Frances CraneFrances Kirkwood Crane (1890-1981) was an American mystery author, who introduced private investigator Pat Abbott and his future wife Jean in her first novel, The Turquoise Shop (1941). The Abbotts investigated crimes in a total of 26 volumes, each wth a color in the title.Frances regularly published articles in The New Yorker, where she became known for her dry, sophisticated sense of humour. Frances published her first crime novel in 1941, after hearing about a real-life incident in a jeweler's shop, and subsequently produced 25 more mystery novels. Read More Read Less