R(ichard) Austin Freeman (1862-1943) was a British writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. He invented the inverted detective story and used some of his early experiences as a colonial surgeon in his novels.

A large proportion of the Dr Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine, metallurgy and toxicology.

Bibliography

Dr. Thorndyke novels and short story collections

• The Red Thumb Mark (1907)
• John Thorndyke's Cases (1909)
• The Eye of Osiris (1911)
• The Mystery of 31 New Inn (1912)
• The Singing Bone (1912)
• A Silent Witness (1914)
• Helen Vardon's Confession (1922)
• The Cat's Eye (1923)
• Dr. Thorndyke's Casebook (1923)
• The Mystery of Angelina Frood (1924)
• The Shadow of the Wolf (1925)
• The Puzzle Lock (1925)
• The D'Arblay Mystery (1926)
• A Certain Dr. Thorndyke (1927)
• The Magic Casket (1927)
• As A Thief in the Night (1928)
• Mr. Pottermack's Oversight (1930)
• Pontifex, Son and Thorndyke (1931)
• When Rogues Fall Out (1932)
• Dr. Thorndyke Intervenes (1933)
• For the Defence: Dr. Thorndyke (1934)
• The Penrose Mystery (1936)
• Felo de Se (1937)
• The Stoneware Monkey (1938)
• John Thorndyke's Casebook
• Mr. Polton Explains
• The Jacob Street Mystery

External links

British writers