The Lost Gallows

John Dickson Carr (1906-1977) was an American novelist widely regarded as one of the greatest masters of the locked-room mystery and impossible crime. Although born in Pennsylvania, Carr spent significant periods of his life in Britain, where he became closely associated with the Golden Age of British detective fiction. He created several memorable detectives, including the formidable French investigator Henri Bencolin, the eccentric Dr. Gideon Fell, and Sir Henry Merrivale, whose adventures Carr published under the pseudonym Carter Dickson. His fiction combines intricately constructed mysteries with Gothic atmosphere, eccentric characters, and seemingly supernatural crimes that ultimately yield to rational explanation. Among his most celebrated works are The Three Coffins, The Crooked Hinge, and The Burning Court. His influence on subsequent generations of mystery writers remains substantial.