Molly Thynne, whose full name was Mary Harriet “Molly” Thynne, was an English mystery author who gained recognition for her classic crime novels, particularly the “Dr. Constantine” series. Thynne was born in 1881 into the aristocracy and was related to the painter James McNeil Whistler through her mother's side. She grew up in Kensington and was exposed to literary figures such as Rudyard Kipling and Henry James at a young age.
Thynne's writing career was relatively short, spanning from 1928 to 1933, during which she authored six titles. She began her writing journey with the publication of her first novel, "An Uncertain Glory," in 1914, but she did not turn to crime fiction until much later. Her first foray into the genre was with "The Draycott Murder Mystery," which marked the beginning of her six golden age mysteries published in as many years. The last three of these novels featured Dr. Constantine, a chess master and amateur sleuth par excellence.
Molly Thynne never married and enjoyed traveling abroad. However, she spent most of her life in the village of Bovey Tracey, Devon. Thynne's love for the village was evident as she chose to make it her final resting place in 1950. Despite her short writing career, Thynne's contributions to the mystery genre were significant, leaving a lasting impact on classic crime fiction.