Reading Order List — Book Series Reading Order Guide
Rex Stout

Rex Stout Reading Order

7 series · 83 books · Born 1886

Mystery & ThrillerNon-Fiction

Rex Stout was an American mystery writer best known for creating Nero Wolfe, one of detective fiction's most iconic characters, and his resourceful assistant Archie Goodwin. Across 33 novels and 39 shorter works written between 1934 and 1975, Stout crafted intricate puzzles featuring the brilliant but sedentary detective and his energetic partner solving crimes in New York. Beyond the Nero Wolfe series, Stout's prolific output spanned multiple collections and genres, establishing him as a master of American detective fiction.

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Anthologies Series

Complete

7 books (1954–2002)

Start with Nero Wolfe Mystery Magazine Volume 1 Number 1, January 1954, the first of 7 books in the Anthologies series.

Start this series with Nero Wolfe Mystery Magazine Volume 1 Number 1, January 1954

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Nero Wolfe Mystery Magazine Volume 1 Number 1, January 1954
1954Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of Murder for Christmas
Murder for Christmas
1987Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of Hound Dunnit
Hound Dunnit
1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4
Canine Crimes
1993Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5
Cover of The Oxford Book of American Detective Stories
The Oxford Book of American Detective Stories
1996Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6
Cover of A Century of Great Suspense Stories
A Century of Great Suspense Stories
2001Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7
Cover of Murder Most Merry
Murder Most Merry
2002Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Nero Wolfe Short Stories/Novellas Series

Complete

6 books (1950–2015)

Start with Disguise for Murder / The Twisted Scarf, the first of 6 books in the Nero Wolfe Short Stories/Novellas series.

Start this series with Disguise for Murder / The Twisted Scarf

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of Disguise for Murder / The Twisted Scarf
Disguise for Murder / The Twisted Scarf
1950Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
3
4
Cordially Invited to Meet Death
2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5
Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo, and FLO! / Eeny Meeny Murder Mo
2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6
The Last Drive: And Other Stories
2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout Series

Complete

47 books (1934–1985)

Start with Fer-de-Lance / Meet Nero Wolfe, the first of 47 books in the Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout series.

Start this series with Fer-de-Lance / Meet Nero Wolfe

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of Fer-de-Lance / Meet Nero Wolfe
Fer-de-Lance / Meet Nero Wolfe
1934Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of The League of Frightened Men
The League of Frightened Men
1935Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of The Rubber Band / To Kill Again
The Rubber Band / To Kill Again
1936Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4
Cover of The Red Box / Case of the Red Box
The Red Box / Case of the Red Box
1937Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5
Cover of Too Many Cooks
Too Many Cooks
1938Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6
Cover of Some Buried Caesar / The Red Bull
Some Buried Caesar / The Red Bull
1939Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7
Cover of Over My Dead Body
Over My Dead Body
1940Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8
Cover of Where There's a Will
Where There's a Will
1940Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9
Cover of Black Orchids
Black Orchids
1942Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10
Cover of Not Quite Dead Enough
Not Quite Dead Enough
1944Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11
Cover of The Silent Speaker
The Silent Speaker
1946Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12
Cover of Too Many Women
Too Many Women
1947Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13
Cover of And Be a Villain / More Deaths Than One
And Be a Villain / More Deaths Than One
1948Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14
Cover of The Second Confession
The Second Confession
1949Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15
Cover of Trouble in Triplicate
Trouble in Triplicate
1949Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
16
Cover of Even in the Best Families / In the Best Families
Even in the Best Families / In the Best Families
1950Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
17
Cover of Three Doors to Death / Door to Death
Three Doors to Death / Door to Death
1950Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
18
Curtains for Three
1951Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
19
Cover of Murder by the Book
Murder by the Book
1951Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
20
Cover of Prisoner's Base / Out She Goes
Prisoner's Base / Out She Goes
1952Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
21
Cover of Triple Jeopardy
Triple Jeopardy
1952Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
22
Cover of The Golden Spiders
The Golden Spiders
1953Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
23
Cover of The Black Mountain
The Black Mountain
1954Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
24
Cover of Three Men Out
Three Men Out
1954Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
25
Cover of Before Midnight
Before Midnight
1955Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
26
Cover of Might as Well Be Dead
Might as Well Be Dead
1956Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
27
Cover of Three Witnesses
Three Witnesses
1956Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
28
Cover of If Death Ever Slept
If Death Ever Slept
1957Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
29
Cover of Three for the Chair
Three for the Chair
1957Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
30
Cover of And Four to Go / Crime and Again
And Four to Go / Crime and Again
1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
31
Cover of Champagne for One
Champagne for One
1958Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
32
Cover of Plot it Yourself / Murder in Style
Plot it Yourself / Murder in Style
1959Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
33
Cover of Three at Wolfe's Door
Three at Wolfe's Door
1960Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
34
Cover of Too Many Clients
Too Many Clients
1960Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
35
Cover of The Final Deduction
The Final Deduction
1961Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
36
Cover of Gambit
37
Cover of Homicide Trinity
Homicide Trinity
1962Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
38
Cover of The Mother Hunt
The Mother Hunt
1963Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
39
Cover of A Right to Die
A Right to Die
1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
40
Cover of Trio for Blunt Instruments
Trio for Blunt Instruments
1964Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
41
Cover of The Doorbell Rang
The Doorbell Rang
1965Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
42
Cover of Death of a Doxy
Death of a Doxy
1966Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
43
Cover of The Father Hunt
The Father Hunt
1968Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
44
Cover of Death of a Dude
Death of a Dude
1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
45
Cover of Please Pass The Guilt
Please Pass The Guilt
1973Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
46
Cover of A Family Affair
A Family Affair
1975Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
47
Cover of Death Times Three
Death Times Three
1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Non-Fiction Series

Complete

1 book (1969–1969)

#Title
1
Cover of The Nero Wolfe Cookbook
The Nero Wolfe Cookbook
1969Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Short Story Collections Series

Complete

4 books (1977–2000)

Start with Corsage, the first of 4 books in the Short Story Collections series.

Start this series with Corsage

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of Corsage
2
Cover of Justice Ends At Home and Other Stories
Justice Ends At Home and Other Stories
1977Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of Target Practice
Target Practice
1997Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4
An Officer and a Lady and Other Stories
2000Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Standalone Novels Series

Complete

15 books (1913–1941)

Start with Her Forbidden Knight, the first of 15 books in the Standalone Novels series.

Start this series with Her Forbidden Knight

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of Her Forbidden Knight
Her Forbidden Knight
1913Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of A Prize for Princes
A Prize for Princes
1914Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of Under the Andes
Under the Andes
1914Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4
Cover of The Great Legend
The Great Legend
1916Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5
How Like a God
1929Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6
Seed on the Wind
1930Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7
Golden Remedy
1931Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8
9
Cover of The President Vanishes
The President Vanishes
1934Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10
O Careless Love!
1935Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11
Cover of The Hand in the Glove / Crime on Her Hands
The Hand in the Glove / Crime on Her Hands
1937Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12
Mr. Cinderella
1939Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13
Cover of Red Threads
14
Cover of The Mountain Cat Murders / The Mountain Cat
The Mountain Cat Murders / The Mountain Cat
1939Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15
Cover of The Sound of Murder / Alphabet Hicks
The Sound of Murder / Alphabet Hicks
1941Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Tecumseh Fox Series

Complete

3 books (1939–1941)

Start with Double for Death and read in order.

Start this series with Double for Death

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of Double for Death
Double for Death
1939Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of Bad for Business
Bad for Business
1940Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of The Broken Vase
The Broken Vase
1941Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Rex Stout written?
Rex Stout has written 83 books across 7 series. Their published works span from 1913 to 2015.
What is the first book in each Rex Stout series?
Here are the first books in Rex Stout's series: Anthologies: Nero Wolfe Mystery Magazine Volume 1 Number 1, January 1954; Nero Wolfe Short Stories/Novellas: Disguise for Murder / The Twisted Scarf; Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout: Fer-de-Lance / Meet Nero Wolfe; Short Story Collections: Corsage; Tecumseh Fox: Double for Death.
What order should I read Rex Stout's books?
We recommend reading Rex Stout's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Are Rex Stout's series complete?
Rex Stout has 7 completed series.

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