Victor Canning was primarily a writer of thrillers, and wrote his
many books under the pseudonyms Julian Forest and Alan Gould. Among
his immediate contemporaries were Eric Ambler, Alistair Maclean and
Hammond Innes.
Canning was a prolific writer throughout his career, which began
young: he had sold several short stories by the age of nineteen and
his first novel, Mr Finchley Discovers His England (1934) was
published when he was twenty-three. Canning also wrote for
children: his Smiler trilogy was adapted for US children's
television.
Canning's later thrillers were darker and more complex than his
earlier work and received great critical acclaim. The Rainbird
Pattern was awarded the CWA Silver Dagger in 1973 and nominated for
an Edgar award in 1974.
In 1976 The Rainbird Pattern was transformed by Alfred Hitchcock
into the comic film The Family Plot, which was to be Hitchcock's
last film. Several of Canning's other novels including Golden
Salamander (1949) were also made into films during Canning's
lifetime.
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