The name Michael Innes is synonymous with the witty, academic crime novel beloved in the British tradition of mystery fiction. His Inspector Appleby series, which was published over half a century, set a standard for decades and earned for its author a singular place in the annals of the genre. Starting out at the tail end of the "Golden Age" of crime writing in the 1930s, Innes, the pen name of J. I. M. Stewart, crafted among the best of the old-style, densely plotted detective stories. Throughout the years of his career his mysteries continued the British countertradition to the American hard-boiled crime story. Although perhaps less well known in the United States, the crime novels of Michael Innes remain enjoyable and instructive. Critical reviews have included such descriptive terms as "mischievous," "donnish," "fantastical," "bookish," "mannered," "whimsical," "extravagant," "operatic," "idiosyncratic," and "very very English."

Michael Innes was born...