Elizabeth Linington

Barbara "Elizabeth" Linington (March 11, 1921 – April 5, 1988) was an American novelist and mystery writer. She was one of the first women to write in the style of a police procedural.

Biography She was born on March 11, 1921, in Aurora, Kane County, Illinois; and died on April 5, 1988, in Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo County, California. During much of her career she was represented by literary agent Barthold Fles.

Besides crime, Linington also took interest in archaeology, the occult, gemstones, antique weapons and languages. Linington was a conservative political activist who was an active member of the John Birch Society. Her 1961 book, Nightmare, and her 1962 novel, Knave of Hearts, another entry in the Mendoza series, were both nominated for the Edgar Award in the Best Novel category. Regarded as the "Queen of the Procedurals," she was one of the first women to write police procedurals — a male-dominated genre of police-story writing.