Born in Liège in 1908, Stanislas-André Steeman is a Belgian author of detective novels, writing essentially in French. Very early on, the young Walloon has had many artistic endeavours, as he delved into the writing of comics, poetry and short stories. While barely twenty years of age, Steeman had already published his first two novels, Un roman pour jeune fille and Les amants puérils. Embarking on a journalistic career at La Nation belge, he would go on to write his first detective story with his colleague Sintair, entitled Le Mystère du zoo d’Anvers, in 1928. This first experience in crime fiction would entice him to continue writing in that genre, penning another four novels along with Sintair before going on a solo career. In 1931, Steeman received the prestigious prix du roman d’aventures (Adventure fiction prize) for his novel Six hommes morts (Six dead men), starring his sleuth Monsieur Wens, short for Wenceslas Yorobeïtchik. In 1939, the Belgian author would strike gold with his classic L’assassin habite au 21 (The Murderer lives at number 21), which was adapted on the big screen by Henri-George Clouzot in 1942. Steeman would continue publishing detective novels through the sixties, before dying at the age of 62.

While celebrated in Franco-belgian circles, Steeman remains little known in the English-speaking world – it is unknown at this time how many of his novels have been translated besides Six dead men and The Night of the 12th-13th.

Novels by Steeman & Sintair

1928 – Le Mystère du zoo d’Anvers
1928 – Le Treizième coup de minuit
1929 – Le Maître de trois vies
1930 – Le Diable au collège
1932 – Le Guet-apens

Novels by Steeman

1930 – Péril
1930 – Le doigt volé
1931 – Six hommes morts (Six dead men)
1931 – La Nuit du 12 au 13 (The Night of the 12th-13th)
1932 – Un dans trois
1932 – Les Atouts de M. Wens
1932 – Zéro
1932 – Le Mannequin assassiné
1932 – Le Démon de Sainte-Croix
1933 – L’Assassin assassiné
1933 – Le Yoyo de verre
1934 – L’Ennemi sans visage
1934 – Le Lévrier bleu
1935 – L’adorable spectre
1937 – L’infaillible Silas Lord
1938 – La Maison des veilles
1939 – L’assassin habite au 21
1940 – La vieille dame qui se défend
1941 – La Résurrection d’Atlas
1942 – Légitime défense
1951 – Crimes à revendre
1951 – Madame la Mort
1952 – Dix-huit fantômes
1953 – Haute tension
1955 – Poker d’Enfer
1956 – Six hommes à tuer
1958 – La morte survit au 13
1959 – Impasse des boîteux
1959 – Le condamné à cinq heures
1960 – Une veuve dort seule
1961 – Faisons les fous
1961 – Peut-être un vendredi
1964 – Autopsie d’un viol

Plays

Les Mains qui parlent
L’assassin habite au 21
Quai des Orfèvres