The Bloodied Ivy [Audio Cassette]

Markham, despite his age, was very sure-footed; he'd even climbed in the Alps. He was widowed, after a happy marriage Cortland envied, and a thorn in the flesh of many. His celebrity eclipsed that of the university's president, Keith Potter, let alone Orville Schmidt, his department chair. Worse - Leander Bach wouldn't donate any of his fortune to the university while Markham was there. Satirizing Schmidt's last book in one of his own papers didn't help either. Markham also had a reputation as a ladies' man, although digging out suspects in that area takes more work. Motive is cheap - including Cortland's, although his is to smear academic rivals with suspicion, rather than murder itself. He has no proof that the death wasn't an accident.

Cortland's inaugural visit to the brownstone soaks up 3 of 24 chapters. He speaks to show off his vocabulary rather than to communicate, in a *very* unrealistic manner, and fidgets far too much. (The character has been designed to annoy, giving Wolfe an opportunity for wit at his expense later on, and succeeds all too well.) Archie persuades Wolfe to meet with Cortland, and even goes so far as to drive to Prescott on his own time to check whether Cortland's on the level. (It's out of Cramer's jurisdiction, and isn't even in Westchester, so the police characters involved are new.)

Archie's first visit isn't a total loss. Gretchen Frazier, shining star of the political science graduate students, is very easy on the eyes - and was a devotee of Markham. (In real life, Cortland wouldn't be so casual about implying that she flirted with her thesis advisor as he is herein.) Archie's attempt at a low-profile reconnaissance isn't entirely successful. Elena Moreau, history professor and possible inamorata of the deceased, knows him by sight; she says the deceased was subject to occasional fainting spells. But Archie's examination of the scene leads him to confirm Cortland's suspicions - see if you can figure out why, before Archie reports back to Wolfe. Wolfe holds back from committing himself, however - until the Prescott cops arrest Archie during his search of Markham's house. :)

As always, the brownstone is in the world contemporary with the time of its writing, although not completely of it. Archie has persuaded Wolfe to replace the old typewriter with a PC and dot matrix printer, which from this point on in Goldsborough's books receives some play as another tool in Archie's kit. (Wolfe won't touch it, of course).

In sum: an entertaining story, if one can stay the course past the initial interview with Wolfe's client.