John Creasey
1908-1973
Pseudonyms: 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 and Jeremy York
 

John Creasey was born in Southfields, Surrey. After school he tried his hand at several jobs including warehouse clerk and vacuumcleaner salesman. At the age of seventeen he wrote his first novel. By the time he was twenty-one, he had written nine novels, all of them unpublished. His next book, Seven Times Seven, was the first to find a publisher. He wrote more than 500 books and used more than 20 pseudonyms. A few of his novels feature 'Sexton Blake', a detective modelled on Sherlock Holmes. See also this list for other Sexton Blake authors. He is the creator of:
1. 'Bruce Murdoch', a British Intelligence agent (under the pseudonym 'Norman Deane').
2. 'Department Z' series featuring a British Intelligence agency consisting of a secret collection of civilians.
3. 'Dr Emmanuel Cellini', a consulting psychologist working with the police (under the pseudonym 'Michael Halliday').
4. 'Dr Palfrey', a physician and spy.
5. 'Fane Brothers' series featuring Martin and Richard Fane, partners in a detective agency (under the pseudonym 'Michael Halliday' and in the US under the pseudonym 'Jeremy York').
6. 'George Gideon', a Scotland Yard Commander (under the pseudonym 'J.J. Marric').
7. 'Inspector West', a Scotland Yard detective.
8. 'Mark Kilby', a former British secret agent turned trouble shooter for Regal Investment Security Corporation, a consortium of billionaires.(under the pseudonym 'Robert Caine Frazer').
9. 'Patrick Dawlish', a British Intelligence agent and later Scotland Yard detective (under the pseudonym 'Gordon Ashe').
10. 'Superintendent Folly', a Scotland Yard detective (under the pseudonym 'Jeremy York').
11. 'The Baron' nickname of John Mannering, an ex jewel thief and antiques dealer (under the pseudonym 'Anthony Morton').
12. 'The Liberator' series featuring Crispian "Cris" St. Clare, an R.A.F. aviator and agent of F2, an espionage agency attached to the Ministry of Economic Warfare (under the pseudonym 'Norman Deane').
13. 'The Toff', nickname of the Honourable Richard Rollison, an upper-class sleuth.
 
 

Titles and year of publication:  

'Bruce Murdoch' Novels (as 'Norman Deane')
 1) Secret Errand  1939
 2) Dangerous Journey  1939
 3) Unknown Mission  1940
 4) The Withered Man  1940
 5) I Am the Withered Man  1941
 6) Where Is the Withered Man?  1942
'Department Z' Novels
 1) The Death Miser  1932
 2) Redhead  1934
 3) First Came a Murder  1934
 4) Death Round the Corner  1935
 5) The Mark of the Crescent  1935
 6) Thunder in Europe  1936
 7) The Terror Trap  1936
 8) Carriers of Death  1937
 9) Days of Danger  1937
10) Death Stands By  1938
11) Menace!  1938
12) Murder Must Wait  1939
13) Panic!  1939
14) Death by Night  1940
15) The Island of Peril  1940
16) Sabotage  1941
17) Go Away Death  1941
18) The Day of Disaster  1942
19) Prepare for Action  1942
20) No Darker Crime  1943
21) Dark Peril  1944
22) The Peril Ahead  1946
23) The League of Dark Men  1947
24) The Department of Death  1949
25) The Enemy Within  1950
26) Dead or Alive  1951
27) A Kind of Prisoner  1954
28) The Black Spiders  1957
'Dr Emmanuel Cellini' Novels (as 'Michael Halliday')
 1) Cunning As a Fox  1965
 2) Wicked As the Devil  1966
 3) Sly As a Serpent  1967
 4) Cruel As a Cat  1968
 5) Too Good to Be True  1969
 6) A Period of Evil  1970
 7) As Lonely As the Damned  1971
 8) As Empty As Hate  1972
 9) As Merry As Hell  1973
10) This Man Did I Kill?  1974
11) The Man Who Was Not Himself  1976
'Dr Palfrey' Novels
 1) Traitor's Doom  1942
 2) The Legion of the Lost  1943
 3) The Valley of Fear (US Title: The Perilous Country [1973])  1943
 4) Dangerous Quest  1944
 5) Death in the Rising Sun  1945
 6) The Hounds of Vengeance  1945
 7) Shadow of Doom  1946
 8) The House of the Bears  1946
 9) Dark Harvest  1947
10) The Wings of Peace  1948
11) The Sons of Satan  1948
12) The Dawn of Darkness  1949
13) The League of Light  1949
14) The Man Who Shook the World  1950
15) The Prophet of Fire  1951
16) The Children of Hate (US Title: The Killers of Innocence [1971]) (Also published as: The Children of Despair [1958])  1952
17) The Touch of Death  1954
18) The Mists of Fear  1955
19) The Flood  1956
20) The Plague of Silence  1958
21) The Drought (Also published as: Dry Spell [1967])  1959
22) The Terror  1962
23) The Depths  1963
24) The Sleep  1964
25) The Inferno  1965
26) The Famine  1967
27) The Blight  1968
28) The Oasis  1970
29) The Smog  1970
30) The Unbegotten  1971
31) The Insulators  1972
32) The Voiceless Ones  1973
33) The Thunder-Maker  1976
34) The Whirlwind  1979
'Fane Brothers' Novels (as 'Michael Halliday')
 1) Take a Body  1951
 2) The Lame Dog Murder  1952
 3) Murder in the Stars  1953
 4) Man on the Run  1953
'George Gideon' Novels (as 'J.J. Marric')
 1) Gideon's Day (Also published as: Gideon of Scotland Yard [1958])  1955
 2) Gideon's Week (Also published as: Seven Days to Death [1958])  1956
 3) Gideon's Night  1957
 4) Gideon's Month  1958
 5) Gideon's Staff  1959
 6) Gideon's Risk  1960
 7) Gideon's Fire (Edgar Award)  1961
 8) Gideon's March  1962
 9) Gideon's Ride  1963
10) Gideon's Vote  1964
11) Gideon's Lot  1965
12) Gideon's Badge  1966
13) Gideon's Wrath  1967
14) Gideon's River  1968
15) Gideon's Power  1969
16) Gideon's Sport  1970
17) Gideon's Art  1971
18) Gideon's Men  1972
19) Gideon's Press  1973
20) Gideon's Fog  1975
21) Gideon's Drive  1976
'Inspector West' Novels
 1) Inspector West Takes Charge  1942
 2) Inspector West Leaves Town (US Title: Go Away to Murder [1972])  1943
 3) Inspector West at Home  1944
 4) Inspector West Regrets  1945
 5) Holiday for Inspector West  1946
 6) Battle for Inspector West  1948
 7) Triumph for Inspector West (US Title: The Case Against Paul Raeburn [1958])  1948
 8) Inspector West Kicks Off (US Title: Sport for Inspector West [1971])  1949
 9) Inspector West Alone  1950
10) Inspector West Cries Wolf (US Title: The Creepers [1952])  1950
11) A Case for Inspector West (US Title: The Figure in the Dusk [1952])  1951
12) Puzzle for Inspector West (US Title: The Dissemblers [1967])  1951
13) Inspector West at Bay (US Title: The Blind Spot [1954]) (Also published as: The Case of the Acid Throwers [1955])  1952
14) A Gun for Inspector West (US Title: Give a Man a Gun [1954])  1953
15) Send Inspector West (US Title: Send Superintendent West [1976])  1953
16) A Beauty for Inspector West (US Title: The Beauty Queen Killer [1956]) (Also published as: So Young, So Cold, So Fair [1958])  1954
17) Inspector West Makes Haste (US Title: The Gelignite Gang [1956]) (Also published as: Night of the Watchman [1966], and as: Murder Makes Haste [1971])  1955
18) Two for Inspector West (US Title: Murder: One, Two, Three [1960]) (Also published as: Murder Tips the Scales [1962]  1955
19) Parcels for Inspector West (US Title: Death of a Postman [1957])  1956
20) A Prince for Inspector West (US Title: Death of a Assassin [1960])  1956
21) Accident for Inspector West (US Title: Hit and Run [1959])  1957
22) Find Inspector West (US Title: The Trouble at Saxby's [1959]) (Also published as: Doorway to Death [1961])  1957
23) Murder, London - New York  1958
24) Strike for Death (US Title: The Killing Strike [1961])  1958
25) Death of a Racehorse  1959
26) The Case of the Innocent Victims  1959
27) Murder on the Line  1960
28) Death in Cold Print  1961
29) The Scene of the Crime  1961
30) Policeman's Dread  1962
31) Hang the Little Man  1963
32) Look Three Ways at Murder  1964
33) Murder, London - Australia  1965
34) Murder, London - South Africa  1966
35) The Executioners  1967
36) So Young to Burn  1968
37) Murder, London - Miami  1969
38) A Part for a Policeman  1970
39) Alibi (Also published as: Alibi for Inspector West [1973])  1971
40) A Splinter of Glass  1972
41) The Theft of Magna Carta  1973
42) The Extortioners  1974
43) A Sharp Rise in Crime  1978
'Mark Kilby' Novels (as 'Robert Caine Frazer')
 1) Mark Kilby Solves a Murder (UK Title: R.I.S.C. [1962]) (Also published as: The Timid Tycoon [1965])  1959
 2) Mark Kilby and the Secret Syndicate (UK Title: The Secret Syndicate [1961])  1960
 3) Mark Kilby and the Miami Mob (UK Title: The Miami Mob [1965])  1960
 4) The Hollywood Hoax  1961
 5) Mark Kilby Takes a Risk  1962
 6) Mark Kilby Stands Alone (Also published as: Mark Kilby and the Manhattan Murders [1966])  1962
'Patrick Dawlish' Novels (as 'Gordon Ashe')
 1) Death on Demand  1939
 2) The Speaker (US Title: The Croaker [1973])  1939
 3) Terror by Day  1940
 4) Secret Murder  1940
 5) 'Ware Danger  1941
 6) Murder Most Foul  1942
 7) There Goes Death  1942
 8) Death in High Places  1942
 9) Death in Flames  1943
10) Two Men Missing  1943
11) Rogues Rampant  1944
12) Death on the Move  1945
13) Invitation to Adventure  1945
14) Here Is Danger  1946
15) Give Me Murder  1947
16) Murder Too Late  1947
17) Dark Mystery  1948
18) Engagement with Death  1948
19) A Puzzle in Pearls  1949
20) Kill or Be Killed  1949
21) The Dark Circle  1950
22) Murder with Mushrooms  1950
23) Death in Diamonds  1951
24) Missing or Dead?  1951
25) Death in a Hurry  1952
26) The Long Search (US Title: Drop Dead [1954])  1953
27) Sleepy Death  1953
28) Double for Death  1954
29) Death in the Trees  1954
30) The Kidnapped Child (Also published as: The Snatch [1965])  1955
31) Day of Fear  1956
32) Wait for Death  1957
33) Come Home to Death (US Title: The Pack of Lies [1959])  1958
34) Elope to Death  1959
35) Don't Let Him Kill (US Title: The Man Who Laughed at Murder [1960])  1960
36) The Crime Haters  1961
37) Rogues Ransom  1962
38) Death from Below  1963
39) The Big Call  1964
40) A Promise of Diamonds  1965
41) A Taste of Treasure  1966
42) A Clutch of Coppers  1967
43) A Shadow of Death  1968
44) A Scream of Murder  1970
45) A Nest of Traitors  1970
46) A Rabble of Rebels  1971
47) A Life for a Death  1973
48) A Herald of Doom  1974
49) A Blast of Trumpets  1975
50) A Plague of Demons  1976
'Sexton Blake' Novels
 1) The Case of the Murdered Financier  1937
 2) The Great Air Swindle  1939
 3) The Man from Fleet Street  1940
 4) The Case of the Mad Inventor  1942
 5) Private Carter's Crime  1943
'Superintendent Folly' Novels (as 'Jeremy York')
 1) Find the Body  1945
 2) Murder Came Late  1946
 3) Run Away to Murder  1947
 4) Let's Kill Uncle Lionel  1947
'The Baron' Novels (as 'Anthony Morton')
 1) Meet the Baron (US Title: The Man in the Blue Mask [1937])  1937
 2) The Baron Returns (US Title: The Return of Blue Mask [1937])  1937
 3) The Baron Again (US Title: Salute Blue Mask [1938])  1938
 4) The Baron at Bay (US Title: Blue Mask at Bay [1938])  1938
 5) Alias the Baron (US Title: Alias Blue Mask [1939])  1939
 6) The Baron at Large (US Title: Challenge Blue Mask! [1939])  1939
 7) Versus the Baron (US Title: Blue Mask Strikes Again [1940])  1940
 8) Call for the Baron (US Title: Blue Mask Victorious [1940])  1940
 9) The Baron Comes Back  1943
10) A Case for the Baron  1945
11) Reward for the Baron  1945
12) Career for the Baron  1946
13) The Baron and the Beggar  1947
14) Blame the Baron  1948
15) A Rope for the Baron  1948
16) Books for the Baron  1949
17) Cry for the Baron  1950
18) Trap the Baron  1950
19) Attack the Baron  1951
20) Shadow the Baron  1951
21) Warn the Baron  1952
22) The Baron Goes East  1953
23) The Baron in France  1953
24) Danger for the Baron  1953
25) The Baron Goes Fast  1954
26) Nest-Egg for the Baron (US Title: Deaf, Dumb and Blonde [1961])  1954
27) Help from the Baron  1955
28) Hide the Baron  1956
29) Frame the Baron (US Title: The Double Frame [1961])  1957
30) Red Eye for the Baron (US Title: Blood Red [1960])  1958
31) Black for the Baron (US Title: If Anything Happens to Hester [1962])  1959
32) Salute for the Baron  1960
33) A Branch for the Baron (US Title: The Baron Branches Out [1967])  1961
34) Bad for the Baron (US Title: The Baron and the Stolen Legacy [1967])  1962
35) A Sword for the Baron (US Title: The Baron and the Mogul Swords [1966])  1963
36) The Baron on Board  1964
37) The Baron and the Chinese Puzzle  1964
38) Sport for the Baron  1966
39) Affair for the Baron  1967
40) The Baron and the Missing Old Masters  1968
41) The Baron and the Unfinished Portrait  1969
42) Last Laugh for the Baron  1970
43) The Baron Goes A-Buying  1971
44) The Baron and the Arrogant Artist  1972
45) Burgle the Baron  1973
46) The Baron - King Maker  1975
47) Love for the Baron  1979
'The Liberator' Novels (as 'Norman Deane')
 1) Return to Adventure  1943
 2) Gateway to Escape  1944
 3) Come Home to Crime  1945
'The Toff' Novels
 1) Introducing the Toff  1938
 2) The Toff Goes On  1939
 3) The Toff Steps Out  1939
 4) Here Comes the Toff  1940
 5) The Toff Breaks In  1940
 6) Salute the Toff  1941
 7) The Toff Proceeds  1941
 8) The Toff Goes to Market  1942
 9) The Toff Is Back  1942
10) The Toff on the Trail (short stories)  1942
11) The Toff among the Millions  1943
12) Accuse the Toff  1943
13) The Toff and the Curate (Also published as: The Toff and the Deadly Parson [1970])  1944
14) The Toff and the Great Illusion  1944
15) Feathers for the Toff  1945
16) The Toff and the Lady  1946
17) The Toff on Ice (US Title: Poison for the Toff [1965])  1946
18) Hammer the Toff  1947
19) The Toff in Town  1948
20) The Toff Takes Shares  1948
21) The Toff and Old Harry  1949
22) The Toff on Board  1949
23) Fool the Toff  1950
24) Kill the Toff  1950
25) A Knife for the Toff  1951
26) The Toff Goes Gay (US Title: A Mask for the Toff [1966])  1951
27) Hunt the Toff  1952
28) Call the Toff  1953
29) The Toff Down Under (Also published as: Break the Toff [1970])  1953
30) Murder Out of the Past (short stories)  1953
31) The Toff at Butlins  1954
32) The Toff at the Fair  1954
33) A Six for the Toff (Also published as: A Score for the Toff [1972])  1955
34) The Toff and the Deep Blue Sea  1955
35) Make-Up for the Toff (Also published as: Kiss the Toff [1971])  1956
36) The Toff in New York  1956
37) Model for the Toff  1957
38) The Toff on Fire  1957
39) The Toff and the Stolen Tresses  1958
40) The Toff on the Farm (Also published as: Terror for the Toff [1965])  1958
41) Double for the Toff  1959
42) The Toff and the Runaway Bride  1959
43) A Rocket for the Toff  1960
44) The Toff and the Kidnapped Child (Also published as: The Kidnapped Child [1972])  1960
45) Follow the Toff  1961
46) The Toff and the Teds (US Title: The Toff and the Toughs [1968])  1961
47) A Doll for the Toff  1963
48) Leave It to the Toff  1963
49) The Toff and the Spider  1965
50) The Toff in Wax  1966
51) A Bundle for the Toff  1967
52) Stars for the Toff  1968
53) The Toff and the Golden Boy  1969
54) The Toff and the Fallen Angels  1970
55) Vote for the Toff  1971
56) The Toff and the Trip-Trip-Triplets  1972
57) The Toff and the Terrified Taxman  1973
58) The Toff and the Sleepy Cowboy  1975
59) The Toff and the Crooked Copper  1977
Other Novels
 1) Seven Times Seven  1932
 2) Men, Maids and Murder  1933
 3) The Mountain of the Blind  1960
 4) The Foothills of Fear  1961
 5) The Masters of Bow Street  1972
As 'Gordon Ashe'
 1) Who Was the Jester? (Also published as: The Masked Gunman [????])  1940
 2) The Man Who Stayed Alive  1955
 3) No Need to Die (US Title: You've Bet Your Life [1957])  1956
As 'M.E. Cooke'
 1) Fire of Death  1934
 2) The Black Heart  1935
 3) The Casino Mystery  1935
 4) The Crime Gang  1935
 5) The Death Drive  1935
 6) No 1's Last Crime  1935
 7) The Stolen Formula Mystery  1935
 8) The Big Radium Mystery  1936
 9) The Day of Terror  1936
10) The Dummy Robberies  1936
11) The Hypnotic Demon  1936
12) The Moat Farm Mystery  1936
13) The Secret Formula  1936
14) The Successful Alibi  1936
15) The Hadfield Mystery  1937
16) The Moving Eye  1937
17) The Raven  1937
18) The Mountain Terror  1939
19) For Her Sister's Sake  1939
20) The Verrall Street Affair  1940
As 'Norman Deane'
 1) Play for Murder  1946
 2) The Silent House  1946
 3) Why Murder?  1948
 4) Intent to Murder  1948
 5) The Man I Didn't Kill  1949
 6) No Hurry to Kill  1950
 7) Double for Murder  1951
 8) Golden Death  1952
 9) Look at Murder  1952
10) Murder Ahead  1953
11) Death in the Spanish Sun  1954
12) Incense to Death  1954
As 'Patrick Gill'
 1) The Fighting Footballers  1937
 2) The Laughing Lightweight  1937
 3) The Battle for the Cup  1939
 4) The Fighting Tramp  1939
 5) The Mystery of the Centre-Forward  1939
 6) The £ 10,000 Trophy Race  1939
 7) The Secret Super-Charger  1940
As 'Michael Halliday'
 1) Three for Adventure  1937
 2) Four Find Danger  1937
 3) Two Meet Trouble  1938
 4) Murder Come Home  1940
 5) Heir to Murder  1940
 6) Murder by the Way  1940
 7) Who Saw Him Die?  1941
 8) Foul Play Suspected  1942
 9) Who Died at the Grange?  1942
10) Five to Kill  1943
11) Murder at King's Kitchen  1943
12) No Crime More Cruel  1944
13) Who Said Murder?  1944
14) Crime with Many Voices  1945
15) Murder Makes Murder  1946
16) Mystery Motive  1947
17) Lend a Hand to Murder  1947
18) First a Murder  1948
19) No End to Danger  1948
20) Who Killed Rebecca?  1949
21) The Dying Witnesses  1949
22) Dine with Murder  1950
23) Murder Week-End  1950
24) Quarrel with Murder  1951
25) Death Out of Darkness  1954
26) Out of the Shadows  1954
27) Cat and Mouse (US Title: Hilda, Take Heed [1957; written as Jeremy York])  1955
28) Murder at End House  1955
29) Death of a Stranger (US Title: Come Here and Die [1959; written as Jeremy York])  1957
30) Runaway  1957
31) Murder Assured  1958
32) Missing from Home (US Title: Missing [1960; written as Jeremy York])  1958
33) Thicker Than Water  1959
34) Go Ahead with Murder (US Title: Two for the Money [1962; written as Jeremy York])  1960
35) How Many To Kill? (US Title: The Girl with the Leopard-Skin Bag [1961; written as Jeremy York])  1960
36) The Edge of Terror  1961
37) The Man I Killed  1961
38) Hate To Kill  1962
39) The Quiet Fear  1963
40) Guilt of Innocence  1964
As 'Charles Hogarth'
 1) Murder on Largo Island  1944
As 'Brian Hope'
 1) Four Motives for Murder  1938
As 'Colin Hughes'
 1) Triple Murder  1940
As 'Kyle Hunt'
 1) Kill Once, Kill Twice  1957
 2) Kill a Wicked Man  1958
 3) Kill My Love  1959
 4) To Kill a Killer  1960
As 'Abel Mann'
 1) Danger Woman  1966
As 'Peter Manton'
 1) Murder Manor  1937
 2) The Greyvale School Mystery  1937
 3) Stand By for Danger  1937
 4) The Circle of Justice  1938
 5) Three Day's Terror  1938
 6) The Crime Syndicate  1939
 7) Death Looks On  1939
 8) Murder in the Highlands  1939
 9) The Midget Marvel  1940
10) Policeman's Triumph  1948
11) Thief in the Night  1950
12) No Escape from Murder  1953
13) The Crooked Killer  1954
14) The Charity Killers  1954
As 'Richard Martin'
 1) Keys to Crime  1947
 2) Vote to Murder  1948
 3) Adrian and Jonathan  1954
As 'Rodney Mattheson'
 1) The Dark Shadow  1935
 2) The Secret of Ferrars  1936
As 'Anthony Morton'
 1) Mr. Quentin Investigates  1943
 2) Introducing Mr. Brandon  1944
As 'Jeremy York'
 1) By Persons Unknown  1941
 2) Murder Unseen  1943
 3) No Alibi  1944
 4) Murder in the Family  1944
 5) Yesterday's Murder  1945
 6) Close the Door on Murder  1948
 7) Death to My Killer  1950
 8) Sentence of Death  1950
 9) Voyage of Death  1952
10) Safari with Murder  1953
11) So Soon to Die  1955
12) Seeds of Murder  1956
13) Sight of Death  1956
14) My Brother's Killer  1958
15) Hide and Kill  1959
16) To Kill or to Die (US Title: To Kill or Die [1965])  1960

Back