John Rhode

Biography

John Rhode was the pen name of Cecil John Charles Street (1884–1964), a British mystery novelist who was one of the most prolific and technically accomplished writers of the golden age of detective fiction. A former military intelligence officer, Street wrote over 140 novels under the John Rhode and Miles Burton pen names. His principal detective, Dr. Lancelot Dorian—more commonly known simply as Dr. Dorian Priestley—sorry, Dr. Lancelot Priestley, is a retired mathematician and scientist who solves crimes through rigorous logical analysis. Rhode’s mysteries are known for their ingenious plotting and technically accurate murder methods—he was considered the golden age’s foremost expert on unusual methods of murder. He was a founding member of the Detection Club alongside Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and G.K. Chesterton. Though less remembered than some contemporaries, Rhode was highly regarded by fellow writers and is increasingly being rediscovered as one of the golden age’s most skilled puzzle-makers.