The Hidden Assassins

by: Robert Wilson

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John Creasey

John Creasey was born in 1908 in Southfields, Surrey, England. The seventh of Ruth and Joseph Creasey's nine children, he was educated at Fulhan Elementary and Sloane Schools, both located in London.

Between 1923 and 1935 John Creasey was employed in a number of clerical, factory and sales jobs. He eventually was able to establish himself as a writer in the field of commercial fiction in 1930, and published his first crime novel in 1932. In 1935 Mr. Creasey became a full time writer, and probably the most prolific one on record. John Creasey published twenty-nine books in 1937 alone, and up to the time of his death he wrote 562 full length books under 28 different pseudonyms (including Jeremy York) and another of which was J. J. Marric, author of the 'Gideon' series.

In addition to all those books, Mr. Creasey also wrote plays, short stories, and some abbreviated juvenile books. John Creasey's novels depicting police officer Gideon of Scotland Yard are probably the best known, and one of those books, 'Gideon's Day' was made into a movie directed by John Ford.

Among his novels, Mr. Creasey wrote American Westerns, and even lived in Arizona for a time. In 1938 John Creasey lived in Ashe, Hampshire (England) and took the pseudonym of Gordon Ashe from the name of that village. After the second World War Mr. Creasey became involved in politics and stood as a Liberal Party candidate at Bornemouth.

1953 found John Creasey as the primary force behind the establishment of the British Crime Writers Association. Mr. Creasey won the Edgar Award for his novel 'Gideon's Fire.'

John Creasey was married four separate times. Martin and Richard, two of his sons, became protagonists in his novels. Mr. Creasey's last wife was an American named Jeanne who wrote historical westerns.

Jon Creasey spent his last years alternately living near Salisbury, Wiltshire in England (on land once given to a Sir John Botenham by King John) and in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

John Creasey died on June 9, 1973.

Murder Mystery Reviews

Books by this author we have reviewed:

Gideon's Press

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