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Elizabeth Linington

Barbara "Elizabeth" Linington was a pioneering American mystery writer best known for her police procedurals, a genre dominated by male authors during her career. Under her own name and pseudonyms such as Dell Shannon, Lesley Egan, and Anne Blaisdell, she authored numerous novels, including the acclaimed "Case Pending," which introduced her signature character, LAPD Homicide Lieutenant Luis Mendoza. The novel earned her a runner-up scroll for best first mystery novel from the Mystery Writers of America. Her works "Nightmare" and "Knave of Hearts," both part of the Mendoza series, received Edgar Award nominations for Best Novel, cementing her reputation as the "Queen of Procedurals."

Linington's writing was distinguished by its meticulous attention to police work and its authentic portrayal of investigative procedures. Beyond crime fiction, her interests spanned archaeology, the occult, gemstones, antique weapons, and languages, which occasionally influenced her storytelling. Born in Aurora, Illinois, on March 11, 1921, she spent much of her career under the representation of literary agent Barthold Fles. Linington passed away on April 5, 1988, in Arroyo Grande, California, leaving behind a legacy as one of the first women to excel in police procedural fiction.
Ivor Maddox Books
# Title Year
1 Greenmask! 1964
2 No Evil Angel 1964
3 Date With Death 1966
4 Something Wrong 1968
5 Policeman's Lot 1968
6 Practice to deceive 1971
7 Crime by Chance 1974
8 Perchance of Death 1977
9 No Villain Need Be 1979
10 Consequence of Crime 1980
11 Skeletons in the Closet 1982
12 Felony Report 1984
13 Strange Felony 1986
Jesse Falkenstein Books (as Lesley Egan)
# Title Year
1 A Case for Appeal 1961
2 Against the Evidence 1962
3 My Name Is Death 1964
4 Some Avenger, Rise! 1966
5 A serious investigation, 1968
6 In the Death of a Man 1970
7 Paper Chase 1971
8 The Blind Search 1977
9 Look Back On Death 1978
10 Motive in Shadow 1980
11 The Miser 1981
12 Little Boy Lost 1983
13 The Wine of Life 1985
Lieutenant Luis Mendoza Books (as Dell Shannon)
# Title Year
1 Case Pending 1960
2 The Ace Of Spades 1961
3 Knave of Hearts 1962
4 Extra Kill 1962
5 Death Of A Busybody 1963
6 Double Bluff 1963
7 Mark of Murder 1964
8 Root Of All Evil 1964
9 The Death-Bringers 1965
10 Death by Inches 1965
11 With a Vengeance 1966
12 Chance to Kill 1966
13 Coffin Corner 1966
14 Rain with Violence 1967
15 Kill with Kindness 1968
16 Crime on Their Hands 1969
17 Schooled To Kill 1969
18 Unexpected Death 1970
19 Whim to Kill 1971
20 The Ringer 1972
21 Murder With Love 1972
22 With Intent to Kill 1973
23 No Holiday for Crime 1973
24 Spring Of Violence 1973
25 Crime File 1974
26 Deuces Wild 1974
27 Streets of Death 1976
28 Appearances of Death 1977
29 Cold Trail 1978
30 Felony At Random 1979
31 Felony File 1980
32 Murder Most Strange 1981
33 The Motive On Record 1982
34 Exploit of Death 1983
35 Destiny of Death 1984
36 Chaos of Crime 1985
37 Blood Count 1986
Vic Varallo Mystery Books (as Lesley Egan)
# Title Year
1 The Borrowed Alibi 1962
2 Run to Evil 1963
3 Detective's Due 1965
4 The Nameless Ones 1967
5 The Wine of Violence 1969
6 Malicious Mischief 1971
7 Scenes Of Crime 1976
8 A Dream Apart 1978
9 The Hunters and the Hunted 1979
10 A Choice of Crimes 1980
11 Random Death 1982
12 Crime for Christmas 1983
13 Chain of Violence 1986
Standalone Novels
# Title Year
1 Nightmare 1962
2 The Scalpel and the Sword 1987
3 Alter ego 1988
4 The Dispossessed 1988
5 The Manson Curse 1990
6 Sorrow to the Grave 1992
Elizabeth Linington Anthologies
# Title Year
1 Tales of Unease 1966