Catherine Louisa Pirkis

Born in 1839, Catherine Louisa Pirkis was a British writer who published fiction and sometimes used the name C. L. Pirkis. She is now especially remembered for The Experiences of Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective (1894), a collection that helped establish one of the first recurring women detectives in English fiction.

Pirkis wrote in several popular Victorian forms, including mystery and sensation fiction. Alongside her literary work, she was active in animal welfare and is associated with efforts that led to the founding of what became the National Canine Defence League, showing that her public life reached well beyond the page.

She died in 1910, but her reputation has grown again as readers and scholars have taken fresh interest in early detective fiction by women. Today, she stands out both for creating a sharp, professional female investigator and for linking a writing career with committed social action.