Phoebe Atwood Taylor

   Phoebe Atwood Taylor was born in Boston and lived most of her life there. She attended Barnard College, married, and wrote mystery novels for twenty years. While there is little written about her, her books continue to be in demand by collectors and readers. Her first novel, The Cape Cod Mystery, introduced Cape Cod detective Asey Mayo as a former sailor who works at the assistant to the head of Porter Motors. His gossipy cousin, Jennie Mayo, is often the one who involves Asey in the mysteries. Taylor's books are contemporary to their time from the Depression through World War II, but Asey never seems to age or change out of his famous flannel shirt and corduroy pants. There are 24 Asey Mayo books, many  now out of print.
    Taylor wrote 8 novels as Alice Tilton. These books featured Leonidas Witherall, a Shakespeare look-alike, who is a former educator who secretly writes pulp fiction. This character had his own Mutual Radio mystery program called The Adventures of Leonidas Witherall.
      She was commissioned to write a novel for the 1939 World's Fair and wrote that  one book under the name of Freeman Dana.

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