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R. Austin Freeman

Author profile

born

April 11, 1862 in London, The United Kingdom

died

September 28, 1943

gender

male

genre

Mystery & Thrillers

About this author

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R(ichard) Austin Freeman (11 April 1862 London - 28 September 1943 Gravesend) was a British writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. He invented the inverted detective story (a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then describing the detective's attempt to solve the mystery) and used some of his early experiences as a colonial surgeon in his novels.

A large proportion of the Dr Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine, metallurgy and toxicology.

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Books by R. Austin Freeman

Average rating: 3.61 · 503 ratings · 110 reviews · 78 distinct works

	The Red Thumb Mark 3.62 avg rating — 81 ratings — published 1907 — 34 editions	My rating:
	The Eye Of Osiris 3.70 avg rating — 54 ratings — published 1911 — 61 editions	My rating:
	The Mystery of 31 New Inn 3.50 avg rating — 52 ratings — published 1912 — 28 editions	My rating:
	John Thorndyke's Cases 3.57 avg rating — 28 ratings — published 1909 — 23 editions	My rating:
	The Cat's Eye 4.06 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 1923 — 6 editions	My rating:
	The Best Dr. Thorndyke Detective Stories by R. Austin Freeman, Everett F. Bleiler (Editor) 3.87 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 1973	My rating:
	As a Thief in the Night 4.07 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 1928 — 5 editions	My rating:
	A Silent Witness 3.47 avg rating — 19 ratings — published 1914 — 12 editions	My rating:
	MR Pottermack's Oversight 3.83 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 1930 — 6 editions	My rating:
	The D'Arblay Mystery 3.55 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 1926	My rating:

More books by R. Austin Freeman…

Series by R. Austin Freeman

Dr. Thorndyke Mysteries (26 books)
by R. Austin Freeman

3.59 avg rating — 431 ratings

Quotes by R. Austin Freeman

“I am not usually such a sluggard," he said, as we walked quickly along
the street, "but yesterday evening I got a novel. I ought not to read
novels. When I do, I am apt to make a single mouthful of it; and that is
what I did last night. I started the book at nine and finished it at two
this morning; and the result is that I am as sleepy as an owl even now.”
― R. Austin Freeman, The Mystery of Angelina Frood

1 person liked it

“I ventured to remark that it did not look a very secure method of
building, upon which Bundy turned his eyeglass on me and smiled
knowingly.

"My dear Doctor," said he, "you don't appear to appreciate the subtlety
of the method. The purpose of these activities is to create employment.
That has been clearly stated by the town council. But if you want to
create employment you build a wall that will tumble down and give
somebody else the job of putting it up again.”
― R. Austin Freeman, The Mystery of Angelina Frood