A. J. Quinnell

A. J. Quinnell was the pen name of Philip Nicholson (born on June 25, 1940 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, UK - died July 10, 2005 on Gozo, Malta), a mystery and thriller writer. He traveled throughout his life and several of the minor characters in his books are actual people he met. He was married three times. His last wife, Elsebeth Egholm, is a Danish mystery novelist. The couple resided on the island of Gozo and Denmark.

When the author was getting ready to publish his first book, he decided he wanted to keep his real identity a secret. During a conversation in a bar, his agent (who is also J. K. Rowling's agent) told him he could use a pseudonym. The author chose "Quinnell" after rugby union player Derek Quinnell and "A. J." because they were the initials of the bartender's son.

The author's best known creation was the character of Marcus Creasy, an American-born former member of the French Foreign Legion. The Creasy novels are cult favorites in Japan.

"Man on Fire" was adapted to film twice, in 1987 and 2004. This has resulted in a wider demand for Quinnell's books, especially those featuring Creasy, including "The Blue Ring" and "Message From Hell".

Bibliography

*"Man on Fire" (1980) - Creasy
*"The Mahdi" (1981)
*"Snap Shot" (aka "The Snap") (1982)
*"Blood Ties" (1985)
*"Siege of Silence" (1986)
*"In the Name of the Father" (1987)
*"The Perfect Kill" (1992) - Creasy
*"The Shadow" (1992)
*"The Blue Ring" (1993) - Creasy
*"Black Horn" (1994) - Creasy
*"Message from Hell" (1996) - Creasy
*"The Trail of Tears" (1999)
*"A Quiet Night in Hell" (2001)
*"The Scalpel" (2001)

External links

* [http://web.singnet.com.sg/~tonym/quinnell.html A.J. Quinnell Fan Site]
* [http://web.singnet.com.sg/~tonym/gozo.html My visit to Gozo and A. J. Quinnell]
* [http://web.singnet.com.sg/~tonym/quinnell-biography.html Obituary from Times of Malta]