Marvin Albert


Marvin H. Albert was an American writer of mystery, crime and adventure novels including ones featuring Pete Sawyer, a French-American private investigator living and working in France.

Biography

During World War II Albert served in the United States Merchant Marine as a radio operator. After working as the director of a Philadelphia children's theater troupe he moved to New York in 1950 and began writing and editing for Quick and Look magazines.
He began writing full-time over the success of his 1956 Western novel The Law and Jake Wade. He sometimes wrote under pseudonyms such as Albert Conroy, Ian McAlister, Nick Quarry and Anthony Rome. Settings for his novels include France, Miami and the Old West. A 1975 international suspense thriller, The Gargoyle Conspiracy, written under his own name, was an Edgar nominee in the category of Best Mystery Novel.

Novels

Westerns

Westerns written under the name Al Conroy

A series featuring the common character Clayburn. They were later reprinted in 1989-90 under Marvin Albert's own name.

Detective novels written under the name Al Conroy

The Road's End The Chiselers Nice Guys Finish Dead Murder in Room 13 The Mob Says Murder
  • ''Devil in Dungarees''

Jake Barrow Private Eye written under the name Nick Quarry

Tony Rome series

A series featuring the private detective Tony Rome.
A 1967 television pilot under the name Nick Quarry was based on ''Tony Rome''

as Nick Quarry

Mafia fiction as Al Conroy

Series character: Johnny Morini, Soldato: Man Against the Mafia.
  • Soldato!
  • Death Grip!
  • Strangle Hold!
  • Murder Mission!
  • ''Blood Run!''

Stone Angel series

A series featuring the common character Pete Sawyer.
  • The Dark Goddess
  • Stone Angel
  • Back in the Real World
  • Get Off at Babylon
  • Long Teeth
  • The Last Smile
  • The Midnight Sister
  • Bimbo Heaven
  • The Zig-Zag Man
  • ''The Riviera Contract''

as Ian McAlister

  • Skylark Mission
  • Driscoll's Diamonds
  • Strike Force 7
  • ''Valley of the Assassins''

Other crime thrillers

Non fiction works

Film novelizations

Party Girl That Jane from Maine Pillow Talk All the Young Men Come September Force of Impulse Lover Come Back Move Over, Darling The V.I.P.s Palm Springs Weekend Under the Yum Yum Tree The Pink Panther The Outrage Goodbye Charlie Honeymoon Hotel What's New Pussycat? The Great Race

TV tie-ins

  • Mr. Lucky, an original novel based on the TV series as by Al Conroy
  • Storefront Lawyers, novelization of the pilot teleplay as by A.L. Conroy

Screenplays

Other works

As J. D. Christilian - "Scarlet Women".
As Marvin H. Albert - "Operation Lila", "The Medusa Complex", "Dancer's Progress and Schrodingers Cat" and "Hidden Lives".

Personal life

He was survived by his artist wife Xenia Klar, one son, and one grandchild.

In popular culture

In the movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the character Rick Dalton is seen reading and discussing a western-themed paperback novel that features a character named Tom Breezy. The novelization of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood includes an ad for the fictitious Tom Breezy book, which is identified as Ride a Wild Bronc by Marvin H. Albert.