The Absent Author

Wallace Ronald Roy, known professionally as Ron Roy, is a beloved children’s author known for his introductory mystery series that promotes The Value of Reading and The Value of Observation in Problem-Solving to young readers. He has written over 65 stories in the “easy readers” genre geared toward younger audiences, and his accessible stories have engaged children all over the world since the first book was published in 1997.

Growing up in Hartford, Connecticut, Roy developed a love for reading at an early age. Following graduate school, he became a fourth-grade teacher. It was this experience teaching that made Roy want to write mystery books for young children. Roy took the inspiration for this particular work from his own experience at a book signing in Vermont. When Roy arrived late to the bookstore, one of the children present told him that he worried Roy had been kidnapped. The idea stuck with Roy and laid the groundwork for The Absent Author.

The A to Z Mysteries series introduces children to the narrative formula of mystery literature. The series follows Dink Duncan and his friends Josh and Ruth Rose as they uncover clues. One of Dink’s central characteristics is his love of mystery novels. The value of reading is a central theme throughout the series, as Dink and his friends use the skills they have acquired reading mystery stories to investigate the mysteries in their own lives. As in The Absent Author, these mysteries are typically straightforward, and the implied peril often turns out to be imaginary. Some of the books in the series include hidden letters contained in the pictures that accompany the text; these reveal a secret message from Roy. Roy’s alliterative style often uses doubled letters for the names for his characters as well as for the book titles and the alphabetical and calendar-themed motifs. A large portion of his success can be credited to his ability to write stories that are both action-packed and simplistic enough to appeal to young children.

In addition to the A to Z Mysteries series, Roy has also published books for children and young adults in the Calendar Mysteries and Capital Mysteries series. He has won many awards, including two from the Canadian Library Association for his A to Z Mysteries series. The series won an Edgar Award in 2007 and the Agatha Award for Best Children’s Mystery Book in 2008.