# Is "Before Midnight" by Rex Stout a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Before Midnight by Rex Stout (Viking Press, 1955) is identified by: US Viking Press, 1955, first printing. The US Viking Press edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Viking Press, 1955, first printing
- A Nero Wolfe novel
- Pale blue cloth printed in dark blue on front cover and spine, top edge stained blue, 184 pages
- Publisher imprint reads Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Rex Stout |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
| Year | 1955 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Viking Press, 1955, first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Viking Press, 1955, first printing. A Nero Wolfe novel. Pale blue cloth printed in dark blue on front cover and spine, top edge stained blue, 184 pages.

## Is this the true first?
The US Viking Press edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Book Club edition and later reprints followed the Viking first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Before Midnight* by Rex Stout a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/before-midnight
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.