Rex Stout (1886-1975) was the creator of the enduringly popular private detective Nero Wolfe. Born in Indiana, Stout worked at thirty different professions until he earned enough money to travel. In 1932, he began to write thrillers focusing on the famous detective Nero Wolfe (a gourmet who weighs in at more than a hundred kilos). Rex Stout finished more than fifty novels and received the Grand Masters Award. His other works include Under the Andes, Target Practice, The Great Legend, and An Officer and a Lady and Other Stories.