Hugh Pentecost

Hugh Pentecost was a pen name used by the prolific author Judson Philips. Born in Massachusetts, Philips began his writing career during the golden age of pulp magazines in the 1930s. He wrote suspense fiction and sports stories for various famous pulps of the time. His first book, "Hold 'Em Girls! The Intelligent Women's Guide to Men and Football," was published in 1936. Philips's writing gained recognition when his crime story "Cancelled in Red" won the Red Badge prize in 1939, marking the beginning of his successful career as a novelist.

Over the next five decades, Philips, writing as Hugh Pentecost, among other pseudonyms, produced nearly one hundred books. His two most well-known characters were Pierre Chambrun, a sleuthing hotel manager, and Peter Styles, a one-legged investigative reporter. Chambrun made his first appearance in "The Cannibal Who Overate" (1962), while Styles was introduced in "Laughter Trap" (1964). Despite facing failing vision and poor health in his later years, Philips remained committed to his craft and continued writing daily. His final novel, "Pattern for Terror," was published posthumously in 1989. Philips's writing was also featured in the television series "The Web," and he wrote the story for the 1957 movie "Appointment with a Shadow."