This universally acclaimed debut by Lathen (a pseudonym for the writing team of Mary J. Latsis and Martha Henissart) introduced mystery fans to amateur sleuth/Wall Street banker John Putnam Thatcher. Newsweek describes Lathen as "a master plotter, an elegant stylist, a comic genius and a purist who never sacrifices logic for surprise effect."
Emma Lathen is the pen name of two American businesswomen: an attorney Mary Jane Latsis (July 12, 1927 -October 29, 1997) and an economic analyst Martha Henissart (b. 1929),who received her B.A. in physics from Mount Holyoke College in 1950.
