About Herbert Brean
Lived 1907 – 1973 (aged 65–66). Herbert Brean was an American novelist, journalist and writer.
Herbert Brean (December 10, 1907 – May 7, 1973) was an American journalist and crime fiction writer, best known for his recurring series characters William Deacon and Reynold Frame. He was a director and former executive vice president of the Mystery Writers of America, a group for which he also taught a class in mystery writing. Aside from his seven mystery crime novels, he also published non-fiction books and articles, and mystery magazine short stories. Alfred Hitchcock used "A Case of Identity", one of Brean's many articles for Life, as the basis for Hitchcock's film The Wrong Man (1957).
As a lifelong Sherlock Holmes fan, Brean was a member of The Baker Street Irregulars, and as such he wrote the introduction to at least one Holmes edition.
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Important facts
People in Herbert Brean's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Herbert Brean's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Herbert Brean?
American writer (1907–1973)
When was Herbert Brean born?
Herbert Brean was born in 1907 in Detroit.
When did Herbert Brean die?
Herbert Brean died in 1973 in United States.
What was Herbert Brean's occupation?
Herbert Brean was a novelist, journalist and writer.
What nationality was Herbert Brean?
Herbert Brean was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Herbert Brean. https://biography.guide/herbert-brean/
MLA: "Herbert Brean." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/herbert-brean/.
Chicago: "Herbert Brean." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/herbert-brean/.
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