Fletcher Flora was born in Parsons in 1914. He received an associate’s degree at Pittsburg State University, a bachelor’s degree at Kansas State College and did graduate work at the University of Kansas. He and Betty Ogden married in 1940. Betty became a librarian, and they had three children, Harrison, Timothy and Susan. Fletcher taught high school English and history, coached basketball and track, and served as assistant county clerk in Fulton County, Missouri, until he was drafted into the U.S Army in 1943. He served in the 32nd Infantry Division in New Guinea, Leyte, and Luzon. After being honorably discharged in 1945, he became an Education Advisor of the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Leavenworth, Kansas until 1963.

Flora began writing soon after returning from World War II. His crime and mystery short stories and novels were published in magazines like Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Mr., Cosmopolitan, and in Alfred Hitchcock’s mystery anthologies. He received the Cock Robin Mystery Award for his first hard cover novel, Killing Cousins, in 1960. Flora wrote over 150 short stories and 13 novels during his writing career. Three of his works are published under the house name Ellery Queen. Timothy Harrison was also a pseudonym for his Hot Summer.

-University of Kansas; Kenneth Spencer Research Library

Return to Top of Page

Books:

• Lysistrata (Wildside Press, 2016)
• The Brass Bed (Wildside Press, 2016)
• The Hot-Shot (Wildside Press, 2016)
• First Golden Age of Mystery & Crime (Wildside Press, 2015)
• The Lesbian Pulp Megapack (Wildside Press, 2015)
• The Irrepressible Peccadillo (Wildside Press, 2015)
• Desperate Asylum (Wildside Press, 2015)
• Leave Her To Hell (Prologue Books, 2012)
• Skulldoggery (Prologue Books, 2012)
• The Seducer (Prologue Books, 2012)
• Park Avenue Tramp (Prologue Books, 2011)
• Killing Cousins (Prologue Books, 2011)
• Wake Up With A Stranger (Prologue Books, 2011)
• Heels Are For Hating(Wonder Publishing, 2010)
• Tune Me In (Dell, 1978)
• Campus Woman (Horwitz, 1965)
• Most Likely To Love (Monarch Books, 1960)
• Strange Sisters (Pyramid Books, 1960)
• Take Me Home (Monarch Books, Inc., 1959)
• Let Me Kill You Sweetheart (Avon, 1958)
• Whispers of the Flesh (New American Library, 1958)
• Whisper of Love (Pyramid Books, 1955)

As 'Ellery Queen'

• The Golden Goose (Pocket Books, 1964) aka Who Killed the Golden Goose?
• Blow Hot, Blow Cold (Pocket Books, 1964)
• The Devil's Cook (Pocket Books, 1966)

Return to Top of Page

      It was such a little revolver, hardly more than a toy, and she was, moreover, such a bad shot, that it was a kind of miracle that she should have hit hm at all, let alone in a vital place.  It was purely by chance, in fact, that she did.  It must have been his heart, the vital place, for there was a little hole in his shirt just over the place where his heart probably was.  She walked over and looked down at him, but did not touch him, and she was certain that he was dead.  It was incredible that Howard should simply be dead so suddenly, something she could not immediately adjust to.

---from Killing Cousins (first published by Macmillan in 1960)

Guide to Fletcher Flora Personal Papers Collection at KU

Stop You're Killng Me Website

Irresistable Targets Blogspot

Return to Top of Page