The Mystery of 31 New Inn

Richard Austin Freeman (1862–1943) was a British writer, author of detective stories about forensic investigator Dr. Thorndyke, a series of 22 novels and 40 short stories. Freeman claimed that he invented the inverted detective story—a direction in the detective genre where, unlike in the traditional detective, the criminal is known from the very beginning of the narrative. The author was a member of the Detective Club from the time of its founding in 1930.

Dr. John Evelyn Thorndyke is a fictional detective by profession (a doctor). He turned to forensic practice and became one of the first scientists of forensic medical examination. In investigations of murders, Thorndyke was often helped by his colleague Christopher Jervis (usually acting as the narrator) and by the ever-resourceful laboratory assistant Nathaniel Paulton. Unlike many other amateur detectives and private investigators, Thorndyke maintains good relations with the police, despite the fact that he proved their investigators wrong in many cases. Outwardly, Thorndyke is tall, athletically built, handsome, and intelligent. He has never been married and has no children.