Kay Cleaver Strahan

Kay Cleaver Strahan (January 4, 1888 – August 14, 1941) was an American writer of short stories and mystery novels. She created the character of the "crime analyst" Lynn McDonald.

Kay Cleaver Strahan
Kay Cleaver Strahan, 1936
Born(1888-01-04)January 4, 1888
La Grande, Oregon
DiedAugust 14, 1941(1941-08-14) (aged 53)
Portland, Oregon
OccupationAuthor
GenreMysteries and detective stories
Notable worksThe Desert Moon Mystery;
Footprints
Notable awardsThe Crime Club’s Scotland Yard Prize
SpouseWilliam Nicholas Strahan

Biography

Strahan was born in La Grande, Oregon,[1] on January 4, 1888, the daughter of Dr. Alonzo Cleaver and Laura Bryson.[2]

She moved to Portland, Oregon, in 1895.[2]

Strahan married William Nicholas Strahan.[2]

In 1918 she began writing, contributing short stories to Collier's, The American, Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, The Delineator, Munsey's, and others.[2]

A Few of the Eminent Women of Oregon, Sheba Hargreaves, Eva Emery Dye, Anne Shannon Monroe, Kay Cleaver Strahan, Edith Knight Hill (Marian Miller)

She was also a mystery murder novelist, among her books: Peggy Mary (1915), Something That Begins with "T" (1918), The Desert Moon Mystery (1927), Footprints (1929), Death Traps (1930), Three Kinds of Love (1931),[3] October House (1932), The Meriwether Mystery (1932), The Hobgoblin Murder (1934), The Desert Lake Mystery (1936).[2] She created the character of the "seasoned crime analyst" Lynn McDonald.[4][5] Her book Footprints won the Scotland Yard Prize for the best Mystery and Detective Story of the Year; the contest was held by The Crime Club and the winner received the prize of $2500 ($37,224 in 2019 dollars). The three Crime Club judges who chose Footprints were Will Cuppy, William Rose Benet and Grant Overton.[6][5] She used Oregon settings for much of her writing and generally provided a surprise ending.[7][8] Alice Hamilton wrote in her private letters that she was reading Strahan.[9]

She lived at 1084 Wilson St., Portland, Oregon.[2]

She died on August 14, 1941.[10]

References
  1. Wilkerson, Lyn (2003). American Trails Revisited: Following in the Footsteps of the Western Pioneers. iUniverse. p. 94. ISBN 9780595282623. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  2. Binheim, Max; Elvin, Charles A (1928). Women of the West; a series of biographical sketches of living eminent women in the eleven western states of the United States of America. Publishers Press. p. 164. Retrieved 25 January 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. "Denies Modern Girls are "Money Mad" - 23 Dec 1931, Wed • Main Edition • Page 18". Honolulu Star-Bulletin: 18. 1931. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  4. "Lynn MacDonald". The Thrilling Detective Web Site. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  5. "Strahan, Kay Cleaver". gadetection. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  6. Publishers Weekly, Volume 115, Part 1. F. Leypoldt. 1929. p. 323. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  7. "Kay Cleaver Strahan". Oregon State University. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  8. Barnett, Colleen (2009). Mystery Women: An Encyclopedia of Leading Women Characters in Mystery Fiction Vol.1 (1860-1979). ReadHowYouWant.com. p. 167. ISBN 9781459612327. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  9. Sicherman, Barbara (2003). Alice Hamilton: A Life in Letters. University of Illinois Press. p. 334. ISBN 9780252071522. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  10. "Kay Cleaver Strahan Funeral Monday - 16 Aug 1941, Sat • Page 7". Daily Capital Journal: 7. 1941. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
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