Jean Catherine Potts (November 17, 1910 – November 10, 1999) was an American award-winning mystery novelist.

Jean Catherine Potts
Born(1910-11-17)November 17, 1910
DiedNovember 10, 1999(1999-11-10) (aged 88)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationNovelist
Years active1910–1999
Known forMystery novels
Notable workGo, Lovely Rose, The Evil Wish
AwardsEdgar Award

Early life edit

Potts was born in St. Paul, Nebraska, graduated from St. Paul High School, studied at the Denver Women's College, and graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University.[1][2][3][4]

Career edit

Potts worked as a journalist in St. Paul before moving to New York where she continued her writing. Her stories appeared in various magazines including Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and Woman's Day.[1][3]

She died in New York in 1999.[1][2]

Works edit

Among Potts' published writings are:

Awards edit

Potts won the 1954 Edgar Award for Best First Novel for Go, Lovely Rose,[14] and an Edgar Award nomination for The Evil Wish.[14]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Visit Nebraska: Jean Potts, Literary Exhibit". visitnebraska.com. Nebraska Tourism Commission. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Arts: Jean Potts, 88, Author of Prize-Winning Mystery". New York Times. November 17, 1999. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Jean Catherine Potts:1910-1999 Saint Paul's Nationally-Acclaimed Mystery Writer". historichc.org. Howard County Historical Society. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  4. ^ Ron W. Sack (March 1998). "Mystery writer with St. Paul roots achieves international acclaim" (PDF). Historically Speaking. Howard County Historical Society: 1, 2. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  5. ^ "Go, Lovely Rose". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media LLC. Retrieved August 9, 2018. There's not much fancy footwork before a deathbed confession clears the case -- but not the atmosphere -- and a suicide dots the i's.
  6. ^ Sergeant Cuff (August 6, 1955). "The Criminal Record". Saturday Review: 37. Ramblingly pleasant {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ Sergeant Cuff (August 6, 1955). "The Criminal Record". Saturday Review: 40. Nice writing and characterization, but too much carryback... {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ "The Man With the Cane". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media LLC. Retrieved August 9, 2018. The murder of the man with a cane, the bits and pieces of the poison pen letters, the antagonism they breed, another attempt at murder and Val learns a bitter truth as a solution. New York City, uptown and downtown, is the setting for the fourth in this author's commendable stories.
  9. ^ Sergeant Cuff (August 6, 1955). "The Criminal Record". Saturday Review: 59. ...yarn alternately discloses, conceals; pace variable. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ "The Evil Wish". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media LLC. Retrieved August 9, 2018. Stress and situation in welcome literacy.
  11. ^ "The Only Good Secretary". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media LLC. Retrieved August 9, 2018. The terror that can invest the ordinary and the way people under stress can talk themselves into a corner are the author's special forte and have been since way back when with Death of a Stray Cat et al.
  12. ^ "Footsteps on the Stairs". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media LLC. Retrieved August 9, 2018. Dialogues in detection, different, good, romantic but not foolish.
  13. ^ "The Little Lie". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media LLC. Retrieved August 9, 2018. As one might well expect, The Little Lie is a practiced deception.
  14. ^ a b "Jean Potts". theedgars.com. Mystery Writers of America. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2018.