Books by Rex Stout
“The detective in this series is almost a pastiche of Sherlock Homes, but what makes it so brilliant is that Rex Stout merged the classic British mystery with the American hard-boiled. Nero Wolfe is this eccentric, brilliant, genius detective who is always able to solve the crimes police can’t. His assistant Archie is the traditional hard-boiled PI—wise-cracking, always like one, two, steps behind. He does all the legwork. He’s the one who gets arrested, the one who gets beat up. He’s the one who is interested in women. Their relationship is what makes the Nero Wolfe books so fun.” Read more...
The Best 20th-century American Detective Novels
Dave Zeltserman, Novelist
Interviews where books by Rex Stout were recommended
The Best 20th-century American Detective Novels, recommended by Dave Zeltserman
Many well-loved American detective novels feature cynical private investigator protagonists facing down hardened criminals and deep-set corruption. We asked Dave Zeltserman, author of Small Crimes, to recommend five brilliant books from this popular genre, from a 1920s small town murder mystery to a 1980s postmodern trilogy.




