UK Pulp - Freederick Foden !

Frederick Foden.

Born in Chapel-en-le-Frith, Stockport, in January 1907, Frederick Tom Foden worked for a brake lining company and as a porter on the railways. He began producing books around 1946 under the name Jack Kelso for the cheap-and-cheerful paperback market, his early titles including The Great Tyneside Mystery, The Gang Smashers and Smashing the Drug Ring. These were all produced in his spare time, although he did spend a period of his life working full-time as a freelance writer.

After these early yarns, Foden really hit his stride in January 1950 with the publcation of his first gangster novel. Over the next four years he wrote at least 70 novels -- 35,000 words every ten days or so -- although the best that can be said of them is that they delivered what the publishers thought were the goods.

Hick Town Dame - Nov 1952