Lee Thayer is a pseudonym for Emma Redington Thayer (1874–1973). Thayer studied art and design and worked notably as an interior decorator. She was a prolific American writer of the twentieth century, writing over sixty mystery novels starring Peter Clancy, a well-mannered private investigator. She introduced Clancy in her first murder mystery, The Mystery of the Thirteenth Floor, published in 1919. She is noted for writing engaging stories that are devoid of violent or sexual content.
