Whitney, Phyllis A. (b. 1903)

American writer. Born Phyllis Ayame Whitney, Sept 9, 1903, in Yokohama, Japan; dau. of Charles Whitney (American businessman) and Mary (Mandeville) Whitney; m. George A. Garner, 1925 (div. 1945); m. Lovell F. Jahnke, 1950 (died 1973); children: Georgia Whitney.

Author of popular novels, spent portions of childhood living with family in the Philippines and China until father's death when she was 15; sold 1st short story to Chicago Daily News (1928); during WWII, began reign as one of the best-known American writers of romantic suspense in the latter half of the 20th century; her long career of writing for young people and adults produced more than 75 novels, a number of articles on the writing of fiction, and several textbooks for would-be writers of fiction; wrote her 1st adult book, Red is for Murder (1943), but did not begin writing regularly for adults until publication of The Quicksilver Pool (1955); edited children's book review pages for Chicago Sun and Philadelphia Inquirer, and taught writing courses at Northwestern University (1945) and New York University (1947–58); writings include The Silver Inkwell (1945), Mystery of the Black Diamonds (1954), The Moonflower (1958), Sea Jade (1965), Columbella (1966), The Winter People (1969), The Stone Bull (1977), Rainbow in the Mist (1989) and Amethyst Dreams (1997). Won Edgar Awards from Mystery Writers of America for Mystery of the Haunted Pool (1960) and Mystery of the Hidden Hand (1963).

See also Women in World History.