Margaret Sutton

Margaret Sutton (January 22, 1903–June 21, 2001) was most famous as the author of the Judy Bolton Series of mystery books, 38 volumes published between 1932 and 1967. In addition to this series, she also wrote several books in the Gail Gardner series, The Magic Maker series, as well as several other books.

Her earlier Judy Bolton books were illustrated by Pelagie Doane, who also illustrated her Magic Maker books. A Shepherd Boy of Australia and The Boys of the Ohio Valley were illustrated with photographs. Almost all her books were published by Grosset & Dunlap (with the exception of the Gail Gardner series) alongside the books released by the Stratemeyer Syndicate.

Her Judy Bolton books were advertised as all being based on actual events from Sutton's life. The series ended in 1967, before the next book The Strange Likeness could be published.

In 1997, Linda Joy Singleton privately published Judy Bolton: The Talking Snowman, a new Judy Bolton mystery written by Sutton and Singleton. Sutton began the manuscript for this book in 1980, and years later Singleton finished it with help from Sutton. The incidents in this book placed it between the 3rd and 4th books in the series, leading it to be known as book # 3-1/2.

In 2012, with the permission of Margaret Sutton's family, coauthors Kate Duvall and Beverly Hatfield wrote "The Strange Likeness" based on Margaret Sutton's original plot outline plus research and conversations with the author many years ago. It was edited by Margaret Sutton's youngest daughter, Lindsay Sutton Stroh, and illustrated by another daughter, Marjorie Sutton Eckstein. Published by Applewood Books, the volume is #39 in the Judy Bolton Mystery Series.

Margaret Sutton was born Rachel Beebe on in Odin, Pennsylvania and she died at age 98 in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania as Margaret S. Hunting from her second marriage to Everett Hunting.