Mignon Eberhart

AKA: née Mignon Good

Born 1899-07-06 University Place (now Lincoln), NE (USA)

Died 1996-10-08
Greenwich, CT (USA)

Buried
Long Island, NY (USA)
Buried next to her husband, Alonson Eberhart, in Long Island National Cemetery

At the height of her career, Eberhart was America's most prolific and most celebrated female mystery writer. She published 59 mystery novels and many short stories over a writing career that spanned 60 years. She was honored as a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America, and served as the organization's President. Eberhart's famous fans included Gertrude Stein and President Harry Truman.
According to Gertrude Stein, no one could create suspense nor capture a scene like Mignon G. Eberhart.

Her books have been translated into 16 languages and at least 7 have been made into movies; many were serialized in magazines. She wrote her first three novels while residing in Valentine, Nebraska. The Mystery of Hunting's End, set in the Sandhills, was dramatized at Nebraska Wesleyan in 1933.

Families of both of Eberhart's parents pioneered in Nebraska while it was still a territory. She is buried in Long Island National Cemetery next to her husband, Alanson Eberhart.

The Heritage Room owns all copies of Eberhart's published books except Great Hospital Mystery, 1937 and Stranger in Flight, 1940. The Alpha Gamma Delta sorority at Nebraska Wesleyan, to which Eberhart belonged, is said to own a complete set of her novels. Her leading biographer Rick Cypert teaches at Nebraska Wesleyan.

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Places Lived

Lincoln, NE
Chicago, IL
Valentine, NE
New York, NY
Stamford, CT
New Canaan, CT
FRANCE
Washington, D.C.
Nevada
New Jersey
Greenwich, CT

Author Of

Fiction
Play/Screenplay

Keywords

Mystery fiction; short stories; plays

Education

Attended Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE, 1917-1920
Honorary Ph.D., 1935, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE

Occupation

Library Assistant, Lincoln City Libraries, Lincoln, NE
Mystery Author

Places Worked

Worked at the Lincoln City Library, Lincoln, NE

Honors

Second novel awarded Scotland Yard Prize, 1930
Honorary Doctorate from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1935
Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award for sustained excellence, 1971
President of Mystery Writers of America in 1977
John H. Ames Reading Series, featuring Barbara Rix and Lila McVay discussing Eberhart, 16 November 1995
Nebraska Wesleyan University display including a complete set of all of Eberhart's 59 mystery novels, 2000
John H. Ames Reading Series, featuring Eberhart biographyer Rick Cypert, September 2010
Nebraska 150 Books Honor for The Patient in Room 18, 2017
"The Mystery of Hunting's End" selected as the 2023 One Book Nebraska title

Associations

Member of Alpha Gamma Delta at Nebraska Wesleyan University

Bibliography

The Patient in Room 18. 1929.
While the Patient Slept. 1930.
Mystery of Hunting's End. 1930.
From This Dark Stairway. 1931.
Murder By an Aristocrat. 1932.
Dark Garden. 1933.
White Cockatoo. 1933.
The Cases of Susan Dare. 1934.
House on the Roof. 1935.
Danger in the Dark. 1936.
Fair Warning. 1936.
Great Hospital Mystery. 1937.
The Pattern. 1937.
Glass Slipper. 1938.
Hasty Wedding. 1938.
Deadly is the Diamond. 1938.
320 College Avenue: A Comedy in Three Acts. 1938. (with Fred Ballard)
Chiffon Scarf. 1939.
Stranger in Flight. 1940.
Hangman's Whip. 1940.
Speak No Evil. 1941.
With This Ring. 1941.
Deadly is the Diamond. 1942.
Wolf in Man's Clothing. 1942.
Unidentified Woman. 1943.
Man Next Door. 1943.
Escape the Night. 1944.
Wings of Fear. 1945.
White Dress. 1946.
Five Passengers From Lisbon. 1946.
Another Woman's House. 1947.
House of Storm. 1949.
Five of My Best. 1949.
Hunt With the Hounds. 1950.
Never Look Back. 1951.
Dead Men's Plans. 1952.
Unknown Quantity. 1953.
Man Missing. 1954.
Postmark Murder. 1956.
Another Man's Murder. 1957.
Deadly Is the Diamond: And Three Other Novelettes of Murder. 1958.
The Crimson Paw. 1959.
Melora. 1959.
Jury of One. 1960.
The Cup, the Blade or the Gun. 1961.
Enemy in the House. 1962.
Run Scared. 1963.
Call After Midnight. 1964.
RSVP Murder. 1965.
Witness at Large. 1966.
Woman on the Roof. 1967.
Message From Hong Kong. 1968.
El Rancho Rio. 1970.
Two Little Rich Girls. 1971.
The House by the sea. 1972.
Murder in Waiting. 1973.
Danger Money. 1974.
Family Fortune. 1976.
Nine O'Clock Tide. 1977.
The Bayou Road. 1979.
Casa Madrone. 1980.
Family Affair. 1981.
Next of Kin. 1982.
The Patient in Cabin C. 1983.
Alpine Condo Crossfire. 1984.
A Fighting Chance. 1986.
Three Days for Emeralds. 1988.
Mignon Eberhart's Best Mystery Stories. 1988.
Dead Yesterday and Other Stories. 2007.

Barbara Rix and Lila McVay presented a program on "The Works of Mignon Eberhart" at the November 1995 Ames Reading Series:

Eberhart biographer Rick Cypert spoke at the September 2010 Ames Reading Series:

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