John Creasey (1908–1973)
Author of Gideon's Day
About the Author
John Creasey was born in Southfields, Surrey on September 17, 1908. He was educated at Fulhan Elementary School and Sloane School, both in London. From 1923 to 1935 he worked in various clerical, factory, and sales jobs while trying to establish himself as a writer. His first book was published in show more 1930 and first crime novel, Seven Times Seven, was published in 1932. In 1935 he became a full-time writer. He published 29 books in 1937 alone. In 1953, Creasey was a main force behind the founding of the British Crime Writers Association. He won the Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1962. He also was several times an unsuccessful candidate for Parliament, and in 1967 he founded the All-Party Alliance movement, urging voters to choose the best candidate regardless of party. During his lifetime, he published 562 books under 28 pseudonyms. His novel Gideon's Day was adapted into a movie in 1958, directed by John Ford. He also wrote plays, short stories, and juvenile books. He died on June 9, 1973. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
aka Gordon Ashe, M E Cooke, Norman Deane, Robert Caine Frazer, Patrick Gill, Michael Halliday, Charles Hogarth, Brian Hope, Colin Hughes, Kyle Hunt, Abel Mann, Peter Manton, J J Marric, Richard Martin, Rodney Mattheson, Anthony Morton, Jeremy York
John Creasey wrote under too many names to list here, so see this page (Click on "The Book Collection" then "Books by Author").
Note: The Baron Goes EAST & The Baron Goes FAST are similarly titled but separate entries in The Baron Series and should not be combined.
Image credit: Courtesy of John Creasey Literary Management Limited
Series
Works by John Creasey
John Creasey Box Set 1: First Came a Murder, Death Round the Corner, The Mark of the Crescent (Department Z) (2016) 5 copies
Roger West Takes Flight: Murder London-Miami; Murder London-South Africa; Murder London-Australia (Coronet Books) (1973) 5 copies
Come Here and Die 4 copies
Hate to Kill 3 copies
The Edge of Terror 3 copies
Murder Makes Murder 3 copies
Cat and mouse 3 copies
Dine with murder 3 copies
Heir to murder 3 copies
The Monarch of the Skies 2 copies
The Treasure Flight 2 copies
The Fighting Fliers 2 copies
Le baron et le fantôme 2 copies
Murder on Largo Island 2 copies
Os Dois Casos do Inspector West 2 copies
Four of the Best ( Hunt The Toff/Inspector West Alone/The Prophet Of Fire/The Department Of Death) (1955) 2 copies
Kriminalassistent West 2 copies
Come home to death 2 copies
Golden Death 2 copies
Missing from home 2 copies
Who saw him die? 2 copies
Go Ahead with Murder 2 copies
The Children of Despair 2 copies
Potopa ; Sucho ; Hlad 2 copies
As Pérolas Sangrentas 1 copy
Mabel St. John's Schooldays 1 copy
Dangerous Paths 1 copy
The Imaginary Marriage (Dodo Press): Novel First Published In 1922. From The Author Of The Brute!, The Gipsy Actress, And Shamed By Her Husband! (2007) 1 copy, 1 review
Sport for the baron 1966 1 copy
The garden of memories 1 copy
Muy joven para morir 1 copy
With a Bare Bodkin | Sight of Death | The Burning Question — Contributor — 1 copy
Stop... Danger! 1 copy
The hush marriage 1 copy
El enigma del cañon 1 copy
La muerte va a domicilio 1 copy
Giftgas-mysteriet 1 copy
Terror Num Campo de Férias 1 copy
Vivo ou morto 1 copy
Why Murder? 1 copy
Meurtre au sommet 1 copy
John Creasey Fact or Fiction 1 copy
The Flying Turk 1 copy
3x inspektor West 1 copy
Aluminiumpilarna 1 copy
Dödsbandets hämnare 1 copy
Farligt spel 1 copy
Dazzle and the Red Bomber 1 copy
Then Came A Murder 1 copy
Hanno ucciso anna Duval 1 copy
Raptaram o Inspector West 1 copy
Four find danger 1 copy
Het dal der verschrikking 1 copy
Murder Unseen 1 copy
Who Said Murder? 1 copy
Blame The Baron 1 copy
Toff går til sagen 1 copy
Un asunto de familia 1 copy
Asesinatos al oscurecer 1 copy
La sombra de la muerte 1 copy
Blinde mænd ser dårligt! 1 copy
Menneske-jagt 1 copy
Det levende lig 1 copy
Først kommer døden 1 copy
Dræb hende! 1 copy
Liget venter! 1 copy
Toff tager sin chance 1 copy
Toff strammer nettet 1 copy
Thief in the Night 1 copy
Dödens dokument 1 copy
Sprätten klarar skivan 1 copy
Offret håller i trådarna 1 copy
Hertigen på djupt vatten 1 copy
No escape from murder 1 copy
Une Sultane pour le Baron 1 copy
Associated Works
Murder on the Menu: Cordon Bleu Stories of Crime and Mystery, Volume 1 (1984) — Contributor — 211 copies, 2 reviews
Reader's Digest Great Stories of Mystery and Suspense, 1977, Volume 2 (1977) — some editions — 4 copies
Hail, Hail, The Gang’s All Here | The Kidnaped Child | This Woman Wanted (1971) — Contributor — 1 copy
Murder With Mushrooms | Bank Job | A Nice Little Killing — Contributor — 1 copy
The Greyvale school mystery — some editions — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Other names
- Morton, Anthony
Ashe, Gordon
Marric, J. J.
Martin, Richard
Cooke, Margaret
Cooke, M. E. (show all 27)
Fecamps, Elise
Ranger, Ken
Riley, Tex
Wilde, Jimmy
Riley, William K.
York, Jeremy
Cooper, Henry St. John
Credo
Deane, Norman
Frazer, Robert Caine
Gill, Patrick
Halliday, Michael
Hogarth, Charles
Hope, Brian
Hunt, Kyle
Mann, Abel
Manton, Peter
Marsden, Janes
Mattheson, Richard
St. John, Henry
Richard, Martin - Birthdate
- 1908-09-17
- Date of death
- 1973-06-09
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Fulham Elementary School, London, England, UK
Sloane School, London, England, UK - Occupations
- crime novelist
- Organizations
- Liberal Party
- Awards and honors
- MWA Grand Master (1969)
- Agent
- Fleming Literary Management LLP
- Relationships
- Creasey, Richard (son)
- Short biography
- John Creasey (September 17, 1908 — June 9, 1973) was born in Southfields, Surrey, England and died in New Hall, Bodenham, Salisbury Wiltshire, England. He was the seventh of nine children in a working class home. He became an English author of crime thrillers, published in excess of 600 books under 28 different pseudonyms. He invented many famous characters who would appear in a whole series of novels. Probably the most famous of these is Gideon of Scotland Yard, the basis for the television program Gideon's Way but others include Department Z, Dr. Palfrey, The Toff, Inspector Roger West, and The Baron (which was also made into a television series). In 1962, Creasey won an Edgar Award for Best Novel, from the Mystery Writers of America, for Gideon's Fire, written under the pen name J. J. Marric. And in 1969 he was given the MWA's highest honor, the Grand Master Award.
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Southfields Surrey, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, UK
- Place of death
- Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, UK
- Burial location
- St Andrew's Nunton Churchyard Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, UK
- Map Location
- England, UK
- Disambiguation notice
- aka Gordon Ashe, M E Cooke, Norman Deane, Robert Caine Frazer, Patrick Gill, Michael Halliday, Charles Hogarth, Brian Hope, Colin Hughes, Kyle Hunt, Abel Mann, Peter Manton, J J Marric, Richard Martin, Rodney Mattheson, Anthony Morton, Jeremy York
John Creasey wrote under too many names to list here, so see this page (Click on "The Book Collection" then "Books by Author").
Note: The Baron Goes EAST & The Baron Goes FAST are similarly titled but separate entries in The Baron Series and should not be combined.
Members
Reviews
The Imaginary Marriage (Dodo Press): Novel First Published In 1922. From The Author Of The Brute!, The Gipsy Actress, And Shamed By Her Husband! by Henry St. John Cooper
In this book people have trouble with being in love with the wrong people. Or are they the right people? Or are they in love with the right person, then the wrong person, then the right person again?
It gets slightly ridiculous, but probably not as much as it sounds.
Marjorie is in love with Tom, but her aunt/guardian already has a husband picked out for her: the dependable and handsome Hugh. Hugh is in love with Marjorie, but when he sees how set she is upon marrying Tom, he offers to tell show more her aunt that he is already secretly married and thus not an eligible suitor. Marjorie jumps at the offer and suggests a name for his "wife."
Unfortunately, the name she picks happens to be the name of a REAL PERSON, a friend from her school years. Silly girl.
The aunt is shocked by this revelation, but wants to dig further and find out why Hugh is estranged from his "wife." She invites Joan (the school friend who has unconsciously been placed in the role of wife) to her house and tries to reconcile the couple. Joan is outraged by what she perceives as an unbelievable insult.
Hugh unintentionally heaps insult upon insult on Joan over the next few weeks, trying to make things better, but not succeeding. Before too long he realizes he is in love with her. What happens from there on out is connected to the dastardly schemes of Joan's former employer, a creep who has started to smell scandal and is set on figuring out what the deal is with this rumored marriage. He's at least as interested in that as in getting Joan to marry him.
Throw into the mix some new neighbors for Joan, and you have many many many opportunities for love polygons (I'm pretty sure it's more than a triangle at some points). show less
It gets slightly ridiculous, but probably not as much as it sounds.
Marjorie is in love with Tom, but her aunt/guardian already has a husband picked out for her: the dependable and handsome Hugh. Hugh is in love with Marjorie, but when he sees how set she is upon marrying Tom, he offers to tell show more her aunt that he is already secretly married and thus not an eligible suitor. Marjorie jumps at the offer and suggests a name for his "wife."
Unfortunately, the name she picks happens to be the name of a REAL PERSON, a friend from her school years. Silly girl.
The aunt is shocked by this revelation, but wants to dig further and find out why Hugh is estranged from his "wife." She invites Joan (the school friend who has unconsciously been placed in the role of wife) to her house and tries to reconcile the couple. Joan is outraged by what she perceives as an unbelievable insult.
Hugh unintentionally heaps insult upon insult on Joan over the next few weeks, trying to make things better, but not succeeding. Before too long he realizes he is in love with her. What happens from there on out is connected to the dastardly schemes of Joan's former employer, a creep who has started to smell scandal and is set on figuring out what the deal is with this rumored marriage. He's at least as interested in that as in getting Joan to marry him.
Throw into the mix some new neighbors for Joan, and you have many many many opportunities for love polygons (I'm pretty sure it's more than a triangle at some points). show less
Most of the multiple storylines in this book were well handled, and I liked that Parsons got to go to Italy and meet face to face with his counterparts from another country while working a murder case. But I wish Gideon’s crew didn’t have to track down rapists, or that at least Marric didn’t feel the need to describe any of the scenes. I skipped a few pages because I didn’t want to read them. There was also the sadly-usual-to-these-books sexualization of young women and kind of show more treating it as a given that women and girls will be sexually harassed. So why do I keep reading these books? Well, apart from the everyday life of the Scotland Yard crew, I like Gideon and his wife, Kate, and their now-adult children; the Gideons are a stable family unit and Gideon is not a bitter, depressed divorcee with substance use issues like so many modern detectives. I also liked that in this book, Gideon was offered the position of assistant commissioner and had to decide what he wanted with his career. This was a particularly timely situation for me to be reading about, and I supported Gideon’s decision. show less
A study of disintegration
This is not the usual John Creasey fare where the story centres around brave and dashing young men (and, occasionally, girls) winning out against fearful odds. The protagonist here, Corliss, is a man consumed by hatred who seeks revenge against his country, and in particular his country's secret service, who he blames for the death of his father during the war. Working for a mysterious group of Russians, Corliss is thrown into the path of Department Z in such a way show more that they are certain to snap him up as a valuable recruit. This happens as planned and Corliss becomes the enemy within Department Z.
Corliss is a deeply unpleasant individual whose character disintegrates as the book progresses. The twists at the end took me by surprise — I was expecting something to turn things around, but not what actually happened.
Not a bad read, but I don't want to spend any more time in Corliss' company, so I won't be re-reading this one. show less
This is not the usual John Creasey fare where the story centres around brave and dashing young men (and, occasionally, girls) winning out against fearful odds. The protagonist here, Corliss, is a man consumed by hatred who seeks revenge against his country, and in particular his country's secret service, who he blames for the death of his father during the war. Working for a mysterious group of Russians, Corliss is thrown into the path of Department Z in such a way show more that they are certain to snap him up as a valuable recruit. This happens as planned and Corliss becomes the enemy within Department Z.
Corliss is a deeply unpleasant individual whose character disintegrates as the book progresses. The twists at the end took me by surprise — I was expecting something to turn things around, but not what actually happened.
Not a bad read, but I don't want to spend any more time in Corliss' company, so I won't be re-reading this one. show less
The main plot, involving smuggling and potential robberies on the river, was great. The subplot involving the teenager abducted for sexual reasons was terrible, especially because characters (male AND female) expressed the repellent view of some girls being attractive in a way that men “can’t help” responding to. Way to completely absolve men of any responsibility, ugh. Not recommended, probably going in the recycle bin rather than the donation bin.
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Statistics
- Works
- 663
- Also by
- 66
- Members
- 8,467
- Popularity
- #2,846
- Rating
- 3.4
- Reviews
- 146
- ISBNs
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- Languages
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