Mark Hebden

Mark Hebden is the pseudonym of John Harris, a renowned author known for his best-selling adventure stories. Hebden was born in Yorkshire in 1916 and attended Rotherham Grammar School. After leaving school, he became a reporter on the Rotherham Advertiser before moving on to the Sheffield Telegraph. He also worked as a cartoonist, travel courier, and history teacher at various times.

In World War II, Hebden served as a corporal in the RAF and was seconded to the South African Air Force. After the war, he returned to the Sheffield Telegraph where he worked as a political and comedy cartoonist. Hebden married Betty Wragg in 1947, and the couple had two children, Max and Juliet. He had his first novel, 'The Lonely Voyage,' published in 1951. His 1953 novel 'The Sea Shall Not Have Them' was made into a successful film, and this marked the beginning of his full-time writing career.

Hebden wrote 35 books under his own name, 27 under the name of Mark Hebden, and a further 10, mostly of a military nature, under the pseudonym Max Hennessy. His first novel under the pseudonym Mark Hebden, 'What Changed Charlie Farthing,' was published in 1965. His first novel featuring his French detective Chief Inspector Pel, 'Pel and the Faceless Corpse,' was published in 1979. His daughter Juliet continued the Pel series after his death under the pen-name Juliet Hebden.

Hebden settled in West Wittering in Sussex in 1955, where he continued to write until his death in 1991. His last book, 'Pel and the Sepulchre Job,' was published posthumously in 1992. Hebden was a prolific writer who created many quirky characters and adventure stories that have captivated readers for generations. His legacy continues to inspire new writers and readers alike.