Carter Dickson Books In Order

Publication Order of Sir Henry Merrivale Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Department D-3 Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Carter Dickson is the pseudonym used by the famous American writer of detective stories, John Dickson Carr. Dickson was one of the prominent authors of his time who has written many successful novels based on the mystery and thriller genres. He was born on November 30, 1906 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, United States and died on February 27, 1977 in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Dickson used to use a number of pen names for writing his novels, some of which include Carr Dickson, Roger Fairbairn, and Carter Dickson. Because of his extensive works based on the detective stories he is regarded as one of the noteworthy writers of the Golden Age mystery novels. His writings generally depict complex plots filled with puzzles. Dickson was very much influenced by the works of authors Gaston Leroux and G. K. Chesterton. He was particularly considered as the master of locked room mysteries, in which impossible crimes are solved by the detectives. The novel, The Hollow Man (1935) from the Dr. Fell mystery series is usually considered to be the masterpiece of Dickson. In the year 1981, the novel was selected as the best locked room mystery of the era by a panel consisting of 17 reviewers and mystery authors. Apart from the modern day mystery novels, Dickson also used to write historical mystery novels. During his writing career, Dickson had lived in England for many years. This had allowed him to form groups with the British-styled writers of mystery. Also, because of his stay in England, many of his novels had plots based on English settings and depicted estates and country villages as well as English characters. The two most famous fictional detective characters developed by Dickson were also English.

Dickson was born as the son of Wooda Nicholas Carr, who was a US congressman. As a child, he attended The Hill School located in Pottstown and passed out in the year 1925. Later, he joined the Haverford College and graduated in the year 1929. He moved to England during the early 1930s and got married to an Englishwoman. It was during that time that Dickson began his career as a mystery writer. He returned to the United States only after becoming an international author in the year 1948. During the 1950s, Dickson received his first Edgar Award for writing the biography of Arthur Conan Doyle. He received his second Edgar Award in the year 1970, which was given to him in recognition of his 40 year long career as a mystery author. Dickson also presented with the Grand Master award from the MWA in the year 1963. Dickson was one of the only two American authors who joined the British Detection Club. During the time of the mid 1960s, Dickson suffered a stroke while living in New York, due to which he was paralyzed throughout the left side of his body. But he continued to write for several more years and kept on contributed with regular column of reviews of detective fiction and mystery books. He eventually died in the year 1977 in Greenville due to lung cancer. Many of novels written by Dickson were adapted into movies and television shows. That Woman Opposite (1957) was based on his novel The Emperor’s Snuffbox. One of the television shows named Colonel March of Scotland Yard, featuring Boris Karloff as the character Colonel March was adapted from Dickson’s stories and character was broadcasted for a total episodes.

Author Dickson has written the ‘Sir Henry Merrivale’ detective series under the pseudonym Carter Dickson. This series consists of a total of 23 novels published between the years 1934 and 1991. The series features the character of Sir Henry Merrivale, who is depicted as a barrister, physician, and the head of the military intelligence of England. He is also described by the author as the holder of the oldest baronetcies of England. The first novel of the series was published under the title ‘The Plague Court Murders’. It was published by the Intl Polygonics Ltd publishing house in the year 1934. In the opening sequence of the novel, it is shown that people whisper about ghosts whenever they spoke about the sinister and deserted old mansion of Plague Court. Soon, Chief-Inspector Masters, who is depicted as the genial ghost-layer in the London police, breaks into the stone house located in the rear court and discovers the dead body of Darworth, the medium. He had been stabbed and was lying on the floor. Masters also finds that the door of the house was bolted from the inside and was locked. There was no other way of getting in or out and yet Darworth was lying stabbed with the dagger which was lying beside him. The dagger belonged to the most persistent and the evil ghost of Plague Court, Louis Playge. However, inspector Masters or any other man was not able to say exactly whether it was the act of the ghost. The strange group of people that was congregated at the Plague Court began asking themselves whether the ghost of Louis Playge had not actually come to haunt the decay and slime of the court that had his name.

The second novel of the series was published by the International Polygonics Ltd publishing house in the year 1934. It was titled ‘The White Priory Murders’ and was set in present time London at the famous old house named, White Priory. In the opening sequence of the plot of the novel, Marcia Tait is introduced as the main character along with Maurice Bohun, John Bohun, Emery, Rainger, Louise, Lord Canifest, Katherine Bohun, James Bennett, Chief Inspector Masters and Sir Henry Merrivale. Marcia Tait is described as a glamorous movie star who breaks her Hollywood contract in order to act in a London play. Maurice Bohun is the author of the said play ad the master of the White Priory. His brother John Bohun seems to be in love with Marcia Tait. Emery and Rainger try to persuade Marcia to return back to Hollywood. Lord Canifest is described as the backer of the play. Katherine Bohun is described as the niece of the Bohuns whereas James Bennett is the nephew of Sir Henry Merrivale. Merrivale is described by the author as a sleepy and obese old man whom inspector Masters asks to help in solving the mystery of the murders in the White Priory.