Cecil John Charles Street (3 May 1884 – 8 December 1964), who was known to his colleagues, family and friends as John Street, began his military career as an

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieg ...

officer in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

. During the course of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, he became a propagandist for MI7, in which role he held the rank of Major. After the armistice, he alternated between

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

and

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

during the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and United Kingdom of Gre ...

as Information Officer for

Dublin Castle Dublin Castle ( ga, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a former Motte-and-bailey castle and current Irish government complex and conference centre. It was chosen for its position at the highest point of central Dublin. Until 1922 it was the ...

, working closely with Lionel Curtis. He later earned his living as a prolific writer of

detective novels Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as sp ...

Early life, education, and career

Street was born in Gibraltar, son of General John Alfred Street, CB, of Uplands, Woking, and his second wife, Caroline (born circa 1850), daughter of Charles Horsfall Bill, of

Storthes Hall Storthes Hall is a part of the township of Kirkburton, West Yorkshire, England. A heavily wooded area, it comprises a single road, Storthes Hall Lane, which links Kirkburton with the nearby villages of Farnley Tyas and Thurstonland. The most si ...

, Yorkshire, and The Priory, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, head of a landed gentry family. Caroline had married comparatively late, in 1881, and her only son was born when she was thirty five. General Street, having retired from the Army at the age of sixty two just after his son's birth, died suddenly at the family home. After his father's death, Street and his mother went to live with his maternal grandparents at their house, Firlands, Woking, which was "comfortably staffed with seven domestics". Street "remained modestly circumspect" about his privileged background in later life, "familiarity with Street's life and writing" displaying his valuing of "a man's personal accomplishments over his family heritage." Street was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire, then the

Royal Military Academy, Woolwich The Royal Military Academy (RMA) at Woolwich, in south-east London, was a British Army military academy for the training of commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. It later also trained officers of the Royal Corps of Si ...

, and was commissioned into the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

in 1903, subsequently transferring into the Special Reserves. Before the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

, Street lived at Summerhill, a Regency country mansion outside Lyme Regis (later owned by A. S. Neill and run as a school, the name being subsequently used for his

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compu ...

at Leiston,

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include L ...

), where he was a shareholder in, and chief engineer for, the Lyme Regis Electric Light & Power Company, Ltd. He would later serve as a Captain in the Royal Garrison Artillery, was wounded three times and won the Military Cross. As a Major, he headed a branch of British Military Intelligence and later as an Information Officer at the Headquarters of the British Administration, based in Dublin Castle.

Personal life

In 1906, Street married (Hyacinth) Maud, daughter of Major John Denis Kirwan, of the

. They had a daughter, Verena Hyacinth Iris Street, who spent most of her life living with her paternal grandmother, and died in 1932 aged twenty five. The marriage was unsuccessful- his wife suffering mental imbalance and becoming a patient at a private asylum- and they were separated by the 1930s, when Street was living with Eileen Annette , daughter of civil engineer J. Edward Waller, whose father was the Irish writer John Francis Waller, of a landed gentry branch of the

Waller baronets There have been two baronetcies created for persons with the surname Waller, one in the Baronetage of Ireland and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. One creation is extant as of 2019. The Waller Baronetcy, of Newport in the County of ...

of Tipperary. They married in 1949, shortly after his first wife's death. Street and his second wife lived "a comfortable life together", living in "attractive older homes" including The Orchards,

Laddingford Laddingford is a hamlet in the parish of Yalding in Kent, England. Laddingford Aerodrome is located nearby. Hamlets in Kent {{kent-geo-stub ...

, Kent, and elsewhere in southern and central England, including

Swanton Novers Swanton Novers is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is west-south-west of Cromer, north-north-west of Norwich and north-north-east of London. The village lies south-west of the town of Holt. The neares ...

, Norfolk.

Novelist

John Street produced two long series of novels; one under the name of John Rhode, the majority featuring the academic

Dr. Priestley Dr. Lancelot Priestley is a fictional investigator born in July 1869 in a series of books by John Rhode After 1924, Dr. Priestley took over from Dr. Thorndyke as the leading fictional forensic investigator in Britain, and featured in 72 novels ...

,; another under the name of Miles Burton, the majority featuring the retired naval officer Desmond Merrion; and a third under the name Cecil Waye. The Dr. Priestley novels were among the first after Dr Thorndyke to feature scientific detection of crime, such as analysing the mud on a suspect's shoes. Desmond Merrion is an amateur detective who works with Scotland Yard's Inspector Arnold. Critic and author Julian Symons placed "John Rhode" as a prominent member of the "Humdrum" school of detective fiction. "Most of them came late to writing fiction, and few had much talent for it. They had some skill in constructing puzzles, nothing more, and ironically they fulfilled much better than S. S. Van Dine his dictum that the detective story properly belonged in the category of riddles or crossword puzzles. Most of the Humdrums were British, and among the best known of them were Major John Street ...". Symons' opinion has not however prevented the Rhode and Burton books becoming much sought after by collectors, and many of the early ones can command "eye-watering" high prices.

Jacques Barzun Jacques Martin Barzun (; November 30, 1907 – October 25, 2012) was a French-American historian known for his studies of the history of ideas and cultural history. He wrote about a wide range of subjects, including baseball, mystery novels, an ...

and Wendell Hertig Taylor in their '' A Catalogue of Crime'' offer a different perspective to Symons, praising several of the Rhode books in particular, though they only review a small proportion of the more than 140 novels written by Street. The only detailed account of Street's life and works has been written by Curtis Evans: "I wrote my new book, ''Masters of the "Humdrum" Mystery: Cecil John Charles Street, Freeman Wills Crofts, Alfred Walter Stewart and the British Detective Novel, 1920–1961'' (published by

McFarland Press McFarland & Company, Inc., is an American independent book publisher based in Jefferson, North Carolina, that specializes in academic and reference works, as well as general-interest adult nonfiction. Its president is Rhonda Herman. Its former ...

) in part to give a long overdue reappraisal of these purportedly "humdrum" detection writers as accomplished literary artists. Not only did they produce a goodly number of fine fair play puzzles, but their clever tales have more intrinsic interest as social documents and even sometimes as literary novels than they have been credited with having."

Bibliography

This bibliography has been confirmed against a standard reference.

Writing as John Rhode

Dr. Priestley novels

Series characters: Lancelot Priestley, Inspector Hanslet and Inspector Jimmy Waghorn. * '' The Paddington Mystery'' (1925) * ''

Dr. Priestley's Quest ''Dr. Priestley's Quest'' is a 1926 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It was the second appearance of the armchair detective Lancelot Priestley, who featured in a long-running series of novels dur ...

'' (1926) * ''

The Ellerby Case ''The Ellerby Case'' is a 1927 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It marked the third appearance of the armchair detective Lancelot Priestley, who featured in a long-running series of novels during th ...

'' (1927) * '' The Murders in Praed Street'' (1928) * ''Tragedy at the Unicorn'' (1928) * ''

The House on Tollard Ridge ''The House on Tollard Ridge'' is a 1929 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It marked the sixth appearance of the armchair detective Lancelot Priestley Dr. Lancelot Priestley is a fictional inves ...

'' (1929). (On first publication in the U.S. the book was promoted as being by C J C Street) * ''

The Davidson Case ''The Davidson Case'' is a 1929 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It was the seventh appearance of the armchair detective Lancelot Priestley, who featured in a long-running series of novels during th ...

'' (1929) (U.S. title ''Murder at Bratton Grange''; on first publication in the U.S. the book was promoted as being by C J C Street) * ''

Peril at Cranbury Hall ''Peril at Cranbury Hall'' is a 1930 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It marked the eight appearances of the armchair detective Lancelot Priestley, who featured in a long-running series of novels dur ...

'' (1930) * ''Pinehurst'' (1930) (U.S. title ''Dr. Priestley Investigates''; on first publication in the U.S. the book was promoted as being by C J C Street) * ''

Tragedy on the Line ''Tragedy on the Line'' is a 1931 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the tenth in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age armchair detective who works alongs ...

'' (1931). (On first publication in the U.S. the book was promoted as being by C J C Street) * ''The Hanging Woman'' (1931) * ''Mystery at Greycombe Farm'' (1932) (U.S. title ''The Fire at Greycombe Farm''; on first publication in the U.S. the book was promoted as being by C J C Street) * ''

Dead Men at the Folly ''Dead Men at the Folly'' is a 1932 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the thirteenth in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age armchair detective. It w ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Motor Rally Mystery ''The Motor Rally Mystery'' is a 1933 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the fourteenth in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age armchair detective. It ...

'' (1933) (U.S. title ''Dr. Priestley Lays a Trap''; on its publication in the U.S. the book was promoted as being by C J C Street) * ''

The Claverton Mystery ''The Claverton Mystery'' is a 1933 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the fifteenth in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age armchair detective. It was pub ...

'' (1933) (U.S. title ''The Claverton Affair'') * '' The Venner Crime'' (1933) * '' The Robthorne Mystery'' (1934) When one of the Robthorne twins commits suicide, there is a question over which one it is and whether it was suicide or murder. * ''

Poison for One ''Poison for One'' is a 1934 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the eighteenth in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age armchair detective. It combines e ...

'' (1934) * '' Shot at Dawn'' (1934) * ''

The Corpse in the Car ''The Corpse in the Car'' is a 1935 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the twentieth in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age armchair detective.Reilly ...

'' (1935) Dr. Priestley solves how Lady Misterton was killed whilst sitting, alone, in her car. Supt Hanslet attempts to track down her killer. * ''

Hendon's First Case ''Hendon's First Case'' is a 1935 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the twenty first in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age armchair detective.Reilly p. ...

'' (1935). (In first publication in the U.S. the book was promoted as being by C J C Street) * ''

Mystery at Olympia ''Mystery at Olympia'' is a 1935 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the twenty second in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, an armchair detective who was able to ...

'' (1935) (U.S. title ''Murder at the Motor Show'') * '' Death at Breakfast'' (1936) * '' In Face of the Verdict'' (1936) (U.S. title ''In the Face of the Verdict'') * '' Death in the Hopfields'' (1937) (U.S. title ''The Harvest Murder'') * '' Death on the Board'' (1937) (U.S. title ''Death Sits on the Board'') * '' Proceed with Caution'' (1937) (U.S. title ''Body Unidentified'') * ''

Invisible Weapons ''Invisible Weapons'' is a 1938 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the twenty eighth in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age armchair detective.Reilly ...

'' (1938) * '' The Bloody Tower'' (1938) (U.S. title ''The Tower of Evil'') – Inspector Waghorn identifies a ruthless murderer and solves a set of clues to the whereabouts of long-hidden treasure * ''Death Pays a Dividend'' (1939) * ''Death on Sunday'' (1939) (U.S. title ''The Elm Tree Murder'') * '' Death on the Boat Train'' (1940) * '' Murder at Lilac Cottage'' (1940) * '' Death at the Helm'' (1941) * ''

They Watched by Night ''They Watched by Night'' is a 1941 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the thirty fifth in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age of Detective Fiction, Gold ...

'' (1941) (U.S. title ''Signal For Death'') * ''

The Fourth Bomb ''The Fourth Bomb'' is a 1942 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the thirty sixth in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age armchair detective.Reilly p.12 ...

'' (1942) * ''

Dead on the Track ''Dead on the Track'' is a 1943 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the thirty seventh in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age armchair detective. Like a nu ...

'' (1943) * ''

Men Die at Cyprus Lodge ''Men Die at Cyprus Lodge'' is a 1943 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the thirty eighth in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age armchair detective. Revi ...

'' (1943) * ''

Death Invades the Meeting ''Death Invades the Meeting'' is a 1944 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and pr ...

'' (1944) * ''

Vegetable Duck ''Vegetable Duck'' is a 1944 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the fortieth in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age armchair detective. The title re ...

'' (1944) (U.S. title ''Too Many Suspects'') * ''

Bricklayer's Arms Bricklayers Arms is the road intersection of the A2 and the London Inner Ring Road where Bermondsey meets Walworth and Elephant & Castle in south London. It is the junction of Tower Bridge Road, Old Kent Road, New Kent Road and Great Do ...

'' (1945) (U.S. title ''Shadow of a Crime'') (Dr. Priestley plays only a minor role in this book, all the actual detection being done by Inspector Waghorn) * '' The Lake House'' (1946) (U.S. title ''Secret of the Lake House'') * '' Death in Harley Street'' (1946) * '' Nothing But the Truth'' (1947) (U.S. title ''Experiment in Crime'') * '' Death of an Author'' (1947) * ''

The Paper Bag ''The Paper Bag'' is a 1948 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the ...

'' (1948) (U.S. title ''The Links in the Chain'') * ''

The Telephone Call "The Telephone Call" (German: "Der Telefon-Anruf") is a song by the German electronic music band Kraftwerk. It was released in 1987 as the second and final single from their ninth studio album, ''Electric Café'' (1986). The single was their seco ...

'' (1948) (U.S. title ''Shadow of an Alibi'') * ''

Blackthorn House ''Blackthorn House'' is a 1949 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the forty eighth in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age armchair detective.Reilly p.1 ...

'' (1949) * '' Up the Garden Path'' (1949) (U.S. title ''The Fatal Garden'') * ''

The Two Graphs ''The Two Graphs'' is a 1950 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is the fiftieth in his long-running series of novels featuring Lancelot Priestley, a Golden Age armchair detective. It was published i ...

'' (1950) (U.S. title ''Double Identities'') * '' Family Affairs'' (1950) (U.S. title ''The Last Suspect'') * ''

The Secret Meeting Collide is an American industrial music duo formed in Los Angeles in 1992, that has incorporated elements of trip hop, synthpop and music from the Middle East into their sound. The name comes from the 'collision' of musical styles, primarily th ...

'' (1951) * ''Dr. Goodwood's Locum'' (1951) (U.S. title ''The Affair of the Substitute Doctor'') * ''Death at the Dance'' (1952) * ''Death in Wellington Road'' (1952) * ''Death at the Inn'' (1953) (U.S. title ''The Case of the Forty Thieves'') – Inspector Waghorn breaks a gang of thieves who have found an ingenious way to defraud the Post Office and, along the way, murder a man by poisoning * ''By Registered Post'' (1953) (U.S. title ''The Mysterious Suspect'') * ''Death on the Lawn'' (1954) * ''The Dovebury Murders'' (1954) * ''Death of a Godmother'' (1955) (U.S. title ''Delayed Payment'') * ''The Domestic Agency'' (1955) (U.S. title ''Grave Matters''; on first publication in the U.S. the novel was promoted as being by C J C Street) * ''An Artist Dies'' (1956) (U.S. title ''Death of an Artist'') * ''Open Verdict'' (1956) * ''Death of a Bridegroom'' (1957) * ''Robbery With Violence'' (1957) * ''Death Takes a Partner'' (1958) * ''Licensed For Murder'' (1958) * ''Murder at Derivale'' (1958). (On first publication in the U.S. the book was promoted as being by C J C Street) * ''Three Cousins Die'' (1959) * ''The Fatal Pool'' (1960) * ''Twice Dead'' (1960) * ''The Vanishing Diary'' (1961)

Non-series novels

* ''A.S.F.: The Story of a Great Conspiracy'' (1924) (U.S. title ''The White Menace'') * ''

The Double Florin ''The Double Florin'' is a 1924 thriller novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. Like H.C. McNeile's '' Bulldog Drummond'' and Agatha Christie's ''The Secret Adversary'' the plot revolves around a Bolshevik conspi ...

'' (1924) * ''The Alarm'' (1925) * ''Mademoiselle From Armentieres'' (1927) * ''

Drop to His Death ''Drop To His Death'' (also published under the title ''Fatal Descent'') is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, who published it under the name of Carter Dickson, in collaboration with John Rhode. It is a locked room myste ...

'' (1939) (U.S. title ''Fatal Descent''; on its first publication in the U.S. the book was promoted as being solely by C J C Street), with "Carter Dickson", a pseudonym of

John Dickson Carr John Dickson Carr (November 30, 1906 – February 27, 1977) was an American author of detective stories, who also published using the pseudonyms Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson, and Roger Fairbairn. He lived in England for a number of years, and i ...

* ''

Night Exercise ''Night Exercise'' is a 1942 detective novel by John Rhode, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It is a stand-alone wartime novel from Rhode, best known for his long-running series featuring Lancelot Priestley. It was published in ...

'' (1942) (U.S. title ''Dead of the Night''). Sir Hector Chalgrove, acerbic businessman and

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or military reserve force, reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the America ...

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

, disappears during a World War II night exercise. Major Ledbury (Officer Commanding the Wealdhurst Company, Home Guard) assists police to find the killer and assuage local suspicion of his guilt.

Non-fiction books

* ''The Case of Constance Kent''

Short stories

* ''The Elusive Bullet''. Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror - Second Series, Ed. Dorothy L Sayers, 1931 (Dr. Priestley story). Reprinted: Bodies from the Library. Ed. Tony Medawar.

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News C ...

, 2018 * ''The Vanishing Diamond''. The Great Book of Thrillers. Ed. H. Douglas Thomson, 1935 (Dr. Priestley story) * ''The Yellow Sphere''. '' Sunday Dispatch'', 3 April 1938. Reprinted: Bodies from the Library 3. Ed. Tony Medawar. HarperCollins, 2020. * ''The Purple Line''. ''

Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

'', 20 January 1950. Reprinted: Evening Standard Detective Book, 1950 (Inspector Purley story)

Non-fiction articles

* ''Constance Kent''. The Anatomy of Murder, Bodley Head, 1936 * ''Why People Like Detective Stories''. The Listener, 2 October 1935 * ''Unsolved Mysteries No. 6: Solution to the "Mystery of the Murdered Lieutenant"''. The Star, 1938

Stage plays

* ''Sixpennyworth''. Bodies from the Library 2. Ed. Tony Medawar. HarperCollins, 2019. The play features Inspector Jimmy Waghorn and is set in the lounge of The Spotted Dog, a pub in a town whose name is not given, "emphatically so"; the play features a neat method of creating an instant blackout. No performances have been identified

Radio plays

* ''Dr. Priestley'',

BBC Empire Service #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

, talk as part of the series 'Meet the Detective', 1935 * ''The Strange Affair at the Old Dutch Mill'', play featuring Inspector Jimmy Waghorn, BBC National Programme, 7 October 1938, as part of the series 'What Happened at 8:20?" * ''Death Travels First'', two-part play featuring Inspector Jimmy Waghorn, BBC Home Service, 2 and 9 July 1940 as part of a series of plays by members of the Detection Club

Non-fiction radio programmes

* ''Thoughts of a Detective Story Writer'', BBC National Programme, 7, 14, 21 and 28 September 1935

Writing as Miles Burton

Desmond Merrion novels

Series characters: Desmond Merrion and Inspector Henry Arnold. * ''

The Secret of High Eldersham ''The Secret of High Eldersham'' is a 1930 detective novel by Miles Burton, the pen name of the British writer Cecil Street. It was the first novel in a lengthy series featuring the detective Desmond Merrion. Street was one of the most prolific a ...

'' (1930) (aka ''The Mystery of High Eldersham'') * ''The Menace on the Downs'' (1931) * ''The Three Crimes'' (1931) * ''Death of Mr. Gantley'' (1932) * ''Fate at the Fair'' (1933) * ''Tragedy at the Thirteenth Hole'' (1933) * ''Death at the Crossroads'' (1933) * ''To Catch A Thief'' (1934) * ''The Charabanc Mystery'' (1934) * ''The Devereux Court Mystery'' (1935) * ''The Milk Churn Murder'' (1935) (U.S. title ''The Clue of the Silver Brush'') * ''Where is Barbara Prentice?'' (1936) (U.S. title ''The Clue of the Silver Cellar'') * ''

Death in the Tunnel ''Death in the Tunnel'' is a 1936 detective novel by the British writer Cecil Street, writing under the pen name of Miles Burton. It is the thirteenth in a series of books featuring the amateur detective Desmond Merrion and Inspector Arnold of Sc ...

'' (1936) (U.S. title ''Dark Is the Tunnel'') * ''

Murder of a Chemist ''Murder of a Chemist'' is a 1936 detective novel by the British writer Cecil Street, writing under the pen name of Miles Burton. It is the fourteenth in a series of books featuring the Golden Age amateur detective Desmond Merrion and Inspector A ...

'' (1936) * ''

Death at the Club ''Death at the Club'' is a 1937 detective novel by the British writer Cecil Street, writing under the pen name of Miles Burton. It is the fifteenth in a series of books featuring the amateur detective Desmond Merrion and Inspector Arnold of Scot ...

'' (1937) (U.S. title ''The Clue of the Fourteen Keys'') * '' Murder in Crown Passage'' (1937) (U.S. title ''The Man with the Tattooed Face'') * '' Death at Low Tide'' (1938) * ''The Platinum Cat'' (1938) * ''Mr. Babbacombe Dies'' (1939) * ''Death Leaves No Card'' (1939) * '' Death Takes a Flat'' (1940) (U.S. title ''Vacancy With Corpse'') * ''Murder in the Coalhole'' (1940) (U.S. title ''Written in Dust'') * '' Mr. Westerby Missing'' (1940) * ''Up The Garden Path'' (1941) (U.S. title ''Death Visits Downspring'') * ''Death of Two Brothers'' (1941) * ''

This Undesirable Residence ''This Undesirable Residence'' is a 1942 detective novel by the British writer Cecil Street, writing under the pen name of Miles Burton. It was part of a lengthy series of books featuring the detective Desmond Merrion and Inspector Arnold of Sco ...

'' (1942) (U.S. title ''Death at Ash House'') * ''Dead Stop'' (1943) * ''Murder M.D.'' (1943) (U.S. title ''Who Killed the Doctor?'') * ''Four-Ply Yarn'' (1944) (U.S. title ''The Shadow on the Cliff'') * ''The Three Corpse Trick'' (1944) * ''Early Morning Murder'' (1945) (U.S. title ''Accidents Do Happen'') * ''Not A Leg to Stand On'' (1945) * ''The Cat Jumps'' (1946) * '' Situation Vacant'' (1946) -Two secretaries for Alys Whyttington die within months of each other. Arnold, Merrion and local confidant Mr Clipsham investigate the deaths and the mysterious past of Mrs Whyttington. * ''Heir to Lucifer'' (1947) * ''A Will in the Way'' (1947) * ''Devil's Reckoning'' (1948) * ''Death in Shallow Water'' (1948) * ''Death Takes the Living'' (1949) (U.S. title ''The Disappearing Parson'') * ''Look Alive'' (1949) * ''

Ground for Suspicion ''Ground for Suspicion'' is a 1950 detective novel by the British writer Cecil Street, writing under the pen name of Miles Burton. It was part of a lengthy series of books featuring the detective Desmond Merrion and Inspector Arnold of Scotland Y ...

'' (1950) * ''

A Village Afraid ''A Village Afraid'' is a 1950 detective novel by the British writer Cecil Street, writing under the pen name of Miles Burton. It was part of a lengthy series of books featuring the detective Desmond Merrion and Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard. ...

'' (1950) * ''

Beware Your Neighbour ''Beware Your Neighbour'' is a 1951 detective novel by the British writer Cecil Street, writing under the pen name of Miles Burton. It was part of a lengthy series of books featuring the detective Desmond Merrion and Inspector Arnold of Scotland ...

'' (1951) * ''Murder Out of School'' (1951) * ''Murder on Duty'' (1952) * ''Heir to Murder'' (1953) * ''Something to Hide'' (1953) * ''Murder in Absence'' (1954) * ''Unwanted Corpse'' (1954) * ''A Crime in Time'' (1955) * ''Murder Unrecognized'' (1955) * ''Death in a Duffle Coat'' (1956) * ''Found Drowned'' (1956) * ''The Chinese Puzzle'' (1957) * ''The Moth-Watch Murder'' (1957) * ''Bones in the Brickfield'' (1958) * ''Death Takes a Detour'' (1958) * ''Return from the Dead'' (1959) * ''A Smell of Smoke'' (1960) * ''Legacy of Death'' (1960) * ''Death Paints a Picture'' (1960)

Non-series novels

* ''The Hardway Diamonds Mystery'' (1930) * ''Murder at the Moorings'' (1932)

Unfinished material

* ''Untitled'', 48-page typescript of the opening chapters of an apparently non-series novel, set in the villages of Kildersham and Dreford and concerning a death at a pheasant shoot and a drowning.

Writing as Cecil Waye

"The Perrins" novels

Series characters: Christopher and Vivienne Perrin – 'Perrins, Private Investigators'. * ''Murder at Monk's Barn'' (1931) * ''The Figure of Eight'' (1931) * ''The End of the Chase'' (1932) * ''The Prime Minister's Pencil'' (1933)

Writing as F.O.O. (Forward Observation Officer)

Novels

* ''The Worldly Hope'' (Eveleigh Nash Company), 1917, a war novel.

Non-fiction books

* ''With the Guns'' (Eveleigh Nash Company), 1916 * ''The Making of a Gunner'', 1916

Writing as I.O. (Intelligence Officer)

Non-Fiction books

* ''The Administration of Ireland, 1920'', 1921 at Internet Archive

Writing as C. J. C. Street

Non-fiction books and pamphlets

*
Ireland in 1921
'Ireland in 1921''], 1922 Full text at Internet Archive *
Hungary and democracy;
'Hungary and Democracy''], 1923 Full text at Internet Archive * ''Rhineland and Ruhr'', Alfred Couldray, 1923
''East of Prague''
1924 Limited view at

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical ...

''The Treachery of France''
1924 Limited view at Google Books
''Lord Reading''
1928 Limited view at Google Books
''President Masaryk''
Bles, 1930

Translations

* ''French Headquarters: 1915-1918'' by Jean de Pierrefeu, 1925, translated with notes. * ''Vauban, Builder of Fortresses'' by Daniel Halvey, 1929, translated with notes. * ''The Life and Voyages of Captain Cook'' by Maurice Thiery, 1929, translated with notes.

Short fiction

* ''A Quiet Night Watch''. Launceston Examiner, 4 January 1918 * ''The Duel''. Hobart Mercury, 8 January 1918 * ''Paying a Morning Call''.

New Zealand Times ''The New Zealand Times'' was a New Zealand daily newspaper published in Wellington from 1874 to 1927. Background The newspaper was founded by Julius Vogel, who had had involvement with newspapers as an editor or owner since his goldfield days i ...

, 14 January 1918 * ''An Airman's Evening''.

Oamaru Mail The ''Oamaru Mail'' is a weekly community newspaper published each Friday in Oamaru, New Zealand, by the Dunedin–based media company Allied Press Ltd that serves the North Otago area. The motto of the paper is "Your community, Your News". ...

, 18 January 1918 * ''Ending a Nuisance''. Taranaki Herald, 21 January 1918 * ''A Night Alarm''.

Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners' Advocate The ''Newcastle Herald'' (formerly branded as ''The Herald'') is a local tabloid newspaper published daily, Monday to Saturday, in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. It is the only local newspaper that serves the greater Hunter Region and C ...

, 30 January 1918 * ''The Sacrifice''. Townsville Daily Bulletin, 18 February 1918 * ''Running the Gauntlet''. Hobart Daily Post, 22 February 1918 * ''The Counter Attack''. Taranaki Herald, 26 February 1918 * ''Gunner Morson, Signaller''. Trench and Camp (Camp Logan Edition), 11 March 1918 * ''Ready for Action, Sir''. Launceston Examiner, 12 April 1918 * ''An Overhaul''. The World's News, 13 April 1918 * ''Getting the Wind Up''. War Supplement for Week Ending 27 April 1918 * ''Stuck in the Mud''.

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

, 2 June 1918 * ''An Unexpected Shot''.

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territo ...

, 20 July 1918 * ''Under Fire''. Feilding Star, 29 July 1918. Reprinted; Taranaki Herald, 1 August 1918 * ''The Thick of It''. Leeds Mercury, 14 August 1918 * ''Not a Blank''. Leeds Mercury, 21 August 1918 * ''The Watcher''. (Washington) Sunday Star, 25 August 1918 * ''Guy Fawke’s Day''. Adelaide Journal, 21 September 1918

Short stories

* ''On the High Seas''. Cassell's Magazine, September 1920 * ''TITLE UNKNOWN''. Lloyd's Story Magazine, September 1922 - Not confirmed * ''The Ship's Doctor''. Sea Stories, 5 October 1923

Non-fiction articles

* ''TITLE UNKNOWN''. Every Week Illustrated. 18 April 1914 - Not confirmed * ''The Time of Waiting: Synchronising Watches''.

Perth Daily News The ''Daily News'', historically a successor of ''The Inquirer'' and ''The Inquirer and Commercial News'', was an afternoon daily English language newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, from 1882 to 1990, though its origin is traceab ...

, 7 June 1917 * ''Gives Mask to Girl and Dies''. Indianapolis Star, 9 December 1917 * ''The Artillery Signaller''. Brisbane Telegraph, 29 December 1917 * '' A New Army Battery: The Making of a Gunner''. Brisbane Courier, 1 January 1918 * ''The Artillery Duel''.

The West Australian ''The West Australian'' is the only locally edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media (SWM), as is the state's other major newspaper, ''The Sunday Times (Western Australia), The Sunday Times'' ...

, 1 January 1918 * ''On the Flank of the Battle''. Melbourne Leader, 12 January 1918 * ''On the High Seas''. Taranaki Herald, 18 January 1918 * ''A Combined Shoot''. National Advocate, 31 January 1918 * ''The Equipment of a Battery''. Oamaru Times, 2 February 1918 * ''The Heavy Artillery Chaplain''. Taranaki Herald, 22 February 1918 * ''Artillery Registration''. Newcastle Journal, 25 February 1918 * ''Gunners and Their Targets''. Leeds Mercury, 2 March 1918 * ''Barrage''. Straits Times, 6 March 1918. * ''Supplying in the Field''. Straits Times, 12 March 1918 * ''Cambrai''.

, 12 March 1918 * ''In a German Gun-Pit''. Taranaki Herald, 20 March 1918 * ''The Hedjaz Railway''.

, 2 April 1918 * ''Mechanical Transport''. New Zealand Herald, 6 April 1918 * ''Armentieres''. Wilmington Morning News, 6 April 1918 * ''The Paris Long Range Gun''. Leeds Mercury, 8 April 1918 * ''Artillery in War''.

, 13 January 1918 * ''Reaping the Whirlwind''. Straits Times, 15 April 1918 * ''Watching a Shoot''. Every Week Illustrated, 18 April 1918 * ''Rifle First and Last''. Coventry Evening Telegraph, 20 April 1918 * ''Arabian Campaign Operations of the Arabs''. Launceston Daily Telegraph, 20 April 1918 * ''When Gas Ceases to be Deadly''.

Lincolnshire Echo The ''Lincolnshire Echo'' is a weekly British regional newspaper for Lincolnshire, whose first edition was on Tuesday 31 January 1893, and is published every Thursday. It is owned by Reach PLC and it is distributed throughout the county. The ...

, 22 April 1918 * ''How Guns Move Forward''.

Darling Downs Gazette The ''Darling Downs Gazette'' was a newspaper published from 1848 to 1922 in Drayton and Toowoomba in Queensland, Australia. History ''The Darling Downs Gazette and General Advertiser'' was founded in 1858 by Arthur Sidney Lyon. The first iss ...

, 22 April 1918 * ''Muscle and Brain''. Daily Record, Monday 22 April 1918 * ''Constructional Material in the Field''.

, 22 April 1918 * ''The Hedjaz Railway''. Taranaki Herald, 25 April 1918 * ''Artillery Ammunition''.

Nelson Evening Mail ''The Nelson Mail'' is a 4-day a week newspaper in Nelson, New Zealand owned by media business Stuff (company), Stuff Ltd. It was founded in 1866 as ''The Nelson Evening Mail''; the first edition was published on 5 March 1866. It absorbed another ...

, 26 April 1918 * ''Importance of Amiens''. Northern Whig, 27 April 1918 * ''Before the Dawn''. Taranaki Herald, 27 April 1918 * ''The Fall of Jericho''. Taranaki Herald, 27 April 1918 * ''The 'Number One. Mainland Daily Mercury, 27 April 1918 * ''Physical Training''. Leeds Mercury, 29 April 1918 * ''Austria's Next War''. Maryborough Chronicle, 3 May 1918 * ''The 'Number One': The Day's Work of an Artillery Sergeant''. Brisbane Courier, 7 May 1918 * ''A Junker's Boastings''. Tamworth Daily Observer, 8 May 1918 * ''Artillery in Modern War''. Perth Daily News, 13 May 1918 * ''The Right-of-Way''. Dominion, 14 May 1918 * ''A Forgotten Project''. Dominion, 14 May 1918 * ''Spying out the Land''. Perth Western Mail, 17 May 1918 * ''The Tail of the Convoy''. Taranaki Herald, 29 May 1918 * ''The Preliminary Bombardment''. The Age, 1 June 1918 * ''Artillery Training''. Taranaki Herald, 4 June 1918 * ''The Musketeers: The Tale of Their Adventures in France''. Newcastle Morning Herald & Miners' Advocate, 4 June 1918 * ''The Line of Fire''. Evening Star, 7 June 1918 * ''Artillery Ammunition, The Food of the Guns: How It Is Made''. Bowen Independent, 8 June 1918 * ''Mechanical Transport in War''.

Singapore Free Press & Mercantile Advertiser ''The Singapore Free Press'' was an English-language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore. History The paper was founded as Singapore's second English-language newspaper by William Napier, Edward Boustead, Walter Scott Lorrain and Ge ...

, 8 June 1918 * ''Directing the Guns: How a Barrage is Controlled''. Launceston Examiner, 10 June 1918 * ''Towards the Front: How the Battery Goes up''. Maryborough Chronicle, 13 June 1918 * ''Artillery Registration''. Straits Times, 15 June 1918 * ''The Line of Fire: Modern Gunnery Methods''. Launceston Daily Telegraph, 15 June 1918 * ''Modern Gunnery''. Malaya Tribune, 18 June 1918 * ''British Forces in Italy, Their Important Task: Italian Chivalry''. Ballarat Star, 27 June 1918 * ''Slave of the Guns''. Sydney World's News, 29 June 1918 * ''Long Range Artillery''.

Cornhill Magazine ''The Cornhill Magazine'' (1860–1975) was a monthly Victorian magazine and literary journal named after the street address of the founding publisher Smith, Elder & Co. at 65 Cornhill in London.Laurel Brake and Marysa Demoor, ''Dictionar ...

, July 1918 * ''Artillery Training: The New Battery's First Days in Framce''. Ballarat Star, 13 July 1918 * ''Bombarded French City: Reims before the War, Its Former Attractions''. Ballarat Star, 15 July 1918 * ''The Day of Assault: What the Barrage Means''. Launceston Daily Telegraph, 18 July 1918 * ''War Shows Need of Long Forgotten Euphrates Road''. Lincoln Star, 21 July 1918 * ''In the Background: The Training of Personnel''. The Herald (Adelaide), 7 August 1918 * ''The Day of Assault''. Evening Post, 28 August 1918 * ''Side-Lines in Munition''. Doninion, 15 August 1918 * ''The Time of Waiting''. Dominion, 27 August 1918 * ''On the Highway''. Pictorial Supplement for Week Ending 31 August 1918 * ''The Bombing School: Modern Methods of Training''. Adelaide Journal, 31 August 1918 * ''Big Guns in Hiding''.

Auckland Star The ''Auckland Star'' was an evening daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and th ...

, 31 August 1918 * ''My Billet''. Pictorial Supplement for Week Ending 6 September 1918 * ''War Clearly Proved Artillery Value''. (Wilmington) Daily Journal, 21 September 1918. Street's original title was 'Counter Battery Work' * The Mad English': Guy Fawke's Day''. Adelaide Journal, 21 September 1918 * ''The Liberty Columns''. Dominion, 24 September 1918 * ''Railways and Their Importance in War''.

Windsor Magazine ''The Windsor Magazine'' was a monthly illustrated publication produced by Ward Lock & Co from January 1895 to September 1939 (537 issues). The title page described it as "An Illustrated Monthly for Men and Women". It was bound as six-monthly ...

, September 1918 * ''Directing the Guns''.

, October 1918 * ''Behind the Front: A Morning Drive in France''. Hobart Mercury, 28 October 1918 * ''My Billet''. Hobart Mercury, 29 October 1918 * ''A Prisoner of War Camp: The Link with Napoleonic War''. Hobart Mercury, 29 October 1918 * ''Munitions of War''. Auckland Star, 2 November 1918 * ''Destroying the Tower, a Risky Job: American Artillery Scores''. Grafton Argus & Clavener River General Advertiser, 4 November 1918 * ''Education at the Front''. The Age, 7 November 1918 * ''At the Crossroads''. The Age, 9 November 1918 * ''Artillery Training: The Telephonists''. Hobart Mercury, 9 November 1918 * ''Active Service Army Schools''. Sydney World's News, 9 November 1918 * ''Kite Balloon Section's Experience in Big Run''.

Richmond Times-Dispatch The ''Richmond Times-Dispatch'' (''RTD'' or ''TD'' for short) is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond, Virginia, Richmond, the capital of Virginia, and the primary newspaper of record for the state of Virginia. Circulation The ''Times-Dispatc ...

, 15 November 1918 * ''The Value of the French Railway System in the War''. Toodyay Herald, 23 November 1918 * ''In the Background: The Repairs of Material''. Hobart Mercury, 28 November 1918 * ''Behind the Front''.

Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

, 5 January 1919
''Propaganda behind the Lines''
Cornhill Magazine, November 1919 * ''Transport Problems and Reconstruction''.

, December 1919 * ''Fuel and Power''.

, March 1920 * ''The Fuel Problem and the Near Future''. Tambellup Times, 14 April 1920 * ''The Wireless Telephone and the Development of Modern Communications''.

, June 1920 * ''Irish Secret Societies''. The Bookman, November 1922 * ''Slovak Peasant Art'', Illustrated Review, August 1923 * ''Railways of Czechoslovakia''. Railway Gazette, 14 December 1923 * ''Slovakia Past and Present''. Illustrated Review ot confirmed 1923 * ''Eastward through Czechoslovakia''. Illustrated Review ot confirmed 1923 * ''In the Land of the Ruthvenes''. Illustrated Review ot confirmed 1924 * ''Prelate Chancellor''.

Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...

, Date unknown. Reprinted: Otago Daily Times, 6 August 1924 * ''The Hungarian Forgeries''.

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper Sunday editions, published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group, Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. ...

, 7 February 1926

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Street, Cecil 1884 births 1964 deaths 20th-century British novelists British Army personnel of World War I British military personnel of the Irish War of Independence English mystery writers English writers Members of the Detection Club Recipients of the Military Cross Royal Artillery officers 20th-century pseudonymous writers