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John CarrAmerican writer, author of detective novels.
Date of Birth: 30.11.1906
Country:  USA |
Content:
- John Dickson Carr: Master of Locked-Room Mysteries
- Career as a Detective Novelist
- Radio and Wartime Service
- Biography of Arthur Conan Doyle
- Historical Detective Novels
- Later Years and Death
John Dickson Carr: Master of Locked-Room Mysteries
Early Life and EducationJohn Dickson Carr was born on November 30, 1906, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, to a wealthy lawyer and politician. He attended The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where he was an average student.
At age 21, Carr traveled to Paris and studied at the Sorbonne. It was there that he wrote his first detective novel, "The Nightwalker," featuring Paris police officer Henri Bencolin, who would become a recurring character.
Career as a Detective Novelist
In 1931, Carr married Englishwoman Clarisse Clovis and settled in England. Two years later, he penned "The Witch of the Low Tide," introducing his most famous character, Professor Gideon Fell, a university lecturer and lexicographer. Fell's appearance was inspired by G. K. Chesterton, another master of the detective genre.
Another popular character in Carr's novels was Sir Henry Merrivale, a comical fat man based on Winston Churchill. These books were published under the pseudonym Carter Dickson, and many are considered among Carr's finest works, including "The Judas Window" (1938).
Radio and Wartime Service
In 1936, Carr joined the Detection Club. He also became a writer and host for "Rendezvous with Death," a BBC radio program that would inspire future serial dramas.
During World War II, Carr worked in the propaganda department of the BBC. In 1948, he returned to the United States, but only for a few years before returning to England.
Biography of Arthur Conan Doyle
In 1949, Carr was commissioned to write a biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. The biography was published the following year.
Historical Detective Novels
After the 1950s, Carr wrote a series of ten historical detective novels that blended fictional and real-life characters. These novels explored various historical periods, including the French Revolution, the Victorian era, and the Elizabethan age.
In 1954, Carr collaborated with Conan Doyle's younger son, Adrian, on "The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes," a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories.
Later Years and Death
In the 1960s, Carr lived in Morocco and then in the United States. He passed away on February 27, 1977.
