James McLevy

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James McLevy was a prominent detective in Edinburgh during the mid 19th century, and later an author of popular crime mysteries. The son of a farmer, he was born in Ballymacnab in County Armagh, Ireland. McLevy later moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, and became a builder's labourer before joining the police force.

In 1833 he became a detective and handled 2,220 cases during his 30-year career, almost always securing a conviction.

McLevy published a series of extremely popular books in the 1860s, including Curiosities of Crime in Edinburgh, Sliding Scale of Life and The Disclosures of a Detective. It is sometimes suggested that his writings helped to inspire Arthur Conan Doyle. McLevy sought forensic advice from members of the medical faculty at the University of Edinburgh, where Conan Doyle later studied.

In the late 1990s, the James McLevy Trophy, named after him, was donated by former Detective Superintendent John McGowan to recognise outstanding achievement in crime detection in Scotland.

BBC Radio 4 has broadcast several series of dramas starring Brian Cox as McLevy.