E. C. Bentley

Edmund Clerihew Bentley (1875–1956) was an English journalist, poet, and novelist. He is most famous for his 1913 detective novel "Trent's Last Case," which revolutionized the genre by presenting a detective, Philip Trent, who makes mistakes and relies on intuition rather than infallible logic. The book is widely regarded as a landmark in the development of the modern mystery novel, influencing later writers such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. Bentley also invented the "clerihew," a whimsical four-line biographical poem form. He worked as a journalist for the Daily Telegraph and other papers. His literary legacy rests on his innovative approach to detective fiction, blending wit, realism, and psychological depth.