📖 About Nero Wolfe

Nero Wolfe is a series universe written by Rex Stout. The complete collection runs to 71 books across 3 series, published between 1934 and 2025.

The main series is Publication Order of Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout Books with 47 books. It opens with Fer-de-Lance / Meet Nero Wolfe (1934) and currently runs to Death Times Three (1985).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with Nero Wolfe

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: Fer-de-Lance / Meet Nero Wolfe (1934), book 1 of Publication Order of Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

Each of the 3 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 Nero Wolfe Books in Order

Publication Order of Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout Books
47 books
1
Fer-de-Lance / Meet Nero Wolfe book cover1Fer-de-Lance / Meet Nero Wolfe1934Buy on Amazon
The League of Frightened Men book cover2The League of Frightened Men1935Buy on Amazon
The Rubber Band / To Kill Again book cover3The Rubber Band / To Kill Again1936Buy on Amazon
The Red Box / Case of the Red Box book cover4The Red Box / Case of the Red Box1937Buy on Amazon
Too Many Cooks book cover5Too Many Cooks1938Buy on Amazon
Some Buried Caesar / The Red Bull book cover6Some Buried Caesar / The Red Bull1939Buy on Amazon
Over My Dead Body book cover7Over My Dead Body1940Buy on Amazon
Where There's a Will book cover8Where There's a Will1940Buy on Amazon
Black Orchids book cover9Black Orchids1942Buy on Amazon
Not Quite Dead Enough book cover10Not Quite Dead Enough1944Buy on Amazon
The Silent Speaker book cover11The Silent Speaker1946Buy on Amazon
Too Many Women book cover12Too Many Women1947Buy on Amazon
And Be a Villain / More Deaths Than One book cover13And Be a Villain / More Deaths Than One1948Buy on Amazon
Trouble in Triplicate book cover14Trouble in Triplicate1949Buy on Amazon
The Second Confession book cover15The Second Confession1949Buy on Amazon
Even in the Best Families / In the Best Families book cover16Even in the Best Families / In the Best Families1950Buy on Amazon
Three Doors to Death / Door to Death book cover17Three Doors to Death / Door to Death1950Buy on Amazon
Curtains for Three book cover18Curtains for Three1951Buy on Amazon
Murder by the Book book cover19Murder by the Book1951Buy on Amazon
Prisoner's Base / Out She Goes book cover20Prisoner's Base / Out She Goes1952Buy on Amazon
Triple Jeopardy book cover21Triple Jeopardy1952Buy on Amazon
The Golden Spiders book cover22The Golden Spiders1953Buy on Amazon
The Black Mountain book cover23The Black Mountain1954Buy on Amazon
Three Men Out book cover24Three Men Out1954Buy on Amazon
Before Midnight book cover25Before Midnight1955Buy on Amazon
Might as Well Be Dead book cover26Might as Well Be Dead1956Buy on Amazon
Three Witnesses book cover27Three Witnesses1956Buy on Amazon
If Death Ever Slept book cover28If Death Ever Slept1957Buy on Amazon
Three for the Chair book cover29Three for the Chair1957Buy on Amazon
And Four to Go / Crime and Again book cover30And Four to Go / Crime and Again1958Buy on Amazon
Champagne for One book cover31Champagne for One1958Buy on Amazon
Plot it Yourself / Murder in Style book cover32Plot it Yourself / Murder in Style1959Buy on Amazon
Three at Wolfe's Door book cover33Three at Wolfe's Door1960Buy on Amazon
Too Many Clients book cover34Too Many Clients1960Buy on Amazon
The Final Deduction book cover35The Final Deduction1961Buy on Amazon
Homicide Trinity book cover36Homicide Trinity1962Buy on Amazon
Gambit book cover37Gambit1962Buy on Amazon
The Mother Hunt book cover38The Mother Hunt1963Buy on Amazon
Trio for Blunt Instruments book cover39Trio for Blunt Instruments1964Buy on Amazon
A Right to Die book cover40A Right to Die1964Buy on Amazon
The Doorbell Rang book cover41The Doorbell Rang1965Buy on Amazon
Death of a Doxy book cover42Death of a Doxy1966Buy on Amazon
The Father Hunt book cover43The Father Hunt1968Buy on Amazon
Death of a Dude book cover44Death of a Dude1969Buy on Amazon
Please Pass The Guilt book cover45Please Pass The Guilt1973Buy on Amazon
A Family Affair book cover46A Family Affair1975Buy on Amazon
Death Times Three book cover47Death Times Three1985Buy on Amazon
Publication Order of Nero Wolfe Short Stories/Novellas
6 books
2
Disguise for Murder / The Twisted Scarf book cover1Disguise for Murder / The Twisted Scarf1950Buy on Amazon
Bitter End book cover2Bitter End1997Buy on Amazon
Booby Trap book cover3Booby Trap2013Buy on Amazon
Cordially Invited to Meet Death book cover4Cordially Invited to Meet Death2014Buy on Amazon
The Last Drive: And Other Stories book cover5The Last Drive: And Other Stories2015Buy on Amazon
Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo, and FLO! / Eeny Meeny Murder Mo book cover6Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo, and FLO! / Eeny Meeny Murder Mo2015Buy on Amazon
Publication Order of Nero Wolfe Mysteries by Robert Goldsborough Books
18 books
3
Murder in E Minor book cover1Murder in E Minor1986Buy on Amazon
2Death on Deadline1987Buy on Amazon
The Bloodied Ivy book cover3The Bloodied Ivy1988Buy on Amazon
The Last Coincidence book cover4The Last Coincidence1989Buy on Amazon
5Fade to Black1990Buy on Amazon
Silver Spire book cover6Silver Spire1992Buy on Amazon
The Missing Chapter book cover7The Missing Chapter1993Buy on Amazon
Archie Meets Nero Wolfe book cover8Archie Meets Nero Wolfe2012Buy on Amazon
Murder in the Ball Park book cover9Murder in the Ball Park2014Buy on Amazon
Archie in the Crosshairs book cover10Archie in the Crosshairs2015Buy on Amazon
11Stop the Presses!2016Buy on Amazon
12Murder, Stage Left2017Buy on Amazon
The Battered Badge book cover13The Battered Badge2018Buy on Amazon
Death of an Art Collector book cover14Death of an Art Collector2019Buy on Amazon
Archie Goes Home book cover15Archie Goes Home2020Buy on Amazon
Trouble at the Brownstone book cover16Trouble at the Brownstone2021Buy on Amazon
17The Missing Heiress2023Buy on Amazon
18The White Mountain2025Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Nero Wolfe books are there?
There are 71 books in the Nero Wolfe collection, organised into 3 series and published between 1934 and 2025.
What is the first Nero Wolfe book?
The first book is Fer-de-Lance / Meet Nero Wolfe, published in 1934.
What order should I read the Nero Wolfe books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the Nero Wolfe books?
The Nero Wolfe books were written by Rex Stout.
Is the Nero Wolfe series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout Books, has 47 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Nero Wolfe series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1934, and the most recent in 2025.