Nero Wolfe books in order A series by Rex Stout
The Nero Wolfe series by Rex Stout has 46 books (44 novels and 2 shorter works), from Fer-de-Lance (1934) to A Family Affair (1975). Read it in order, starting with Fer-de-Lance.
Reading order: 1 Fer-de-Lance (1934) · 2 The League of Frightened Men (1935) · 3 The Rubber Band (1936) · 4 The Red Box (1937) · 5 Too Many Cooks (1938) · 6 Some Buried Caesar (1939) · 7 Over My Dead Body (1940) · 8 Where There's a Will (1940) · 9 Black Orchids (1942) · 10 Not Quite Dead Enough (1944) · … all 46 below
Updated September 2026
All 46 Nero Wolfe books in order
- 1.
Fer-de-Lance (1934)
- 2.
The League of Frightened Men (1935)
- 3.
The Rubber Band (1936)
- 4.
The Red Box (1937)
- 5.
Too Many Cooks (1938)
- 6.
Some Buried Caesar (1939)
- 7.
Over My Dead Body (1940)
- 8.
Where There's a Will (1940)
- 9.
Black Orchids (1942)
- 10.
Not Quite Dead Enough (1944)
- 11.
The Silent Speaker (1946)
- 12.
Too Many Women (1947)
- 13.
And Be a Villain (1948)
- 14.
Trouble in Triplicate (1949)
- 15.
The Second Confession (1949)
- 16.
Three Doors to Death (1950)
- 17.
In the Best Families (1950)
- 18.
Curtains for Three (1951)
- 19.
Murder by the Book (1951)
- 20.
Triple Jeopardy (1952)
- 21.
Prisoner's Base (Oct 1952)
- 22.
The Golden Spiders (Oct 1953)
- 23.
Three Men Out (1954)
- 24.
The Black Mountain (1954)
- 25.
Before Midnight (1955)
- 26.
Three Witnesses (1956)
- 27.
Might as Well Be Dead (1956)
- 28.
Three for the Chair (1957)
- 29.
If Death Ever Slept (1956)
- 30.
And Four to Go (1958)
- 31.
Champagne for One (Nov 1958)
- 32.
Plot It Yourself (1959)
- 33.
Three at Wolfe's Door (1960)
- 34.
Too Many Clients (1960)
- 35.
The Final Deduction (1961)
- 36.
Homicide Trinity (1962)
- 37.
Gambit (1962)
- 38.
The Mother Hunt (1963)
- 39.
Trio for Blunt Instruments (1964)
- 40.
A Right to Die (1964)
- 41.
The Doorbell Rang (1965)
- 42.
Death of a Doxy (Aug 1966)
- 43.
The Father Hunt (1968)
- 44.
Death of a Dude (1969)
- 45.
Please Pass the Guilt (1973)
- 46.
A Family Affair (1975)
Nero Wolfe on screen
- Meet Nero Wolfe (1936)Film · from Fer-de-Lance
- The League of Frightened Men (1937)Film · from The League of Frightened Men
Nero Wolfe FAQ
- How many Nero Wolfe books are there?
- There are 46 Nero Wolfe books, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read the Nero Wolfe books in?
- In publication order, starting with Fer-de-Lance (1934): 1 Fer-de-Lance (1934) · 2 The League of Frightened Men (1935) · 3 The Rubber Band (1936) · 4 The Red Box (1937) · 5 Too Many Cooks (1938) · 6 Some Buried Caesar (1939) · … all 46 below.
- What is the first Nero Wolfe book?
- Fer-de-Lance (1934).
- What is the latest Nero Wolfe book?
- A Family Affair (1975).
- Is the Nero Wolfe series finished?
- There have been no new Nero Wolfe books since 1975; Rex Stout died in 1975.
- Did Rex Stout write other series?
- Yes: Tecumseh Fox.
More series by Rex Stout
All Rex Stout booksTecumseh Fox
3 books
Sources: series order and dates from Wikidata and Open Library. Last updated September 2026.