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Norman Conquest #18
The Conquest Touch
A tale featuring Berkeley Gray's hero Norman Conquest, who was known as 'a gay desperado'!
This thriller is divided into two parts with one of the characters from the first part dominating the second part - Conquest excepted, of course.
This thriller is divided into two parts with one of the characters from the first part dominating the second part - Conquest excepted, of course.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1948
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
September 2, 2021
A rather unusual 1940s detective novel that is split into two distinct parts, rather like two short stories, but it all purports to be the same novel. Nevertheless it is still an interesting read, even if one is puzzling to think what the exact connection between the two parts is. Norman Conquest is rather like Bulldog Drummond or Blackshirt - but not as well known! [Read in 2009]
Update!: I saw this book last week and purchased it (with a variant dust wrapper from that illustrated I should add!) and, as is often the case with new books, I began reading it.
It is a book that has two strands to it with one of the nastier protagonists from the first part moving on to feature in the second part, along with our eponymous hero Norman Conquest, of course. As for Mr Conquest, think the Baron, Raffles, the Saint, Bulldog Drummond and others of that ilk and you have got Norman Conquest. His wife, Joy who often assists in his adventures, and others refer to him as 'the Gay Desperado'.
Well he is in full desperado mode for both parts of this most entertaining novel. In the first part he is involved in a rather complicated crime in which a murder takes place and the body initially disappears only to mysteriously appear once again. A lady is suspected of the crime but Norman knows better and is able to eventually convince the police that his theory is correct.
The culprit is then arrested by the knowing police officers and Norman then moves on to the second phase of the adventure in which one of the nastier characters from the first phase continues to do evil things. Once more Norman is onto him and in an exciting and rollicking story he not only takes away the chap's wherewithal but he banishes him to parts unknown.
It is all good class adventure and makes Norman Conquest a hero to be followed - if only other of Berkeley Gray's books could be found! As for 'The Conquest Touch' I am glad that I did not recognise the tale until a most unusual occurrence in the second part otherwise I would not have had the luxury of enjoying this novel for a second time. Memory lapse can obviously sometimes prove useful!
Update!: I saw this book last week and purchased it (with a variant dust wrapper from that illustrated I should add!) and, as is often the case with new books, I began reading it.
It is a book that has two strands to it with one of the nastier protagonists from the first part moving on to feature in the second part, along with our eponymous hero Norman Conquest, of course. As for Mr Conquest, think the Baron, Raffles, the Saint, Bulldog Drummond and others of that ilk and you have got Norman Conquest. His wife, Joy who often assists in his adventures, and others refer to him as 'the Gay Desperado'.
Well he is in full desperado mode for both parts of this most entertaining novel. In the first part he is involved in a rather complicated crime in which a murder takes place and the body initially disappears only to mysteriously appear once again. A lady is suspected of the crime but Norman knows better and is able to eventually convince the police that his theory is correct.
The culprit is then arrested by the knowing police officers and Norman then moves on to the second phase of the adventure in which one of the nastier characters from the first phase continues to do evil things. Once more Norman is onto him and in an exciting and rollicking story he not only takes away the chap's wherewithal but he banishes him to parts unknown.
It is all good class adventure and makes Norman Conquest a hero to be followed - if only other of Berkeley Gray's books could be found! As for 'The Conquest Touch' I am glad that I did not recognise the tale until a most unusual occurrence in the second part otherwise I would not have had the luxury of enjoying this novel for a second time. Memory lapse can obviously sometimes prove useful!
Displaying 1 of 1 review