Phoebe Atwood Taylor

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Phoebe Atwood Taylor (1909 –1976) was an American mystery author.

Phoebe Atwood Taylor wrote mystery novels under her own name, and as Freeman Dana and Alice Tilton. Her first novel, The Cape Cod Mystery, introduced the Codfish Sleuth, Asey Mayo, who became a regular character, appearing in 24 novels. Her work was light in tone, a bit more serious than screwball comedy, but fun and easy to read. She borrowed heavily on her own background (being born in Boston, and very familiar with Cape Cod) to produce books full of local color.

She adopted the pseudonyms of Freeman Dana and Alice Tilton for her other books because her publisher did not want her known as a writer of potboilers. Like many who lived through the Great Depression, she was in constant need of money, and one of her letters to her publisher was printed in a recent edition of one of her books as an explanation of why she adopted Alice Tilton for the popular Leonidas Witherall novel series. The early Witherall novels are of interest for their depiction of the Depression. The main character has lost all of his money due to the crash, and takes to writing potboilers as a means of survival, while solving murders as a sideline. In 1944, the character was adapted into a Mutual radio mystery program, The Adventures of Leonidas Witherall.

The earliest Asey Mayo titles are rather dark, perhaps reflecting the Depression background. As the series went on, the tone lightened and approached the screwball towards the end of the series. All the books have a strong sense of the Cape Cod background, and many have a strong sense of time as well. In the novels written during World War II, for example, Mayo is hindered by fuel rationing, military maneuvers, civilian defense groups, blackouts and First Aid training.

[edit] The Asey Mayo novels are:

  • The Cape Cod Mystery - 1931
  • Death Lights a Candle - 1932
  • The Mystery of the Cape Cod Players - 1933
  • The Mystery of the Cape Cod Tavern - 1934
  • Sandbar Sinister - 1934
  • Deathblow Hill - 1935
  • The Tinkling Symbol - 1935
  • The Crimson Patch - 1936
  • Out of Order - 1936
  • Figure Away - 1937
  • Octagon House - 1937
  • The Annulet of Gilt - 1938
  • Banbury Bog - 1938
  • Spring Harrowing - 1939
  • The Criminal C.O.D. - 1940
  • The Deadly Sunshade - 1940
  • The Perennial Boarder - 1941
  • The Six Iron Spiders - 1942
  • Three Plots for Asey Mayo (novelets) - 1942
  • Going, Going, Gone - 1943
  • Proof of the Pudding - 1943
  • The Asey Mayo Trio (novelets) - 1946
  • Punch with Care - 1946
  • Diplomatic Corpse - 1951

[edit] Writing as Freeman Dana

  • Murder at the New York World's Fair - 1938

[edit] Writing as Alice Tilton

  • Beginning with a Bash - 1937
  • The Cut Direct - 1938
  • Cold Steal - 1939
  • The Left Leg - 1940
  • The Hollow Chest - 1941
  • File for Record - 1943
  • Dead Ernest - 1944
  • The Iron Clew - 1947
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