Seed on the Wind

by Rex Stout

One woman, four men, countless temptations on the streets of New York. This lost novel from legendary "Nero Wolfe" creator Rex Stout—unpublished for more than 90 years—presents a gripping psychological puzzle and a heroine you’ll never forget.

WHO WAS THE FIFTH MAN?

The lawyer, the jeweler, the art critic, and the oil-company man…self-possessed, independent Lora Winter has had a child with each of them. But when one of these men drives up to her house with a fifth man in the car, Lora runs to hide. That’s how this extraordinary novel opens – and by the time it ends, you’ll have pieced together a masterful psychological jigsaw puzzle that is miles from a traditional crime novel, but whose desperate characters nevertheless resort to kidnapping, blackmail and possibly even murder. 

Long before he was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, before he created the immortal Nero Wolfe, Rex Stout wrote this gripping novel, published in 1930 and then lost for more than 90 years. Hard Case Crime is thrilled to give the book its first publication in nearly a century and to give today’s readers the chance to discover one of Stout’s richest and most unforgettable stories.

• ISBN10: 180336484X
• ISBN13: 9781803364841
• Publish Date: 12 December 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Hard Case Crime
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781803364841

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Seed on the Wind is a long out-of-print "lost" novel by mystery master Rex Stout. Originally published in 1931, this reformat and reprint from Titan Books on their Hard Case Crime imprint is 368 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

One of the undisputed masters of character driven mystery, Rex Stout's well known investigator Nero Wolfe solved some 74 cases in his impressive career. This novel dates from 3 years before Wolfe's first appearance, but there are glimmers in this work of Stout's amazing mastery of language and narrative. 

It's a standalone novel and less of what modern readers think of as a "thriller" and more of an extended character study/drama. Well written and surprisingly relevant for a 90 year old book; it's engaging and indeed compelling in places.

Four stars. Kudos for Titan/Hard Case Crime for finding, acquiring, and reprinting "lost" classics. Recommended for fans of classic fiction as well as fans of the author. Collecting the books in the series will provide a solid reference library of early American crime fiction from well known masters of the 20th century. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.