author
Herman Landon
1882–1960
Best known for fast-moving detective fiction, this Swedish-born American writer created the Gray Phantom adventures and built stories full of theatrical crime, mystery, and suspense. His work also reached early film, giving his career an extra dash of old-Hollywood intrigue.
4 Audiobooks
The Gray Phantom
by Herman Landon
The Gray Phantom's Return
by Herman Landon
The seventh shot : A detective story
by Herman Landon
The unknown seven : A detective story
by Herman Landon
About the author
Born in Stockholm on May 7, 1882, Herman Landon became an American writer of detective and mystery fiction. He is remembered especially for the Gray Phantom series, with surviving reference sources also identifying him as a crime novelist and short-story writer.
Landon's fiction has stayed visible through public-domain editions of books such as The Gray Phantom, The Gray Phantom's Return, The Unknown Seven, and The Seventh Shot. Some sources also note that he worked for the Washington Herald, suggesting a background in journalism that fits the brisk, plot-driven style of his stories.
His career also touched early screenwriting, with film credits attached to titles from the 1920s and early 1930s. Landon died in New York City on March 24, 1960, leaving behind a body of popular mystery fiction that still appeals to readers who enjoy classic detectives, masked figures, and neatly coiled plots.