Awhile back I was looking up information on Agatha Christie, I think. Honestly not sure which author I was looking up. Anyway, I ran across this post and immediately saved it because, wow, that’s a lot of information in a small package. Basically, it’s a quick list of older biographies of well-known mystery writers. So, I thought I’d share. Happy hunting.
This list contains only biographies which are written about one crime writer or a couple who works together. It does not include books which have two or three short biographies like Master of the “Humdrum” Mystery: Cecil John Street, Freeman Wills Crofts, Alfred Walter Stewart and the British Detective Novel 1920-1961 by Curtis Evans.
Furthermore the list does not contain autobiographies of the writers like G. K. Chesterton’s Autobiography or memories of partners or relatives like Dashiell Hammett: A Daughter Remembers by Jo Hammett or Highsmith – A Romance of the 1950s by Marijane Meaker (Vin Packer).
Also the list does not contain biographical fiction like Arthur and George by Julian Barnes about Arthur Conan Doyle.
I cannot say that the selected biographies are the best because there are many more I do not own and have not read. I also have to admit that I have not read all forty biographies on the list in full length because some I use only as reference books. Fortunately most of them have an index where you can look for special names, books and events. I am sure that I missed several real gems on my list, and I hope that readers will supplement the list with their comments.FORTY INTERESTING BIOGRAPHIES OF MYSTERY WRITERS A List by Josef Hoffmann