J. J. Connington

Alfred Walter Stewart (1880–1947), writing as J. J. Connington, was a distinguished chemist and a prolific author of detective novels. Born in Glasgow, he studied at the University of Glasgow and later became a professor of chemistry at Queen's University Belfast. His scientific background informed the meticulous plotting and logical rigor of his mysteries. Connington created the gentleman detective Sir Clinton Driffield, who appears in many of his works, including Murder in the Maze and The Case with Nine Solutions. He also wrote the science fiction novel Nordenholt's Million, a prescient tale of ecological collapse. Connington's novels are noted for their fair-play puzzles and complex solutions, earning him a respected place among Golden Age detective writers. His legacy endures as a master of the intellectual mystery, though his works are less widely read today.