Philip Bird

The Baron at Large Philip Bird

It was to be an historic occasion. The Kallinov collection, jewels worth a quarter of a million pounds, were to be collected under one roof, and John Mannering - alias the Baron - had been invited to bring along his own Gloria diamonds. What his hosts were unaware of, however, was that their charming, elegant guest was in fact the legendary and highly successful jewel thief! So when Mannering is roused by a gunshot in the night and arrives on the scene to witness the whole collection being driven away by thieves, he has much cause for concern. But concern swiftly turns to alarm when he receives a gloating note from the thieves who, it seems, are trying to frame him...

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.