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Last edited by bitnapper
September 10, 2023 | History
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Helen McCloy

6 June 1904 - December 1992

Born 6 June 1904, New York, New York; died December 1992

Daughter of William C. and Helen Clarkson McCloy; married David Dresser, 1946 (divorced 1961); children: one daughter

Helen McCloy's father was managing editor of the New York Evening Sun; her mother wrote short stories under her maiden name. A Quaker, McCloy studied at the Brooklyn Friends School in New York. At fourteen, she published a literary essay in the Boston Transcript; at fifteen, she published verse in the New York Times. McCloy lived in France for eight years, studying at the Sorbonne in 1923 and 1924. McCloy was Paris correspondent for the Universal News Service (1927-31) and the monthly art magazine International Studio (1930-31). She also was London correspondent for the Sunday New York Times art section and wrote political sketches for the London Morning Post and the Daily Mail.

McCloy returned to the U.S. in 1931 and spent several years writing magazine articles and short stories. In 1938 she published her first mystery novel, Dance of Death, featuring her detective, Dr. Basil Willing, a psychiatrist and an expert in forensic medicine; he appears in many of what are considered her strongest novels.

McCloy was rather prolific, writing dozens of detection and suspense novels, short stories, and newspaper and magazine articles. She won Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine awards for the short stories "Through a Glass, Darkly" (reprinted in The Singing Diamonds, 1965) and "Chinoiserie" (reprinted in 20 Great Tales of Murder, 1951), and the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) for the best mystery criticism. In addition, she was the first woman president of MWA and was given the organization's highest honor, being named the Grand Master in 1989, one of only eight women at the time so honored.

In general, critics have preferred McCloy's novels of detection to the novels of suspense or terror. In her best works, McCloy's success in providing interesting characters and themes is matched with her ability in plotting.
- excerpts from encyclopedia.com

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  • Cover of: Miniature mysteries: 100 malicious little mystery stories

    First published in 1981 7 editions in 2 languages — 3 previewable Cover of edition 100maliciouslitt00asim Cover of edition bwb_P8-BGE-553
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  • Cover of: Isaac Asimov Presents Tales of the Occult

    First published in 1989 5 editions in 2 languages — 1 previewable
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  • Cover of: Through a glass, darkly

    First published in 1950 4 editions in 1 language — 1 previewable
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  • Cover of: Senior Sleuths: a large print anthology of mysteries and puzzlers

    First published in 1989 3 editions in 1 language — 1 previewable
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  • Cover of: Cue for murder

    First published in 1942 3 editions in 1 language — 1 previewable
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  • Cover of: The Long Body

    First published in 1955 2 editions
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  • Cover of: Alias Basil Willing.

    First published in 1951 2 editions in 1 language
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  • Cover of: Before I die

    First published in 1963 2 editions in 1 language
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  • Cover of: Burn this

    First published in 1980 2 editions in 1 language — 1 previewable
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  • Cover of: The impostor: A novel of suspense

    First published in 1977 2 editions in 1 language
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  • Cover of: A question of time.

    First published in 1971 2 editions in 1 language — 1 previewable
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  • Cover of: Through a glass, darkly.

    First published in 1950 2 editions in 1 language
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  • Cover of: Mr Splitfoot

    First published in 1968 2 editions in 1 language
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  • Cover of: Before I die

    First published in 1963 2 editions
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  • Cover of: Minotaur country: a novel of suspense

    First published in 1975 2 editions in 1 language
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  • Cover of: Alias Basil Willing

    First published in 1957 2 editions in 1 language
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  • Cover of: Burn this

    First published in 1980 2 editions in 1 language
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  • Cover of: change of heart.

    First published in 1973 2 editions in 1 language
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  • Cover of: He never came back.

    First published in 1961 2 editions in 1 language
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  • Cover of: The impostor

    First published in 1978 2 editions in 1 language
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We need a photo of Helen McCloy
Subjects
Fiction, mystery & detective, general, Fiction, Basil Willing (Fictitious character), Psychiatrists, Fiction in English, Crime, fiction, American Detective and mystery stories, Fiction, crime, Large type books, Detective and mystery stories, Suspense, American Science fiction, American fantasy fiction, Basil Willing (fictitious character), Cryptography, Detective and mystery stories, American, ESP, English Detective and mystery stories, English fantasy fiction, Espionage, Fiction, general, Fiction, mystery & detective, police procedural, Fiction, psychological, Fiction, thrillers, suspense, Forensic psychiatrists
Places
Massachusetts, Boston, Connecticutt, France, Manhattan, New England, Salem Village
People
Authors, Devil, Faith Brown, Goodman Brown, Goody Cloyse, book reviewers, literary agents, psychiatrists, publishers
Time
1600s, 1940s, 1950s, 1970s, Late 1970s

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Alternative names

  • Helen Clarkson
  • H. C. McCloy

History

Download catalog record: RDF / JSON
September 10, 2023 Edited by bitnapper Edited without comment.
September 10, 2023 Edited by bitnapper merge authors
September 27, 2020 Edited by MARC Bot add ids
December 15, 2019 Edited by Martha Carson Wade Edited without comment.
August 31, 2008 Created by ImportBot Imported from Talis MARC record.