Ross Macdonald

Macdonald, Ross, pseud. of Kenneth Millar, 1915–83, American novelist, b. Los Gatos, Calif. He was educated in Canada and at the Univ. of Michigan. Macdonald's mystery novels center on the tough but compassionate private detective, Lew Archer. They often deal with the effect of the past on present behavior, the crimes parents commit against their children, and the nature of evil. His novels include The Galton Case (1959), The Zebra-Striped Hearse (1962), The Chill (1964), The Good-bye Look (1969), and The Lonely Silver Rain (1985).

See biographies by M. J. Bruccoli (1984) and T. Nolan (1998).

His wife, Margaret Millar, 1915–94, b. Kitchener, Ont., Canada, was a mystery writer. Her works include The Invisible Worm (1941), The Murder of Miranda (1979), and Banshee (1983).