Kenneth Royce

Creator · born 11 December 1920 · Croydon, Surrey, England, UK

Kenneth Royce Gandley (11 December 1920 — 15 August 1997) was an English author, who published 36 thriller novels between 1959 and 1997 under his own name (including The Third Arm, The Stalin Account, Fall-Out, 10,000 Days and Channel Assault), and three as Oliver Jacks.

His best-known work are his novels featuring semi-reformed cat burglar William 'Spider' Scott, an XYY man, whose extra 'Y' chromosome (in the then-erroneous-but-conventional wisdom) gave him a pre-disposition towards criminality. After attempting to 'go straight', he finds his talents are in demand not only from the criminal underworld, but also the secret service, and he is co-opted into dangerous undercover work (usually through blackmail, the temptations of money, or through his interest being piqued).