Created by Gaston Leroux (1868-1927) JOSEPH ROULETABILLE was a crime-solving, baby-faced cub reporter for the Parisian paper L'époque who regularly outsmarted the police; solving seemingly impossible crimes. His 1907 debut, Le Mystère de la Chambre Jaune by Gaston (Phantom of the Opera) Leroux is considered one of the very first locked room mysteries; a classic … Continue reading Joseph Rouletabille (aka Joseph Josephin)
Tag: Locked Room Mysteries
Algy Lawrence
Created by Derek Howe Smith (1926-2002) ALGY? I think it's safe to say that with a monicker like "Algy," there's a pretty good chance ALGY LAWRENCE is British. And sure enough he is. He's a young, dashing former Intelligence officer, who now consults for Scotland Yard, and bills himself as an "unofficial detective." What I'm … Continue reading Algy Lawrence
Dave Gurney
Created by John Verdon For someone who is not a locked room or impossible crime buff, Think of a Number (2010), the first in a popular series featuring DAVE GURNEY, a retired NYC homicide dick, was one hell of an introduction. It's a genre that's easy to make fun of (and I have), but it's actually … Continue reading Dave Gurney
Harith Athreya
Created by RV Raman According to Sarah Lyall over at The New York Times Book Review, Chennai, India's HARITH ATHREYA is "a canny private detective... with a curious mind, a cool eye for the chance detail (and) a skill in synthesizing disparate threads." In his series debut, A Will to Kill (2021), he also displays "a talent for … Continue reading Harith Athreya
Anthony Bathhurst
Created by Brian Flynn Pseudonyms include Charles Wogan (1885--1958) Tall, grey-eyed ANTHONY LOTHERINGTON BATHHURST, son of Irish parents and a former Uppingham schoolboy, was a blandly affable British private detective who appeared in over fifty clever, clue-packed novels by Brian Flynn. They're all very much in the classic mystery mode, clearly and admittedly influenced farnmore by Doyle … Continue reading Anthony Bathhurst
Inspector Allhoff
Created by D.L. Champion Pseudonyms include Tom Champion, Jack D’Arcy, G. Wayman Jones, C. K. M. Scanlon & Robert Wallace (1903-68) "... the unpleasantest detective who ever cracked a homicide case" --from a July 1938 Dime Detective blurb Not quite a P.I., not quite a cop, Dime Detective favourite INSPECTOR ALLHOFF is under contract, albeit unofficially, … Continue reading Inspector Allhoff