The House of the Arrow by A E W Mason

The House of the Arrow by A E W Mason

In The House of the Arrow we once again meet French Inspector Gabriel Hanaud. Hanaud is a towering figure in the history of genre mystery fiction as he is the obvious inspiration for Hercule Poirot. Hanaud is called in to investigate when the wealthy widow Mrs. Harlowe dies suddenly and her heiress, Betty Harlowe, is accused of murder.

Mason, Alfred Edward Wooley, was born in the year 1865. He attended Dulwich College before attending Oxford University. Mason went on to pursue his childhood dream of being an actor after completing his official studies. He began his writing career with historical fiction before moving into politics in 1906, when he was elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament for Coventry. Mason's passion for writing remained, and he expanded his range and style to include detective fiction, producing one of the first fictional detectives, Inspector Hanaud, the Gallic analog to Sherlock Holmes.

Material clues and spontaneity abound in his detective tales. Mason created nearly thirty titles during the course of his life. The most enduring work is 'The Four Feathers,' which has been adapted into seven films, making it the most filmed work of any writer in the twentieth century. Many more films and plays, including the Hanaud series, have been based on his writings.