Zenith Jones Brown (December 8, 1898 – August 25, 1983) was an American
crime fiction writer who also wrote for a time in England. She wrote under the pseudonyms David Frome, Leslie Ford, and Brenda Conrad. She is perhaps best known for her novels featuring the fictional Grace Latham and John Primrose, though some of her earlier standalone work has been praised.
She was born Zenith Jones in
Smith River, California
Smith River (Tolowa: ''Kaa-nvsh'') is a town and census-designated place in Del Norte County, California, located near the Oregon border. Smith River is the headquarters of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, a federally recognized tribe of Tolowa people. ...
[ and grew up in Tacoma, Washington. Brown was educated at the University of Washington,][ and worked there as a teaching assistant from 1921 to 1923. She was also assistant to the editor and circulation manager for ''Dial'' magazine from 1922 to 1923.][ Brown began writing as “David Frome” in 1929 while staying in London with her husband.][ She returned to the United States in 1931, and the couple settled in ]Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
. Brown used the pen name
A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name.
A pen na ...
“Leslie Ford” for her mystery novels published in the United States. During World War II, she wrote several novels about nurses under the name “Brenda Conrad”.[
Her books often appeared in serial format in '' The Saturday Evening Post'' before being published.][ Brown also wrote short stories, which were published in various periodicals and anthologies.][
She married Ford K. Brown, a professor,][
Brown died at the Church Home and Hospital in ]Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...
at the age of 84.
Selected books
* as David Frome
** ''Murder of an Old Man'' (1929)
** ''The Hammersmith Murders'' (1930) - Features Mr. Evan Pinkerton
** ''The Strange Death of Martin Green'' (1930) (''The Murder on the Sixth Hole'' in Britain)
** ''Two Against Scotland Yard'' (1931) - Pinkerton
** ''The Man From Scotland Yard'' (1932) - Pinkerton
** ''The Eel Pie Murders'' (1933) - Pinkerton
** ''Scotland Yard Can Wait'' (1933)
** ''Mr. Pinkerton Finds a Body'' (1934)
** ''Mr. Pinkerton Goes to Scotland Yard'' (1934)
** ''Mr. Pinkerton Grows a Beard'' (1935)
** ''Mr. Pinkerton Has The Clue'' (1936)
** ''The Black Envelope'' (1937) - Pinkerton
** ''Mr. Pinkerton at the Old Angel'' (1939)
** ''Passage For One'' (1945) - Pinkerton
** ''Homicide House'' (1950) - Pinkerton
* as Leslie Ford
** ''The Sound of Footsteps'' (1931)
** ''By The Watchman's Clock'' (1932)
** ''Murder in Maryland'' (1932)
** ''The Clue of the Judas Tree'' (1933)
** ''The Strangled Witness'' (1934) - Colonel John Primrose
** ''Ill Met By Moonlight'' (1937) - Mrs. Grace Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''The Simple Way of Poison'' (1937) - Mrs. Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''Three Bright Pebbles'' (1938) - Mrs. Latham
** ''Old Lover's Ghost'' (1939) - Mrs. Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''Reno Rendezvous'' (1939) - Mrs. Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''The Town Cried Murder'' (1939) -
** ''The Road to Folly'' (1940) - Mrs. Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''The Murder of a Fifth Columnist'' (1941) - Mrs. Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''Murder in the O.P.M.'' (1942) - Mrs. Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''Murder with Southern Hospitality'' - Mrs. Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''All For The Love of a Lady'' (1943) - Mrs. Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''Siren in the Night'' (1943) - Mrs. Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''The Philadelphia Murder Story'' (1945) - Mrs. Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''False To Any Man'' (1947) - Mrs. Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''Honolulu Murder Story'' (1947) - Mrs. Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''The Devil's Stronghold'' (1948) - Mrs. Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''The Woman In Black
''The Woman in Black'' is a 1983 gothic horror novel by English writer Susan Hill. The plot concerns a mysterious spectre that haunts a small English town. A television film based on the story, also called '' The Woman in Black'', was produced ...
'' (1948) - Mrs. Latham
** ''Date With Death'' (1949)
** ''Murder is the Pay-Off
''Murder is the Pay-Off'' is a murder mystery novel written by Leslie Ford. It was published in hardcover by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1951. That same year, it was published in England by Collins Crime Club.
References
External links Mu ...
'' (1951)
** ''The Bahamas Murder Case'' (1952)
** ''Washington Whispers Murder
''Washington Whispers Murder'' is a 1953 murder mystery by Leslie Ford. It was published in hardcover by Charles Scribner's Sons and later in paperback by Dell.
References
External links Washington Whispers Murderat Kirkus Reviews
''K ...
'' (1953) - Mrs. Latham and Col. Primrose
** ''Invitation to Murder'' (1954)
** ''Murder Comes to Eden
''Murder Comes to Eden'' is a murder mystery novel written by Leslie Ford. It was published in hardcover by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1955.
References
External links Murder Comes to Edenat Fantastic FictionMurder Comes to Edenat Goodread ...
'' (1955)
** ''The Girl from the Mimosa Club'' (1957)
** ''Trial by Ambush'' (1962)
* as Brenda Conrad
** ''The Stars Give Warning'' (1941)
** ''Caribbean Conspiracy'' (1942)
** ''Girl with a Golden Bar'' (1944)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Zenith Jones
1898 births
1983 deaths
American expatriates in England
American mystery novelists
20th-century pseudonymous writers
Pseudonymous women writers
University of Washington alumni