Crofts, Freeman Wills (1879–1957)

Irish writer of detective fiction. Crofts was born in Dublin, and worked on the railways before taking up writing. Among his 35 novels, most of which feature the character Inspector (later Superintendent) French of Scotland Yard, are Inspector French's Greatest Case (1925), The Starvel Tragedy (1927), and The Hog's Back Mystery (1933).

Crofts gave up his career as chief assistant engineer on the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway in 1929 in order to concentrate on his writing and later moved to England. His novels enjoyed widespread popularity, and were noted for their meticulous plotting and attention to detail.