Review: Highly addictive series...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 19, 2011
First of all, Dave Zeltserman's short story double-feature "Julius Katz Mysteries" kick-starts this new series. If you aren't already familiar with Julius and Archie from these two stories originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, you will want to start there, and as a bonus you can get them both together for less than a buck. "Julius Katz and Archie" picks right up from where those two stories left off with Julius Katz's first full-length mystery. Certainly if you are a fan of the previous, you will not be disappointed here. The series also owes heavily to the classic Nero Wolfe detective stories. I have to admit I'm not familiar with these, but after reading Julius Katz, as well as Anthony Neil Smith's similarly inspired "Choke on Your Lies," this is something I plan to correct. Needless to say I was able to enjoy these despite my ignorance. One thing I am sure sets Zeltserman's series apart is one very unique twist. The stories are told from Archie the side-kick's perspective. What is brilliant here is that Archie is not just any side-kick, but a super intelligent Artificial Intelligence unit which Julius keeps discreetly clipped to his tie. You really have to read these stories to believe it, but once you do you I promise you will be hooked!