Nell Martin was an American author from Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

 specializing in light-hearted mysteries and short stories. She was at one time the girlfriend of writer Dashiell Hammett

Dashiell Hammett

Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade , Nick and Nora Charles , and the Continental Op .In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on...

. She also published under the names Nell Columbia Boyer Martin and Columbia Boyer.

She wrote Lord Byron of Broadway, which MGM made into a movie

Lord Byron of Broadway

Lord Byron of Broadway , also known as What Price Melody?, is an American musical drama film, directed by Harry Beaumont and William Nigh...

 in 1930.

Her "Maisie" short stories were published in Top Notch Magazine in 1927-1928 and later inspired a movie and radio series starring Ann Sothern

Ann Sothern

Ann Sothern was an American film and television actress whose career spanned six decades.-Early life and career:...

.

Works

Martin wrote five novels and many short stories. Her novels are:

• The Constant Simp (1927), which was reportedly a parody of The Constant Nymph
• The Mosaic Earring (1927)
• Lord Byron of Broadway: A Novel (1928)
• The Other Side of the Fence: A Novel (1929)
• Lovers Should Marry (1933), which she dedicated to Hammett.