Melville Davisson Post

Melville Davisson Post
Melville Davisson Post (1869–1930) was an American author known for his mystery and detective stories, particularly his creation of the character Uncle Abner, a Virginia backwoodsman who solves crimes through moral reasoning. His most famous works include the "Uncle Abner" series and the short story collection "The Strange Schemes of Randolph Mason." Post's writing blends legal insight, religious themes, and the rural life of West Virginia, where he was born and raised. He is considered a pioneer in American detective fiction, and his stories often feature complex ethical dilemmas.

Author's Books:


I. The Thing on the Hearth "THE first confirmatory evidence of the thing, Excellency, was the print of a woman's bare foot." He was an immense creature. He sat in an upright chair that seemed to have been provided especially for him. The great bulk of him flowed out and filled the chair. It did not seem to be fat that enveloped him. It seemed rather to be some soft, tough fiber, like the... more...

THE OCTOBER LAND I sat on the ground with my youthful legs tucked under me, and the bridle rein of El Mahdi over my arm, while I hammered a copper rivet into my broken stirrup strap. A little farther down the ridge Jud was idly swinging his great driving whip in long, snaky coils, flicking now a dry branch, and now a red autumn leaf from the clay road. The slim buckskin lash would dart out hissing,... more...