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Norman Conquest #1
Mr. Mortimer Gets the Jitters
Norman Conquest sets out to crush the human sharks who robbed his father, and who caused his mother to die of a broken heart. A tiny elfin-faced girl, secretary to Mr. Mortimer (he of the jitters) takes one look at the quartz-grey eyes of the dashing " 1066," and falls so hard that she blithely takes a header into a maelstrom of excitement and thrills without giving a hoot for the consequences.
This is a fast-moving story of mystery and death and High Adventure, with the lilting laughter of the Gay Desperado ringing through every page.
This is a fast-moving story of mystery and death and High Adventure, with the lilting laughter of the Gay Desperado ringing through every page.
316 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1938
2 people are currently reading
105 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 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 28, 2013
The Norman Conquest books are old favourites of mine. My copies were originally my Poppa's, printed in the early 1940s, which makes them even more fun to reread.
If you enjoy Bond movies, British procedurals, the Saint, and, come to think of it, Castle -- as Norman is something of the hero Richard Castle would write/want to be -- give this a try!
If you enjoy Bond movies, British procedurals, the Saint, and, come to think of it, Castle -- as Norman is something of the hero Richard Castle would write/want to be -- give this a try!
Want to read
October 3, 2018Synopsis: Conquest sets out to deal with one diabolical criminal mastermind only to find there are actually three.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews