Carter Dickson

Carter Dickson is a pseudonym used by the esteemed American author John Dickson Carr, who was a significant contributor to the mystery and thriller genres. He was born on November 30, 1906, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and passed away on February 27, 1977, in Greenville, South Carolina. Dickson was known to use various pen names, including Carr Dickson, Roger Fairbairn, and Carter Dickson, to publish his works. He is highly regarded for his extensive collection of detective stories and is considered one of the most notable writers of the Golden Age mystery novels. His writings are characterized by intricate plots filled with puzzles and intellectual challenges.

Dickson was heavily influenced by the works of authors Gaston Leroux and G. K. Chesterton. He was particularly known for his expertise in locked room mysteries, a subgenre of detective fiction that features impossible crimes that are solved by detectives. One of his most acclaimed novels, "The Hollow Man" (1935) from the Dr. Fell mystery series, is widely regarded as his masterpiece and was selected as the best locked room mystery of the era by a panel of 17 reviewers and mystery authors in 1981.

In addition to modern-day mystery novels, Dickson also wrote historical mystery novels. During his writing career, he lived in England for many years, which allowed him to form close relationships with British-styled writers of mystery. As a result, many of his novels have plots based on English settings, estates, and country villages, as well as English characters. The two most famous fictional detective characters created by Dickson, Dr. Gideon Fell and Sir Henry Merrivale, are both English.
Sir Henry Merrivale Books (as John Dickson Carr)
# Title Year
1 The Plague Court Murders 1934
2 The White Priory Murders 1934
3 The Red Widow Murders 1935
4 The Unicorn Murders 1935
5 The Punch and Judy Murders / The Magic Lantern Murders 1936
6 The Peacock Feather Murders / The Ten Teacups 1937
7 The Judas Window / The Crossbow Murder 1938
8 Death in Five Boxes 1938
9 The Reader Is Warned 1939
10 And So to Murder 1940
11 Nine and Death Makes Ten / Murder in the Submarine Zone 1940
12 Seeing Is Believing / Cross of Murder 1941
13 The Gilded Man / Death and the Gilded Man 1942
14 She Died A Lady 1943
15 He Wouldn't Kill Patience 1944
16 The Curse of the Bronze Lamp / Lord of the Sorcerers 1945
17 My Late Wives 1946
18 The Skeleton in the Clock 1948
19 A Graveyard to Let 1949
20 Night at the Mocking Widow 1950
21 Behind the Crimson Blind 1952
22 The Cavalier's Cup 1953
23 Merrivale, March and Murder 1991
Standalone Novels
# Title Year
1 The Bowstrings Murders 1933
2 Fatal Descent / Drop to His Death (With: John Rhode) 1939
3 Fatal Descent / Drop to His Death 1939
4 Fear is the same 1956
British Library Crime Classics Books
# Title Year
1 The Notting Hill Mystery (By: Charles Warren Adams) 1862
2 The Poisoned Chocolates Case (By: Anthony Berkeley) 1929
3 It Walks by Night ( As: John Dickson Carr) 1930
4 The Secret of High Eldersham / The Mystery of High Eldersham (By: Miles Burton) 1930
5 Castle Skull ( As: John Dickson Carr) 1931
6 Murder of a Lady / The Silver Scale Mystery (By: Anthony Wynne) 1931
7 Mystery in the Channel (By: Freeman Crofts) 1931
8 The Incredible Crime (By: Lois Austen-Leigh) 1931
9 The Lost Gallows ( As: John Dickson Carr) 1931
10 The Z Murders (By: J. Jefferson Farjeon) 1931
11 The Corpse in the Waxworks / The Waxworks Murder ( As: John Dickson Carr) 1932
12 The Division Bell Mystery (By: Ellen Wilkinson) 1932
13 Portrait of a Murderer (By: Anne Meredith) 1933
14 Death in Fancy Dress (By: Anthony Gilbert) 1933
15 Family Matters (By: Anthony Rolls) 1933
16 The Hog's Back Mystery (By: Freeman Crofts) 1933
17 The Mysterious Mr. Badman (By: William Fryer Harvey) 1934
18 Murder Underground (By: Mavis Doriel Hay) 1934
19 Scarweather (By: Anthony Rolls) 1934
20 Death of an Airman (By: Christopher Sprigg) 1934
21 The Spy Paramount (By: E. Phillips Oppenheim) 1934
22 The 12.30 from Croydon (By: Freeman Crofts) 1934
23 The Chianti Flask (By: Marie Belloc Lowndes) 1934
24 Weekend at Thrackley (By: Alan Melville) 1934
25 Quick Curtain (By: Alan Melville) 1934
26 The Lake District Murder (By: John Bude) 1935
27 Death on the Cherwell (By: Mavis Doriel Hay) 1935
28 The Cornish Coast Murder (By: John Bude) 1935
29 The Traitor (By: Sydney Horler) 1936
30 The Santa Klaus Murder (By: Mavis Doriel Hay) 1936
31 The Sussex Downs Murder (By: John Bude) 1936
32 Death of Anton (By: Alan Melville) 1936
33 The Wheel Spins / Passengers / The Lady Vanishes (By: Ethel Lina White) 1936
34 Death in the Tunnel / Dark in the Tunnel (By: Miles Burton) 1936
35 Murder in Piccadilly (By: Charles Kingston) 1936
36 Mystery in White (By: J. Jefferson Farjeon) 1937
37 Bats in the Belfry (By: E.C.R. Lorac) 1937
38 The Cheltenham Square Murder (By: John Bude) 1937
39 Excellent Intentions (By: Richard Hull) 1938
40 Murder in the Museum (By: John Rowland) 1938
41 Antidote to Venom (By: Freeman Crofts) 1938
42 Thirteen Guests (By: J. Jefferson Farjeon) 1938
43 The Port of London Murders (By: Josephine Bell) 1938
44 The Arsenal Stadium Mystery (By: Leonard R. Gribble) 1939
45 Seven Dead (By: J. Jefferson Farjeon) 1939
46 Verdict of Twelve (By: Raymond Postgate) 1940
47 A Scream in Soho (By: John G. Brandon) 1940
48 Death of a Busybody (By: George Bellairs) 1942
49 The Dead Shall be Raised & Murder of a Quack (By: George Bellairs) 1942
50 Somebody at the Door (By: Raymond Postgate) 1943
51 Murder's a Swine (By: Nap Lombard) 1943
52 Checkmate to Murder (By: E.C.R. Lorac) 1944
53 Fell Murder (By: E.C.R. Lorac) 1944
54 Murder by Matchlight (By: E.C.R. Lorac) 1945
55 Trouble on the Thames (By: Victor Bridges) 1945
56 Fire in the Thatch (By: E.C.R. Lorac) 1946
57 Death Makes a Prophet (By: John Bude) 1947
58 Smallbone Deceased (By: Michael Gilbert) 1950
59 Calamity in Kent (By: John Rowland) 1950
60 Death Has Deep Roots (By: Michael Gilbert) 1951
61 Last Seen Wearing (By: Hillary Waugh) 1952
62 The Danger Within / Death in Captivity (By: Michael Gilbert) 1952
63 Murder in the Mill-Race (By: E.C.R. Lorac) 1952
64 Crossed Skis (By: Carol Carnac) 1952
65 Death on the Riviera (By: John Bude) 1952
66 Murder As a Fine Art (By: Carol Carnac) 1953
67 The Man Who Didn't Fly (By: Margot Bennett) 1955
68 The Colour Of Murder (By: Julian Symons) 1957
69 The Christmas Egg (By: Mary Kelly) 1958
70 The Progress of a Crime (By: Julian Symons) 1960
71 Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm (By: Gil North) 1960
72 The Spoilt Kill (By: Mary Kelly) 1961
73 The Body in the Dumb River (By: George Bellairs) 1961
74 Due to a Death (By: Mary Kelly) 1963
75 Surfeit of Suspects (By: George Bellairs) 1964
76 The Belting Inheritance (By: Julian Symons) 1965
77 The Last Best Friend (By: George Sims) 1967
78 London Particular (By: Christianna Brand) 1972
79 The End of the Web (By: George Sims) 1976
80 Capital Crimes (By: Martin Edwards, Richard Marsh) 2015
81 Resorting to Murder (By: Martin Edwards) 2015
82 Silent Nights (By: Martin Edwards) 2015
83 Murder at the Manor (By: Martin Edwards) 2016
84 Serpents in Eden (By: Martin Edwards) 2016
85 Crimson Snow (By: Martin Edwards, Fergus Hume) 2016
86 Foreign Bodies (By: Martin Edwards, Palle Rosenkrantz) 2017
87 The Long Arm of the Law (By: Martin Edwards) 2017
88 Miraculous Mysteries (By: Martin Edwards) 2017
89 Continental Crimes (By: Martin Edwards) 2017
90 Blood on the Tracks (By: Martin Edwards) 2018
91 The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories (By: Martin Edwards) 2018
92 Golden Age of Detection Puzzle Book (By: Kate Jackson) 2018
93 Deep Waters (By: Martin Edwards) 2019
94 The Measure of Malice (By: Martin Edwards) 2019
95 Settling Scores (By: Martin Edwards) 2020
96 A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries (By: Martin Edwards) 2020
97 Two-Way Murder (By: E.C.R. Lorac) 2021
98 Guilty Creatures (By: Martin Edwards) 2021
99 Death of an Author ( By: E.C.R. Lorac) 2024
100 Crimes of Cymru (By: Martin Edwards) 2024
101 The Wheel Spins (By: Ethel Lina White) 2025
102 Lessons in Crime (By: Martin Edwards) 2025
103 Tea on Sunday (By: Lettice Cooper) 2026
Department D-3 Books
# Title Year
1 The Department of Queer Complaints 1940
Carter Dickson Anthologies
# Title Year
1 Murder for Christmas 1987
2 Capital Crimes 2015
3 Resorting to Murder 2015
4 Silent Nights 2015
5 Murder at the Manor 2016
6 Serpents in Eden 2016
7 Crimson Snow 2016
8 Foreign Bodies 2017
9 The Long Arm of the Law 2017
10 Miraculous Mysteries 2017
11 Continental Crimes 2017
12 Blood on the Tracks 2018
13 The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories 2018
14 The Measure of Malice 2019
15 Settling Scores 2020
16 A Surprise for Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries 2020
17 Guilty Creatures 2021