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This database is compiled from my own research. I apologise for any errors or omissions. Dates are UK first publication. I have only included those writers who are well known for their crime fiction.
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Margery Allingham.(1904-1966) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
Her full name was Margery Louise Allingham. She was born in London and attended The Perse High School for Girls in Cambridge, before returning to London and the Polytechnic for Speech-Training. Her father was the author, H. J. Allingham, and also the editor of 'The New London Journal', to which she contributed articles and Sexton Blake stories. In 1928 she married Philip Youngman Carter, who collaborated with her and designed the jackets for many of her books. They lived on the edge of the Essex Marshes. Her famous fictional detective was Albert Campion.
Link The Margery Allingham Society.
Link Classic Crime Fiction.
Link Albert Campion series.
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E.G. Bartlett. Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
Best known for writing books about Judo & other self-defence methods. Wrote just one crime fiction 'railway mystery' book.
Link E. G. Bartlett - Barnes & Noble.
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E.C. Bentley.(1875-1956) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
His full name was Edmund Clerihew Bentley. He was born in London and educated at St. Paul's School. He invented the Clerihew as a competitor to the Limerick. He was a journalist and in spite of writing only four mystery books, was immensely influential on subsequent writers. Some consider "Trent's Last Case" to be the first modern crime novel. His fictional detective was a journalist, Philip Trent.
Link E.C. Bentley.
Link Re-Investigating Trent’s Last Case by E.C. Bentley.
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Anthony Berkeley.(1893-1971) Home Authors' Names. Go to Detectives' Names.
His real name was Anthony Berkeley Cox. Also wrote as Francis Iles. British soldier, journalist, book reviewer. Fictional detectives are Ambrose Chitterwick and Roger Sheringham.
Link Anthony Berkeley Cox.
Link Anthony Berkeley.
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Edgar Box.(1925-2012) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
His real name is [Gore] Eugene Luther Vidal. educated Los Alamos School, New Mexico. Vidal grew accustomed at an early age to a life among political and social notables. He was born at the military academy, West Point, New York, where his father was an instructor. He was raised near Washington, DC, in the house of his grandfather, Thomas P. Gore, a US senator from Oklahoma. Vidal learned about political life from him and when he was a teenager he adopted the first name of Gore. Vidal also spent time on the Virginia estate of his stepfather, Hugh. D. Auchincloss. After graduating from Philips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, he served on an army supply ship in the Aleutian Islands, near Alaska. Much of his time in the Enlisted Reserve Corps he devoted to writing. Upon his discharge he worked for six months for the publishing firm of E.P. Dutton.
Link The Pseudonyms of Gore Vidal: 1950-1954.
Link The Passing Tramp.
Link Gore Vidal.
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Ernest Bramah.(1868-1942) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
His full name was Ernest Bramah Smith. He tried being a journalist and then became private secretary to Jerome K. Jerome. He wrote the tongue-in-cheek mock-Chinese Kai Lung stories, and the excellent cases of Max Carrados - the blind detective!
Link Online Classical Literature.
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Lynn Brock.(1877-1943) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
His real name was Alister McAllister. He served in British Intelligence while a chief clerk at the National University of Ireland. This was probably before and during the Irish Uprising (1916-1921). He also wrote a few novels and plays under the name of Anthony Wharton. His famous detective was Colonel Warwick Gore.
Link Lynn Brock.
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Janet Caird.(1913-1994) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
She was born in Malawi and her full name was Janet Hinshaw Caird.
Link Janet Caird.
Link Janet Caird 2.
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Henry Calvin.(1922-1999) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
He was a successful journalist who wrote five detective novels. He was born and lived in Glasgow. Under his real name of Clifford Hanley he also produced plays, popular songs, comedy radio scripts and non-fiction works about the history of Glasgow and Scotland. He is probably best known for having written the words for the traditional pipe tune Scotland The Brave.
Link Scotland The Brave Words.
Link Wee Man with a Big Heart.
Link Cliff Hanley
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John Dickson Carr.(1906-1977) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
John Dickson Carr was born in Uniontown, Pa. USA. He attended Hill School, Pottstown Pa., and Haverford College. He Studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, where he met Clarice Cleaves, whom he married in 1932. During WW2 he moved to England and worked for the BBC. While there, he wrote one of the best known radio series "Appointment With Fear", which starred the actor Valentine Dyall. After 1946, he lived in England, Tangier, New York and finally moved to Greenville, South Carolina in 1967. He wrote under the names Carter Dickson and Carr Dickson, also. He used G.K. Chesterton as the model for his most famous detective character Dr. Gideon Fell. His others were Henri Bencolin, Sir Henry Merrivale, and Colonel March who was based upon his friend and fellow crime writer John Rhode.
Link The John Dickson Carr Collector.
Link Carr, J D. (John Dickson) (1906 - 1977).
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Leslie Charteris.(1907-1993) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
He was born Leslie Charles Bowyer Yin in Singapore, with a Chinese father and an English mother. He attended private school and then went to Cambridge University. In 1926 he dropped his studies and changed his name to Leslie Charteris, because of his success as an author. In 1932 he moved to the USA and worked in Hollywood as a scriptwriter; becoming an American citizen in 1942. He is best known for the exploits of his detective Simon Templar a.k.a The Saint.
Link News and Rumors about The Saint and Leslie Charteris.
Link The Saint's Volvo 1800.
Link The Saint.
Link The Saint's Double Trouble (1940).
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Agatha Christie.(1890-1976) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
She was born in Devon and educated at home, studying singing and piano in Paris. Married Colonel Archibald Christie in 1914 (divorced, 1928). Then married the archaeologist Max Mallowan in 1930. Served as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse in Torquay during WW1, and worked in the dispensary of University College Hospital, London, during WW2. Assisted her husband on excavations in Iraq and Syria. Awarded C.B.E. in 1956; D.B.E. in 1971. Her best known detectives are Hercule Poirot, Jane Marple and Mr. Parker Pyne.
LinkThe Mysterious Affair at Styles.
LinkAgatha Christie: History of the Mystery.
LinkWho 2: Agatha Christie Profile.
LinkAll Saints Torre, Torquay in Torbay.
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J. Storer Clouston.(1870-1944) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
A Victorian writer, who became well known for his humorous novels, "The Lunatic at Large" (1893) and "The Lunatic at Large Again". He had a satirical sense of humour. Around 1900 he turned to crime fiction, and kept going through the 1920's. He is best known today for a single mystery short story, "Coincidence". He was a barrister and Vice-Convenor of Orkney. He became an authority on the history of Orkney.
LinkJ. Storer Clouston.
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The Detection Club. Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
An informal association of detective story writers in Britain, founded about 1930. It exists purely for amusement and to talk shop. The members have jointly written a few crime stories. Its members probably included Margery Allingham, E.C. Bentley, Anthony Berkeley, G.K. Chesterton, Agatha Christie, G.D.H. & M. Cole, Freeman Wills Crofts, Clemence Dane, Michael Innes, Edgar Jepson, Millward Kennedy, Ronald A. Knox, John Rhode, Dorothy L. Sayers, Helen Simpson, Henry Wade, Hugh Walpole, Victor L. Whitechurch.
Link THE DETECTION CLUB: 10 RULES FOR WRITING A MYSTERY.
Link The John Dickson Carr Collector.
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Edmund Crispin.(1921-1978) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
Educated at Merchant Taylors and St. John's, Oxford where he read Modern Languages. He was a keen musician from the age of fourteen. He travelled in Germany before WW2. His real name was Robert Bruce Montgomery and he was a successful composer. His favourite crime writer was John Dickson Carr. He wrote the music for the first 6 'Carry-On' films. He never married, and preferred a quiet life, spending most of it in Devon. He wrote 9 mystery novels and 2 books of short stories, between 1944 and 1953. His fictional detective is Dr. Gervase Fen. Towards the end of his life he returned to writing crime fiction.
Link Edmund Crispin.
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Freeman Wills Crofts.(1879-1957) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
He was born in Dublin. He became chief assistant engineer on the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway. He was a keen amateur musician. His fictional detective was Inspector French.
Link Freeman Wills Crofts.
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Marten Cumberland.(1892-1972) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
He spent 6 years at sea as a naval wireless operator. After WW1 he became a journalist and editor. Later on he settled in Paris to write detective novels. Finally settled in Ireland. Also wrote as Kevin O'Hara. His fictional detectives are Saturnin Dax and Chico Brett.
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Peter Curtis.(1904-1983) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
Her real name was Norah Robinson Lofts, under which she wrote many historical romances. Also, wrote under the name Juliet Astley.
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Clemence Dane.(1888-1965) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
Her real name was Winifred Ashton. She was also a mystery-film scriptwriter.
Link Clemence Dane.
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Arthur Conan Doyle.(1859-1930) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
Educated at Stonyhurst and graduated from Edinburgh University as a Doctor. He practised in Southsea from 1882. Ceased practising medicine in 1890, and devoted himself to writing. His short stories were published in the Strand Magazine. The non-crime ones are of little interest. His famous detective is Sherlock Holmes. He was knighted in 1902. In his later years he became obsessed with Spiritualism. This must have affected his judgement as he was taken-in by the famous "Cottingley fairies" hoax. Despite this, he managed to gain some justice for Oscar Slater and George Edalji.
Link The Case of Oscar Slater.
Link George Edalji.
Link Sherlock Holmes - Baker Street Web Ring Residents.
LinkThe Ultimate Sherlockian.
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Robert Eustace.(1854-1943) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
He was a doctor and his real name was Eustace Robert Barton.
Link The Brotherhood of the Seven Kings.
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J.S. Fletcher.(1863-1935) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
Full name Joseph Smith Fletcher. A journalist who was leader-writer on several newspapers before he became an author. His early books were about history but he soon turned to crime fiction.
Link J.S. Fletcher.
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Richard Austin Freeman.(1862-1943) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
Richard Austin Freeman was a British Doctor of Medicine. He began studying at Middlesex Hospital at the age of eighteen. He joined an expedition to Africa in 1889, in which he served as physician, navigator and naturalist, and had experience in Europe during WW1. He gained extensive knowledge of uncommon plants and exotic poisons. His fictional detective was Dr. John Evelyn Thorndyke, a private detective who used scientific methods to solve crimes.
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Anthony Gilbert.(1899-1973) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
Her real name was Kilmeny Lucy Beatrice Malleson. Also wrote as J. Keith, J. Kilmeny Keith and Anne Meredith. Her detective 'hero' was lawyer Arthur Crook. She wrote a total of 69 crime novels.
Link Anthony Gilbert.
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Cyril Hare.(1900-1958) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
His real name was Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark. He was born near Dorking and was educated at Rugby school and at New College, Oxford, where he read History. In 1933 he married Mary Barbara Lawrence. As a barrister he dealt mainly with criminal cases. During WW2 he worked in the offices of the Director of Public Prosecutions, then when appointed a judge, he dealt entirely with civil cases in the County Courts. His fictional detectives were Inspector Mallett and the lawyer Francis Pettigrew. He wrote 9 detective stories.
Link Cyril Hare. (1900-1958)
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Michael Innes.(1906-1994) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
His real name was John Innes Mackintosh Stewart (J.I.M. Stewart). His mystery stories are classics of the genre. He was born near Edinburgh and was educated at Edinburgh Academy, then at Oriel College, Oxford. After graduation in 1929 he went to Vienna where he studied Freudian psychoanalysis. His first book gained him a lectureship at the University of Leeds and from 1936 he was professor of English at the University of Adelaide, Australia. While travelling to Australia he wrote his first mystery story. After WW2 he returned to England, and spent two years at Queen's University, Belfast before settling down as Reader in English Literature at Christ Church, Oxford, from which he retired in 1973. He published about 50 mystery novels, short stories, several novels, biographies and plays. His best known detective character in his crime fiction is Inspector John Appleby. He was married to Margaret Harwick. They had five children, one of them is the novelist Angus Stewart.
Link Michael Innes.
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Edgar Jepson.(1863-1938) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
His full name was Edgar Alfred Jepson.
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Ronald A. Knox.(1888-1957) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
Full name was Ronald Arbuthnott Knox. He was apparently banned from writing more detective stories by his superiors in the Church. It seems amazing now, but the fact that they were detective stories caused them to be regarded as shamefully frivolous. His fictional detective is Miles Bredon.
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J.C. Masterman.(1891-1977) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
Full name John Cecil Masterman. Educated at the Royal Naval Colleges of Osborne and Dartmouth and at Worcester College, Oxford, where he read Modern History. He studied at Freiburg University in 1914 and was interned as an enemy alien in Germany for the duration of WW1. In 1919 he became Modern History tutor in Christ Church, Oxford. In the 1920s he played hockey and lawn tennis for England in International competitions. In 1931 he toured Canada with the M.C.C. In WW2 he worked for the intelligence service as chairman of the Twenty (XX) Committee which supervised the operation of double agents. He became Provost of Worcester College, holding the position of University Vice-Chancellor in 1957-58. He was knighted in 1959.
Link J.C. Masterman.
Link J.C. Masterman by Martin Edwards.
Link The Double-Cross System in the war of 1939 to 1945.
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A.A. Milne.(1882-1956) Home Authors' Names. Go to Detectives' Names.
His full name was Alan Alexander Milne. He is best known for his childrens stories, particularily those about Winnie-the-Pooh. However, he wrote 1 crime fiction novel & 2 mysteries. He was first educated at his father's private school, Henley House. One of his teachers there was H.G. Wells. He gained a scholarship to Westminster School in 1893 and then went to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1900 to read mathematics. He became the editor of Granta, one of the university magazines. He first worked as a freelance writer, producing articles and poems, which were published by 'Punch' magazine. At the age of 24 he joined the staff of 'Punch'. Following a suggestion by H.G. Wells, from 1905 he published his 'Punch' articles and verses in several collected editions. After a few years he wrote several plays which were extremely successful. During WW1 he served briefly in France as a signals officer. By 1925 he could afford to retire, and consequently then wrote only for his own pleasure.
Link A. A. Milne.
Link The Red House Mystery.
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Gladys Mitchell.(1901-1983) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
She was born in Cowley, Oxford and her full name was Gladys Maude Winifred Mitchell. Her detective stories are influenced by the fact that she spent most of her early life in the Oxfordshire and Hampshire countryside. She attended Goldsmith's College, University of London and after graduating became a teacher of English & History. In 1929 she started writing crime fiction novels featuring her detective Dame Beatrice Lestrange Bradley, a consultant psychologist.
Link Gladys Mitchell 1.
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Dilwyn Rees.(1914-1986) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
His real name was Glyn Edmund Daniel. He specialised in Ancient Egyptian archeology and published several non-fiction books under the name Glyn Daniel.
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John Rhode.(1884-1965) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
His real name was Cecil John Charles Street. Also wrote as Miles Burton, F.O.O. and I.O. His fictional detectives were Dr. Lancelot Priestley, Inspector Arnold and Desmond Merrion. He wrote 76 detective books.
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Dorothy L. Sayers.(1893-1957) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
She grew up in the Fens, read Modern Languages at Oxford and was one of the first female graduates. She incorporated many of her own experiences into her books. She wrote 12 detective novels and 44 short stories. Her detective character is Lord Peter Wimsey.
Link Dorothy L. Sayers.
Link The John Dickson Carr Collector: first edition hardbacks.
Link The Dorothy L. Sayers Society.
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Victor L. Whitechurch.(1868-1933) Home. Authors. Go to Detectives' Names.
His full name was Victor Lorenzo Whitechurch. Started as a country parson and eventually was appointed as Canon of Christ Church College, Oxford. Wrote many mystery and detective short stories, mostly featuring railways. Several were published in The Strand magazine. Later on in life he wrote several full-length detective novels. His most famous detective was Thorpe Hazell (created to be as unlike Sherlock Holmes, as possible).
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Sara Woods.(1922-1985) Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names.
Her real name is Lana Hutton Bowen-Judd. She writes also under the names Anne Burton, Mary Challis and Margaret Leek.
Link Sara Woods 1.
Link Sara Woods 2.
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Home Authors Go to Detectives' Names. Go to top.

Database of crime fiction authors, books and links. Rev. 16 : Aug. 2016.
This page, and the design and content of this web site, was prepared by and is the Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2001, 2010, 2016 of A.J. Bacsich, unless Copyright is otherwise held. All attributed quotes, graphics, and other Copyrighted material is Copyright © of their originators.