Albert Conroy (1924–1996)

Marvin Albert, one of the best of the Gold Medal writers, writing under his Albert Conroy pseudonym, is in top form here. An ex-boxer, who now co-owns a trucking firm, has a one night stand with a beautiful dame, heads back to his own hotel, and is arrested the next morning for her brutal murder. The circumstantial evidence looks like enough to hang him. Thus begins yet another story of a man who has to prove his own innocence, because the cops don't care. What sets it apart from so many others of its type is just how well Albert writes. This is a model of the 1950s style of quick reading, action packed books aimed at male readers. Women tend to be first described in terms of their physical attractiveness--but at least one in this book rises above that to prove her smarts. This is one of those books you'll have to read in one sitting because you won't be able to go to sleep until you get to the end.… (mehr)

There isn't a dull moment in Conroy's (Marvin Albert's) tale of a man who wakes up with amnesia to find himself in the middle of a murder case--with himself a prime suspect. There also aren't that many believable moments, but you won't particularly mind. Albert piles up a few too many things on top of each other, but the cast of characters is memorable, and some of the violent scenes are top notch. He would go on to write better books, but this one will definitely keep you entertained in that wonderful Gold Medal way.… (mehr)

Solidly entertaining, well-written story by Marvin H. Albert, writing under his Albert Conroy pseudonym. Eddie Driscoll, convicted for bank robbery and attempted murder, is broken out of a rather lax prison and finds himself caught up in a gambling magnate's plans to kill the Governor who has started to bust up his businesses around the state. Driscoll is the perfect candidate since he threatened to kill the Governor, who was the DA who sent him to prison the last time for a crime he actually didn't commit. It would be nice to think that this Driscoll is really the same Driscoll who turns up 15 years or so later in Driscoll's Diamonds, a superb book Albert wrote under another of his pseudonyms, but that Driscoll is John, and this one is Eddie. Still--one never knows.… (mehr)