MYSTERY WRITERS OF THE PAST-Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (1859-1930)

As a mystery writer, I've always been interested in mystery writers of the past.  Once such figure is, Scottish physician and writer, Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle.  Perhaps better known as Conan Doyle, the creator of that famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes

Like so many of us, Conan Doyle didn't start out to be a writer, but a physician.  After studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh, he commenced his medical career as ship's doctor on the SS Majumba, travelling to the West Coast of Africa in 1881.  On his return in 1882, he set up a medical practice in Southsea, Portsmouth.  It was there he started to write while waiting for his medical practice to grow. The results were, The Mystery of Coomber, published in 1888 and, Narrative of John Smith, interestingly not published until 2011.

Conan Doyle's most famous character, Sherlock Holmes, didn't make an appearance until 1887 with the publication of A Study in Scarlet.  A fictional detective famous for his powers of observation and deduction, it's said that Holmes is modeled after Dr Joseph Bell who Conan Doyle had worked for at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh.

Doyle wrote 4 books and 56 short stories in the Sherlock Holmes mystery series, finishing with the death of Sherlock Holmes as well as, his nemisis, Professor Moriarty.  Such was the popularity of the series, however, Conan Doyle wrote another Holmes story in 1901 entitled, The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Conan Doyle's home-Little Windlesham

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle died on 7th July 1930.

And would you believe that, like so many of us, he found it difficult to find someone to publish his work when he was starting out!

Other mystery writers of the past:-
AGATHA CHRISIE 1890-1976
NGAIO MARSH 1895-1982