A Thirties Grail Thriller: 'Secret Sceptre' by Francis Gerard

Francis Gerard was the author of about twenty-two thrillers in the period 1936-52, many featuring his series detective Sir John Meredith. He also wrote continuations of Edgar Wallace’s ‘Sanders of the River’ stories. He published first with Rich & Cowan, then later with Macdonald. His books are vivid, extravagant, rather headlong, and favour pace over atmosphere.The work in