About the Author

Freeman Wills Crofts (1879-1957) was an Irish writer of mysteries, and considered to be one of the big four of the "Golden Age" of detective fiction. He originally pursued a career in engineering working for the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway. He turned to writing during an extended illness in 1919 and produced his first book, The Cask. He wrote over forty books over his career, many of them featuring his most famous character, Inspector French.