A FORGOTTEN author once donned the ‘Queen of the Detective Novel’ is being rediscovered after her books were republished.

Dorothy Bowers, who lived in Monmouth, published five acclaimed novels before her untimely death from tuberculosis aged 46 in 1948.

But a mystery remains – what she looked like – as no known photo of her has been found.

Critics and fans acclaimed her as the natural successor to Dorothy L Sayers, before her early death saw her work go out of print and forgotten.

But after being included in a UK national paper’s list of must-read forgotten writers, Moonstone Press republished her books.

Her fourth book – Fear for Miss Betony – was heralded by the Times Literary Supplement as the best mystery novel of 1941.

And a Moonstone spokesperson said: “Despite being the only author inducted into the prestigious Detection Club in 1948, and seen by many contemporary critics as the logical successor to Dorothy L Sayers, Dorothy Bowers’ early death resulted in her books becoming out of print for decades. We are delighted to reissue them.”

The Detection Club was formed by a group of ‘Golden Age’ mystery writers, including Agatha Christie and GK Chesterton.

Bowers, whose family lived in Westbury House, Dixton Road, was born in 1902 in Leominster and moved to Monmouth aged one when her father set up a bakery in Agincourt Square.

She attended Monmouth School for Girls and alongside her sister Evelyn became one of the first women to win a place at Oxford University, where she graduated in Modern History.

After working as a history and English teacher, and supplementing her income compiling crossword puzzles for Country Life under the pseudonym “Daedalus”, she started writing in the 1930s.

Her first novel, Postscript to Poison – the first of her four Inspector Pardoe mysteries – was published in 1938, followed by Shadows Before (1939), Deed Without a Name (1940) and Fear For Miss Betony (1941).

The Times praised the award-winning fourth novel by saying: “Every page bears witness to a brain of uncommon powers.”

Her final book, The Bells at Old Bailey, was published a year before her death in 1947.

Moonstone say her books are “intricately plotted affairs, with the clues freely (but subtly) sprinkled throughout the story. Aside from good plots, Bowers also depicts her characters, no matter how insignificant their role, with great care.

“As well as being brilliant reads, these novels bring to life 1930s and 40s life, with thoughtful descriptions of provincial England and the war years.”

Writing in The Independent in its Forgotten Authors series, modern critic Christopher Fowler described her as “one of the most skilful wielders of the red herring”.

The outbreak of war saw Bowers travel to London to work in the European News Service of the BBC.

But she still had her home in Monmouth, with an evacuee recalling how she was taken in at Dixton Road after arriving from Ilford at Monmouth’s May Hill Station, and forming a friendship with ‘Aunty Dorothy’.

Rita Doughty, who arrived aged eight, also recalled getting her to autograph her friends’ books for her.

All five novels are available from https://moonstonepress.co.uk/dorothy-bowers/ and anyone who might have a photo should contact [email protected]