Cyril Hare

Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark (1900–1958), better known by his pen name Cyril Hare, was an English crime writer famed for his legal mysteries. Born in Mickleham, Surrey, Clark graduated with a degree in Classics from New College, Oxford, in 1924. He went on to be called to the Bar by the Middle Temple in 1926, setting the legal stage for the vivid and authentic courtroom dramas he would later encapsulate in his fiction. Clark worked as a judge's marshal, and then as a practicing barrister, specializing in patent cases, before being appointed as a county court judge. His career informed his writing, lending expertise and realism to his novels. 'Tragedy at Law' (1942) is perhaps his most celebrated work, often lauded for its wit and the meticulous construction of its plot, set against the backdrop of World War II England. The novel introduces the character Francis Pettigrew, an unsuccessful junior barrister who also features in other works by Clark. Cyril Hare's signature literary style marries his deep knowledge of the English legal system with a clever use of classic crime conventions, creating works that have been cherished by readers and critics alike for their intelligence, humor, and insight into British legal intricacies of his time.