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Philo Vance was a fictional American detective who appeared in twelve novels written by S. S. Van Dine in the 1920s. Although largely forgotten today, for a few years he was immensely popular in books, movies, and on the radio. Vance was portrayed as a stylish, even foppish dandy, a Manhattan bon vivant possessing a highly intellectual bent.

Van Dine's first three mystery novels were unusual for mystery fiction because he planned them as a trilogy but plotted and wrote them in short form, more or less at the same time. After they were accepted as a group by famed editor Maxwell Perkins, Van Dine expanded them into full-length novels.

All twelve book titles are in the form "The X Murder Case," where "X" is always a six-letter word (except for "Gracie Allen," which was originally just "Gracie").

Although Van Dine was one of the most educated and cosmopolitan detective writers of his time, in his essays he dismissed the idea of the mystery story as serious literature. He insisted that a detective novel should be mainly an intellectual puzzle that follows strict rules and does not wander too far afield from its central theme. He followed his own prescriptions, and some critics feel that formulaic approach made the Vance novels stilted and caused them to become dated in a relatively few years.

Films about Vance were made from the late 1920s to the late '40s, with some more faithful to the literary character than others. Among the several actors who played Vance on the screen were William Powell and Basil Rathbone, both of whom went on to great success playing other detectives in movies. The actor probably most identified with the Vance role was Warren William. The Vance movie "The Canary Murder Case" is famous for a contract dispute that helped sink the career of silent screen legend Louise Brooks.

Vance's character as portrayed in the novels would seem to most modern readers to be supercilious, obnoxiously affected and highly irritating. He struck some contemporaries that way as well. At the height of Philo Vance's popularity, comic poet Ogden Nash wrote:

Philo Vance

Needs a kick in the pance

Because of their intricate plots, Van Dine's Philo Vance novels were particularly well suited for the movies, where the more unpleasantly affected aspects of the main character could be toned down. One of these films, The Kennel Murder Case, has been called a masterpiece by renowned film historian William K. Everson.

• The Benson Murder Case (1926)
• The Canary Murder Case (1927)
• The Greene Murder Case (1928)
• The Bishop Murder Case (1929)
• The Scarab Murder Case (1930)
• The Kennel Murder Case (1933)
• The Dragon Murder Case (1934)
• The Casino Murder Case (1934)
• The Garden Murder Case (1935)
• The Kidnap Murder Case (1936)
• The Gracie Allen Murder Case (1938)
• The Winter Murder Case (1939)

• Bibliography of UK first Editions