Helen McCloy

Helen McCloy was born in New York City in 1904 to writer Helen Worrell McCloy and managing editor William McCloy. After discovering a love for Sherlock Holmes as young girl, McCloy began writing her own mystery novels in the 1930s. In 1933, she introduced her psychiatrist-detective Dr Basil Willing in her first novel, Dance of Death. Dr Basil Willing features in 12 of McCloy's novels as well as several short stories; however, both are best known from McCloy's 1955 supernatural mystery Through a...See more

Helen McCloy was born in New York City in 1904 to writer Helen Worrell McCloy and managing editor William McCloy. After discovering a love for Sherlock Holmes as young girl, McCloy began writing her own mystery novels in the 1930s. In 1933, she introduced her psychiatrist-detective Dr Basil Willing in her first novel, Dance of Death. Dr Basil Willing features in 12 of McCloy's novels as well as several short stories; however, both are best known from McCloy's 1955 supernatural mystery Through a Glass, Darkly - hailed as her masterpiece and likened to John Dickson Carr.McCloy went on in the 1950s and 1960s to co-author a review column a Connecticut newspaper. In 1950, she became the first female president of Mystery Writers of America and in 1953, she was honoured with an Edgar Award from the MWA for her critiques. See less