Source: Wikipedia, Christian's bibliography Rex Todhunter Stout (December 1, 1886 - October 27, 1975) was an American writer best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe. Stout was born in Noblesville, Indiana, but shortly after that his Quaker parents (John Wallace Stout and Lucetta Elizabeth Todhunter Stout) moved their family (nine children in all) to Kansas.

His father was a teacher who encouraged his son to read, and Rex had read the entire Bible twice by the time he was 4 years old. At the age of 13 he was the state spelling-bee champion. He served two years in the U.S. Navy (as a yeoman on President Teddy Roosevelt's official yacht) and then spent about four years working at about thirty different jobs (in six states), including cigar store clerk, while he sold poems, stories, and articles to various magazines.

It was not his writing but his invention of a school banking system in about 1916 that gave him enough money to travel in Europe extensively. (About 400 U.S. schools adopted his system for keeping track of the money school children saved in accounts at school, and he was paid royalties.) In Paris in 1929 he wrote his first book, How Like a God. After writing three more successful novels, he returned to the U.S. and began writing detective stories. The first one was Fer-de-Lance, which introduced Nero Wolfe and his side-kick Archie Goodwin. That novel was first published as a serial in The Saturday Evening Post and then as a book in 1934. Stout continued writing the Wolfe series until shortly before his death in 1975, yielding a total of approximately 33 novels and 39 collected novellas or short stories.

Nero Wolfe has been featured in film adaptations from the 1930s through the 1980s and was recently the subject of a television series on the A&E Network. An organization of Stout and Wolfe aficionados, The Wolfe Pack, holds events for readers of the series including bimonthly book discussions and an annual Assembly and Banquet in New York, and publishes the biennial "Gazette."

In 1937, Stout created Dol (Theodolinda) Bonner, who may have been the first female private detective to star in a novel. She would reappear in several Wolfe books. A third series detective was the skinny, folksy, Tecumseh Fox.

As an established writer, Stout's policy was to write one Wolfe novel and one novella a year. The novellas were published in magazines and later collected in groups of three for book publication.

Novella rankings by Bob Schneider

Thoughts on Rex Stout

After finishing 40 of the 41 Nero Wolfe novellas I want to offer my thoughts on Rex Stout’s ability and talent as a detective story writer. He was and is often accused of being a weak plotter, poor at characterization and too formulaic. Certainly there is a basis for that criticism. I would add another; he seemed to give little attention to re-writing and polishing his stories. Yet, many of his stories are entertaining, well plotted and contain some good characterization. As to the formulaic criticism, well there is no denying that fact. The Nero Wolfe stories are formulaic. In fact, here is the formula: Create a cast of vaguely suspicious characters. Kill one of them. Give the remaining characters motive and opportunity to commit the act but provide none with an alibi. Show Archie cracking wise. Throw in a paragraph about the orchids and Fritz’s cooking. Bring in Saul Panzer and friends if the investigation stalls. Have Wolfe concoct an elaborate stratagem.

Gather everyone in the brownstone to expose the murderer.

Well, there it is; Stout’s formula. Now, why can’t we all just follow the formula and make some money. We can’t because, despite what Stout’s critics say, there is more to it. Stout injected the formula with snappy dialogue, detection, clever deductions, action, humor, suspense and good storytelling. Well, maybe not all of the time but often enough to satisfy me. Often enough for his books to still be in print and for people to still be reading and discussing them.

The A Team

1 A+ "Die Like a Dog" 1954 (THREE WITNESSES 1956)

Near perfect, echoes Anna K Green & EQ. Complex plot for a 20,000 word story. AKA "The Body in the Hall", "A Dog in the Daytime"

2 A+ "This Won't Kill You" 1952 (THREE MEN OUT 1954)

Baseball & murder, solid deductions & detection. Not one misplaced word in the ballpark chapters. AKA "This Will Kill You", "The World Series Murder"

3 A "Black Orchids" 1941 (BLACK ORCHIDS 1942)

Top-notch early Wolfe. Evocative of Emma Lathen at her best & a bit of Gladys Mitchell. AKA "The Case of the Black Orchids", "Death Wears an Orchid"

4 A "The Zero Clue" 1953 (THREE MEN OUT 1954)

Surrealistic, almost sci-fi Asimov-ish story featuring mathematics, numbers, probabilities, coincidences & EQ-like dying message. Least typical of all the Wolfe stories. AKA "Scared to Death"

5 A- "Too Many Detectives" 1956 (THREE FOR THE CHAIR 1957)

Dol Bonner & Sally Colt join the boys. Solid, complex plot worthy of EQ.

5.5 A- "Bitter End", 1940 (DEATH TIMES THREE 1985)

A re-write & condensation of a former Tecumseh Fox novel. Complex plot, complicated character relationships and fairly-clued. The first novella length adventure for Wolfe & Archie.

The B Squad

6 B+ "Counterfeit for Murder" 1961 (HOMICIDE TRINITY 1962)

Hattie Annis character elevates a C+ plot to a B+ story. Re-write of what is now known as "Assault on a Brownstone". AKA "The Counterfeiter's Knife"

7 B+ "Cordially Invited to Meet Death" 1942 (BLACK ORCHIDS 1942)

Leisurely paced, Christie-like story. American version of the English Manorhouse setting featuring unusual household.

8 B+ "Before I Die" 1947 (TROUBLE IN TRIPLICATE 1949)

Violent & funny. Runyon meets Hammett. Events take place just after WWII

9 B+ "The Cop Killer" 1951 (TRIPLE JEOPARDY 1952)

Solid plot, working class characters, good clues & deductions. AKA "Cop Killer"

10 B "The Gun With Wings" 1949 (CURTAINS FOR THREE 1951)

Undeservedly neglected, low-keyed, well-written story.

11 B "Disguise for Murder" 1950 (CURTAINS FOR THREE 1951)

A great deduction by Wolfe. Key clue hidden in plain sight. Unnecessary melodramatic action sequence added at end. AKA "Affair of the Twisted Scarf"

12 B "Murder Is No Joke" 1957 (AND FOUR TO GO 1958)

A solid, quietly effective, fairly clued story despite highly improbable behavior by 3 characters. Later expanded, partly re- written & re-titled "Frame Up for Murder" which is also a B rating.

13 B- "Poison a la Carte" 1960 (THREE AT WOLFE'S DOOR 1960)

Misogynistic story featuring Permutation Theory. Could have been top- notch had Wolfe used deductive reasoning instead of a stratagem to expose the killer.

14 B- "Method Three for Murder" 1960 (THREE AT WOLFE'S DOOR 1960)

Solid effort, FW Crofts-like plot. Borders on humdrum but manages to avoid it.

15 B- "A Window for Death" 1956 (THREE FOR THE CHAIR 1957)

Good characterization. Ross MacDonald-like plot. Could use some re- writing & polishing. AKA "Nero Wolfe and the Vanishing Clue"

The C Group

16 C+ "Omit Flowers", 1948 (THREE DOORS TO DEATH 1950)

Slow pace, somber tone, plot could be tighter. Archie makes a great deduction.

17 C+ "Bullet for One" 1948 (CURTAINS FOR THREE 1951)

Decent mis-direction. Perhaps plot is too simplistic & artificial. Dick Francis theme.

18 C+ "Instead of Evidence" 1946 (TROUBLE IN TRIPLICATE 1949)

JD Carr-like plot, Gladys Mitchell-like finish. Clues are withheld. Too long by 1,000 words. AKA "Murder on Tuesday"

19 C+ "The Next Witness" 1955 (THREE WITNESSES 1956)

Homage to ES Gardner. Questionable legal & courtroom maneuverings. Interesting business background for the crimes. AKA "The Last Witness"

20 C+ "Invitation to Murder" 1952 (THREE MEN OUT 1954)

Slow paced, fairly-clued, decent plot. Two mysteries solved. AKA "Will to Murder" is the better title.

21 C+ "Booby Trap" 1944 (NOT QUITE DEAD ENOUGH 1944)

WWII story, subdued humor, mostly slow-paced, fairly clued. Drags in spots.

22 C "Man Alive" 1947 (THREE DOORS TO DEATH 1950)

Homage to Christie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. Plot could be tighter.

23 C "When a Man Murders" 1954 (THREE WITNESSES 1956)

Similar theme to "Man Alive". Nothing special. Needs a better title.

24 C "Death of a Demon" 1961 (HOMICIDE TRINITY 1962)

Action packed & suspenseful but unfairly clued. Lots of coincidences & loose ends. AKA "The Gun Puzzle"

25 C- "Help Wanted, Male" 1945 (TROUBLE IN TRIPLICATE 1949)

WWII story. Humorous situations, interesting but far-fetched plot.

26 C- "Christmas Party" 1956 (AND FOUR TO GO 1958)

Good cat-fights, slight yet amusing plot, little detection. AKA "The Christmas Party Murder"

27 C- "The Rodeo Murder" 1960 (THREE AT WOLFE'S DOOR 1960)

Too many cowboys & cowgirls. Decent mis-direction, possibly unfairly clued. A dull story. AKA "The Penthouse Murder"

28 C- "Not Quite Dead Enough" 1942 (NOT QUITE DEAD ENOUGH 1944)

WWII story. Decent plot, good deductions but too long by 1/3.

The D as in Dog pack

29 D+ "Blood Will Tell" 1963 (TRIO FOR BLUNT INSTRUMENTS 1964)

Interesting character relationships, shaky deductions. Entertaining story but plot has holes. The last Wolfe novella Stout wrote.

30 D+ "Door to Death" 1949 (THREE DOORS TO DEATH 1950)

Very funny story, thin plot, no detection.

31 D "Immune to Murder" 1955 (THREE FOR THE CHAIR 1957)

Easily guessable killer, not much detection, mostly of interest to fly fishing enthusiasts.

32 D "Eeny Meeny Murder Mo" 1962 (HOMICIDE TRINITY 1962)

Plotline & law firm background had potential but careless writing torpedoes story.

33 D- "Home to Roost" 1952 (TRIPLE JEOPARDY 1952)

Weak plot, uninteresting characters, fairly clued but no real deducing by Wolfe.

34 D- "Murder is Corny" 1962 (TRIO FOR BLUNT INSTRUMENTS 1964)

Weaker than usual characters, weak plot, clues & deductions not first rate. AKA "The Sweet Corn Murder"

35 D- "Kill Now—Pay Later" 1962 (TRIO FOR BLUNT INSTRUMENTS 1964)

Unfair cluing, odd plotting, decent humor, two somewhat interesting female characters.

The F as in Failure class

36 F "The Squirt and the Monkey" 1951 (TRIPLE JEOPARDY 1952)

Potentially interesting storyline turned into a dull read by uninspired writing & loose ends. AKA "See No Evil", "The Dazzle Dan Murder Case"

37 F "Easter Parade" 1957 (AND FOUR TO GO 1958)

Weak plot, nil characterization, little detection. AKA "The Easter Parade Murder"

38 F "Fourth of July Picnic" 1957 (AND FOUR TO GO 1958)

Promising storyline spoiled by unfair clueing, weak characterization and careless plotting. AKA "Fourth of July Murder", "The Labor Union Murder"

Bibliography

Novels

Nero Wolfe

Fer-De-Lance (1934) aka Meet Nero Wolfe

The League of Frightened Men (1935)

The Rubber Band (1936) aka To Kill Again

The Red Box (1937) aka Case of the Red Box

Too Many Cooks (1938)

Over My Dead Body (1939)

Some Buried Caesar (1939) aka The Red Bull

Where There's a Will (1940)

Black Orchids (1942)

Not Quite Dead Enough (1944)

The Silent Speaker (1946)

Too Many Women (1947)

And Be a Villain (1948) aka More Deaths Than One

The Second Confession (1949)

Trouble in Triplicate (1949)

Curtains for Three (1950)

Even in the Best Families (1950)

Three Doors to Death (1950)

Murder By the Book (1951)

Prisoner's Base (1952) aka Out She Goes

Triple Jeopardy (1952)

The Golden Spiders (1953)

The Black Mountain (1954)

Three Men Out (1954)

Before Midnight (1955)

Might As Well Be Dead (1956)

Three Witnesses (1956)

If Death Ever Slept (1957)

Three for the Chair (1957)

And Four to Go (1958) aka Crime And Again

Champagne for One (1958)

Plot It Yourself (1959) aka Murder in Style

Too Many Clients (1960)

The Final Deduction (1961)

Gambit (1962)

Homicide Trinity (1962)

The Mother Hunt (1963)

A Right to Die (1964)

Trio for Blunt Instruments (1964)

The Doorbell Rang (1965)

Death of a Doxy (1966)

The Father Hunt (1968)

Death of a Dude (1969)

Please Pass the Guilt (1973)

A Family Affair (1975)

Theodolinda (Dol) Bonner solo

The Hand in the Glove (1937) aka Crime On Her Hands

Tecumseh Fox

Double for Death (1939)

Bad for Business (1940)

The Broken Vase (1941)

Alphabet Hicks

Alphabet Hicks (1941) aka The Sound of Murder

Inspector Cramer solo

Red Threads (1939)

Other novels

Her Forbidden Knight (1913)

A Prize for Princes (1914)

Under the Andes (1914)

The Great Legend (1916)

How Like a God (1929)

Seed On the Wind (1930)

Golden Remedy (1931)

Forest Fire (1933)

The President Vanishes (1934)

O Careless Love! (1935)

Mr Cinderella (1938)

Mountain Cat (1939) aka The Mountain Cat Murders

Treasures of the Medici (1997)

Eeny Meeny Murder Mo (1999)

Collections

Three At Wolfe's Door (1960)

Corsage (1977)

Justice Ends At Home (1977)

Death Times Three (1985)

Target Practice (1998)

An Officer And a Lady: And Other Stories (2000)

Short Stories

Wolfe Stories

• Black Orchids
• Cordially Invited To Meet Death
• Not Quite Dead Enough
• Booby Trap
• Before I Die
• Help Wanted, Male
• Instead of Evidence
• Man Alive
• Omit Flowers
• Door To Death
• The Gun With Wings
• Bullet For One
• Disguise For Murder aka the Twisted Scarf
• Home To Roost
• The Cop Killer
• The Squirt and the Monkey
• Invitation To Murder aka Will To Murder
• The Zero Clue aka Scared To Death
• This Won't Kill You aka This Will Kill You, the World Series Murder
• The Next Witness aka the Last Witness
• When a Man Murders
• Die Like a Dog aka the Body in the Hall, a Dog in the Daytime
• A Window For Death aka Nero Wolfe and the Vanishing Clue
• Immune To Murder
• Too Many Detectives
• Christmas Party aka the Christmas Party Murder
• Easter Parade aka the Easter Parade Murder
• Fourth of July Picnic aka the Fourth of July Murder, Labor Union Murder
• Murder Is No Joke
• Poison À La Carte aka Gift À La Carte
• Method Three For Murder
• The Rodeo Murder aka the Penthouse Murder
• Eeny Meeny Murder Mo
• Death of a Demon aka the Gun Puzzle
• Counterfeit For Murder aka the Counterfeiter's Knife
• Kill Now - Pay Later
• Murder Is Corny
• Blood Will Tell
• Bitter End
• Frame-Up For Murder
• Assault on a Brownstone

Non-Wolfe Stories

• The Rope Dance
• An Officer and a Lady
• The Mother of Invention
• An Agacella Or
• A Tyrant Abdicates
• The Pay-Yeoman
• Rose Orchid
• The Lie
• Heels of Fate
• Pamfret and Peace
• Méthode Américaine
• Jonathan Stannard's Secret Vice
• A Professional Recall
• Secrets
• Warner & Wife
• Justice Ends at Home
• Excess Baggage
• Annuncio's Violin
• The Infernal Feminine
• A Companion of Fortune
• A White Precipitate
• A Little Love Affair
• Art For Art's Sake
• Another Little Love Affair
• The Strong Man
• Tough Cop's Gift aka Cop's Gift, Santa Claus Beat, Nobody Deserved Justice, Christmas Beat
• His Own Hand aka by His Own Hand, Curtain Line