Davis, an adopted child, was born in Chicago in 1916[1] and raised in Illinois by Margaret (née Greer) and Alfred J. Salisbury.[2] She worked in Chicago in advertising as a research librarian and as an editor of The Merchandiser, prior to taking up fiction writing.[3] She was married to Harry Davis, the character actor,[4] from 1946 until his death in 1993. She published many novels and short stories. Among them are two sets of series novels, but she mainly wrote stand alone novels. Her novels explore psychological suspense, as was popular for many decades, and has 'an especially strong way of sharing with readers the minds of female characters confronting hazards and crisis'.[citation needed]She was nominated for anEdgar Award eight times, served as President[5] of theMystery Writers of America in 1956 and was declared aGrand Master by that organization in 1985.
She was on the initial steering committee ofSisters in Crime when it was formed in 1986 and her support was influential in dampening attacks on the new organization.[6]
Davis died on August 3, 2014, at a senior residence facility inPalisades, New York. She had been in failing health for several months prior to her death at the age of 98.[7][8][9]
Crime without Murder: An Anthology of Stories (1970) [editor; short story anthology for Mystery Writers of America; contains no stories by Dorothy Salisbury Davis]
