author
R. A. J. (Robert Alfred John) Walling
1869–1949
A longtime newspaperman who turned to fiction later in life, he became known for brisk, cleverly constructed detective stories. His best-known books follow the polished sleuth Philip Tolefree through classic Golden Age puzzles.
1 Audiobook
George Borrow, the Man and His Work
by R. A. J. (Robert Alfred John) Walling
About the author
Born in Exeter on January 11, 1869, Robert Alfred John Walling was an English journalist and author who published as R. A. J. Walling. He worked for the Western Daily Mercury in Plymouth and built a substantial career in newspapers before becoming widely known as a writer of detective fiction.
Walling came to crime writing relatively late. His first novel appeared in 1927, and in 1932 he introduced Philip Tolefree, the smooth, well-connected investigator who became his recurring sleuth. Tolefree is often linked to insurance work, but the appeal of the books lies in their witty, well-bred style and their neatly worked-out mysteries.
He is now remembered as a solid and enjoyable British Golden Age crime writer. Walling died in Plympton on September 4, 1949.