Henry Christopher Bailey (1 February 1878 – 24 March 1961) was an English author of detective fiction. Life Bailey was born in London. He studied Classics at Oxford University, earning a B.A. in 1901. Bailey began working as a journalist for The Daily Telegraph, writing war journalism, drama reviews, and editorials for the newspaper. In 1908, Bailey married Lydia Haden Janet Guest (d. 1971). They had two daughters, Betty Lydia Bennett (nee Bailey; d. 1972) and Mary Dorothy Bailey. Bailey retired from writing in 1950, and spent the last years of his life living in North Wales. He died on 24 March 1961, aged 83, in Llanfairfechan. His estate was valued at £14991 7s. 7d., and his widow was the sole heir. Fiction Bailey wrote mainly short stories featuring a medically qualified detective called Reggie Fortune (a surgeon, hence he is known as 'Mr Fortune'). Fortune's mannerisms and speech put him into the same class as Lord Peter Wimsey but the stories are much darker, and often involve murderous obsession, police corruption, financial skulduggery, child abuse and miscarriages of justice. Although Mr Fortune is seen at his best in short stories, he also appears in several novels. A second series character, Joshua Clunk, is a sanctimonious lawyer who exposes corruption and blackmail in local politics, and who manages to profit from the crimes. He appears in eleven novels published between 1930 and 1950, including The Sullen Sky Mystery (1935), widely regarded as Bailey's magnum opus. Bailey also wrote historical fiction. His first historical novel, My Lady of Orange (1901) revolves around William the Silent, and his involvement in the Dutch Revolt. Bailey's works were published in a number of magazines, primarily The Windsor Magazine and Adventure and reprinted in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. Works Romantic and historic fiction My Lady of Orange (1901). Serialised, Longman's Magazine, December 1900 to May 1901 Karl of Erbach (1903). Serialised as Prince Karl, Longman's Magazine, July 1992 to March 1903 The Master of Gray (1903) Rimingtons (1904) Beaujeu (1905). Serialised, Monthly Review, UNKNOWN MONTH to UNKNOWN MONTH 1905 Under Castle Walls (1906), aka Springtime. Serialised as "Springtime", The Idler, April to November 1906 Raoul, a Gentleman of Fortune (1907), aka A Gentleman of Fortune: Serialised, Pall Mall Magazine, May to December 1906 The God of Clay (1908): Serialised, Pall Mall Magazine, January to December 1907 Colonel Stow (1908) Storm and Treasure (1910) The Lonely