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.William L. DeAndrea, Encyclopedia Mysteriosa : a comprehensive guide to the art of detection in print, film, radio, and television. New York, Prentice Hall General Reference, 1994. (pp 15-16) 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.Jonathan Nield, A Guide to the Best Historical Novels and Tales. London, E. Mathews & Marrot, 1929 (p.51).
Bailey's works were published in a number of magazines, primarily The Windsor Magazine and Adventure"Forgotten Giant: Hoffman’s Adventure" by Richard Bleiler. Purple Prose Magazine, November 1998, pp. 3–12. 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 Lady (1911) The Suburban (1912) The Sea Captain (1913) Serialized, The Grand Magazine, January to December 1912.; and in Adventure, September 1911 to January 1913 The Gentleman Adventurer (1914) The Highwayman (1915) The Gamesters (1916) The Young Lovers (1917) The Pillar of Fire (1918) Barry Leroy (1919) His Serene Highness (1920) The Fool (1921); serialised, Everybody's Magazine, June to September 1921. Historical novel about Henry II of England"In "The Fool" ,(Methuen and Co.) Mr. H. C. Bailey has presented to his readers a wonderfully fine portrait of England in the confusion of the twelfth century, when Stephen and Henry of Anjou fought for supremacy, and, later, during the rule of Henry." "Review of The Fool by H.C. Bailey". The Queenslander, 4 Feb 1922 (p.3) The Plot (1922) The Rebel (1923) Knight at Arms (1924) Historical novel set in the time of Charles VIII of France"Mr. Bailey has written a wide variety of stories, including several detective yarns far above the average. This time he has given us a romance of chivalry, set in an age when chivalry was passing away....The background of the story is the richly-colored, turbulent life of the Court of Charles VIII." "Review of Knight At Arms". The World's News 18 Oct 1924 (p.12) The Golden Fleece (1925) The Merchant Prince (1926) Bonaventure (1927) Judy Bovenden (1928). Serialised, Daily Telegraph, 3 August 1928 to 13 September 1928 The Roman Eagles (1929), juvenile Mr Cardonnel (1931)
Detective fiction Call Mr Fortune (1920), short stories collection "The Archduke's Tea" (Boston Tribune, 15 May 1921) "The Sleeping Companion" (Boston Tribune, 22 May 1921) "The Nice Girl" (Boston Tribune, 29 May 1921) "The Efficient Assassin" (Boston Tribune, 5 June 1921) "The Hottentot Venus" (Boston Tribune, 12 June 1921) "The Business Minister" (Boston Tribune, 19 and 26 June 1921) Mr Fortune's Practice (1923), short stories collection "The Ascot Tragedy" (People's Magazine, 1 May 1923) "The President of San Jacinto" (People's Magazine, 1 February 1923, as 'The President of San Isidro') "The Young Doctor" "The Magic Stone" (People's Magazine, 1 January 1923) "The Snowball Burglary" (People's Magazine, 15 January 1923) "The Leading Lady" (People's Magazine, 1 April 1923, as 'The Vanishing Lady') "The Unknown Murderer" (People's Magazine, 1 March 1923) Mr Fortune's Trials (1925), short stories collection "The Young God" (London Magazine, August 1924; Washington Star, 1 August 1926) "The Only Son" (London Magazine, November 1924; Flynn's, 7 March 1925) "The Furnished Cottage" (London Magazine, December 1924; Flynn's, 21 March 1925) "The Hermit Crab" (London Magazine, October 1924; Flynn's, 21 February 1925) "The Long Barrow" (London Magazine, January 1925; Washington Star, 19 September 1926) "The Profiteers" (London Magazine, September 1924; Washington Star, 3 October 1926) Mr Fortune, Please (1928), short stories collection "The Missing Husband" (Flynn's Weekly, 18 September 1926) "The Cat Burglar" (Flynn's Weekly, 6 November 1926) "The Lion Party" (Flynn's Weekly, 2 October 1926) "The Violet Farm" (Flynn's Weekly, 22 January 1927) "The Quiet Lady" (Flynn's Weekly, 16 October 1926) "The Little House" (Flynn's Weekly, 9 October 1926) Mr Fortune Speaking (1929), short stories collection "Zodiacs" (Flynn's Weekly Detective Fiction, 19 November 1927, as 'Zodiacs'; Windsor Magazine, May 1928) "The Cat's Milk" (Windsor Magazine, October 1928) "The Pink Macaw" (Flynn's Weekly Detective Fiction, 4 February 1928; Windsor Magazine, August 1928) "The Hazel Ice" (Flynn's Weekly Detective Fiction, 10 December 1927; Windsor Magazine, September 1928) "The Painted Pebbles" (Flynn's Weekly Detective Fiction, 26 November 1927; Windsor Magazine, June 1928) "The Woman in Wood" (Flynn's Weekly Detective Fiction, 17 March 1928) "The German Song" (Windsor Magazine, November 1928) "The Lion Fish" (Flynn's Weekly Detective Fiction, 12 November 1927; Windsor Magazine, April 1928) Garstons / The Garston Murder Case (1930; Clunk) Mr Fortune Explains (1930), short stories collection "The Picnic" (Windsor Magazine, May 1929) "The Little Milliner" (Windsor Magazine, June 1929) "The Wedding Ring" (Windsor Magazine, February 1930) "The Football Photograph" (The Delineator, 1 July 1929; (Windsor Magazine, September 1929) "The Rock Garden" (Windsor Magazine, January 1930; The Delineator, January 1930) "The Silver Cross" (Windsor Magazine, November 1929; The Delineator, February 1930) "The Bicycle Lamp" (Windsor Magazine, December 1929) "The Face in the Picture" (Windsor Magazine, July 1929) Case for Mr Fortune (1932), short stories collection "The Greek Play" (Winnipeg Tribune, 27 September 1930; Windsor Magazine, October 1931) "The Mountain Meadow" (Windsor Magazine, January 1932) "The Pair of Spectacles" (Windsor Magazine, September 1931) "A Bunch of Grapes" (Windsor Magazine, November 1931; The Delineator, November 1931) "The Sported Oak" (Windsor Magazine, April 1932) "The Oak Gall" (Windsor Magazine, May 1932) "The Little Dog" (Windsor Magazine, March 1932 as "The Small Dog") "The Walrus Ivory" (Windsor Magazine, February 1932; The Delineator, February 1932) The Red Castle / The Red Castle Mystery (1932; Clunk) The Man in the Cape (1933) Mr Fortune Wonders (1933), short stories collection "The Cigarette Case" (Windsor Magazine, May 1933; The Delineator, May 1933, as "The Mystery of the Missing Cigarettes") "The Yellow Diamonds" (Windsor Magazine, June 1933) "The Lilies of St. Gabriel's" (Windsor Magazine, August 1933) "The Gipsy Moth" (Windsor Magazine, October 1933; The Delineator, October 1933) "The Fairy Cycle" (Windsor Magazine, November 1933) "The Oleander Flowers" (Windsor Magazine, December 1933) "The Love Bird" (Windsor Magazine, September 1933) "The Old Bible" (Windsor Magazine, July 1933; The Delineator, July 1933) Shadow on the Wall (1934; Fortune, cameo by Clunk) Mr Fortune Objects (1935), short stories collection "The Broken Toad" (Windsor Magazine, October 1934) "The Angel's Eye" (Windsor Magazine, November 1934) "The Little Finger" (Windsor Magazine, December 1934) "The Three Bears" (Windsor Magazine, February 1935) "The Long Dinner" (Windsor Magazine, January 1935) "The Yellow Slugs" (Windsor Magazine, March 1935) The Sullen Sky Mystery (1935; Clunk) A Clue for Mr Fortune (1936), short stories collection "The Torn Stocking" (Windsor Magazine, March 1936) "The Swimming Pool" (Windsor Magazine, April 1936) "The Hole in the Parchment" (Windsor Magazine, May 1936) "The Holy Well" (Windsor Magazine, June 1936) "The Wistful Goddess" (Windsor Magazine, August 1936) "The Dead Leaves" (Windsor Magazine, July 1936) Black Land, White Land (1937; Fortune) Clunk's Claimant / The Twittering Bird Mystery (1937; Clunk, cameo by Fortune) This is Mr Fortune (1938), short stories collection "The Yellow Cloth" (Windsor Magazine, April 1938) "The Children's Home" (Windsor Magazine, August 1938) "The Lizard's Tail" (Windsor Magazine, May 1938) "The Cowslip Ball" (Windsor Magazine, June 1938) "The Burnt Tout" (Windsor Magazine, July 1938) "The Key of the Door" (Windsor Magazine, September 1938) The Great Game (1939; Fortune, cameo by Clunk) The Veron Mystery / Mr Clunk's Text (1939; Clunk, cameo by Fortune) Mr Fortune Here (1940), short stories collection "The Bottle Party" (Strand Magazine, October 1939) "The Primrose Petals" (Strand Magazine, April 1940) "The Spider's Web" (Strand Magazine, November 1939) "The Fight for the Crown" "The Point of the Knife" (Strand Magazine, March 1940) "The Gilded Girls" "The Brown Paper" "The Blue Paint" (Strand Magazine, February 1940) "The Bird in the Cellar" The Bishop's Crime (1940; Fortune) The Little Captain / Orphan Ann (1941; Clunk) No Murder / The Apprehensive Dog (1942; Fortune) Dead Man's Shoes / Nobody's Vineyard (1942; Clunk) Mr Fortune Finds a Pig (1943; Fortune) Slippery Ann / The Queen of Spades (1944; Clunk) Dead Man's Effects / The Cat's Whisker (1945; Fortune) The Wrong Man (1946; Clunk) The Life Sentence (1946; Fortune) Honour Among Thieves (1947; Clunk) Saving a Rope / Save a Rope (1948; Fortune) Shrouded Death (1950; Clunk)
Other books Forty Years After (1914) with WL Courtney
Other Mr Fortune short stories See Radio plays and talks also TITLE UNKNOWN. Windsor Magazine, December 1931 The Thistle Down. The Queen's Book of the Red Cross (1939). Published in Bodies from the Library 5, ed. Tony Medawar (HarperCollins, 2021).
Uncollected non-series short stories
Dolly and Dick. Longman's Magazine, October 1901 The Knight of Mayford. Windsor Magazine, January 1902 The King's Way. Windsor Magazine, March 1903 Sir Albert's Fall. Windsor Magazine, July 1902 Dominique. Macmillan's Magazine, November 1902 The King's Way. Windsor Magazine, December 1902 The Nun of Newstead. Windsor Magazine, April 1903 The Torpedo Lieutenant. The Realm, March 1904 The Lone Hand. Windsor Magazine, May 1904 The Deplorable Princess. The Realm, July 1904