Charles Williams is arguably one of the most renowned writers of American crime fiction. Although there are multiple individuals with the same name on Goodreads, the crime fiction author was born in Texas in 1909 and passed away in California in 1975. He is particularly known for his distinctive clean and somewhat casual narrative style, which sets his novels apart in the genre.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Williams had a varied career. After dropping out of high school, he enlisted in the US Merchant Marine and served for ten years. He then transitioned to working in the electronics industry. It wasn't until the end of World War II that Williams began writing fiction, living in San Francisco at the time. His breakthrough novel, Hill Girl (1951), was a success, enabling him to leave his job and focus on writing.
Williams's works range from hard-boiled, small-town noir to suspense thrillers set at sea and in the Deep South. His novels were originally published by pulp fiction houses but received significant critical acclaim. For instance, Hell Hath No Fury (1953) was the first paperback original to be reviewed by the New York Times critic Anthony Boucher. Moreover, many of Williams's novels were adapted for the screen, including Dead Calm (published in 1963) and Don't Just Stand There! (published in 1966), for which he wrote the screenplay.