Photo: Murray/Fairfax Media via Getty Images (1960)
Sample of authors
Marsh, Ngaio
The New Zealand author Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh was born in Merivale, Christchurch. Her father was an immigrant English bank manager and her mother was born in New Zealand, although her family too originally came from England. Ngaio is the Maori word for "reflection on water". A somewhat eccentric and confused man, Marsh's father did not report his daughter's birth to the authorities until 1900,...
Literary figures
Lew Archer
Gender: Male
He began his careers within the police, but he was too honest for his job, so he became a private investigator in Los Angeles instead. Ross Macdonald’s sympathetic, intelligent and sensitive protagonist, Lew Archer, is one of the best-known characters within the hard-boiled crime genre. He often helps young people that have got into trouble, and he engages in cultural activities in his spare time.