A Prize for Princes

by Rex Stout

Serialized in All Story magazine, A Prize for Princes now appears in book form for the first time. The beautiful, evil and deadly Aline is rescued from marauding Turks by a wealthy American who becomes captivated by her. His wealth enables her to meet men of power, upon whom she plys her sensual talents in intrigue and murder.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

312 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1994

About the author

Rex Todhunter Stout (1886–1975) was an American crime writer, best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the detective genius from 1934 (Fer-de-Lance) to 1975 (A Family Affair).

The Nero Wolfe corpus was nominated Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon 2000, the world's largest mystery convention, and Rex Stout was nominated Best Mystery Writer of the Century.

Reviews

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure pulpy melodrama, this is the stuff KDramas and Soap Operas were made from.

[Allan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories all my adult life and never regretted a moment spent doing so. His earlier work, though, could have been pruned to the ground and no loss would have ensued. How the author of "A Prize for Princes" and its plummy, purple prose ever made the transition to 35th Avenue and Nero, Archie, Fritz and Theodore is beyond me.
"Her Forbidden Knight", written in 1913, a year before "A Prize for Princes", is somewhat satisfying in a Damon Runyonesque kind of way. "Prize", though, is overblown, overwritten, incessantly stupid, though ultimately rewarding in the double murder of the two main characters at the end. I believe Stout became weary of the machinations that fettered this serial, much later, book. Stout must have been writing to pay the bills in those early years while he was working on his highly successful school banking system. I find it interesting that it was 20 years later when he wrote "Fer-de-Lance" that the Wolfe canon began.
I'll stop searching for early Stout and stay with what worked so well for him and all of us. I suggest you do the same.

[Kendall · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well this was the weirdest Rex Stout I've ever read, very glad I didn't start with this one or else would have completely missed out on the comparable genius that is Nero Wolfe. I will give Mr Stout credit for created one of the most stupid, asinine characters I've ever come across in any book, Richard Stetton, who was unfailingly idiotic to the point of inanity. While not necessarily poorly written the plot is uncompelling and full of holes, the ending is confusingly rushed and rather unsatisfactory and the characters quite flat and one-dimensional. However it is encouraging to think that the same man who wrote this was later able to produce the wonderful Nero Wolfe series by which this weird book pales in comparison, gives hope for any aspiring author that it's possible to improve!

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non-series. This 1914 magazine serial by Rex Stout was apparently first published in book form in 1994. Sometimes there is a good reason for an undiscovered manuscript to be undiscovered. Fans of Stout's Nero Wolfe series will read it for its curiosity value. A pot-boiler tale of romance, intrigue, and deception tales place in the Balkans pre-WWI.

The beautiful, evil and deadly Aline is rescued from marauding Turks by a wealthy American who becomes captivated by her. His wealth enables her to meet men of power, upon whom she plies her sensual talents in intrigue and murder.

[Tom Leland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in 1915 so necessarily somewhat corny, still a page-turner.

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

had to force myself to finish, no sympathetic or engaging characters. Enjoy Rex Stout books so was disappointed.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like anything by Rex Stout. This one is really strange, tho ... or maybe just different from the ordinary detective story. Anyway, in old Europe (1914) the main character, Aline, is a lady with a plan to marry a prince and she will do anything, including poisoning several men along the way, to that end. The other main character, Richard, is so smitten with her (and dumb) that he gives her a lot of money to set herself up in society to pursue the prince. The ending is strange also; altho, since Richard still would not give her up perhaps it is karma that they die together. I sure enjoyed reading this one.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although Rex Stout was one of the great writers of the 20th century, this is one of his earlier efforts. Unlike his Nero Wolfe efforts, this moves very slowly, and for me it was disappointing. Yes, the writing is brilliant, and the vocabulary is first rate, but as historical fiction it simply plods forward.

[Paul Kaperick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first non-Nero Wolfe Rex Stout book and it was as good as the Nero Wolfe books. This is a great story of intrigue anyone would enjoy.

[Sandra Zepeda]

Won't recommend