R. Austin Freeman (1862-1943) was a British author and physician, best known for creating the character Dr. John Thorndyke, one of literature's first scientific detectives. Born in London, Freeman trained as a doctor and worked in colonial West Africa before returning to England due to health issues. He pioneered the "inverted detective story," where the crime and perpetrator are revealed early, and the focus shifts to the detective's methodical unraveling of the case. His meticulous storytelling, blending medical knowledge and logical deduction, is exemplified in works like The Red Thumb Mark and The Eye of Osiris. Freeman's contributions helped shape modern detective fiction.