Lee Goldberg, Murder by Design

About: Mostly out of work actor Wally Nash gets a day job playing Watson to a brilliant detective—handsome and filthy rich but neurologically damaged Edison Bixby, who sees the world, and crimes, through the lens of design decisions.

Verdict: It was a pleasure diving into Lee Goldberg‘s new series. Both main characters are appealing and unusual, their rapport is fun to watch, and at any rate I’m partial to the Holmes-Watson/Monk-Sharona dynamic. I’ll happily read more of these. Goldberg predicts in his author’s note that readers may find his description of Bixby‘s house over-the-top. I was OK with it, in fact, but I could not get past the breakfast-dispensing tree. Who are the house elves that load that contraption up with pancake batter? More to the point, think of the potential for ants! I’m passing on breakfast, but I’ll take the series.

Publication: 2026 · 239 pages
Rating: 4 stars