Dorothy Gardiner (1) (1894–1979)

Dorothy Gardiner was born in Italy, the daughter of Dr. John Gardiner, a Scottish biologist working for the University of Colorado, and grew up in Boulder. In 1917, she graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in history. During World War II, she was an administrator for the North Atlantic area office of the American Red Cross. Much of her work was set in Colorado, and her detailed knowledge of the region is reflected in them. Her most famous work, West of the River (1941), was a history of the opening up by settlers of the region west of the Missouri, and north of the Santa Fe Trail. From 1950 to 1957 she served as executive secretary of the Mystery Writers of America. Her mystery fiction works included The Transatlantic Ghost (1933), A Drink for Mr. Cherry (1934), What Crime Is It? (1956) and The Seventh Mourner. She also edited the works of Raymond Chandler.