John Wainwright (author)
Encyclopedia
John William Wainwright was a British
crime novelist and author of 83 books, four of which have been published under the pen name Jack Ripley. He also wrote some short stories (mostly uncollected in book format), 7 radio plays, and an indefinite amount of magazine articles and newspaper columns.
, an area of inner-city south Leeds
, in 1921. He left school at fifteen and served as a rear gunner in Lancaster bombers during the Second World War. In 1947 he joined the West Riding Constabulary as a Police Constable. While serving as a policeman, he went back to studying in his spare time – earning himself a law degree in 1956 – and in 1965 he tried writing a crime novel, which was accepted by George Hardinge
, the editor of Collins Crime Club
, and published as Death in a Sleeping City. In 1966 Wainwright left the force and became a full-time novelist. In 1968 Hardinge became senior editor at Macmillan Publishers
, taking Wainwright's contract with him.
Wainwright died in 1995, a few months after the publication of his last novel, The Life and Times of Christmas Calvert... Assassin.
One of his most popular novels is Brainwash (1977), upon which the movies Garde à vue
and Under Suspicion (2000 film)
are based. Cul-de-sac (1984) was also very well-received in its days, mainly thanks to a warm endorsement by fellow writer Georges Simenon
, who defined it "an unforgettable novel".
Most of his novels fall into the police procedural
category, but Wainwright also tried his hand at the suspense thriller (Square Dance, 1975; Portrait in Shadows, 1986), the serial killer
novel (A Ripple of Murders, 1978), the spy novel (The Crystallized Carbon Pig, 1966; Cause for a Killing, 1974), and the legal thriller
(The Jury People, 1978; Man of Law, 1980), with a couple of forays into the classical whodunit
and the locked room mystery
(High-Class Kill, 1973). His novel All on a Summer's Day (1981), which chronicles twenty-four hours in the life of a Police station
in the north of England
, is quite similar in conception to Ed McBain's 87th Precinct
novel Hail, Hail the Gang's All Here (1971). Wainwright was also a passionate traditional jazz and swing music fan, and some of his novels have a strong jazz background, particularly the black comedy
Do Nothin' till You Hear from Me (1977).
In an interview given to the Italian periodical Il Giallo Mondadori
in 1975, Wainwright cited Raymond Chandler
, Ed McBain and Ian Fleming
as his favourite authors.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
crime novelist and author of 83 books, four of which have been published under the pen name Jack Ripley. He also wrote some short stories (mostly uncollected in book format), 7 radio plays, and an indefinite amount of magazine articles and newspaper columns.
Biography
Wainwright was born in HunsletHunslet
Hunslet is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is south east of the city centre and has an industrial past.Hunslet had many engineering companies based in the district, such as John Fowler & Co...
, an area of inner-city south Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, in 1921. He left school at fifteen and served as a rear gunner in Lancaster bombers during the Second World War. In 1947 he joined the West Riding Constabulary as a Police Constable. While serving as a policeman, he went back to studying in his spare time – earning himself a law degree in 1956 – and in 1965 he tried writing a crime novel, which was accepted by George Hardinge
George Hardinge
-Life:He was born on 22 June 1743 at Canbury, a manorhouse in Kingston upon Thames. He was the third but eldest surviving son of Nicholas Hardinge, by his wife Jane, daughter of Sir John Pratt. He was educated by Woodeson, a Kingston schoolmaster, and at Eton College under Edward Barnard.Hardinge...
, the editor of Collins Crime Club
Collins Crime Club
The Collins Crime Club was an imprint of UK book publishers William Collins & Co Ltd and ran from May 6, 1930 to April 1994. Customers registered their name and address with the club and were sent a newsletter every three months which advised them of the latest books which had been or were to be...
, and published as Death in a Sleeping City. In 1966 Wainwright left the force and became a full-time novelist. In 1968 Hardinge became senior editor at Macmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
, taking Wainwright's contract with him.
Wainwright died in 1995, a few months after the publication of his last novel, The Life and Times of Christmas Calvert... Assassin.
Works and style
An extremely prolific author - from 1966 to 1984 he kept an average of three books a year - Wainwright published 78 crime novels, a short-story collection and four non-fiction works, including two autobiographical volumes, Tail-End Charlie and Wainwright's Beat; a career guide, Shall I Be a Policeman? (1967), and a home security handbook, Guard Your Castle (1973; new edition, 1983).One of his most popular novels is Brainwash (1977), upon which the movies Garde à vue
Garde à vue
Garde à vue is a 1981 French film directed by Claude Miller and starring Romy Schneider, Michel Serrault, Lino Ventura and Guy Marchand. It was based on the British novel Brainwash, by John Wainwright....
and Under Suspicion (2000 film)
Under Suspicion (2000 film)
Under Suspicion is a 2000 American film directed by Stephen Hopkins. It stars Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Monica Bellucci and Thomas Jane. The film is based on the 1981 French film Garde à vue and the 1970s British novel Brainwash, written by John Wainwright...
are based. Cul-de-sac (1984) was also very well-received in its days, mainly thanks to a warm endorsement by fellow writer Georges Simenon
Georges Simenon
Georges Joseph Christian Simenon was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 200 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known for the creation of the fictional detective Maigret.-Early life and education:...
, who defined it "an unforgettable novel".
Most of his novels fall into the police procedural
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
category, but Wainwright also tried his hand at the suspense thriller (Square Dance, 1975; Portrait in Shadows, 1986), the serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
novel (A Ripple of Murders, 1978), the spy novel (The Crystallized Carbon Pig, 1966; Cause for a Killing, 1974), and the legal thriller
Legal thriller
The legal thriller is a sub-genre of thriller and crime fiction in which the major characters are lawyers and their employees. The system of justice itself is always a major part of these works, at times almost functioning as one of the characters...
(The Jury People, 1978; Man of Law, 1980), with a couple of forays into the classical whodunit
Whodunit
A whodunit or whodunnit is a complex, plot-driven variety of the detective story in which the puzzle is the main feature of interest. The reader or viewer is provided with clues from which the identity of the perpetrator of the crime may be deduced before the solution is revealed in the final...
and the locked room mystery
Locked room mystery
The locked room mystery is a sub-genre of detective fiction in which a crime—almost always murder—is committed under apparently impossible circumstances. The crime in question typically involves a crime scene that no intruder could have entered or left, e.g., a locked room...
(High-Class Kill, 1973). His novel All on a Summer's Day (1981), which chronicles twenty-four hours in the life of a Police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
in the north of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is quite similar in conception to Ed McBain's 87th Precinct
87th Precinct
The 87th Precinct is a series of police procedural novels and stories written by Ed McBain. McBain's 87th Precinct works have been adapted, sometimes loosely, into movies and television on several occasions.-Setting:...
novel Hail, Hail the Gang's All Here (1971). Wainwright was also a passionate traditional jazz and swing music fan, and some of his novels have a strong jazz background, particularly the black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
Do Nothin' till You Hear from Me (1977).
In an interview given to the Italian periodical Il Giallo Mondadori
Il Giallo Mondadori
Il Giallo Mondadori is an Italian series of mystery/crime novels published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore since 1929.Their original title was I libri gialli, where giallo in Italian means "yellow", a reference to the color of the cover background. The title was changed to I gialli Mondadori in 1946...
in 1975, Wainwright cited Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
, Ed McBain and Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
as his favourite authors.
Critical assessment
Wainwright always led a very private life, almost never giving interviews and rarely appearing in public, while enjoying a steady if not spectacular success in his lifetime. As a consequence of this, his name is all but forgotten nowadays (his death went completely unrecorded by newspapers and reference books until 2003), and a critical assessment of his huge output is still yet to come, considering also that all his books are currently out of print.See also
- John Wainwright, Tail-End Charlie: One Man's Journey through a War, Macmillan, 1978
- John Wainwright, Wainwright's Beat: One Man's Journey with a Police Force, Macmillan, 1987
- William L. DeAndreaWilliam L. DeAndreaWilliam L. DeAndrea was an American mystery writer and columnist. He won three Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America, the first for his first novel, Killed in the Ratings. The majority of his novels made up several series. The Matt Cobb mysteries drew on DeAndrea's experience working...
, Encyclopedia Mysteriosa, Prentice Hall, 1989 - Bruce F. Murphy, The Encyclopedia of Murder and Mystery, St. Martin's Minotaur, 1989
- Claude Mesplède, Dictionnaire des littératures policières, Joseph K, 2003; second edition 2007
- Claude Mesplède, Luca Conti, Giovanni Zucca, Dizionario delle letterature poliziesche, Mondadori, 2009
- Judith Rhodes, "John Wainwright", in "St James Guide to Crime & Mystery Writers" 1996
External links
- A complete bibliography (in English)
- An essay on Wainwright's life and works (in Italian)