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The Private Detective

Following the beginning of Prohibition, crime and accompanying dishonesty in police departments and in city hall increased. This development provided the inspiration for the fictional private eye. Two-fisted, hard-drinking, honest to a certain extent, the detective fought against crime and corruption.

• Detnovel.com by William Marling. This is an extensive history of the writers and themes of hard-boiled detective novels.
• The Thrilling Detective Web Site - Information about the hard-boiled detectives.
• Film Noir - Movies in the hard boiled tradition. " About the darker side of human nature - about the world as it really was." - Richard Widmark
• Twists, Slugs and Roscoes: A Glossary of Hardboiled Slang - This may be essential for understanding the works of the hard boiled mystery writers.
• The Hardboiled Era; A Checklist, 1929 - 1958 - by Geoffrey O'Brien
• Female Private Investigators - List by the Manchester Public Library

Authors of Private Detective Stories

• Black Mask Magazine - In 1920, the first issue of Black Mask Magazine appeared. It and other pulp fiction magazines published the stories of many of the private detectives.
  
  
• Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) Hammett was the first successful author of novels of the tough private detective. His book The Red Harvest was published in 1929. This was followed by The Maltese Falcon, The Thin Man, and other novels and short stories. Hammett stopped writing novels in the mid-1930's. He was active in the Communist party, was a subject of the McCarthy investigations, and went to prison for a short time for failing to reveal what he knew about other party members.
  • The Continental Detective Agency - This site has a biography, information about Hammett's writings, and other information.
  • Dashiell Hammett - the PBS American Masters production.
  • The Dashiell Hammett Filmography - From the Internet Move Database.
  
  
• The Raymond Chandler (1870-1959) - Chandler continued the tough guy tradition which Hammett had started. Chandler's first novel The Big Sleep appeared in 1939. It was followed by other novels such Farewell My Lovely and The Lady in the Lake, and short stories which were published in Black Mask. The Raymond Chandler web site has quite a bit of information.
  
  
• Earle Stanley Gardner (1889-1970) Gardner originally practised law. He, however, hoped that if he became an author that he would have both financial success and more free time. He wrote many short stories which were published in pulp magazine before 1932 In 1933, he published The Case of the Velvet Claw which was the first Perry Mason novel. This book was the first in a long series of extremely popular books about the crime fighting lawyer.
  • Earle Stanley Gardner - Commentary and bibliography by the Thrilling Detective web site.
  
  
• James M. Cain (1892 - 1977). Cain was born in Annapolis, MD. He was a reporter for the The Baltimore American and New York World. He published short stories in pulp magazines and, in 1934, his first and most famous novel The Postman Always Rings Twice was published. Cain also worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood for 17 years. Cain never did write a true detective novel. His books are almost always from the criminal's point of view. Several were made in successful movies such as Double Indemnity and Mildred Pierce. His biography and bibliography may be found at the Books and Writers web site.
  
  
• Ross Macdonald - (1915 - 1983) Pseudonym of Kenneth Millar. Millar was born in California, and had doctorate in English literature, and, at one time, was a university professor. He was married to Margaret Millar who was also a successful mystery novelist. He wrote under the name MacDonald to avoid confusion with her books. Macdonald is best known for his books featuring Lew Archer. The first of these, The Moving Target was published in 1949. His biography and bibliography may be found at the Books and Writers web site.
  
  
• John D. MacDonald - (1916-1986) MacDonald was born in Sharon, PA. He studied business administration before entering the army in 1940. MacDonald began writing short stories for pulp magazines when he was still in the army. His first novel The Brass Cupcake was published in 1950. He is best known for the Travis McGee series. For more information, see his homepage
  
  
• Mickey Spillane (1918 - 2006) Spillane was born and grew up in a tough section of Brooklyn, NY. He started writing for slick magazines before turning to pulp fiction. He also wrote comic books and was the originator of Captain Marvel and Captain America. He was in the Air Force during WWII. After the war, he worked for Barnum and Bailey Circus as a trampoline performer. Spillane is best known for his brutal tough guy hero Mike Hammer. Take a look at The Mike Hammer page.
  
  
• Robert B. Parker (1932 - ). Parker was 40 before he turned to writing. His first book The Godwulf Manuscript featuring his tough private eye Spenser (no first name) was published in 1973. For more information, visit Bullets and Beer The Spenser home page.
  
  
• Marcia Muller (1944 - ) Muller was born in Detroit, MI. She worked for several magazine before writing mystery novels. Muller published Edwin of the Iron Shoes in 1977 which was the first in a series of Sharon McCone books. McCone was the first hard-boiled female detective. Muller is married to Bill Pronzini, the author of the "nameless detective" series. Muller's web site
  
  
• Sara Paretsky (1947 - ) Author of the series featuring the Chicago private investigator V. I. Warshawski. The first book of the series Indemnity Only was published in 1982. Paretsky's web site
  
  
• Sue Grafton (1940 - ) Ms. Grafton grew up in Louisville, Ky. She worked as a scriptwriter in Hollywood prior to taking up the writing of mystery novels. Her series features Kinsey Milhone, P.I. who lives in Santa Theresa, CA. Her first novel A is for Alibi was published in 1982. Grafton's web site.
  
  

Policemen and Forensic Investigators

• Helen McCloy (1904 - 1994) - Ms. McCloy wrote a series featuring Dr. Basil Willing, a psychiatrist and consultant to law enforcement agencies. Helen McCloy studied at the Sorbonne and served as a foreign art critic for several US magazines. She returned to the US in 1932. She was one of the founders of the Mystery Writers of America, and was named a Grandmaster by the MWA in 1990. She was married to author Brett Halliday. Aspiring mystery writers may be interested in applying for the Helen McCloy Scholarship given by the MWA. Her biography and bibliography may be found at Books and Writers.
  
  
• Tony Hillerman (1925 - ) Hillerman was born in Sacred Heart, Oklahoma. He had a career in journalism and is the author of a series of novel featuring Navaho Tribal policemen Leaphorn and Chee. The first of these was The Blessing Way which was published in 1970. A bibliography and short biography may be found at Fantastic Fiction
  
  
• Ed McBain (1926 - 2005) aka Evan Hunter and Richard Marsten. McBain has established himself as the premier writer of police procedural novels. His series about the 87th Precinct began with Cop Hater which was published in 1956. He received the Grand Master award of the MWA in 1986. The McBain web site
  
  
• Julie Smith (1944 - ) Born in Maryland, raised in Georgia, and now residing in New Orleans. Ms. Smith has written several series. The Skip Langdon series features a woman police detective in New Orleans. The first book in this series New Orleans Mourning won the Edgar Award. Ms. Smith also writes a series about African-American poet and private investigator Talba Wells who also lives in New Orleans. Julie Smith web site
  
  
• Patricia Cornwell (1956 - ) - Series featuring Kay Scarpetta, medical examiner. Patricia Cornwell web site
  
  

The American Amateur Detective

Authors whose first book was published before 1990. For books published after 1990, see American Mysteries Since 1990

• Mignon G. Eberhart (1899 - 1996). Eberhart wrote mystery novels with elements of the gothic romance. Her first novel The Patient in Room 18 was published in 1929, however the majority of her prolific output of 59 books was published after WWII. She was born in University Place, Nebraska. She attended Nebraska Wesleyan University but did not graduate. In 1971, she received the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. A bibliography of her books has been compiled by Richard Aylesworth.
  
  
• Judson Philips (1903 - 1989). Philips was born in Massachusetts, and attended Columbia University. He wrote prolifically for pulp magazines in the 20's and 30's. Philips wrote under his own name and also with name Hugh Pentecost. He created many series detectives. His best known sleuth is Chambrun who is the resident manager of a New York luxury hotel.Philips was a founding member of the Mystery Writers of America, and was named a Grand Master by the MWA in 1973. For more information, try Flawed but Still Fun by Ed Lynsky which is an essay, biography, and partial bibliography of Philips' works.
  
  
• Jane Langton (1920 - ) Langton's mysteries feature Homer Kelley and his wife Mary. Homer is a former police detective who is now a professor of American literature as is his wife. These literate mysteries are set in and around Boston. The series began with The Transcendental Murder which was published in 1964. Ms. Langton also writes children's books. Jane Langton's web page.
  
  
• J. S. Borthwick (1923 - ) Borthwick's series detective is Sara Deane, a professor of English, and her husband Dr. Alex McKenzie. They are in the best style of traditional mysteries. For a bibliography of Borthwick's books, see the Stop, You're Killing Me web site.
  
  
• Margaret Truman Daniel (1924 - 2008). Margaret Truman, the daughter of President Harry Truman, was born in Independence, Missouri. She published her first mystery novel Murder in the White House in 1980. This was followed by a series of mysteries which take place in Washington, DC. Her biography may be found at The Truman Library
  
  
• Amanda Cross (1926 - 2003). Pseudonym of Carolyn Gold Heilbrun. Author of the Kate Fansler mystery series. For an extensive biography see this article by Vanessa Grigoriadis. A short biography is available at Bastulli Mystery Library.
  
  
• Carolyn Hart (1936 - ) Hart writes two mystery series. One details the exploits of Annie Darling and her husband, Max. Annie is the owner of the Death on Demand bookstore in Broward's Rock, South Carolina. The series began with Death on Demand which was published in 1987. She also writes the Hennie O. series which tells of the experiences of a retired journalist. Hart is the winner of well-deserved mystery awards. If you are a lover of mystery novels, you should visit Death on Demand to see if you can identify the mystery novels depicted in the paintings in each of Hart's novels. Carolyn Hart's web site.
  
  
• Margaret Maron (?? - ). Maron grew up in North Carolina. Her first mystery series featured Lieutenant Sigrid Harald of the New York Police Department. There are eight books in this series which make more sense if read in order so it would probably be best to start reading the first one Our Coffee With. In 1992, Maron published The Bootlegger's Daughter which is about North Carolina Judge Deborah Knott. This book won the Edgar, Anthony, Agatha, and Macavity Awards for 1993. The winning of all these awards in one year had never been accomplished before. Margaret Maron's web site
  
  
• Sharyn McCrumb (1948 - ). Author of the Ballad novels based on Southern folklore, the Elizabeth MacPherson series, and two novels about Jay Omega, a Science Fiction writer. Sharyn McCrumb's web site
  
  
• Joan Hess (1949 - ) Ms. Hess writes two series. One describes the detections of Claire Malloy, the owner of a bookstore in Farberville, Arkansas. The other series is about the trials and tribulations of chief of police Arly Hanks in the town of Maggody, Arkansas, whose residents are some of the strangest people who would ever expect to meet. Both series are quite funny and contain quite a bit of social satire. A bibliography of her books may be found at Fantastic Fiction

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