About the Author
Born Cecil William Mercer into a middle class family with many Victorian skeletons in the closet, including the conviction for embezzlement from a law firm and subsequent suicide of his great-uncle, Yates' parents scraped together enough money to educate him at Harrow. Having qualified as a barrister he found time to contribute stories to the Windsor Magazine. After World War One he launched his full time writing career, completing some thirty books, ranging from light- hearted farce to adventure thrillers. For the former he created the Berry books which established Yates' reputation as a writer of witty, upper-crust romances. For the latter he created Richard Chandos , who recounts the adventures of Jonah Mansel, a classic gentleman sleuth.
