Bill Knox

William (Bill) Knox (1928-March 1999) was a Scottish author, journalist and broadcaster, best known for his crime novels and presenting the long-running STV series "Crimedesk".

Born in Glasgow, Knox became the youngest journalist for a Glasgow newspaper at age 16. He went on to report on crime, motoring and became a news editor.

He began writing crime novels in the 1950s. Knox often wrote under pseudonyms, frequently for the American market. These included Michael Kirk, Robert MacLeod and Noah Webster. In all he published over 50 crime novels, including a several series, notably the "Thane and Moss" books.

In the 1970s he was approached by Scottish Television to present a series asking for public assistance in solving crimes in the central Scotland area. Similar to "Police 5" (with Shaw Taylor, broadcast in the Thames Television area) Knox presented the fifteen minute slot for over ten years, always signing off with the promise that any calls to the police "can be in confidence". At this time he also made a series of short programmes called "Tales of Crime", also for STV, in which he recounted famous Scottish criminal cases.

His final novel, "The Lazarus Window", was unfinished at the time of his death, and was completed by Martin Edwards.

Bibliography

*"Deadline For A Dream" (US: "In At The Kill") (1957)
*"The Cockatoo Crime" (1958)
*"Death Department" (1959)
*"Leave It To The Hangman" (1960)
*"Death Calls The Shots" (1961)
*"Die For Big Betsy" (1961)
*"Little Drops Of Blood" (1962)
*"Sanctuary Isle" (US: "The Grey Sentinels") (1962)
*"The Man In The Bottle" (US: "The Killing Game") (1963)
*"The Scavengers" (1964)
*"The Taste of Proof" (1965)
*"The Deep Fall" (US: "The Ghost Car") (1966)
*"Devilweed" (1966)
*"Justice On the Rocks" (1967)
*"Blacklight" (1967)
*"The Klondyker" (US: "The Figurehead") (1968)
*"Court of murder: Famous trials at Glasgow High Court" (1968)
*"Blueback" (1969)
*"Children of the Mist" (US: "Who Shot the Bull?") (1970)
*"Seafire" (1970)
*"To Kill a Witch" (1971)
*"Stormtide" (1972)
*"Draw Batons" (1973)
*"Whitewater" (1974)
*"View from Daniel Pike" (1974)
*"Children of the Water" (1974)
*"Rally to Kill" (1975)
*"Hellspout" (1976)
*"A Witchdance in Bavaria" (1976)
*"A Pay-off in Switzerland" (1977)
*"Witchrock" (1977)
*"Pilot Error" (1977)
*"Live Bait" (1978)
*"Bombship" (1980)
*"Killing in Antiques" (1981)
*"Storyland Wall Frieze" (1981)
*"Tales of Crime" (1982)
*"Bloodtide" (1982)
*"The Hanging Tree" (1983)
*"Wavecrest" (1985)
*"The Crossfire Killings" (1986)
*"Dead Man's Mooring" (1987)
*"The Interface Man" (1989)
*"The Drowning Nets" (1991)
*"The Counterfeit Killers" (1996)
*"Lake of Fury" (1996)
*"An Incident in Iceland" (1996)
*"Place of Mists" (1996)
*"Salvage Job" (1997)
*"Blood Proof" (1997)
*"A Burial in Portugal" (1997)
*"Cargo Risk" (1997)
*"Isle of Dragons" (1997)
*"Nest of Vultures" (1997)
*"Country Club Wives" (1997)
*"A Cut in Diamonds" (1997)
*"Drum of Power" (1998)
*"Mayday from Malaga" (1998)
*"Death Bytes" (1998)
*"A Problem in Prague" (1998)
*"Cave of Bats" (1998)
*"Witchline" (1999)
*"The Lazarus Window" (with Martin Edwards) (1999)