# Is "Three Men Out" by Rex Stout a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Three Men Out by Rex Stout (Viking Press, 1954) is identified by: US Viking Press, 1954, first printing. The US Viking Press edition is the true first.

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

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Rex Stout |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
| Year | 1954 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Viking Press, 1954, first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US 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.

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

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Book Club edition is distinguishable by its smoother board texture and lack of dust-jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Three Men Out* by Rex Stout a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/three-men-out
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.