David Dodge, a renowned author, was born in Berkeley, California, and embarked on a writing career after making a bet with his wife Elva that he could craft a better mystery novel than the one she was currently reading.
This literary endeavor drew heavily from his professional experience as a Certified Public Accountant, which he utilized to create his first series character, James "Whit" Whitney, a San Francisco tax expert and reluctant detective.
The first novel in this series, "Death and Taxes," was published in 1941, and Dodge's wife Elva was impressed enough to award him a $5.00 prize.
Over the next few years, Dodge went on to publish three more Whitney novels between 1943 and 1946, solidifying his reputation as a talented mystery writer.
However, his writing career was put on hold when he was commissioned in the U.S. Navy following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He emerged from active duty three years later with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
After his release from the Navy, Dodge embarked on a cross-country road trip to Guatemala with his wife and daughter, which would later influence his writing.
During this trip, he drew inspiration from his Latin-American experiences and created a second series character, Al Colby, an expatriate private investigator and tough-guy adventurer.
Dodge's travel experiences also led him to become a travel writer, and he often joked that while many writers travel to gather material for their writing, his goal was to write in order to gather money to travel.
In addition to his work as a novelist and travel writer, Dodge also penned short stories, magazine articles, and plays.
One of his most notable works is the novel "To Catch a Thief," which was adapted into a film by Alfred Hitchcock in 1955, starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.
Throughout his career, Dodge's wit and humor shone through in his writing, leaving a lasting impact on the literary world.
