This is a bibliography of fiction by and works about Rex Stout (December 1, 1886 – October 27, 1975), an American writer noted for his detective fiction. He began his literary career in the 1910s, writing more than 40 stories that appeared primarily in pulp magazines between 1912 and 1918. He then wrote no fiction for more than a decade, until the late 1920s, when he had saved enough money through his business activities to write when and what he pleased. In 1929, he wrote his first published book, How Like a God, an unusual psychological story written in the second person. He wrote a pioneering political thriller, The President Vanishes (1934), before specializing in detective fiction. His 1934 novel Fer-de-Lance introduced his best-known characters, detective Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin, who were featured in 33 novels and 41 novellas and short stories between 1934 and 1975. In 1959, Stout received the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award. The Nero Wolfe corpus was nominated as Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon XXXI, the world's largest mystery convention, and Rex Stout was nominated as Best Mystery Writer of the Century.
In addition to writing fiction, Stout was a prominent public intellectual for decades. He was active in the early years of the American Civil Liberties Union and a founder of the Vanguard Press. Stout served as head of the Writers' War Board during World War II, became a radio celebrity through his numerous broadcasts, and was later active in promoting World Federalism. He was the longtime president of the Authors Guild and served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America.
Nero Wolfe corpus Nero Wolfe books Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books (novels and collections of novellas and short stories) are listed in order of publication. For specific publication history, including original magazine appearances, see entries for individual titles. Years link to year-in-literature articles. Year Title Publisher Publication date Notes 1934 Fer-de-Lance Farrar & Rinehart October 24, 1934 Abridged as "Point of Death" in The American Magazine (November 1934) 1935 Farrar & Rinehart August 14, 1935 Serialized as "The Frightened Men" in six issues of The Saturday Evening Post (June 15 to July 20, 1935) 1936 Farrar & Rinehart April 9, 1936 Serialized in six issues of The Saturday Evening Post (February 29 to April 4, 1936) 1937 Farrar & Rinehart April 15, 1937 Serialized in five issues of The American Magazine (December 1936 to April 1937) 1938 Too Many Cooks Farrar & Rinehart August 17, 1938 Serialized in six issues of The American Magazine (March to August 1938) 1939 Some Buried Caesar Farrar & Rinehart February 2, 1939 Abridged as "The Red Bull" in The American Magazine (December 1938) 1940 Over My Dead Body Farrar & Rinehart January 3, 1940 Abridged in The American Magazine (September 1939) 1940 Where There's a Will Farrar & Rinehart June 10, 1940 Abridged as "Sisters in Trouble" in The American Magazine (May 1940) 1942 Black Orchids Farrar & Rinehart May 21, 1942 Contains the novellas "Black Orchids" and "Cordially Invited to Meet Death" 1944 Not Quite Dead Enough Farrar & Rinehart September 7, 1944 Contains the novellas "Not Quite Dead Enough" and "Booby Trap" 1946 Viking Press October 21, 1946 1947 Too Many Women Viking Press October 20, 1947 1948 And Be a Villain Viking Press September 27, 1948 British title More Deaths Than One; first novel in the Zeck Trilogy 1949 Trouble in Triplicate Viking Press February 11, 1949 Contains the novellas "Before I Die", "Help Wanted, Male", and "Instead of Evidence" 1949 Viking Press September 6, 1949 Second novel in the Zeck Trilogy 1950 Three Doors to Death Viking Press April 21, 1950 Contains the novellas "Man Alive", "Omit Flowers", and "Door to Death" 1950 In the Best Families Viking Press September 29, 1950 British title Even in the Best Families; third novel in the Zeck Trilogy 1951 Curtains for Three Viking Press February 23, 1951 Contains the novellas "The Gun with Wings", "Bullet for One", and "Disguise for Murder" 1951 Murder by the Book Viking Press October 12, 1951 1952 Triple Jeopardy Viking Press March 21, 1952 Contains the novellas "Home to Roost", "The Cop-Killer", and "The Squirt and the Monkey" 1952 Prisoner's Base Viking Press October 24, 1952 British title Out Goes She 1953 Viking Press October 26, 1953 1954 Three Men Out Viking Press March 26, 1954 Contains the novellas "Invitation to Murder", "The Zero Clue", and "This Won't Kill You" 1954 Viking Press October 14, 1954 1955 Before Midnight Viking Press October 27, 1955 1956 Three Witnesses Viking Press March 10, 1956 Contains the novellas "The Next Witness", "When a Man Murders", and "Die Like a Dog" 1956 Might as Well Be Dead Viking Press October 26, 1956 1957 Three for the Chair Viking Press May 3, 1957 Contains the novellas "A Window for Death", "Immune to Murder", and "Too Many Detectives" 1957 If Death Ever Slept Viking Press October 25, 1957 1958 And Four to Go Viking Press February 14, 1958 British title Crime and Again; contains the novellas "Christmas Party", "Easter Parade," "Fourth of July Picnic," and "Murder Is No Joke" 1958 Champagne for One Viking Press November 24, 1958 1959 Plot It Yourself Viking Press October 30, 1959 British title Murder in Style 1960 Three at Wolfe's Door Viking Press April 29, 1960 Contains the novellas "Poison à la Carte", "Method Three for Murder", and "The Rodeo Murder" 1960 Too Many Clients Viking Press October 28, 1960 1961 Viking Press October 13, 1961 1962 Homicide Trinity Viking Press April 26, 1962 Contains the novellas "Eeny Meeny Murder Mo", "Death of a Demon", and "Counterfeit for Murder" 1962 Gambit Viking Press October 12, 1962 1963 Viking Press July 18, 1963 1964 Trio for Blunt Instruments Viking Press April 24, 1964 Contains the novellas "Kill Now—Pay Later", "Murder Is Corny", and "Blood Will Tell" 1964 Viking Press October 22, 1964 1965 Viking Press October 8, 1965 1966 Death of a Doxy Viking Press August 19, 1966 1968 Viking Press May 28, 1968 1969 Death of a Dude Viking Press August 20, 1969 1973 Please Pass the Guilt Viking Press September 1973 1975 Viking Press May 1975 1985 Death Times Three Bantam Books December 1985 Posthumous; contains the novellas "Bitter End", "Frame-Up for Murder", and "Assault on a Brownstone"
Other Nero Wolfe works Year Title Publisher Publication date Notes 1935 "Apologia Pro Vita Sua" The New York Times August 21, 1935 Stout responds in verse after a review of The League of Frightened Men states "the fact that Rex Stout was a legitimate novelist before he took up the trade of mystery monger" 1963 "Why Nero Wolfe Likes Orchids" Life April 19, 1963 Concluding a feature story titled "The Orchid" that was photographed by Alfred Eisenstaedt, Archie Goodwin "investigates and explains the deep satisfactions of his boss's orchid-fixation." 1966 "The Case of the Spies Who Weren't" Ramparts January 1966 Archie Goodwin reports that the previous evening Nero Wolfe and "Rex Stout, my literary agent" filled 27 pages in his notebook with their discussion of Invitation to an Inquest by Walter and Miriam Schneir, a recently published book regarding the case against Julius and Ethel Rosenberg that they are reviewing for Ramparts magazine 1973 The Nero Wolfe Cook Book Viking Press August 8, 1973 Edited by Rex Stout and the editors of the Viking PressRecipes and pertinent quotes from the corpus illustrated by vintage New York City photographs by John Muller, Andreas Feininger and othersChapters include "Breakfast in the Old Brownstone", "Luncheon in the Dining Room", "Warm-Weather Dinners", "Cold-Weather Dinners", "Desserts", "The Perfect Dinner for the Perfect Detective", "The Relapse", "Snacks", "Guests, Male and Female", "Associates for Dinner", "Fritz Brenner", "Dishes Cooked by Others", "Rusterman's Restaurant", "Nero Wolfe Cooks", and "The Kanawha Spa Dinner"
Works related to Nero Wolfe Year Title Publisher Publication date Notes 1937 Farrar & Rinehart September 16, 1937 Murder mystery featuring Dol Bonner 1939 Double for Death Farrar & Rinehart October 3, 1939 First of three novels featuring detective Tecumseh Fox; serialized in seven issues of The Saturday Evening Post (August 19 to September 30, 1939) 1939 Red Threads Farrar & Rinehart December 1, 1939 First published in the anthology The Mystery Book; featuring Inspector Cramer 1940 Bad for Business Farrar & Rinehart November 28, 1940 Tecumseh Fox mystery first published in the anthology The Second Mystery Book; also rewritten as a Nero Wolfe novella, "Bitter End" 1941 Farrar & Rinehart January 23, 1941 Tecumseh Fox mystery 1941 Alphabet Hicks Farrar & Rinehart December 8, 1941 Non-series mystery novel; later republished as The Sound of Murder 1955 "His Own Hand" Manhunt April 1955 Short story featuring Alphabet Hicks, plus Nero Wolfe recurring character Sergeant Purley Stebbins; also titled "By His Own Hand" and "Curtain Line" in anthology reprintings
Other works Novels Year Title Publisher Publication date Notes 1913 Her Forbidden Knight The All-Story August–December 1913 Crime story about counterfeiting with no continuing characters, set in New York City; serialized in five issues 1914 Under the Andes The All-Story February 1914 A "scientific romance" and a "lost race" fantasy novel 1914 All-Story [Cavalier] Weekly May 2–30, 1914 A novel of Balkan intrigue and murder about a very dangerous woman; serialized in five parts, in All-Story Weekly and The Cavalier (May 2–9, 1914) and All-Story Cavalier Weekly (May 16–30, 1914) 1916 All-Story Weekly January 1–29, 1916 A historical novel set during the siege of Troy; serialized in five issues 1916 Golfers Magazine July–December 1916 Mystery with a murder method that foreshadows that used in Fer-de-Lance; serialized in six issues 1929 How Like a God Vanguard Press 1929 Psychological thriller 1930 Seed on the Wind Vanguard Press August 21, 1930 Psychological thriller 1931 Golden Remedy Vanguard Press August 27, 1931 Psychological thriller 1933 Forest Fire Farrar & Rinehart April 13, 1933 Psychological thriller 1934 Farrar & Rinehart September 17, 1934 Political thriller; originally published anonymously 1935 O Careless Love! Farrar & Rinehart November 4, 1935 Romance novel; serialized in five issues of The Saturday Evening Post (September 21 to October 19, 1935) 1938 Mr. Cinderella Farrar & Rinehart December 1, 1938 Romance novel; Stout's last non-mystery fiction 1939 Mountain Cat Farrar & Rinehart July 27, 1939 Non-series mystery novel; abridged as "Dark Revenge" in The American Magazine (June 1939); later republished as The Mountain Cat Murders
Short stories