Henry Christopher Bailey (1 February 1878 – 24 March 1961) was an English author of detective fiction.

Life

Bailey was born in London. He studied Classics at Oxford University, earning a B.A. in 1901. Bailey began working as a journalist for The Daily Telegraph, writing war journalism, drama reviews, and editorials for the newspaper. In 1908, Bailey married Lydia Haden Janet Guest (d. 1971). They had two daughters, Betty Lydia Bennett (nee Bailey; d. 1972) and Mary Dorothy Bailey. Bailey retired from writing in 1950, and spent the last years of his life living in North Wales. He died on 24 March 1961, aged 83, in Llanfairfechan. His estate was valued at £14991 7s. 7d., and his widow was the sole heir.

Fiction

Bailey wrote mainly short stories featuring a medically qualified detective called Reggie Fortune (a surgeon, hence he is known as 'Mr Fortune'). Fortune's mannerisms and speech put him into the same class as Lord Peter Wimsey but the stories are much darker, and often involve murderous obsession, police corruption, financial skulduggery, child abuse and miscarriages of justice. Although Mr Fortune is seen at his best in short stories, he also appears in several novels. A second series character, Joshua Clunk, is a sanctimonious lawyer who exposes corruption and blackmail in local politics, and who manages to profit from the crimes. He appears in eleven novels published between 1930 and 1950, including The Sullen Sky Mystery (1935), widely regarded as Bailey's magnum opus. Bailey also wrote historical fiction. His first historical novel, My Lady of Orange (1901) revolves around William the Silent, and his involvement in the Dutch Revolt. Bailey's works were published in a number of magazines, primarily The Windsor Magazine and Adventure and reprinted in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.

Works

Romantic and historic fiction

Detective fiction

Other books

Other Mr Fortune short stories

See Radio plays and talks also

Uncollected non-series short stories

Poetry

Theatre plays

Radio plays and talks

Uncollected non-fiction and journalism

Letters to the press