Order of Rex Stout Books
Rex Stout (1886-1975) was an American author of detective fiction, most famous for his series featuring detective Nero Wolfe. Aside from his Nero Wolfe series (which fills up the lion’s share of his prolific bibliography), he wrote one other series called Tecumseh Fox, many standalone novels, several short story collections and even a Nero Wolfe cookbook. Rex’s narrative and dialogue were top-notch, giving his novels a certain re-readable quality.
Stout’s first novel was a standalone novel titled Her Forbidden Knight, published in 1913. He would continue writing standalones until he wrote the first Nero Wolfe novel, Fer-de-Lance, published in 1934. Below is a list of Rex Stout’s books in order of when they were originally published (and in chronological order):
Publication Order of Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout Books
Publication Order of Nero Wolfe Mysteries by Robert Goldsborough Books
(with Robert Goldsborough)
| Murder in E Minor | (1986) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Death on Deadline | (1987) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Bloodied Ivy | (1988) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Last Coincidence | (1989) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Fade to Black | (1990) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Silver Spire | (1992) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Missing Chapter | (1993) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Archie Meets Nero Wolfe | (2012) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Murder in the Ball Park | (2014) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Archie in the Crosshairs | (2015) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Stop the Presses! | (2016) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Murder, Stage Left | (2017) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Battered Badge | (2018) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Death of an Art Collector | (2019) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Archie Goes Home | (2020) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Trouble at the Brownstone | (2021) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Missing Heiress | (2023) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Publication Order of Nero Wolfe Short Stories/Novellas
| Bitter End | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Disguise for Murder / The Twisted Scarf | (2000) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Booby Trap | (2013) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Cordially Invited to Meet Death | (2014) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Last Drive: And Other Stories | (2015) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo, and FLO! / Eeny Meeny Murder Mo | (2015) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Publication Order of Tecumseh Fox Books
| Double for Death | (1939) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Bad for Business | (1940) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Broken Vase | (1941) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
| Her Forbidden Knight | (1913) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Under the Andes | (1914) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| A Prize for Princes | (1914) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Great Legend | (1916) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| How Like a God | (1929) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Seed on the Wind | (1930) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Golden Remedy | (1931) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Forest Fire | (1933) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The President Vanishes | (1934) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| O Careless Love! | (1935) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Hand in the Glove / Crime on Her Hands | (1937) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Mr. Cinderella | (1939) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Mountain Cat Murders / The Mountain Cat | (1939) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Red Threads | (1939) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Sound of Murder / Alphabet Hicks | (1941) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Publication Order of Short Story Collections
| Corsage | (1977) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Justice Ends At Home and Other Stories | (1977) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Target Practice | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| An Officer and a Lady and Other Stories | (2000) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
| The Nero Wolfe Cookbook | (1969) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Publication Order of Anthologies
| Nero Wolfe Mystery Magazine Volume 1 Number 1, January 1954 | (1954) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Hound Dunnit | (1989) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| The Oxford Book of American Detective Stories | (1996) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| A Century of Great Suspense Stories | (2001) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
| Murder Most Merry | (2002) | Description / Buy at Amazon.com |
Notes: Fer-de-Lance was also published as Meet Nero Wolfe. The Rubber Band was also titled To Kill Again. The Red Box is also known as Case of the Red Box. Some Buried Caesar was also published as The Red Bull. And Be a Villain was also titled More Deaths Than One. Even in the Best Families was also titled In the Best Families. Three Doors to Death was also titled Door to Death. Prisoner’s Base was also titled Out She Goes. And Four to Go was also published as Crime And Again. Plot It Yourself is also known as Murder in Style. The Hand in the Glove is also known as Crime on Her Hands. Alphabet Hicks is also known as The Sound of Murder. The Mountain Cat was also titled The Mountain Cat Murders.
I do believe that “Even in the Best Families” (Rex Stout) is actually entitled “In the Best Families”.