Simon Iff is the protagonist of a series of short detective stories written by occultist Aleister Crowley.
He is portrayed as a mystic, magician, world traveller, high society figure and great detective who is advanced in years but possesses a thorough insight into human psychology.
[1] The stories typically revolve around an apparently unsolvable crime, which is eventually untangled by Iff's magical and psychological logic.
Crowley explained the method of crafting a Simon Iff story in simple terms: Think of a situation as inexplicable as possible, then to stop up all the chinks with putty, and having satisfied myself that no explanation was possible, to make a further effort and find one.
[2]The Simon Iff stories were written during a visit to New Orleans in December 1916, primarily as a means of alleviating Crowley's financial hardships.