Leo Ognall

Leo Ognall
Born(1908-06-20)June 20, 1908
Montreal, Canada
DiedApril 12, 1979(1979-04-12) (aged 70)
Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, U.K.
Pen nameHartley Howard
Harry Carmichael
OccupationJournalist, author
GenreCrime novels
Notable worksDepartment K
Children3, including Harry Ognall

Leopold Horace Ognall (20 June 1908 – 12 April 1979),[1] known by the pen names Hartley Howard and Harry Carmichael, was a British crime novelist.

Biography

Ognall was born in Montreal, Canada, but grew up in Glasgow, Scotland.[2] His father served as provost of Rutherglen.[2] At age 19, the younger Ognall was working as a bus driver in Rutherglen.[3] He also worked as a journalist before starting his fiction career. He lived in Leeds in England for many years; he was married there in 1932,[4] and while he was recorded as living in Ulverston in Cumbria in 1939,[4] he was again living in Leeds by 1964.[5]

Ognall wrote over 90 novels, which were published between 1951 and 1979. The New York City-based private eye Glenn Bowman, who appeared in 38 books written under the pen name of Hartley Howard, was one of his most successful characters.[6] Under the Harry Carmichael pen name, his primary series characters were John Piper, an insurance assessor, and Quinn, a crime reporter; the London-based duo appeared together in 32 books.[7] Ognall created the pseudonym "Harry Carmichael" as an amalgam of the names of his immediate family: his son Harry, his wife Cecilia, his daughter Margaret, and his son Michael. Ognall's 1964 spy thriller Department K was adapted into the 1968 British film Assignment K.[8] Some of his works were also adapted for radio.[9]

Ognall married Ceclia Sumroy (1909–1994) in 1932 in Leeds.[4] The couple had three children,[4] including Sir Harry Ognall, a barrister and judge who was well known for his prosecution of Peter Sutcliffe, dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper.[10]

Ognall died in 1979, aged 70, in Leeds.[11] His final book, The Sealed Envelope, was published posthumously later that year.[12]

Bibliography

Source:[13]

Hartley Howard works

As Hartley Howard, Ognall authored the following novels (with year of publication):

  1. The Last Appointment 1951
  2. The Last Deception 1951
  3. Death of Cecilia 1952
  4. The Last Vanity 1951
  5. Bowman Strikes Again 1953
  6. The Other Side of the Door 1953
  7. Bowman at a Venture 1954
  8. Bowman on Broadway 1954
  9. No Target for Bowman 1955
  10. Sleep for the Wicked 1955
  11. The Bowman Touch 1956
  12. A Hearse for Cinderella 1956
  13. Key to the Morgue 1957
  14. The Long Night 1957
  15. The Big Snatch 1958
  16. Sleep, My Pretty One 1958
  17. The Armitage Secret 1959
  18. Deadline 1959
  19. Extortion 1960
  20. Fall Guy 1960
  21. I'm No Hero 1961
  22. Time Bomb 1961
  23. Count-Down 1962
  24. Double Finesse 1962
  25. The Stretton Case 1963
  26. Department K (US title: Assignment K) 1964
  27. Out of the Fire 1965
  28. Counterfeit 1966
  29. Portrait of a Beautiful Harlot 1966
  30. Routine Investigation 1967
  31. The Eye of the Hurricane 1968
  32. The Secret of Simon Cornell 1969
  33. Cry on My Shoulder 1970
  34. Room 37 1970
  35. Million Dollar Snapshot 1971
  36. Murder One 1971
  37. Epitaph for Joanna 1972
  38. Nice Day for a Funeral 1972
  39. Highway to Murder 1973
  40. Dead Drunk 1974
  41. Treble Cross 1975
  42. Payoff 1976
  43. One-Way Ticket 1978
  44. The Sealed Envelope 1979

Harry Carmichael works

As Harry Carmichael, Ognall authored the following novels (with year of publication):

  1. Death Leaves a Diary 1952
  2. The Vanishing Trick 1952
  3. Deadly Night-Cap 1953
  4. School for Murder 1953
  5. Why Kill Johnny? 1954
  6. Death Counts Three (US title: The Screaming Rabbit) 1954
  7. Money for Murder 1955
  8. Noose for a Lady 1955
  9. The Dead of Night 1956
  10. Justice Enough 1956
  11. Emergency Exit 1957
  12. Put Out That Star (US title: Into Thin Air) 1957
  13. James Knowland: Deceased 1958
  14. A Question of Time 1958
  15. ...Or Be He Dead 1959
  16. Stranglehold (US title: Marked Man) 1959
  17. Requiem for Charles (US title: The Late Unlamented) 1960
  18. The Seeds of Hate 1960
  19. Alibi 1961
  20. Confession 1961
  21. The Link 1962
  22. Of Unsound Mind 1962
  23. Vendetta 1963
  24. Flashback[a] 1964
  25. Safe Secret 1964
  26. Post Mortem 1965
  27. Suicide Clause 1966
  28. The Condemned 1967
  29. Murder by Proxy 1967
  30. A Slightly Bitter Taste 1968
  31. Death Trap 1970
  32. Remote Control 1970
  33. Most Deadly Hate 1971
  34. The Quiet Woman 1971
  35. Naked to the Grave 1972
  36. Candles for the Dead 1973
  37. Too Late for Tears 1973
  38. The Motive 1974
  39. False Evidence 1976
  40. A Grave for Two 1977
  41. Life Cycle 1978

Notes

  1. ^ Flashback appears to be based on the 1961 disappearance of Joan Risch, per a 1964 newspaper interview with Ognall,[5] and subsequent reviews of the book.[14][15]

References

  1. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007
  2. ^ a b Ognall, Sir Harry (2017). A Life of Crime: The Memoirs of a High Court Judge. William Collins. pp. 2–3. ISBN 978-0008267469.
  3. ^ "Overcrowded Omnibus". The Clydebank Press. Clydebank, Strathclyde, Scotland. 15 July 1927. p. 5. Retrieved 16 August 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d "OGNALL Leopold Horace". british-jewry.org.uk. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  5. ^ a b Pilger, John (1 March 1964). "British Author Has Bizarre Theory in Joan Risch Case". The Boston Globe. Manchester Daily Mirror. p. 59. Retrieved 13 August 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Nummelin, Juri; Smith, Kevin Burton (26 July 2020). "Glenn Bowman". thrillingdetective.com. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  7. ^ Smith, Kevin Burton (5 April 2023). "John Piper & Quinn". thrillingdetective.com. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  8. ^ Champlin, Charles (19 September 1968). "'K' Opens Citywide Showings". Los Angeles Times. p. 13 (Part V). Retrieved 16 August 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Newton, Bill (12 May 1973). "Need for More Cash Brought Out That Flair for Writing". Evening Despatch. Darlington, Durham, England. p. 3. Retrieved 16 August 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Ognall, Sir Harry (2017). A Life of Crime: The Memoirs of a High Court Judge. William Collins. pp. 2–3. ISBN 978-0008267469.
  11. ^ "Top thriller writer dies". Evening Star. Burnley, Lancashire, England. 16 April 1979. p. 3. Retrieved 13 August 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Books: The Sealed Envelope". Evening Despatch. Darlington, Durham, England. 9 August 1979. p. 2. Retrieved 16 August 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Harry Carmichael Bibliography | Hartley Howard Bibliography". classiccrimefiction.com. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  14. ^ Iles, Francis (15 January 1965). "Criminal Records". The Guardian. London. p. 11. Retrieved 13 August 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Richardson, Maurice (13 December 1964). "Crime Ration". The Observer. London. p. 27. Retrieved 13 August 2025 – via newspapers.com.

Further reading

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