author
Rex Stout
1886–1975
Best known for creating Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, this American writer brought together sharp puzzles, lively dialogue, and a wonderfully eccentric detective partnership. His stories helped shape classic 20th-century mystery fiction and are still loved for their wit and charm.
1 Audiobook
Under the Andes
by Rex Stout
About the author
Born in Noblesville, Indiana, on December 1, 1886, Rex Stout became one of America’s most admired mystery writers. He is most closely associated with Nero Wolfe, the brilliant, homebound detective, and Archie Goodwin, the quick, funny narrator who gives the stories so much energy.
Stout published the first Nero Wolfe novel, Fer-de-Lance, in 1934, and went on to build a long-running series of novels and short stories featuring the pair. Readers were drawn to the mix of clever plotting, memorable banter, and the contrast between Wolfe’s grand, demanding personality and Archie’s easy confidence.
Beyond his fiction, Stout was also active in public life, including work connected to wartime writing and civic causes. He died on October 27, 1975, in Danbury, Connecticut, leaving behind a body of work that remains a cornerstone of detective fiction.