A President in Peril. Echelon Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1-59080-616-6
  5. Terror at the Fair. Echelon Press, 2011, ISBN 978-1-59080-672-2

Other

  1. Great Railroad Paintings, Editor. Peacock Press/Bantam, 1976, ISBN 978-0-55301-048-0

Awards

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Robert Goldsborough in Contemporary Authors Online. Gale. May 13, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  2. ↑ Mr. Bob Goldsborough, Zoom People Information, Zoom Information, Inc., April 2011
  3. ↑ Goldsborough, Robert, "The Good, the Bad, the Sequel" (blog), June 28, 2011; retrieved May 14, 2012
  4. ↑ "Nero Wolfe Author, Goldsborough, Wins Readers' Choice Award". Echelon Press Publishing press release, February 9, 2006; retrieved May 14, 2012
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lovey Awards, Love is Murder Mystery Conference; retrieved May 14, 2012

External links