Books like 'Murder by the Book'
Readers who enjoyed Murder by the Book by Rex Stout also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical mystery 20th century urban new-york-state law-enforcement crime humor classics historical-fiction
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Later Novels and Other Writings: The Lady in the Lake / The Little Sister / The Long Goodbye / Playback / Double Indemnity (screenplay) / Selected Essays and Letters by Raymond Chandler
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWith humor, along with an unerring sense of dialogue and the telling details of dress and behavior, Raymond Chandler created a distinctive fictional universe out of the dark side of sunlit Los Angeles. In the process, he transformed both crime writing and the American language.Written during the war, The Lady in the Lake (1943) takes Philip Marlowe out of the seamy L.A...Categorized as:
classics crime investigator law-enforcement literary-fiction 20th-century adult anthologies -
![Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Illustrated Short Stories by Arthur Conan Doyle]()
Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Illustrated Short Stories by Arthur Conan Doyle
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThey're among the most influential, enduring, and popular short stories in the English language; marvelous mysteries that feature the "most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has ever seen." Here are all 56 Sherlock Holmes tales in one very handsome collection, accompanied by the original artwork in facsimile reproduction... -
![Lord Peter by Dorothy L. Sayers]()
Lord Peter by Dorothy L. Sayers
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAll the Lord Peter Wimsey stories are here, in a single volume, including the one about Harriet, Peter and their three... -
![In the Best Families by Rex Stout]()
In the Best Families by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAging millionairess Mrs. Rackham asks Nero Wolfe to find out where her penniless husband has suddenly been obtaining mysteriously large sums of money, a request that leads to murder and to threats against the master detective himself...Categorized as:
classics cozy crime historical-fiction humor investigator law-enforcement new-york-state -
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![The Mysterious Affair at Styles and The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie]()
The Mysterious Affair at Styles and The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFor the first ime in one volume are Agatha Christie's first two mysteries that introduced the world to Hercule Poirot and to Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, all sleuths who have starred in the PBS Mystery! series: with a sudden death as the initiation of his career, Hercule Poirot calls upon the sprawling estate of the Styles Court to identify the murderer of a wealthy heiress from a crowd of...Categorized as:
classics cozy crime law-enforcement literary-fiction suspense 20th-century action-adventure -
![The Doorbell Rang by Rex Stout]()
The Doorbell Rang by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHired to help society widow Rachel Bruner foil bothersome Feds, Nero Wolfe and his able assistant Archie get in over their heads with highly trained G-men who are adept at bugs, tails, and threats... -
![A Picture of Murder by T.E. Kinsey]()
A Picture of Murder by T.E. Kinsey
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsLate October 1909, and the season of ghouls and things that go bump in the night has descended on the village of Littleton Cotterell.Lady Hardcastle and her trusted lady’s maid, Florence, find themselves hosting a colourful cast of actors whose spooky moving picture, The Witch’s Downfall, is being shown to mark Halloween...Categorized as:
cozy crime historical-fiction humor investigator law-enforcement suspense 20th-century -
![The Nero Wolfe Mystery Series: The Zeck Trilogy: And Be a Villain, The Second Confession, In the Best Families by Rex Stout]()
The Nero Wolfe Mystery Series: The Zeck Trilogy: And Be a Villain, The Second Confession, In the Best Families by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe perfect introduction to crime fiction’s greatest armchair detective: three mysteries featuring Nero Wolfe and his nemesis, gangland kingpin Arnold Zeck . . .AND BE A VILLAINTHE SECOND CONFESSIONIN THE BEST FAMILIES A guest on a radio talk show drops dead on-air after drinking a glass of a sponsor’s beverage... -
![Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie]()
Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNot all of Miss Marple's best can be found in Agatha Christie novels. There are short stories too.Jane Marple is from the village of St Mary Mead and applies her skills of observation and deduction to a wide variety of mysteries...Categorized as:
classics cozy crime historical-fiction law-enforcement literary-fiction suspense 20th-century -
![Homicide Trinity by Rex Stout]()
Homicide Trinity by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIt’s a wily killer who dares to strike on Nero Wolfe’s hallowed turf—and leave a corpse strangled with Wolfe’s own soup-stained tie. But no sooner does the gourmandizing sleuth clean up this first course of murder than he faces a gun-toting wife who serves up a confession of homicidal intent—only to become the sole suspect when the corpus delicti is found... -
![Gambit by Rex Stout, Michael Prichard]()
Gambit by Rex Stout, Michael Prichard
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMiss Sarah Blount, better known as Sally, has come to Wolfe to plead for his help with her father's case. Matthew Blount is charged with poisoning a man to death at the Gambit Club, and all evidence points to his guilt. Sally knows that her father is innocent, but doesn't trust his lawyer, who seems too interested in her mother... -
![Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout]()
Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn automobile accident strands Nero Wolfe and Archie in the middle of a private pasture--and a family feud over a prize bull.The feud is about a restauranteur's plan to buy the stud and barbecue it as a publicity stunt. It may be in poor taste, but it isn't a crime . . . until Hickory Caesar Grindon, the soon-to-be-beefsteak bull, is found pawing the remains of a family scion...Categorized as:
classics cozy crime historical-fiction humor investigator law-enforcement new-york-state -
![A Cold Treachery by Charles Todd]()
A Cold Treachery by Charles Todd
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsCalled out by Scotland Yard into the teeth of a violent blizzard in the Lake District of England, Inspector Ian Rutledge finds himself confronted with one of the most savage murders he has ever encountered. Rutledge might have expected such unspeakable carnage on the World War I battlefields, but not in an otherwise peaceful farm kitchen in remote Urskdale...Categorized as:
cozy crime historical-fiction law-enforcement police-procedural suspense 20th-century adult -
![The Chinese Lake Murders by Robert van Gulik]()
The Chinese Lake Murders by Robert van Gulik
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA.D. 666The Chinese Lake Murders describes how Judge Dee solves three difficult cases in A.D. 666, shortly after he has been appointed magistrate of Han-yuan."[Robert van Gulik] deftly interweaves three criminal cases involving exotic yet universally recognizable characters, then has his Judge Dee provide a surprising yet most plausible solution...Categorized as:
classics crime historical-fiction law-enforcement police-procedural 20th-century adult book -
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![A Family Affair by Rex Stout]()
A Family Affair by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen a bomb kills his favorite waiter from his favorite restaurant, sedentary sleuth and gourmand Nero Wolfe is determined to go to any length to find the killer...Categorized as:
classics crime historical-fiction humor investigator law-enforcement suspense 20th-century -
![Trio for Blunt Instruments by Rex Stout]()
Trio for Blunt Instruments by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIf Nero Wolfe and his sidekick, Archie, would ever admit to an Achilles' heel—which they wouldn't—it would be a weakness for damsels in distress. In these three charming chillers the duo answer the call of helpless heroines with nothing to lose-except their lives. First a beautiful young Aphrodite comes to Nero looking for a hero—and the answer to the mystery of her father's death... -
![The Final Deduction by Rex Stout]()
The Final Deduction by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen the seemingly safe return of an abducted millionaire ends in his murder in his own home, Nero Wolfe sends Archie Goodwin to do his usual legwork, while Wolfe uncovers corruption and greed among Manhattan's elite... -
![Death of a Doxy by Rex Stout]()
Death of a Doxy by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWith a rich man footing the bills and a handsome lover on the side, Isabel Kerr seemed to have the perfect setup. Now the well-kept lady is stone-cold dead, and the cops have nabbed a Manhattan private eye who just happens to be an acquaintance of Nero Wolfe. Unable to refuse a friend in need, the great detective deigns to get the gumshoe off the hook... -
![The Silent Speaker by Rex Stout]()
The Silent Speaker by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen a powerful government official,scheduled to speak to a group of millionaires, turns up dead, it is an event worthy of the notice of the great Nero Wolfe. Balancing on the edge of financial ruin, the orchid-loving detective grudgingly accepts the case. Soon a second victim is found bludgeoned to death, a missing stenographer's tape causes an uproar, and the dead man speaks, after a fashion... -
![The Second Confession by Rex Stout]()
The Second Confession by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen a millionaire businessman hires Nero Wolfe to probe the background of his daughter’s boyfriend, it seems like just another case of an overprotective father. But when a powerful gangland boss “counsels” the detective to drop the matter, Wolfe receives a warning: a burst of machine-gun fire through the windows of his orchid room... -
![Prisoner's Base by Rex Stout]()
Prisoner's Base by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHours after Priscilla Eads pleads with him to take her case, Nero Wolfe is shocked to find out that she was murdered, and soon he is investigating her fortune-hunting husband and greedy business associates... -
![And Four to Go by Rex Stout]()
And Four to Go by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEmbark on a year of murder and mystery. It begins at Christmas with a party and a poisoning, then blossoms into spring with sudden death at the Easter Parade. With a killer in the crowd, the Fourth of July is no picnic, and the calendar is overbooked with corpses when death is in season. Here are four cunning cases that leave everyone guessing... -
![The Mother Hunt by Rex Stout]()
The Mother Hunt by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen an abandoned baby is left on her doorstep, the young socialite widow knows only too well the identity of the father: her deceased philanderer of a husband. But who is the mother? The case seems like child's play to Wolfe, until the first dead body... -
![Trouble in Triplicate by Rex Stout]()
Trouble in Triplicate by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThey all thought they were about to die . . . and they were right. Dazy Perrit was an underworld kingpin until a hail of bullets sent him into early retirement. Ben Jensen was a well-connected publisher until a determined gunman severed all his connections. Eugene R. Poor made novelties like exploding cigars until one of them blew him to kingdom come...Categorized as:
cozy crime humor investigator law-enforcement police-procedural suspense 20th-century -
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![Might as Well Be Dead by Rex Stout]()
Might as Well Be Dead by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEleven years ago, wealthy Nebraska businessman James Herold gave his only son, Paul, a very raw deal. Now he wants Nero Wolfe to track Paul down so that he can make amends. But what if the young man doesn't want to be found . . . and what if he's the same P.H...Categorized as:
classics cozy crime investigator law-enforcement literary-fiction new-york-state suspense -
![Clutch of Constables by Ngaio Marsh]()
Clutch of Constables by Ngaio Marsh
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFive Days Out of Time… that was how the ad had described the Zodiac cruise on the “weirdly misted” English river. The passengers were the usual, unusual lot: a couple of unpleasantly hygienic Americans, an aloof Ethiopian doctor, a snooping cleric with a wall-eye, an artist running away from her success…But they were not all what they seemed...Categorized as:
classics cozy crime historical-fiction humor law-enforcement literary-fiction police-procedural -
![Too Many Cooks by Rex Stout]()
Too Many Cooks by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe guest at a gathering of the greatest chefs in the world, Nero Wolfe must practice his own trade--sleuthing--when he discovers that a murderer is in their midst. One of the chefs has been found dead as a result of a knifing, and Wolfe, who only anticipated being a guest speaker, must now deal with the possibility that he may become a victim as well...Categorized as:
classics cozy crime historical-fiction humor investigator law-enforcement literary-fiction -
![Black Orchids by Rex Stout]()
Black Orchids by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNot much can get Wolfe to leave his comfortable brownstone, but the showing of a rare black orchid lures him to a flower show. Unfortunately, the much-anticipated event is soon overshadowed by a murder as daring as it is sudden. It’s a case of weeding out a cunning killer who can turn up anywhere—and Wolfe must do it quickly...Categorized as:
classics cozy crime historical-fiction humor investigator law-enforcement police-procedural -
![And Be a Villain by Rex Stout]()
And Be a Villain by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsRadio talk show host Madeline Fraser's worst nightmare comes true when one of her on-air guests collapses at the mike after drinking a glass of the sponsor's beverage...Categorized as:
classics cozy crime historical-fiction humor investigator law-enforcement new-york-state -
![Storm in the Village & Fairacre Festival by Miss Read]()
Storm in the Village & Fairacre Festival by Miss Read
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsStorm in the Village, Miss Read, Headmistress of Fairacre School, learns of a proposed new housing development that soon has the citizens of Fairacre up in arms.In The Fairacre Festival, after a storm damages the church roof, the villagers must raise money for repairs...Categorized as:
historical-fiction classics humor cozy literary-fiction fiction historical audiobook -
![Deadly Pleasure by Brenda Joyce]()
Deadly Pleasure by Brenda Joyce
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBrenda Joyce has enthralled millions of readers with her New York Times bestselling novels. Now, join us in the next chapter of her unforgettable storytelling: the Francesca Cahill novels. Step into the glittering world of New York City's high society at the turn of the last century, where murder and pleasure are one and the same, and love becomes the ultimate weapon..Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction investigator law-enforcement suspense 20th-century adult book -
![Todo lo mejor by César Pérez Gellida]()
Todo lo mejor by César Pérez Gellida
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsUna ciudad separada por un muro y unida por un sanguinario asesino. Dos investigadores que descubrirán que la crueldad no tiene límites.Una historia negra para iniciarse en el género Gellida.Viktor Lavrov es un joven talento perteneciente al KGB destinado en Berlín durante el periodo más crudo de la Guerra Fría... -
![Three for the Chair by Rex Stout]()
Three for the Chair by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAn alternate cover of this ISBN can be found here.One thing is certain to distract Nero Wolfe from his culinary and horticultural pursuits: murder. This time Wolfe and his able assistant, Archie Goodwin, are put in the hot seat when they are called upon to investigate three different murders... -
![The Father Hunt by Rex Stout]()
The Father Hunt by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHired to locate Amy Denovo's long-lost father, Nero Wolfe and his assistant, Archie Goodwin, discover that the missing man has a deadly and dangerous secret to hide...Categorized as:
cozy crime historical-fiction humor investigator law-enforcement new-york-state suspense -
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![Three at Wolfe's Door by Rex Stout, Michael Prichard]()
Three at Wolfe's Door by Rex Stout, Michael Prichard
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDeath comes a-calling not once but three times in this murderous collection of cases from the files of the world's greatest detective. First there is the exclusive dinner party where the guests are gourmets, arsenic is the appetizer, and the suspects are five of the most gorgeous gals in New York. Next, a wandering cab pulls up to Wolfe's door, containing a lady driver who doesn't belong.. -
![Lightning Men by Thomas Mullen]()
Lightning Men by Thomas Mullen
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom the acclaimed author of The Last Town on Earth comes the gripping follow-up to Darktown, a “combustible procedural that will knock the wind out of you” (The New York Times).Officer Denny Rakestraw, “Negro Officers” Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith, and Sergeant McInnis have their hands full in an overcrowded and rapidly changing Atlanta... -
![Bright Orange for the Shroud by John D. MacDonald]()
Bright Orange for the Shroud by John D. MacDonald
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTravis McGee is looking forward to a "slob summer," spending his days as far away from danger as possible. But trouble has a way of finding him, no matter where he hides. An old friend, conned out of his life savings by his ex-wife, has tracked him down and is desperate for help...Categorized as:
classics crime humor investigator law-enforcement suspense 20th-century action-adventure -
![The Galton Case by Ross Macdonald]()
The Galton Case by Ross Macdonald
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAlmost twenty years have passed since Anthony Galton disappeared, along with a suspiciously streetwise bride and several thousand dollars of his family's fortune. Now Anthony's mother wants him back and has hired Lew Archer to find him. What turns up is a headless skeleton, a boy who claims to be Galton's son, and a con game whose stakes are so high that someone is still willing to kill for them...Categorized as:
classics crime historical-fiction humor investigator law-enforcement literary-fiction suspense -
![The Rubber Band by Rex Stout]()
The Rubber Band by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhat do a Wild West lynching and a respected English nobleman have in common? On the surface, absolutely nothing. But when a young woman hires his services, it becomes Nero Wolfe’s job to look deeper and find the connection...Categorized as:
classics cozy crime historical-fiction humor investigator law-enforcement literary-fiction -
![The Black Mountain by Rex Stout, Max Allan Collins]()
The Black Mountain by Rex Stout, Max Allan Collins
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAlternate cover edition of ISBN 9780553272918Vowing to avenge the murder of his dear friend, Marko Vukcic, Nero Wolfe, along with his faithful partner, Archie Goodwin, journey to the hazardous mountains of Montenegro...Categorized as:
crime historical-fiction humor investigator law-enforcement suspense urban 20th-century -
![Champagne for One by Rex Stout]()
Champagne for One by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFaith Usher talked about taking her own life and even kept cyanide in her purse. So when she died from a lethal champagne cocktail in the middle of a high society dinner party, everyone called it suicide—including the police. But Nero Wolfe isn’t convinced—and neither is Archie. Especially when Wolfe is warned by four men against taking the case...Categorized as:
cozy crime historical-fiction humor investigator law-enforcement new-york-state suspense -
![Three Doors to Death by Rex Stout]()
Three Doors to Death by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOne by one they knock on the door of the incomparable Nero Wolfe, each with a case more perplexing than the one before. First comes the niece of a man who committed suicide by jumping naked into a geyser, only to return just in time to be murdered. Then it’s the strange case of the murder victim’s family covering up for the real killer, while a chef stews in jail... -
![Too Many Women by Rex Stout]()
Too Many Women by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCelebrated sleuth Nero Wolfe is renowned for cracking tough cases -- and never leaving his New York apartment, where he quaffs beer and cultivates orchids. For legwork, Wolfe employs a fast-talking, wisecracking assistant named Archie, who also serves as our narrator.In Too Many Women, Wolfe and Archie are charged with investigating the mysterious goings-on at a big engineering supply company...Categorized as:
classics crime historical-fiction humor investigator law-enforcement suspense 20th-century -
![If Death Ever Slept by Rex Stout]()
If Death Ever Slept by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMurder lurks in the wings of the sprawling Fifth Avenue penthouse of multimillionaire Otis Jarrell, who has just retained the incomparable Nero Wolfe on a case of the utmost confidentiality. But even the master detective cannot prevent tragedy when it inevitably arrives wielding Jarrell’s missing revolver... -
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![A Right to Die by Rex Stout]()
A Right to Die by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen a bright young heiress with a flair for romance and one too many enemies is found brutally murdered, Nero Wolfe and his sidekick, Archie, find themselves embroiled in a case that is not as black and white as it first appears.Susan Brooke has everything going for her. Men would have killed themselves to marry her, and, in fact, one did... -
![The Red Box by Rex Stout]()
The Red Box by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA woman is dead, and the fortunes of overextended theatrical producer Llewellyn Frost depend on solving the mystery of the red box: two pounds of candied fruits, nuts and creams, covered with chocolate—and laced with potassium cyanide. When Nero Wolfe’s suspicion falls on Frost’s kissing cousin, Frost wants the detective to kill the sickly sweet case—before it kills him...Categorized as:
urban new-york-state law-enforcement crime classics historical-fiction humor investigator -
![Over My Dead Body by Rex Stout]()
Over My Dead Body by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen a Balkan beauty gets in trouble over some missing diamonds, whom else can she turn to but the world-famous Nero Wolfe? Especially since she claims to be Wolfe's long lost daughter! The stakes are suddenly raised when a student at this woman's fencing school ends up dead after a pointed lesson... -
![The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout, Robert Goldsborough]()
The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout, Robert Goldsborough
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA summary from the back cover:Paul Chapin's college cronies never forgave themselves for the prank that crippled their friend. Yet with Harvard days long behind them, they thought they were forgiven -- until a class reunion ends in a fatal fall (for one of them). Now this league of frightened men is desperate for Nero Wolfe's help... -
![The Golden Spiders by Rex Stout]()
The Golden Spiders by Rex Stout
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNero Wolfe was almost as famous for his wealthy clients and extravagant fees as for his genius at detection. So why has he accepted a case for $4.30? And why have the last two people to hire him been ruthlessly murdered? Wolfe suspects the answers may lie in the story of a twelve-year-old boy who turns up at the door of his West Thirty-fifth Street Brownstone... -
![Poirot quitte la scène by Agatha Christie]()
Poirot quitte la scène by Agatha Christie
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsArthritic and immobilized, Poirot calls on his old friend Captain Hastings to join him at Styles to be the eyes and ears that will feed observations to Poirot's still razor sharp mind. Though aware of the criminal's identity, Poirot will not reveal it to the frustrated Hastings, and dubs the nameless personage 'X'...Categorized as:
classics cozy crime historical-fiction investigator law-enforcement literary-fiction suspense
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