Emma Redington Thayer (pseudonym, Lee Thayer; Troy, Pennsylvania April 5, 1874 - San Diego, California November 18, 1973) was an American artist and writer of mystery novels.

Lee Thayer
BornEmma Redington Thayer
(1894-04-05)5 April 1894
Troy, Pennsylvania
Died18 November 1973(1973-11-18) (aged 99)
San Diego, California
Resting placeEl Camino Memorial Park
Pen nameLee Thayer
OccupationBook Jacket Artist, Mystery Novelist

Biography edit

Emma Redington Lee was born April 5, 1874. She studied at Cooper Union and Pratt Institute. Her husband was Harry Thayer, an artist.[1][2][3]

Thayer wrote 60 [2] mystery novels about well-mannered private investigator Peter Clancy and his valet, Wiggar. She wrote her first novel, The Mystery of the Thirteenth Floor in 1919.[1] Her last novel, Dusty Death, was published in 1966,[2] when she was 92.

Thayer and her husband opened a publisher's art service, which specialized in book jacket art work.[1]

On May 11, 1958, Thayer was a contestant on What's My Line?

Bibliography edit

  • The Mystery of the Thirteenth Floor. 1919.
  • The Unlatched Door. 1920.
  • That Affair at the Cedars. 1921.
  • Q.E.D.. 1922.
  • The Sinister Mark. 1923.
  • The Key. 1924.
  • Doctor S.O.S.. 1925.
  • Poison. 1926.
  • Alias Dr. Ely. 1927.
  • The Darkest Spot. 1928.
  • They Tell No Tales. 1930.
  • The Last Shot. 1931.
  • Set a Thief. 1931.
  • The Glass Knife. 1932.
  • The Scrimshaw Millions. 1932.
  • Hell-Gate Tides. 1933.
  • Counterfeit. 1933.
  • Second Bullet. 1934.
  • Dead Storage. 1934.
  • Sudden Death. 1935.
  • Dead End Street. 1935.
  • Dark of the Moon. 1936.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Lee Thayer, Wrote Detective Stories". The New York Times. 1973-11-20. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
  2. ^ a b c "Detectionary". www.detectionary.nl. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  3. ^ "The Art of American Book Covers - Ball Covers Identified by Lee Thayer". ilab.org. Retrieved 5 May 2024.

External links edit