Also known as: Kenneth Royce Gandley, Ken Royce, Oliver Jacks, Kenneth Gandley
Biography
Kenneth Royce Gandley (11 December 1920 — 15 August 1997) was an English author, who published 36 thriller novels between 1959 and 1997 under his own name (including The Third Arm, The Stalin Account, Fall-Out, 10,000 Days and Channel Assault), and three as Oliver Jacks.
His best-known work are his novels featuring semi-reformed cat burglar William 'Spider' Scott, an XYY man, whose extra 'Y' chromosome (in the then-erroneous-but-conventional wisdom) gave him a pre-disposition towards criminality. After attempting to 'go straight', he finds his talents are in demand not only from the criminal underworld, but also the secret service, and he is co-opted into dangerous undercover work (usually through blackmail, the temptations of money, or through his interest being piqued).
A television series of The XYY Man in 1976-77 (adapting the early books) created a popular appetite for the character, and also that of his nemesis, Detective Sergeant George Bulman, a relatively minor character i...
