A Book in Order

Series · 40 books

Rex Stout Books in Order

The complete Rex Stout reading order — 40 books from 1934–1961.

  1. 01 Nero Wolfe:Fer De Lance 1934 Amazon — buy Nero Wolfe:Fer De Lance Bookshop — buy Nero Wolfe:Fer De Lance ThriftBooks — buy Nero Wolfe:Fer De Lance eBooks.com — buy Nero Wolfe:Fer De Lance
  2. 02 The League of Frightened Men 1935 Amazon — buy The League of Frightened Men Bookshop — buy The League of Frightened Men ThriftBooks — buy The League of Frightened Men eBooks.com — buy The League of Frightened Men
  3. 03 The Rubber Band 1936 Amazon — buy The Rubber Band Bookshop — buy The Rubber Band ThriftBooks — buy The Rubber Band eBooks.com — buy The Rubber Band
  4. 04 The red box 1937 Amazon — buy The red box Bookshop — buy The red box ThriftBooks — buy The red box eBooks.com — buy The red box
  5. 05 The Hand in the Glove 1937 Amazon — buy The Hand in the Glove Bookshop — buy The Hand in the Glove ThriftBooks — buy The Hand in the Glove eBooks.com — buy The Hand in the Glove
  6. 06 Too Many Cooks 1938 Amazon — buy Too Many Cooks Bookshop — buy Too Many Cooks ThriftBooks — buy Too Many Cooks eBooks.com — buy Too Many Cooks
  7. 07 Some buried Caesar 1939 Amazon — buy Some buried Caesar Bookshop — buy Some buried Caesar ThriftBooks — buy Some buried Caesar eBooks.com — buy Some buried Caesar
  8. 08 Double for Death 1939 Amazon — buy Double for Death Bookshop — buy Double for Death ThriftBooks — buy Double for Death eBooks.com — buy Double for Death
  9. 09 Where There's a Will 1940 Amazon — buy Where There's a Will Bookshop — buy Where There's a Will ThriftBooks — buy Where There's a Will eBooks.com — buy Where There's a Will
  10. 10 Over My Dead Body 1940 Amazon — buy Over My Dead Body Bookshop — buy Over My Dead Body ThriftBooks — buy Over My Dead Body eBooks.com — buy Over My Dead Body
  11. 11 The broken vase 1941 Amazon — buy The broken vase Bookshop — buy The broken vase ThriftBooks — buy The broken vase eBooks.com — buy The broken vase
  12. 12 Black Orchids 1942 Amazon — buy Black Orchids Bookshop — buy Black Orchids ThriftBooks — buy Black Orchids eBooks.com — buy Black Orchids
  13. 13 Not Quite Dead Enough 1944 Amazon — buy Not Quite Dead Enough Bookshop — buy Not Quite Dead Enough ThriftBooks — buy Not Quite Dead Enough eBooks.com — buy Not Quite Dead Enough
  14. 14 Trouble in triplicate 1945 Amazon — buy Trouble in triplicate Bookshop — buy Trouble in triplicate ThriftBooks — buy Trouble in triplicate eBooks.com — buy Trouble in triplicate
  15. 15 The Silent Speaker 1946 Amazon — buy The Silent Speaker Bookshop — buy The Silent Speaker ThriftBooks — buy The Silent Speaker eBooks.com — buy The Silent Speaker
  16. 16 Too Many Women 1947 Amazon — buy Too Many Women Bookshop — buy Too Many Women ThriftBooks — buy Too Many Women eBooks.com — buy Too Many Women
  17. 17 Three Doors to Death 1947 Amazon — buy Three Doors to Death Bookshop — buy Three Doors to Death ThriftBooks — buy Three Doors to Death eBooks.com — buy Three Doors to Death
  18. 18 And be a villain 1948 Amazon — buy And be a villain Bookshop — buy And be a villain ThriftBooks — buy And be a villain eBooks.com — buy And be a villain
  19. 19 The second confession 1949 Amazon — buy The second confession Bookshop — buy The second confession ThriftBooks — buy The second confession eBooks.com — buy The second confession
  20. 20 In the best families 1950 Amazon — buy In the best families Bookshop — buy In the best families ThriftBooks — buy In the best families eBooks.com — buy In the best families
  21. 21 Curtains for Three 1950 Amazon — buy Curtains for Three Bookshop — buy Curtains for Three ThriftBooks — buy Curtains for Three eBooks.com — buy Curtains for Three
  22. 22 Murder by the book 1951 Amazon — buy Murder by the book Bookshop — buy Murder by the book ThriftBooks — buy Murder by the book eBooks.com — buy Murder by the book
  23. 23 Even in the best families 1951 Amazon — buy Even in the best families Bookshop — buy Even in the best families ThriftBooks — buy Even in the best families eBooks.com — buy Even in the best families
  24. 24 Triple Jeopardy 1952 Amazon — buy Triple Jeopardy Bookshop — buy Triple Jeopardy ThriftBooks — buy Triple Jeopardy eBooks.com — buy Triple Jeopardy
  25. 25 Prisoner's Base 1952 Amazon — buy Prisoner's Base Bookshop — buy Prisoner's Base ThriftBooks — buy Prisoner's Base eBooks.com — buy Prisoner's Base
  26. 26 The Golden Spiders 1953 Amazon — buy The Golden Spiders Bookshop — buy The Golden Spiders ThriftBooks — buy The Golden Spiders eBooks.com — buy The Golden Spiders
  27. 27 The Black Mountain 1954 Amazon — buy The Black Mountain Bookshop — buy The Black Mountain ThriftBooks — buy The Black Mountain eBooks.com — buy The Black Mountain
  28. 28 Three Men Out 1954 Amazon — buy Three Men Out Bookshop — buy Three Men Out ThriftBooks — buy Three Men Out eBooks.com — buy Three Men Out
  29. 29 Red threads 1954 Amazon — buy Red threads Bookshop — buy Red threads ThriftBooks — buy Red threads eBooks.com — buy Red threads
  30. 30 The Final Deduction 1955 Amazon — buy The Final Deduction Bookshop — buy The Final Deduction ThriftBooks — buy The Final Deduction eBooks.com — buy The Final Deduction
  31. 31 Before midnight 1955 Amazon — buy Before midnight Bookshop — buy Before midnight ThriftBooks — buy Before midnight eBooks.com — buy Before midnight
  32. 32 Too Many Clients 1955 Amazon — buy Too Many Clients Bookshop — buy Too Many Clients ThriftBooks — buy Too Many Clients eBooks.com — buy Too Many Clients
  33. 33 Three Witnesses 1955 Amazon — buy Three Witnesses Bookshop — buy Three Witnesses ThriftBooks — buy Three Witnesses eBooks.com — buy Three Witnesses
  34. 34 Might As Well Be Dead 1956 Amazon — buy Might As Well Be Dead Bookshop — buy Might As Well Be Dead ThriftBooks — buy Might As Well Be Dead eBooks.com — buy Might As Well Be Dead
  35. 35 If Death Ever Slept 1957 Amazon — buy If Death Ever Slept Bookshop — buy If Death Ever Slept ThriftBooks — buy If Death Ever Slept eBooks.com — buy If Death Ever Slept
  36. 36 Three for the chair 1957 Amazon — buy Three for the chair Bookshop — buy Three for the chair ThriftBooks — buy Three for the chair eBooks.com — buy Three for the chair
  37. 37 Champagne for One 1958 Amazon — buy Champagne for One Bookshop — buy Champagne for One ThriftBooks — buy Champagne for One eBooks.com — buy Champagne for One
  38. 38 And Four to Go 1958 Amazon — buy And Four to Go Bookshop — buy And Four to Go ThriftBooks — buy And Four to Go eBooks.com — buy And Four to Go
  39. 39 Plot It Yourself 1959 Amazon — buy Plot It Yourself Bookshop — buy Plot It Yourself ThriftBooks — buy Plot It Yourself eBooks.com — buy Plot It Yourself
  40. 40 Five of a Kind 1961 Amazon — buy Five of a Kind Bookshop — buy Five of a Kind ThriftBooks — buy Five of a Kind eBooks.com — buy Five of a Kind

Reading tracker

Track your progress through Rex Stout

Tick books off as you read them — your progress is saved on this device. Print it for a paper checklist, or save it as a PDF.

Read# TitleYear Date finished
1 Nero Wolfe:Fer De Lance 1934
2 The League of Frightened Men 1935
3 The Rubber Band 1936
4 The red box 1937
5 The Hand in the Glove 1937
6 Too Many Cooks 1938
7 Some buried Caesar 1939
8 Double for Death 1939
9 Where There's a Will 1940
10 Over My Dead Body 1940
11 The broken vase 1941
12 Black Orchids 1942
13 Not Quite Dead Enough 1944
14 Trouble in triplicate 1945
15 The Silent Speaker 1946
16 Too Many Women 1947
17 Three Doors to Death 1947
18 And be a villain 1948
19 The second confession 1949
20 In the best families 1950
21 Curtains for Three 1950
22 Murder by the book 1951
23 Even in the best families 1951
24 Triple Jeopardy 1952
25 Prisoner's Base 1952
26 The Golden Spiders 1953
27 The Black Mountain 1954
28 Three Men Out 1954
29 Red threads 1954
30 The Final Deduction 1955
31 Before midnight 1955
32 Too Many Clients 1955
33 Three Witnesses 1955
34 Might As Well Be Dead 1956
35 If Death Ever Slept 1957
36 Three for the chair 1957
37 Champagne for One 1958
38 And Four to Go 1958
39 Plot It Yourself 1959
40 Five of a Kind 1961

Rex Stout reading order — abookinorder.com

Where to start

Begin with Nero Wolfe:Fer De Lance (1934). The list above follows publication order, which is how most readers approach Rex Stout — later books assume you know what happened in earlier ones.

Frequently asked

How many Rex Stout books are there?

40 to date, spanning 1934–1961.

What is the newest Rex Stout book?

Five of a Kind, published in 1961.