Arthur John Rees was an Australian-born journalist and novelist who became a prominent figure in early twentieth-century detective fiction. Born in Melbourne, Rees began his career in journalism, working briefly for the Melbourne Age before relocating to New Zealand, where he wrote for the New Zealand Herald and edited NZ Truth. He eventually moved to England, joining the staff of The Times and settling permanently in Sussex.
Rees transitioned into fiction with his debut novel, The Merry Marauders, which was set in New Zealand. He found significant success in the mystery genre, notably collaborating with fellow Australian writer John Reay Watson on The Hampstead Mystery. His detective stories, which frequently incorporated elements of local folklore, earned him critical acclaim; his work was praised by Dorothy Sayers in her 1928 anthology, Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror, and several of his stories were translated into French and German.
Beyond his fiction, Rees was deeply connected to the literary community of his era. He was a friend of Thomas Hardy and was among the founding members of PEN International. Although he returned to Australia briefly in 1935 for health reasons—during which time he publicly criticized the country's censorship laws—he spent his final years contributing literary articles to the Melbourne Herald from London until his death in 1942.
