Alfred Edward Wooley Mason (1865-1948) was a British writer, actor and politician. He is best remembered for his 1902 novel 'The Four Feathers' which has been adapted for screen on multiple occasions, including the 2002 film starring Heath Ledger and Kate Hudson. His first novel, 'A Romance of Wastdale', was published in 1895. Mason went on to write more than 20 books, including 'At The Villa Rose' (1910) which introduced his popular French detective, Inspector Hanaud, a Gallic counterpart to Sherlock Holmes. Other works include, 'The House of the Arrow' (1924), 'No Other Tiger' (1927), 'The Prisoner in the Opal' (1929) and 'Fire Over England' (1937).