Created by John McAleer
(1923-2003)
Continued by Andrew McAleer
HENRY von STRAY is a London-based private detective created by Edgar-winner and Rex Stout John McAleer, according to his son Andrew McAleer.
Apparently, nobody had any idea the character even existed, until a handwritten copy of the only known von Stray story, “The Case of the Illustrious Banker,” was discovered in “a small hardcover chapbook” amongst his papers sometime in the 2020s by another of his sons, Paul.
Who promptly turned it over to Andrew.
Who promptly penned four more stories, and a collection, A Casebook of Crime (2025).
That first story, written around 1937 when John was a mere teenager, was never published anywhere, although it’s clear Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and the whole vibe of mystery’s “Golden Age” were obvious influences, and the younger McAleer doesn’t stray far from dear ol’ dad’s original blueprint, capturing the tone of the era perfectly. Two other stories were mentioned in John’s diary, although neither have surfaced. So far.
And it’s been over eighty years!
Von Stray and his trusted and enthusiastic companion Professor John W. Dilpate live together comfortably in a flat at 221B Berkeley Street, taking on cases both large and small. But mostly large: like tackling high-profile shenanigans, dealing with a Moriarty-like criminal mastermind or solving the mystery of the seemingly impossible locked room murder of a high-ranking British official.
The pipe-smoking (of course) von Stray is a veteran of the Great War, who has found solace in cooking (you ought to taste his Yorkshire rhubarb jam!) when the game isn’t afoot, while Dilate teaches entomology at University Clifford (his speciality is leaf-eating beetles) .
A second volume of von Stray stories by Andrew has been promised, set to appear in 2026.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
John McAleer was the author of the Edgar-winng Rex Stout: A Biography and the Pulitzer-nominated Emerson: Days of Encounter. After serving in World War II, he taught English Literature at Harvard and Boston College for more than half a century, and was also a permanent fellow at Durham University, England, and was hailed as a master biographer by Jacques Barzun.
John McAleer’s son Andrew McAleer is the author of the 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists, Mystery Writing in a Nutshell (with Edgar winner John McAleer), and co-editor of the Coast-to-Coast mystery series and Edgar & Shamus Go Golden. Short stories edited by him have won the Derringer and MaCavity, appeared in the Best American Mystery Stories, and received multiple Agatha, Shamus, and Anthony Award nominations. He taught classic crime fiction at Boston College and served in Afghanistan as a U.S. Army Historian before returning to public service in the criminal justice system. A member of the Private Eye Writers of America, The Speckled Band of Boston, and The Friends of Irene Adler, he’s also written a couple of novels featuring Boston private eyes James P. Hillton and Sophia Blossom.
UNDER OATH
- “Andrew McAleer’s light-hearted Henry von Stray extravaganzas give fresh life to characters first created by his Edgar-winning father John more than eighty-five years ago – quite something!”
— Martin Edwards - “Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot fans will thoroughly enjoy the thrilling adventures of Edgar winner John McAleer’s Golden Age detective Henry von Stray and his trusted companion Professor John Dilpate.”
— Gay Toltl Kinman
SHORT STORIES & NOVELLAS
- “The Case of the Illustrious Banker” (1937, by John McAleer)
- “The Murder Case at Lord Beachly’s” (date unknown, by John McAleer; no extant copies)
- “The Case of Sir Moreland’s Lost Pearls” (date unknown, by John McAleer; no extant copies)
- “The Singular Case of the Bandaged Bobby” (September 2024, Mystery Magazine)
- “The Big Push and Legend of Sir Morleans’ Lost Pearls” (2025; by Andrew McAleer)
- “A Little Birdie Tells Von Stray” (2025; by Andrew McAleer)
- “Von Stray and the Five-Fingered Fraudster” (2025; by Andrew McAleer)
COLLECTIONS
- A Casebook of Crime (February 2025) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS
- Henry von Stray: Classic Mysteries
The official site of bestselling historical mystery & suspense authors Andrew McAleer & John McAleer. Plus: Professor John W. Dilpate’s Detective Henry von Stray Museum of Criminal Case Artifacts. - The Streets of London
Let them take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London…
