Thomas Eugene Gifford (May 16, 1937 – October 31, 2000) was a best-selling American

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

of thriller novels. He was a graduate of

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. He gained international fame with the crime novel '' The Glendower Legacy'' and later with the Vatican thriller ''

The Assassini ''The Assassini'' is a 1990 thriller novel by American author Thomas Gifford, published by Bantam Books. Plot summary Set in 1982, while the Roman Catholic Church is preparing to elect a successor to the dying pope, Callistus IV, the book de ...

''. The books posited

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

as a British spy and the

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as a criminal organization. ''The Glendower Legacy'' was made into a movie in 1981 under the name '' Dirty Tricks''. Gifford also published under the names Dana Clarins and Thomas Maxwell. He died of

cholangiocarcinoma Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, is a type of cancer that forms in the bile ducts. Symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma may include abdominal pain, yellowish skin, weight loss, generalized itching, and fever. Light colored stool ...

in his home in

Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Il ...

, on Halloween 2000.

Bibliography

Won awards at Harvard for creative writing; worked at ''The Sun'' newspaper and ''The Guthrie''; won Putnam's prize for best first novel (''The Wind Chill Factor''). From Dubuque, Iowa, after graduating from college he moved to the Twin Cities, Minnesota, where he and his wife, Kari Sandven, had two children (Thomas Eaton, Rachel Claire). Divorced in 1969, he went on to marry Camille D'Ambrose, a local actress. They moved to Los Angeles for a few years, then returned to Orono, MN. Novels continued to flow from his fountain pen through the years. Gifford eventually moved to New York—a city he loved whose people were of infinite importance to him. In 1996, he turned his attention to renovating his childhood home in Dubuque, spending more time in Iowa than New York during his last years. He embraced the community of Dubuque, as they embraced their prodigal son. Featured in the ''Dubuque Telegraph Herald'', Gifford recounted his every day occurrences, from learning the pleasure of getting a dog (Katie Maxwell, the Scottie) to peeves and pleasures of the town. Diagnosed with terminal cancer in February 2000, Gifford spent his remaining months reading, watching old movies, and chatting with friends and family. He died in Dubuque on October 31, 2000. Gifford lived life large, had friends throughout the world, and lived life by his favorite credo—"we're not here for a long time; we're here for a good time."

As Thomas Gifford

* 1975 – ''The Wind Chill Factor'' * 1976 – ''The Cavanaugh Quest'' (nominated for the

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

1977) * 1977 – ''The Man from Lisbon'' * 1978 – ''The Glendower Legacy'' * 1979 – ''Hollywood Gothic'' * 1990 – ''The Assassini'' * 1993 – ''Praetorian'' * 1994 – ''The First Sacrifice'' * 1996 – ''Saint's Rest''

As Thomas Maxwell

* 1986 – ''Kiss Me Once'' * 1987 – ''The Saberdene Variations'' * 1988 – ''Kiss Me Twice'' * 1990 – ''The Suspense Is Killing Me''

As Dana Clarins

* 1984 – ''Woman in the Window'' * 1985 – ''Guilty Parties'' * 1986 – ''The Woman Who Knew Too Much''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gifford, Thomas 1937 births 2000 deaths 20th-century American novelists American male novelists Deaths from cancer in Iowa Deaths from cholangiocarcinoma Harvard University alumni Writers from Dubuque, Iowa 20th-century American male writers Novelists from Iowa