A Collection of Twenty-One Books from Rex Stout's Library

Hardcover. Very Good. A small group of 21 books from the library of noted mystery writer Rex Stout. More than half are first editions, the remainder early reprints. All include either Stout's pencil owner name or his book plate. Overall very good or better with some rubbing, a few cocked from reading and several bumped at the extremities. The collection of books came from the carriage house of Stout's home discovered when the property was resold. Each book is identified as Stout's in some way: one is Inscribed to him by the author, 16 are Signed "Rex" on the first page (one with his full name in ink), and four have his personal bookplate on the front pastedown; one of these also contains an ALS from Stout's daughter Barbara dated in 1951 to Joan Salmon, daughter of Harold Salmon, Stout's long time retainer, and according to the McAleer biography of Stout, considered by some as the "Archie Goodwin" to Stout's "Nero Wolfe." The collection's subjects include history, fiction, fantasy, and politics,+ from James Branch Cabell, Alec Waugh, and others. The majority of the books are mystery titles with 13 authors including E. Phillips Oppenheim, Roy Chanslor, R. Austin Freeman, and Guy Endore. These are additionally marked with a grade by Stout in pencil on the front pastedown, as was his habit. Most have a typical letter grade but several are cryptically marked with a question mark and one title that he apparently did not like states "surrender on p59." A wonderful group of association copies from one of the top mystery writers of the 20th Century. A complete list is available upon request.