A short life of the author
Margaret Erskine (1901–1984) was a British mystery novelist whose career spanned four decades. Writing in the tradition of the classic English detective novel, she produced over twenty mysteries, many featuring her series detective Inspector Finch (later renamed Inspector Dodd in American editions).
Major Works
Old Mrs. Ommanney Is Dead and other novels in her detective series follow the conventions of the British golden age mystery: a murder in a seemingly placid setting (country house, village, family gathering), a methodical police investigation, and a solution that depends on close attention to character and clue.
Erskine’s work is representative of the steady stream of competent, entertaining British mystery fiction that sustained the genre between the golden age of Christie and Sayers and the modern era of psychological crime fiction.
Collecting Erskine
Erskine published with Geoffrey Bles, Hodder & Stoughton, and other British houses. Her first editions, particularly the earlier novels from the late 1930s and 1940s, are modestly scarce and bring $30–$100 with dust jacket. She is collected by specialists in classic British detective fiction.