author
Edward H. (Edward Henry) Smith
1881–1927
Known for lively true-crime writing from the 1920s, this author turned swindles, poison cases, and unexplained disappearances into brisk, readable investigations. His books still feel vivid because they focus as much on human behavior as on the crimes themselves.
1 Audiobook
Mysteries of the missing
by Edward H. (Edward Henry) Smith
About the author
Edward H. Smith, short for Edward Henry Smith, was an American writer born in 1881 and died in 1927. He is best known today for nonfiction books such as Confessions of a Confidence Man: A Handbook for Suckers, Famous American Poison Mysteries, and Mysteries of the Missing.
His work centered on crime, deception, and puzzling cases, with a style aimed at general readers rather than specialists. The surviving records I could confirm point mainly to his published books and library catalog entries, so biographical details about his personal life are limited.
What makes his writing stand out is its direct, curious approach to the darker corners of everyday life. He wrote about con artists, poisonings, and vanishings in a way that mixed warning, storytelling, and social observation, which helps explain why readers still return to his books.