Kenneth Royce

Who was Kenneth Royce?

Kenneth Royce Gandley was an English thriller writer who also wrote under name Ken Royce, and the pseudonym Oliver Jacks.

Ken Royce was born in Croydon, UK in 1920 and began writing at school. He would buy cheap exercise books and sell them fully illustrated for twice the price. During World War II he served with "various regiments" and reached the rank of Captain. He ran his own travel business and made full use of it to gather background for his books.

He was married and lived in Buckinghamshire, UK. He died in 1997.

He wrote 36 thriller novels between 1959 and 1997 under his own name, and three as Jacks. His best known works were his novels featuring semi-reformed cat burglar William 'Spider' Scott, an XYY Man, whose extra 'Y' chromosome 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.