# Is "The Second Confession" by Rex Stout a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Second Confession by Rex Stout (Viking Press, 1949) is identified by: Viking Press, New York, 1949, first printing. US Viking edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Viking 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
- Publisher imprint reads Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Rex Stout |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
| Year | 1949 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Viking Press, New York, 1949, first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Viking 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.

## Is this the true first?
US Viking edition is the true first. The UK Collins Crime Club edition followed later.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Viking printings and reprint-house editions follow the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Second Confession* by Rex Stout a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-second-confession
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.