Carolyn Wells

Biography

Carolyn Wells (1862–1942) was a prolific American author, poet, and humorist who wrote over 170 books across multiple genres. She is best known for her Fleming Stone mystery series, which ran to over sixty novels and helped establish the American detective fiction tradition. Wells also wrote humor, children's literature, anthologies, and a guide to writing detective fiction. Despite being almost entirely deaf from childhood, she became one of the most commercially successful American authors of her era. Her mysteries are noted for their ingenious puzzles and fair-play approach to clue-planting.