‘Prillilgirl’ is the seventeenth in the hugely popular Fleming Stone series of detective stories by American author Carolyn Wells. Successful playwright Mallory Vane has been found stabbed to death – and his own pen was the murder weapon. When the prints of prominent actor Guy Thorndike’s wife are found all over the murder weapon, it appears to be an open and shut case. But all is not as it seems, and when local law enforcement fail to get to the bottom of it, the detective skills of Fleming Stone are required.

Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) was a prolific American novelist and poet, best known for her children’s literature, mystery novels and humorous verse. Following school in New Jersey, Wells worked as a librarian, where she developed her love of reading. It was during 1896 that Wells' first book ‘At the Sign of the Sphinx’ was published. From 1900 she dedicated herself to her literary career, writing over 170 novels in total across a range of genres. Some of her most loved works include the ‘Patty Fairfield’ and ‘Marjorie Maynard’ series for girls, as well as the ‘Fleming Stone’ mystery series for adults. Wells is also well-known for her humorous nonsense verse, and was a frequent contributor of verse to magazines. She published an autobiography ‘The Rest of my Life’ in 1937. Wells died in New York City in 1942.