Sir James Matthew Barrie was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote a number of successful novels and plays.
'Better Dead' is an interesting read. It tells the story of a writer who finds himself as a probationary member of a secret society which engages in the murder of those in society it deems would be, as the title suggests, 'Better Dead'