American author of police novels. Robert L. Pike is the pseudonym of Robert L. Fish

An engineer who worked in major companies including Firestone Tire and Rubber, Fish submitted his first story to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine at the age of 48.He subsequently wrote over 30 novels and numerous short stories.

His 1962 novel The Fugitive won the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Allan Poe Award; later he won two more Edgars and served as president of the MWA in 1978. His most well known novel Mute Witness served as the basis for the classic Steve McQueen movie Bullitt.

He had open heart surgery in 1971 but continued writing at his home in Trumbull,Connecticut. On February 23, 1981, he was found dead in his study, pen in hand.

Biorgraphy source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_L...