A shot rang out from Quinns, a shop in Mayfair dealing in antiques and
precious stones. John Mannering - alias the Baron - had been showing
some diamonds to an amiable-looking young man. However, looks can be
deceiving, as the young man seized the jewels and shot the Baron in the
head before fleeing. Now Mannering was lying gravely ill in Westminster
Hospital, undergoing an emergency operation. Scotland Yard were on the
case, but did they didn't have much to go on....
Born in Surrey, England in 1908 into a poor family in which there were
nine children, John Creasey grew up to be a true master story teller and
international sensation. His more than 600 crime, mystery and thriller
titles have now sold 80 million copies in 25 languages. These include
many popular series such as Gideon of Scotland Yard, The Toff, Dr
Palfrey and The Baron. Creasey wrote under many pseudonyms, explaining
that booksellers had complained he totally dominated the 'C' section in
stores.
Never one to sit still, Creasey had a strong social conscience, and
stood for Parliament several times, along with founding the One Party
Alliance which promoted the idea of government by a coalition of the
best minds from across the political spectrum. He founded the British
Crime Writers' Association, which to this day celebrates outstanding
crime writing. The Mystery Writers of America bestowed upon him the
Edgar Award for best novel and then in 1969 the ultimate Grand Master
Award.
