Freeman Wills Crofts | |
|---|---|
 Freeman Wills Crofts | |
| Born | 1 June 1879 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 11 April 1957 (aged 77) Worthing, West Sussex, United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Civil engineer, novelist |
| Genre | Detective novel, murder mystery |
| Literary movement | Golden age of detective fiction |
| Notable works | The 12:30 from Croydon, Inspector French and the Starvel Tragedy |
Freeman Wills Crofts FRSA (1 June 1879 – 11 April 1957) was an Irish engineer and mystery author, remembered best for the character of Inspector Joseph French.
A railway engineer by training, Crofts introduced railway themes into many of his stories, which were notable for their intricate planning. Although Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie, and authors of the so-called golden age of detective fiction are more famous, he was esteemed by those authors, and many of his books are still in print.