Catherine Louisa Pirkis (1839-1910) wrote a total of 14 novels in the years spanning between 1877 and 1894, and contributed to many journals. Her first novel, Disappeared from her Home, was the first mystery written by a female author and starting a female heroine. It was serialized in The Ludgate Monthly in 1893-93 and followed the ‘casebook’ format popularized by authors like Sherlock Holmes. In May of 1893, her stories about Loveaday Brooke began to be featured in The May Mgazines edition of the Glasgow Herald. The commentary included comments about how Miss Brooke might not be as good at catching a husband as she is at catching criminals. After The Adventures of Loveday Brooke was published, Catherine Louisa Pirkis began to focus her attention on animal rights and ceased to publish.