Rex Stout First Editions

• Fer-de-Lance — 1934 · Farrar & RinehartFarrar & Rinehart, 1934. Identified by the publisher's monogram device on the copyright page; if no device is present the book is a later printing. Black cloth, gilt lettering on front and spine, in the black/pink/green pictorial dust jacket. The first Nero Wolfe novel and Stout's key mystery debut; scarce in jacket. US Farrar & Rinehart is the true first. A UK Cassell edition followed in 1935. The second printing (December 1934) and third printing (October 1935), plus later reprints and book-club issues, lack the Farrar & Rinehart monogram on the copyright page.
• The League of Frightened Men — 1935 · Farrar & RinehartFarrar & Rinehart, 1935. The second Nero Wolfe novel and a Haycraft-Queen Cornerstone detective title, serialized in The Saturday Evening Post (June 15-July 20, 1935) as 'The Frightened Men' before book publication. Identified by the F&R monogram colophon on the copyright page; absence of the device indicates a later printing. Bound in black cloth, the front board and spine stamped in gold, the top edge stained…. US Farrar & Rinehart is the true first. A UK Cassell edition followed later in 1935. Later printings and book-club issues lack the Farrar & Rinehart monogram colophon on the copyright page.
• The Rubber Band — 1936 · Farrar & RinehartFarrar & Rinehart, 1936, the third Nero Wolfe novel. First printing is bound in turquoise cloth with the front cover and spine lettered in black and was issued in a full-color pictorial dust jacket. The identifying point is the publisher's monogram device printed on the copyright page; the May 1936 second printing is otherwise identical but drops that monogram, so its absence indicates a later printing. US Farrar & Rinehart is the true first. A UK Collins edition also appeared in 1936; the US Farrar & Rinehart printing (with the copyright-page monogram) is the first. Later printings and book-club issues lack the Farrar & Rinehart monogram on the copyright page.
• The Hand in the Glove — 1937 · Farrar & RinehartFirst published by Farrar & Rinehart, New York, 1937. First printing carries the F&R monogram (colophon) on the copyright page. Red cloth stamped in black. The only Dol Bonner novel (non-Wolfe); Bonner later recurs in supporting roles. The US Farrar & Rinehart edition is the true first. Later printings and reprints follow.
• The Red Box — 1937 · Farrar & RinehartFirst published by Farrar & Rinehart, New York, 1937. The first printing carries the F&R publisher's monogram (colophon) on the copyright page; later printings drop it. Gray cloth lettered in red, issued in a pictorial dust jacket. Fifth Nero Wolfe novel. The US Farrar & Rinehart edition is the true first. Later F&R printings and subsequent reprints/book-club issues follow.
• Mr. Cinderella (Mountain Cat) — 1938 · Farrar & RinehartFirst published by Farrar & Rinehart, New York, 1938. First printing carries the F&R monogram (colophon) on the copyright page. Mr. Cinderella is a non-series romantic comedy, not a mystery. Distinct from The Mountain Cat Murders (a separate F&R mystery of 1939). The US Farrar & Rinehart 1938 edition is the true first. Later printings and reprints follow.
• Too Many Cooks — 1938 · Farrar & RinehartFirst published by Farrar & Rinehart, New York, 1938. First printing carries the F&R monogram (colophon) on the copyright page; the second printing (October 1938) is identical except the logo is dropped. Red cloth stamped in black; the US first famously included recipes printed on blue paper. Fourth Nero Wolfe novel. The US Farrar & Rinehart edition is the true first; a Collins (London) Crime Club edition appeared in September 1938 but the F&R is the accepted first. Second F&R printing (logo dropped) and later reprints/book-club issues follow.
• Some Buried Caesar — 1939 · Farrar & RinehartFirst published by Farrar & Rinehart, New York, 1939. First printing carries the F&R monogram (colophon) on the copyright page. Light green cloth stamped in black. Sixth Nero Wolfe novel; introduces Lily Rowan. Serialized earlier in abridged form as 'The Red Bull'. The US Farrar & Rinehart edition is the true first. Later printings, reprints, and book-club issues follow.
• Over My Dead Body — 1940 · Farrar & RinehartFirst published by Farrar & Rinehart, New York, 1940. First printing carries the F&R monogram (colophon) on the copyright page. Turquoise/blue-green cloth stamped in dark blue; rear pages carry an excerpt from Some Buried Caesar. Seventh Nero Wolfe novel. The US Farrar & Rinehart edition is the true first. Later printings and reprints follow.
• Where There's a Will — 1940 · Farrar & RinehartFarrar & Rinehart, New York, 1940, first printing. The eighth Nero Wolfe novel and the last published before US entry into WWII. First printing carries the F&R monogram colophon on the copyright page; first-issue jacket has the printed price on the front flap. US Farrar & Rinehart 1940 is the true first edition. Later printings and reprints follow.
• Black Orchids — 1942 · Farrar & RinehartFarrar & Rinehart, New York, 1942, first printing. A Nero Wolfe double mystery collecting two novellas. First printing has the publisher's monogram colophon on the copyright page; issued in a pictorial dust wrapper. US Farrar & Rinehart 1942 is the true first; the London Collins Crime Club edition did not appear until 1943. Later printings and reprints follow.
• Not Quite Dead Enough — 1944 · Farrar & RinehartFarrar & Rinehart, New York, 1944, first printing. A Nero Wolfe double mystery of two wartime novellas (in which Archie Goodwin wears a US Army uniform). Key point: the first printing carries the publisher's monogram colophon on the copyright page; the same-year second printing is identical except the colophon was dropped. US Farrar & Rinehart 1944 is the true first edition. Same-year second printing lacks the copyright-page colophon; later reprints follow.
• The Silent Speaker — 1946 · Viking PressThe Viking Press, New York, 1946, first printing. Marks Stout's move from Farrar & Rinehart to Viking, which remained his first-edition publisher thereafter; the first full-length Nero Wolfe novel since before US entry into WWII. First printing bears no later-printing notation on the copyright page. US Viking 1946 is the true first edition. There is no single-title Viking book-club edition of this title — the only 'club' form is a Detective Book Club omnibus of other authors' work. The Viking first is textured teal cloth (gold lettering, red line) with a $2.50 / 'The Viking Press New York' flap and 'Printed in USA by H. Wolfe Book Manufacturing Company' on the copyright page. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Too Many Women — 1947 · Viking PressThe Viking Press, New York, 1947, first printing; the twelfth Nero Wolfe novel. The first printing bears no later-printing notation on the copyright page. Bound in green cloth, the front cover and spine lettered in very dark green with a yellow wavy rule and the rear cover blank. Issued in a full-color pictorial dust jacket illustrated by Hallock, which in the correct state retains its printed price. US Viking 1947 is the true first edition. No single-title Viking book-club edition exists — any 'club' copy is a Detective Book Club omnibus, not a Viking book. The Viking first is light-green textured cloth with a $2.50 / 'The Viking Press New York' front flap and 'Printed in the USA by Haddon Craftsmen' on the copyright page. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• And Be a Villain (UK: More Deaths Than One) — 1948 · Viking PressThe Viking Press, New York, first edition, published September 27, 1948. A Nero Wolfe novel bound in gray cloth lettered in red with green rule lines to the front board and spine, the rear board blank, issued in a black, white, red and green pictorial dust wrapper (printed price present on a first-issue jacket). A reliable identification point is the leaf listing other Books by Rex Stout preceding the title page,…. US Viking 1948 is the true first; the UK Collins edition (variant title More Deaths Than One) followed. No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking exists. The Viking first is light-gray cloth (green line, red lettering) with a $2.50 jacket, a 'The Viking Press / New York' flap imprint, and 'Printed in the USA by Colonial Press Inc.'; the book-club cover is very different. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• The Second Confession — 1949 · Viking PressViking Press, New York, 1949, first printing. Nero Wolfe novel; second book of the Arnold Zeck arc. First-edition binding is light blue cloth lettered and decorated in green on front board and spine, with a yellow top-stain; issued in a dust jacket designed by Bill English. US Viking edition is the true first. The UK Collins Crime Club edition followed later. Distinguish by the back flap and bulk: the Viking first's back jacket flap carries Viking Press text (the book-club back flap is blank), it shows the Viking colophon and 'Printed in the USA by Vail-Ballou Printing Company', and it is thicker (~1.05" vs ~0.9"). No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Trouble in Triplicate — 1949 · Viking PressViking Press, New York, 1949, first printing. Nero Wolfe novella collection gathering three shorter works (Help Wanted, Male; Before I Die; Instead of Evidence). First-edition binding is yellow cloth with front cover and spine printed in red; issued in a pink, black and white dust wrapper. US Viking edition is the true first. The UK edition followed later. For Rex Stout's Viking titles the copyright page does not separate a true first from the book-club edition — Viking printed no edition statement or number line, and no 'Book Club Edition' marking appears on the flap. Identify the Viking first by its priced dust jacket (flap price + 'The Viking Press New York' imprint or ship colophon), the printer imprint on the copyright page (usually Colonial Press), the….
• In the Best Families (UK: Even in the Best Families) — 1950 · Viking PressViking Press, New York, 1950, first printing. Nero Wolfe novel concluding the Arnold Zeck trilogy (with And Be a Villain and The Second Confession). Bound in yellow cloth, collating 246 pages and measuring about 8 the printed price by 5 the printed price inches, issued in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price on an unclipped example. The US Viking edition (1950) is the true first. The UK Collins Crime Club edition, retitled Even in the Best Families, followed in 1951. The Viking first has a black title page dated '1950' and three extra copyright-page top lines (with the colophon and 'Printed in the USA by Colonial Printing Inc'); the book-club copy has a purple title page and no '1950'. No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Three Doors to Death — 1950 · Viking PressViking Press, New York, 1950, first printing. Nero Wolfe novella collection gathering three shorter works (Man Alive, Omit Flowers, Door to Death). First-edition binding is green cloth with front cover and spine printed in black, blank rear cover; issued in a mainly reddish-orange dust wrapper. US Viking edition is the true first. The UK edition followed later. For Rex Stout's Viking titles the copyright page does not separate a true first from the book-club edition — Viking printed no edition statement or number line, and no 'Book Club Edition' marking appears on the flap. Identify the Viking first by its priced dust jacket (flap price + 'The Viking Press New York' imprint or ship colophon), the printer imprint on the copyright page (usually Colonial Press), the….
• Curtains for Three — 1951 · Viking PressViking Press, New York, 1951, first printing. Nero Wolfe novella collection gathering three shorter works (The Gun with Wings, Bullet for One, Disguise for Murder). First-edition binding is gray cloth with red lettering and decoration and black rules on the front cover only, blank rear cover; issued in a black, orange and white dust wrapper. US Viking edition is the true first. The UK edition followed later. For Rex Stout's Viking titles the copyright page does not separate a true first from the book-club edition — Viking printed no edition statement or number line, and no 'Book Club Edition' marking appears on the flap. Identify the Viking first by its priced dust jacket (flap price + 'The Viking Press New York' imprint or ship colophon), the printer imprint on the copyright page (usually Colonial Press), the….
• Murder by the Book — 1951 · Viking PressViking Press, New York, 1951, first printing. Nero Wolfe novel. First-edition binding is yellow cloth with front cover and spine printed in red, blank rear cover; issued in a yellow, red, black and white dust wrapper. US Viking edition is the true first. The UK edition followed later. Board color is the fastest tell: the Viking first is yellow cloth (red lettering) with a $2.50 / 'The Viking Press · New York' flap and 'Printed in the U.S.A. by the Colonial Press, Inc.', while the book-club edition is gray cloth and runs taller (~8.55" vs ~8.3"). No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Prisoner's Base (UK: Out Goes She) — 1952 · Viking PressUS Viking Press, 1952, first printing (published October 24, 1952); a Nero Wolfe novel of 186 pages, issued in the UK by Collins Crime Club as Out Goes She. Publisher's green cloth with the spine and front cover decorated in green, issued in a black, green and white dust wrapper with cover artwork by Bill English; a first-issue jacket should retain its printed flap price, and book-club copies (which carry no flap…. The US Viking Press edition is the true first, preceding the UK Collins Crime Club edition. The Viking first is light-green boards (black lettering) with a copyright page reading 'first published' plus two more top lines; the book-club copy is black boards with a half-blank back flap and no $2.50 flap price. No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Triple Jeopardy — 1952 · Viking PressUS Viking Press, 1952, first printing. A Nero Wolfe collection of three novellas (Home to Roost; The Cop-Killer; The Squirt and the Monkey). Yellow cloth printed in black, issued in a black, white and purple dust wrapper. The US Viking Press edition is the true first. For Rex Stout's Viking titles the copyright page does not separate a true first from the book-club edition — Viking printed no edition statement or number line, and no 'Book Club Edition' marking appears on the flap. Identify the Viking first by its priced dust jacket (flap price + 'The Viking Press New York' imprint or ship colophon), the printer imprint on the copyright page (usually Colonial Press), the….
• The Golden Spiders — 1953 · Viking PressUS Viking Press, 1953, first printing (published October 1953). A Nero Wolfe novel. Decorative gray boards with gray cloth spine and yellow lettering, issued in a black, white and yellow dust wrapper. The US Viking Press edition is the true first. The Viking first is light-gray cloth (black squiggles, light-green spine, gold lettering) dated 1953, with a $2.50 / 'The Viking Press New York' flap and 'Printed in the USA by Colonial Press Inc.'; the book-club cover is completely different, its back flap half-empty, and it is larger in every dimension. No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• The Black Mountain — 1954 · Viking PressUS Viking Press, 1954, first printing. A Nero Wolfe novel set largely in Montenegro. Black cloth with yellow design on front cover and yellow spine lettering, issued in a black, white, yellow and red dust wrapper. The US Viking Press edition is the true first. The Viking first is black cloth with a gray spine-triangle device, a $2.75 / 'The Viking Press New York' flap, and 'Printed in the USA by Colonial Press, Inc.', standing 8.3" tall vs the book-club edition's 8.55". No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Three Men Out — 1954 · Viking PressUS Viking Press, 1954, first printing. A Nero Wolfe collection of three novellas (Invitation to Murder; The Zero Clue; This Won't Kill You). Red textured boards designed to resemble cloth, issued in a red, black and white dust wrapper; the Book Club edition has a smoother texture. The US Viking Press edition is the true first. For Rex Stout's Viking titles the copyright page does not separate a true first from the book-club edition — Viking printed no edition statement or number line, and no 'Book Club Edition' marking appears on the flap. Identify the Viking first by its priced dust jacket (flap price + 'The Viking Press New York' imprint or ship colophon), the printer imprint on the copyright page (usually Colonial Press), the….
• Before Midnight — 1955 · Viking PressUS Viking Press first edition, 1955, first printing. The eighteenth Nero Wolfe novel, narrated by Archie Goodwin. Bound in pale blue cloth, the front cover and spine stamped in dark blue with the rear cover blank; top edge stained blue; 184 pages. First-issue dust jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap and the Viking ship device. Otto Penzler's Collecting Mystery Fiction describes the binding…. The US Viking Press edition is the true first; a US-originating novel. Jacket-swirl color is the lead tell: the Viking first has gray swirls with blue lettering (title page dated 1955, 'Printed in the USA by Colonial Press Inc.'); the book-club copy has blue swirls, black lettering, and a completely blank back flap. No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Might as Well Be Dead — 1956 · Viking PressNero Wolfe novel published by The Viking Press, New York, in 1956 (published October 26, 1956). The first edition is bound in bright blue-green boards with a chartreuse cloth spine stamped in blue-green; front and rear covers are blank. It is issued in a mainly blue pictorial dust wrapper. On a first-issue jacket the printed price should be present on the flap (though genuine firsts are sometimes price-clipped…. The US Viking Press edition is the true first, preceding the UK Collins Crime Club edition. The Viking first is dark-blue cloth with a yellow spine, a printed back flap, and a $2.75 flap price with colophon (~0.83 x 5.6 x 8.3"); the book-club copy has a completely blank back flap, a different cover, and is taller and wider but thinner. No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Three Witnesses — 1956 · Viking PressCollection of three Nero Wolfe novellas (The Next Witness, When a Man Murders, Die Like a Dog) published by The Viking Press, New York, 1956. First-edition binding is pale blue cloth lettered in gold on front and spine. The US Viking Press edition is the true first, preceding the UK Collins Crime Club edition. For Rex Stout's Viking titles the copyright page does not separate a true first from the book-club edition — Viking printed no edition statement or number line, and no 'Book Club Edition' marking appears on the flap. Identify the Viking first by its priced dust jacket (flap price + 'The Viking Press New York' imprint or ship colophon), the printer imprint on the copyright page (usually Colonial Press), the….
• If Death Ever Slept — 1957 · Viking PressNero Wolfe novel published by The Viking Press, New York, on 25 October 1957. First edition bound in blue (grey-blue) cloth lettered in darker blue on the front board and spine, the rear cover blank, with a gold topstain. Issued in a mainly black dust jacket designed by Bill English, with the printed price present on the front flap. The US Viking Press edition is the true first, preceding the UK Collins Crime Club edition. For Rex Stout's Viking titles the copyright page does not separate a true first from the book-club edition — Viking printed no edition statement or number line, and no 'Book Club Edition' marking appears on the flap. Identify the Viking first by its priced dust jacket (flap price + 'The Viking Press New York' imprint or ship colophon), the printer imprint on the copyright page (usually Colonial Press), the….
• Three for the Chair — 1957 · Viking PressCollection of three Nero Wolfe novellas (A Window for Death, Immune to Murder, Too Many Detectives) published by The Viking Press, New York, 1957; subtitled A Nero Wolfe Threesome. First edition in yellow cloth. The US Viking Press edition is the true first, preceding the UK Collins Crime Club edition. For Rex Stout's Viking titles the copyright page does not separate a true first from the book-club edition — Viking printed no edition statement or number line, and no 'Book Club Edition' marking appears on the flap. Identify the Viking first by its priced dust jacket (flap price + 'The Viking Press New York' imprint or ship colophon), the printer imprint on the copyright page (usually Colonial Press), the….
• And Four to Go (UK: Crime and Again) — 1958 · Viking PressCollection of four Nero Wolfe novellas (Christmas Party, Easter Parade, Fourth of July Picnic, Murder Is No Joke) published by The Viking Press, New York, April 1958; subtitled A Nero Wolfe Foursome. First edition in blue cloth lettered in red on front and spine, issued in a mainly brick-red dust jacket. The US Viking Press edition is the true first; the UK Collins Crime Club edition, titled Crime and Again, followed. For Rex Stout's Viking titles the copyright page does not separate a true first from the book-club edition — Viking printed no edition statement or number line, and no 'Book Club Edition' marking appears on the flap. Identify the Viking first by its priced dust jacket (flap price + 'The Viking Press New York' imprint or ship colophon), the printer imprint on the copyright page (usually Colonial Press), the….
• Champagne for One — 1958 · Viking PressNero Wolfe novel published by The Viking Press, New York, 1958 (184 pages). First edition bound in black cloth with the front cover and spine printed in purple and the rear cover blank, issued in a mainly black dust jacket designed by Bill English. The printed price should be present on the front flap (a copy may be price-clipped without losing first-edition status). The US Viking Press edition is the true first, preceding the UK Collins Crime Club edition. The title-page date '1958' and the champagne-glass spine device (black cloth with a pink pattern, three-line Viking back flap) mark the Viking first; the book-club copy is plain pink with a near-blank back flap and runs about a quarter-inch taller. No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Plot It Yourself (UK: Murder in Style) — 1959 · Viking PressViking Press, New York, 1959. Copyright page states "First published by the Viking Press 1959." Blue-green cloth, front cover and spine printed in red, rear cover blank; issued in dust wrapper. A Nero Wolfe novel. Published in the UK by Collins Crime Club under the alternate title Murder in Style. US Viking edition is the true first; Stout was an American author published first in the United States, ahead of the UK Collins edition. The title-page date '1959' marks the Viking first (light-green textured cloth, red graphic, three-line Viking back flap above 'Printed in USA'); the book-club copy is smooth green cloth with a near-blank back flap and no date. No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Three at Wolfe's Door — 1960 · Viking PressViking Press, New York, 1960. A collection of three Nero Wolfe novellas (Poison a la Carte, Method Three for Murder, The Rodeo Murder). Orange cloth with dark brown printing on front cover and spine; issued in a mainly green-brown dust wrapper. US Viking edition is the true first; Stout was an American author published first in the United States. For Rex Stout's Viking titles the copyright page does not separate a true first from the book-club edition — Viking printed no edition statement or number line, and no 'Book Club Edition' marking appears on the flap. Identify the Viking first by its priced dust jacket (flap price + 'The Viking Press New York' imprint or ship colophon), the printer imprint on the copyright page (usually Colonial Press), the….
• Too Many Clients — 1960 · Viking PressThe Viking Press, New York, 1960; a Nero Wolfe novel. Bound in yellow cloth (boards) with the front cover and spine printed in red and the publisher's emblem in red on the front board; rear cover blank; pink top stain. Issued in a mainly bright pink and yellow dust wrapper with the price printed on the flap. US Viking edition is the true first; Stout was an American author published first in the United States. The Viking first's back flap carries three lines about Viking Press above 'Printed in USA' (yellow cloth, red colophon, red spine lettering); the book-club back flap is almost blank and the copy runs taller (8.55" vs 8.25"). No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• The Final Deduction — 1961 · Viking PressA Nero Wolfe novel published by The Viking Press, New York, in 1961; octavo, 182 pages. The first edition is bound in red cloth with the front cover and spine printed in blue and with a blue topstain, and carries the Viking logo to the upper board. It is issued in a mainly red dust wrapper with jacket art by Bill English. A first-issue jacket should show the printed price on the flap (unclipped). US Viking edition is the true first; Stout was an American author published first in the United States. For Rex Stout's Viking titles the copyright page does not separate a true first from the book-club edition — Viking printed no edition statement or number line, and no 'Book Club Edition' marking appears on the flap. Identify the Viking first by its priced dust jacket (flap price + 'The Viking Press New York' imprint or ship colophon), the printer imprint on the copyright page (usually Colonial Press), the….
• Gambit — 1962 · Viking PressViking Press, New York, 1962. A Nero Wolfe novel of 188 pages. Blue cloth, front cover and spine printed in red, rear cover blank; issued in a red, white and black dust wrapper (per Otto Penzler's bibliography). US Viking edition is the true first; Stout was an American author published first in the United States. The Viking first is medium-blue cloth with a red colophon and 'Printed in the USA by the Colonial Press', its back flap carrying the colophon plus three Viking-Press lines above 'Printed in USA'; the book-club copy is darker smooth blue, its back flap blank except 'Printed in USA', and runs taller (8.55" vs 8.3"). No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Homicide Trinity — 1962 · Viking PressViking Press, New York, published April 26, 1962. A collection of three Nero Wolfe novellas (Eeny Meeny Murder Mo, Death of a Demon, Counterfeit for Murder). Blue cloth, front cover stamped in blind, spine printed in deep pink, rear cover blank; issued in a mainly blue dust wrapper. US Viking edition is the true first; Stout was an American author published first in the United States. For Rex Stout's Viking titles the copyright page does not separate a true first from the book-club edition — Viking printed no edition statement or number line, and no 'Book Club Edition' marking appears on the flap. Identify the Viking first by its priced dust jacket (flap price + 'The Viking Press New York' imprint or ship colophon), the printer imprint on the copyright page (usually Colonial Press), the….
• The Mother Hunt — 1963 · Viking PressFirst edition published by The Viking Press, New York, 1963, with 'Published in 1963' stated on the copyright page and no later-printing designations. Gray cloth with spine lettering dropping out of blue and pink panels, in a predominantly white pictorial dust jacket lettered on the spine in black and blue; the first-issue jacket should retain its printed front-flap price. A Nero Wolfe novel, 182 pages. Stout was American and the book appeared first in the US; the Viking Press edition is the true first. Binding is the tell: the Viking first is light-gray cloth with a pink-and-blue safety-pin motif and a $3.50 / 'The Viking Press New York' flap, while the book-club edition is blue boards with a pink spine and runs taller (8.55" vs 8.3"). No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• A Right to Die — 1964 · Viking PressFirst edition published by The Viking Press, New York, October 22, 1964 (182 pp., octavo). A Nero Wolfe novel that brings back Paul Whipple from Too Many Cooks. Bound in blue boards with a blue cloth spine, the front cover printed in dark blue and the spine lettered in black, with a dark blue top-stain; the rear cover is blank. The pictorial dust jacket is printed in blue, red, black and white and should retain…. Stout was American and the book appeared first in the US; the Viking Press edition is the true first. The Viking first is two-tone (light-blue boards with dark-blue lettering and a dark-blue spine) with a $3.50 flap and 'Printed in the USA by Colonial Press'; the book-club copy is a single uniform blue and is taller and thinner. No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Trio for Blunt Instruments — 1964 · Viking PressFirst edition published by The Viking Press, New York, 1964. A collection of three Nero Wolfe novellas: Kill Now, Pay Later; Murder Is Corny; and Blood Will Tell. Orange cloth with blue rules and lettering to the front cover and black spine lettering, in a predominantly red pictorial dust jacket. US Viking is the true first; a Canadian issue by Macmillan appeared the same year but does not displace the Viking first. For Rex Stout's Viking titles the copyright page does not separate a true first from the book-club edition — Viking printed no edition statement or number line, and no 'Book Club Edition' marking appears on the flap. Identify the Viking first by its priced dust jacket (flap price + 'The Viking Press New York' imprint or ship colophon), the printer imprint on the copyright page (usually Colonial Press), the….
• The Doorbell Rang — 1965 · The Viking PressUS Viking first, 1965: the copyright page reads 'First published in 1965 by The Viking Press' with no later-printing notice, and the book is printed by the Colonial Press. A Nero Wolfe novel of 186 pages. The US Viking 1965 hardcover is the true first; the UK Collins Crime Club edition (1966) is a later first-thus. The silver bullseye (Viking device) and silver spine lettering on red boards with a black spine mark the Viking first (a $3.50 flap, 'Printed in the USA by Colonial Press'); the book-club copy is plain red with no silver spine device and runs about a quarter-inch taller. No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Death of a Doxy — 1966 · Viking PressFirst edition published by The Viking Press, New York, 1966. Quarter grey cloth over yellow paper boards with navy spine lettering, in the publisher's pictorial dust jacket illustrated by William English, which has a die-cut circular hole revealing part of the cover design and carries the printed price on the front flap. A Nero Wolfe novel. Stout was American and the book appeared first in the US; the Viking Press edition is the true first. Cover color is the tell: the Viking first is yellow with blue pie-section wedges (gray spine, blue lettering) and prints 'DOXY' white-on-black on the title page, while the book-club copy is black and reverses 'DOXY' to black-on-white. No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• The Father Hunt — 1968 · Viking PressFirst edition published by The Viking Press, New York, first issued in hardcover May 28, 1968 (184 pp.). A Nero Wolfe novel. Bound in red boards with a black cloth spine, the spine lettered in white and the front and rear covers blank, in a predominantly red pictorial dust jacket illustrated by Mel Williamson; the jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap. Stout was American and the book appeared first in the US; the Viking Press edition is the true first. The title and copyright pages are IDENTICAL between the two editions, so distinguish physically: the Viking first is red cloth with a black spine, white lettering, and black endpapers, and is thicker (~0.9") though slightly shorter (8.25" vs the book-club edition's 8.55"). No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Death of a Dude — 1969 · Viking PressFirst edition published by The Viking Press, New York, 1969. Blue boards with dark blue cloth spine and green, blue, and white spine lettering, in a predominantly black pictorial dust jacket. A Nero Wolfe novel set entirely away from the West 35th Street brownstone, at Lily Rowan's Montana ranch. Stout was American and the book appeared first in the US; the Viking Press edition is the true first. Board color is the reliable tell: the Viking first has medium-blue boards (black spine) with a red Viking Press imprint and 'SBN 670-26140-8' on the back cover, while the book-club edition has black boards and a blank back cover. No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• Please Pass the Guilt — 1973 · Viking PressViking Press, New York, 1973 first printing. A Nero Wolfe novel. Quarter red cloth over black paper boards, spine stamped in gold, in a black and brown pictorial dust jacket. Referenced Ahearn APG 072a. The US Viking Press edition is the true first. Endpapers and binding are the cleanest tells: the Viking first has black endpapers, black boards with a red spine and gold lettering, and is thicker (0.75"); the book-club copy has white endpapers, a different cover, and is thinner (0.65"). No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).
• A Family Affair — 1975 · Viking PressViking Press, New York, 1975 first printing. The last Nero Wolfe novel, published shortly before Stout's death. Quarter black cloth over blue paper boards, spine stamped in gold and blue, in a mainly black dust jacket. The US Viking Press edition is the true first. The Viking first has a black front flap with a $5.95 price and short-form 'Printed in USA' on the copyright page (0.75 x 5.6 x 8.2"); the book-club copy is thinner and taller (0.6 x 5.7 x 8.55"). No 'Book Club Edition' flap marking. (identification per rexstoutfirsts.com).

More Mystery, Crime & Thriller shelves: Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake), Robert B. Parker, Robert Crais, Ross Macdonald, Ruth Rendell, S. S. Van Dine.

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