Sir Henry Merrivale is a fictional amateur

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...

created by "Carter Dickson", a

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

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 ...

(1906–1977). Also known as "the Old Man," by his initials "H. M." (a

pun A pun, also known as a paronomasia in the context of linguistics, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from t ...

on "His Majesty"), or "the Maestro", Merrivale appears in 22 of Carr's

locked-room mysteries The "locked-room" or "impossible crime" mystery is a type of crime seen in crime and detective fiction. The crime in question, typically murder ("locked-room murder"), is committed in circumstances under which it appeared impossible for the perp ...

and "impossible crime" novels of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, as well as in two short stories.

Character

Merrivale is a fairly serious character in the early novels but is more of a comic figure in the later books, sometimes bordering on the grotesque. Much of the humor surrounding the character derives from his outbursts of temper and his absurdly colourful language. When first introduced as a character, he is described as an older man nearing retirement. In later works, he talks explicitly about his age. In the 1940 novel ''And So to Murder'', set in late 1939, Merrivale refers to himself as being almost 70. In the 1941 novel ''Seeing is Believing'', while dictating his memoirs, he even gives his date of birth, February 6, 1871, which is consistent with his earlier comment. But his age becomes more ambiguous in subsequent novels. In the final books in the series, when he theoretically would be in his 80s, there's no indication that he has been slowed by the years. He is a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

and a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

– in '' The Judas Window'' he actually appears for the defence in court in a murder case – and he holds a medical degree. He has a number of other talents, including stage magic, disguise and a vast knowledge of the history of crime. Merrivale occasionally mentions his family — a wife, two daughters and (late in the series) two sons-in-law. With his characteristically comic gruffness, he is inclined to complain about the trouble these relations give him, but none of them appear in any of the books or stories. Due to the nebulous government position he holds and his eccentric personality, he is thought to have been partially based on

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

Appearances

#''

The Plague Court Murders ''The Plague Court Murders'' is a mystery novel by the American writer John Dickson Carr, who wrote it under the name of Carter Dickson. The first Sir Henry Merrivale mystery, it is a locked room mystery of the subtype known as an "impossible c ...

'' - 1934 #'' The White Priory Murders'' - 1934 #'' The Red Widow Murders'' - 1935 #'' The Unicorn Murders'' - 1935 #'' The Punch and Judy Murders'' - 1936 (UK title: ''The Magic Lantern Murders'') #'' The Ten Teacups'' - 1937 (US title: ''The Peacock Feather Murders'') #'' The Judas Window'' - 1938 (alternate US paperback title: ''The Crossbow Murder'') #'' Death in Five Boxes'' - 1938 #'' The Reader is Warned'' - 1939 #'' And So To Murder'' - 1940 #'' Murder in The Submarine Zone'' - 1940 (US title: ''Nine - And Death Makes Ten'', also published as ''Murder in the Atlantic'') #'' Seeing is Believing'' - 1941 (alternate UK paperback title: ''Cross of Murder'') #'' The Gilded Man'' - 1942 (alternate US paperback title: ''Death and The Gilded Man'') #'' She Died A Lady'' - 1943 #'' He Wouldn't Kill Patience'' - 1944 #'' The Curse of the Bronze Lamp'' - 1945 (UK title: ''Lord of the Sorcerers'', 1946) #'' My Late Wives'' - 1946 #'' The Skeleton in the Clock'' - 1948 #'' A Graveyard To Let'' - 1949 #'' Night at the Mocking Widow'' - 1950 #'' Behind the Crimson Blind'' - 1952 #'' The Cavalier's Cup'' - 1953

In other media

HM appeared in "Death in the Dressing Room", an episode of the radio anthology series ''Murder Clinic''.

Roland Winters Roland Winters (born Roland Winternitz; November 22, 1904 – October 22, 1989)DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 287. was an Ame ...

played the part. '' And So to Murder'' and '' The Judas Window'' were adapted for the BBC anthology series ''

Detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...

''. Merrivale was played by

Martin Wyldeck Martin Wyldeck (11 January 1914 – 29 April 1988) was an English actor who played a wide range of parts over many years on stage, screen and TV. He also appeared in the first episode of the TV series ''Fawlty Towers'', as Sir Richard Morris. Se ...

and David Horne respectively. '' He Wouldn't Kill Patience'' was adapted for the

BBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4. History 1922–1939: Interwar period Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...

in 1959, with

Felix Felton Robert Forbes Felton (12 August 1911 – 21 October 1972), known professionally as Felix Felton, was a British film, television, stage and voice actor as well as a radio director, composer and author. Radio work In his earlier years Felton cons ...

portraying Sir Henry. In Anthony Shaffer's play '' Sleuth'', mystery writer Andrew Wyke's most famous character is an aristocratic detective named St. John, Lord Merridew. This character was inspired by Sir Henry Merrivale, and the character of Wyke was inspired by Carr.

References

External links

Appraisal of all the HM books

John Dickson Carr
at Books and Writers Literary characters introduced in 1934 Characters of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction Fictional amateur detectives Fictional British detectives Novel series John Dickson Carr characters {{novel-char-stub