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Norman Conquest #17
Killer Conquest
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
1 person is currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Berkeley Gray
72 books9 followers'Berkeley Gray' is a pseudonym used by author Edwy Searles Brooks; other pen names that he used were Victor Gunn, Rex Madison, Reginald Browne, Carlton Ross and quite possibly many others that are unrecorded.
He published his first short story, "Mr Dorien's Missing £2000", in July 1907, when he was just 17.
His first major breakthrough came in 1910, when a comic of the day, 'The Gem' gave him an assignment to publish a serial entitled 'The Iron Island', the main character of which was Frank Kingston.
In 1912, he began writing Sexton Blake stories and in 1915, he began writing stories for the Nelson Lee Library, becoming the lead writer of the detective series after which the publication was named.
In 1917 he started the St. Frank's series in the Nelson Lee Library and these are, arguably, the stories for which he is best remembered.
He gained many more serial assignments, including those featuring Clive Derring and, once again, Sexton Blake.
In 1918, he launched the character of Rupert Waldo, who became an early superhero and in 'The Thriller' magazine of January 1937 he introduced his readers to a new hero Norman Conquest..
The magazines that had published his stories started running into financial trouble in the 1930s when the fashion for such magazines began to wane, He, therefore, changed to writing hardcover novels for the adult market in 1938; the first such novel was the beginning of the Norman Conquest series of novels entitled 'Mr Mortimer Gets the Jitters'. He wrote the Conquest novels, of which there were 51 titles plus some later omnibus editions, under the pseudonym of Berkeley Gray. He also wrote around 76 Sexton Blake stories. In all it is thought that he wrote more than 125 crime fiction novels.
When he used the Victor Gunn pseudonym his novels featured a character named Ironsides Cromwell.
His serialized novels included the Norman Conquest and Ironsides Cromwell stories and 'Dare-Devil Conquest' formed the basis for the 1954 film 'Park Plaza 605', starring Tom Conway.
In 1918, he married Frances Goldstein, who became his assistant and collaborator through the years.
He published his first short story, "Mr Dorien's Missing £2000", in July 1907, when he was just 17.
His first major breakthrough came in 1910, when a comic of the day, 'The Gem' gave him an assignment to publish a serial entitled 'The Iron Island', the main character of which was Frank Kingston.
In 1912, he began writing Sexton Blake stories and in 1915, he began writing stories for the Nelson Lee Library, becoming the lead writer of the detective series after which the publication was named.
In 1917 he started the St. Frank's series in the Nelson Lee Library and these are, arguably, the stories for which he is best remembered.
He gained many more serial assignments, including those featuring Clive Derring and, once again, Sexton Blake.
In 1918, he launched the character of Rupert Waldo, who became an early superhero and in 'The Thriller' magazine of January 1937 he introduced his readers to a new hero Norman Conquest..
The magazines that had published his stories started running into financial trouble in the 1930s when the fashion for such magazines began to wane, He, therefore, changed to writing hardcover novels for the adult market in 1938; the first such novel was the beginning of the Norman Conquest series of novels entitled 'Mr Mortimer Gets the Jitters'. He wrote the Conquest novels, of which there were 51 titles plus some later omnibus editions, under the pseudonym of Berkeley Gray. He also wrote around 76 Sexton Blake stories. In all it is thought that he wrote more than 125 crime fiction novels.
When he used the Victor Gunn pseudonym his novels featured a character named Ironsides Cromwell.
His serialized novels included the Norman Conquest and Ironsides Cromwell stories and 'Dare-Devil Conquest' formed the basis for the 1954 film 'Park Plaza 605', starring Tom Conway.
In 1918, he married Frances Goldstein, who became his assistant and collaborator through the years.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 31, 2021
Considering my fondness for Leslie Charteris' character Simon 'The Saint' Templar, I am shocked that I have never before heard or come across Berkeley Gray (and his multitude of aliases) or his Norman Conquest series!?
The only reason I did stumble across this book was because it was part of a random collection of dramatised mystery/amateur-sleuth stories. The recording left me wishing I had more! As well as better context of both the characters and the writer, but even in this day and age, scouring the internet, more information and materials are not forthcoming... :(
The only reason I did stumble across this book was because it was part of a random collection of dramatised mystery/amateur-sleuth stories. The recording left me wishing I had more! As well as better context of both the characters and the writer, but even in this day and age, scouring the internet, more information and materials are not forthcoming... :(
Displaying 1 of 1 review