The Lone Wolf Collection - 5 Detective Novels in One Edition: The Lone Wolf, The False Faces, Alias The Lone Wolf, Red Masquerade & The Lone Wolf Returns
The Lone Wolf is the nickname of the fictional character Michael Lanyard, a jewel thief turned private detective in a series of novels written by Louis Joseph Vance. "The Lone Wolf" series was so popular that it was featured in eight books and 24 films between 1914 and 1949, and also appeared in radio and television series. The Lone Wolf The False Faces Alias The Lone Wolf Red Being the Story of The Lone Wolf's Daughter The Lone Wolf Returns
Louis Joseph Vance was a novelist educated in the preparatory department of the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. He wrote short stories and verse after 1901, then composed many popular novels. His character "Michael Lanyard", also known as "The Lone Wolf", was featured in eight books and 24 films between 1914 and 1949, and also appeared in radio and television series.
Vance was separated from his wife (whom he married in 1898 and by whom he had a son the next year) when he was found dead in a burnt armchair inside his New York apartment; a cigarette had ignited some benzene (used for cleaning his clothes or for his broken jaw) that he had on his body and he was intoxicated at the time. He had recently returned from the West Indies, where he gathered material for a new book. The death was ruled accidental.