Stuart Palmer books

Anthologies

Collections

Hildegarde Withers Reading Order

Howie Rook Mystery Reading Order

Stuart Palmer (1905-1968) was an American mystery writer born in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Before becoming a published author, he worked a string of odd jobs including apple picking, journalism, and advertising copywriting. His first novel, the crime drama Ace of Jades, came out in 1931, the same year he published The Penguin Pool Murder, which introduced his most famous character, schoolteacher-detective Hildegarde Withers.

The Hildegarde Withers series ran for over three decades and produced fourteen novels, plus short stories that appeared in mystery magazines. Several of the books were adapted into films by RKO Pictures in the 1930s, with Edna May Oliver playing Miss Withers on screen. Palmer also collaborated with fellow mystery writer Craig Rice on stories that paired Hildegarde Withers with Rice’s character John J. Malone. Outside the Withers books, Palmer wrote two novels about Howie Rook, a retired newspaperman with a knack for stumbling into murder cases.

Palmer served as a Lieutenant in the 482nd Bombardment Group during World War II and later served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America. He also wrote under the pen names Theodore Orchards and Jay Stewart. He spent much of his career in Hollywood, where he worked as a screenwriter in addition to his fiction writing.