Rex Stout Reading Order
7 series · 83 books · Born 1886
Rex Stout was an influential American author renowned for his contributions to the detective fiction genre, particularly through his iconic characters, Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. Over his prolific career, which spanned from 1913 to 2015, Stout published an impressive 83 titles across seven series, capturing readers' imaginations with intricate plots and witty dialogue. His most celebrated works include the beloved Nero Wolfe series, comprising 33 novels and numerous short stories, reflecting his enduring impact on mystery literature.
Anthologies Series
Complete7 books (1954–2002)
Start with Nero Wolfe Mystery Magazine Volume 1 Number 1, January 1954, the first of 7 books in the Anthologies series.
Nero Wolfe Short Stories/Novellas Series
Complete6 books (1950–2015)
Start with Disguise for Murder / The Twisted Scarf, the first of 6 books in the Nero Wolfe Short Stories/Novellas series.
Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout Series
Complete47 books (1934–1985)
Start with Fer-de-Lance / Meet Nero Wolfe, the first of 47 books in the Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Fer-de-Lance / Meet Nero Wolfe 1934Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  The League of Frightened Men 1935Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  The Rubber Band / To Kill Again 1936Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  The Red Box / Case of the Red Box 1937Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  Too Many Cooks 1938Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Some Buried Caesar / The Red Bull 1939Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  Over My Dead Body 1940Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  Where There's a Will 1940Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 |  Black Orchids 1942Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 |  Not Quite Dead Enough 1944Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  The Silent Speaker 1946Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 |  Too Many Women 1947Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 |  And Be a Villain / More Deaths Than One 1948Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 |  The Second Confession 1949Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 |  Trouble in Triplicate 1949Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 16 |  Even in the Best Families / In the Best Families 1950Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 17 |  Three Doors to Death / Door to Death 1950Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 18 | Curtains for Three 1951Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 19 |  Murder by the Book 1951Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 20 |  Prisoner's Base / Out She Goes 1952Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 21 |  Triple Jeopardy 1952Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 22 |  The Golden Spiders 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 23 |  The Black Mountain 1954Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 24 |  Three Men Out 1954Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 25 |  Before Midnight 1955Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 26 |  Might as Well Be Dead 1956Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 27 |  Three Witnesses 1956Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 28 |  If Death Ever Slept 1957Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 29 |  Three for the Chair 1957Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 30 |  And Four to Go / Crime and Again 1958Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 31 |  Champagne for One 1958Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 32 |  Plot it Yourself / Murder in Style 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 33 |  Three at Wolfe's Door 1960Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 34 |  Too Many Clients 1960Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 35 |  The Final Deduction 1961Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 36 |  Gambit 1962Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 37 |  Homicide Trinity 1962Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 38 |  The Mother Hunt 1963Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 39 |  A Right to Die 1964Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 40 |  Trio for Blunt Instruments 1964Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 41 |  The Doorbell Rang 1965Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 42 |  Death of a Doxy 1966Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 43 |  The Father Hunt 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 44 |  Death of a Dude 1969Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 45 |  Please Pass The Guilt 1973Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 46 |  A Family Affair 1975Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 47 |  Death Times Three 1985Buy 🇺🇸 |
Non-Fiction Series
Complete1 book (1969–1969)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  The Nero Wolfe Cookbook 1969Buy 🇺🇸 |
Short Story Collections Series
Complete4 books (1977–2000)
Start with Corsage, the first of 4 books in the Short Story Collections series.
Standalone Novels Series
Complete15 books (1913–1941)
Start with Her Forbidden Knight, the first of 15 books in the Standalone Novels series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Her Forbidden Knight 1913Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  A Prize for Princes 1914Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  Under the Andes 1914Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  The Great Legend 1916Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 | How Like a God 1929Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 | Seed on the Wind 1930Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 | Golden Remedy 1931Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 | Forest Fire 1933Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 |  The President Vanishes 1934Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 | O Careless Love! 1935Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  The Hand in the Glove / Crime on Her Hands 1937Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 | Mr. Cinderella 1939Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 |  Red Threads 1939Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 |  The Mountain Cat Murders / The Mountain Cat 1939Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 |  The Sound of Murder / Alphabet Hicks 1941Buy 🇺🇸 |
Tecumseh Fox Series
Complete3 books (1939–1941)
Start with Double for Death and read in order.
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.