author
Max Rittenberg
1880–1965
A prolific early 20th-century writer of detective and sensational fiction, he created unusual sleuths like the psychic Dr. Xavier Wycherley and Magnum, the "scientific consultant." His stories blend mystery with a lively interest in psychology, science, and suspense.
1 Audiobook
Swirling Waters
by Max Rittenberg
About the author
Born in 1880 and later associated with both Australia and Britain, Max Rittenberg built a brief but notably productive career as a popular storyteller in the early 1900s. Reference sources consistently describe him as a writer of detective and sensational fiction, and surviving bibliographic records show a steady stream of novels and story collections published in that era.
He is best remembered for inventive mystery characters, especially Dr. Xavier Wycherley, a mind-reader and psychic investigator, and Magnum, a detective with a scientific bent. Titles linked to his name include The Mind-Reader, The Invisible Bullet, and Every Man His Price, which suggest the mix of crime, deduction, and pulp-era excitement that runs through his work.
Records of his later life are thinner, but some literary reference sources note that he moved on from fiction into advertising and public relations. He died in 1965, leaving behind a body of work that still appeals to readers who enjoy vintage mysteries with unusual premises.